[DonRotolo]

In your rookie year, I strongly advise you to use the kitbot. It provides a robust chassis and is just sitting there for you to assemble. Put it together and let your drivers get some practice ASAP.

If there is someone on the team who insists on building a custom chassis, let them do it, but continue development on the kitbot chassis. You simply do NOT have the time to figure out custom stuff. 1/12 of your time is already gone - think about that.

3/8" aluminum is a bit heavy, it really depends on what exactly you do, but I've rarely seen such heavy material on a robot in 7 years. Our drivetrain side plates are 1/8" thick if that helps.