rust on galvanized trailer

[NYGiants]

i am buying a boat with a load rite galvanized trailer. the guy said it has some rust. how does a galvanized trailer get rust? and what can you do to fix it?
thanks

 

[jfadool]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

Most galvanized trailers have the frame and axle(s) dipped. The rest of the trailer most of the time steel or stainless steel. That could be the parts he is talking about.

If you see paint on the trailer be advised that it is not a galvanized trailer.

 

[NYGiants]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

actually i just got pictures, he described it way worse than it actually is.
its just some of the hardware and some streaks of rust.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

Seeing is believing.
Remember that Mastercraft trailer thread ??

 

[NYGiants]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

haha yes, the seller made it sound like the trailer was covered in rust, needed to be painted and etc. i was expecting something like my sunfish trailer, which i finally repainted (is my avatar)
yes, a little bit of rust, but nothing im too worried about.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

i am buying a boat with a load rite galvanized trailer. the guy said it has some rust. how does a galvanized trailer get rust? and what can you do to fix it?
thanks

Galvanizing is a sacrificial coating. Although a good galvanizing job will last a very long time it does oxidize away, continuously. And then it gets thin enough that rust starts. At that point you can get it re-dipped or galvanized.
Rust can also come from inside if the trailer is made with tubing that did not get galvanized inside.

 

[JimS123]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

Galvanizing is nothing more than a coating on the steel parts. It's a zinc rich material, similar to the primers used on aluminum outboards.

There is galvanizing and then there is galvanizing. Hot dip, cold dip, etc. You can also buy spray-on galvanizing, which is usually used on repairs on older parts. Eventually, all galvanizing will wear off and then the metal will rust. Its just a matter of time and how well it was galvanized when manufactured. Fatseners on the trailer frame usually rust first, thus some rust streaks may be seen on the frame. It may only be from the nuts and bolts though.

Years ago some manufacturers bought galvanized metal, then formed it into the trailers. The coating on the bends usually failed first. Today, most reputable manufacturers form the trailer parts first, then galvanize them in-house.

I boat in fresh water, so the galvanized trailers I see here that are rusty are usually 30 years old or so. I would guess that salt water usage will accelerate the process.

Maybe more than you needed to know.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

If the rails are not eaten away.... you can always paint the trailer after you wire wheel the heck out of it...... That is quite a bit of rust and I would really question if it was galvanized.

 

[robert graham]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

You can buy the spray on galvanize coating/paint(spray can) in most hardware stores. Just wire brush the rust and slap a couple of coats on it. Good Luck!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

bob,

those are two different trailers.... the rusty one is his sunfish trailer and is what he was afraid the galv would look like

 

[sdf4647]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

I found a company were I'm from ,to sand blast a trailer for a 17 ft boat for 350.00. I also called around ,I found a place to Powder coat it for 350.00.
So for 650.00 I won't worry about my trailer for along time. Good luck

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

I found a company were I'm from ,to sand blast a trailer for a 17 ft boat for 350.00. I also called around ,I found a place to Powder coat it for 350.00.
So for 650.00 I won't worry about my trailer for along time. Good luck

of course it will get repo'd unless you pay up the $50 you still owe...... LOL
j/k

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

you can also try a product called rust bullet to repaint rusted or new metal.
I have no experience with rust bullet yet, but will this summer after using my trailer in the salt water. I needed to add some steel to my galvanized trailer and used rust bullet on the new pieces I added.

 

[sdf4647]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

of course it will get repo'd unless you pay up the $50 you still owe...... LOL
j/k

Ahhhhh !!! Yes, It was 300 for the powder coating, My bad. Total 650.00
Good Eye !! on that one.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: rust on galvanized trailer

haha yes, the seller made it sound like the trailer was covered in rust, needed to be painted and etc. i was expecting something like my sunfish trailer, which i finally repainted (is my avatar)
yes, a little bit of rust, but nothing im too worried about.

Nice looking boat, and trailer.

I've bought lots of galvanized trailers which had minor rust streaks where the owner was convinced they were junk. On some I just remove, clean, and paint the hardware, others I just replace with new hardware. I paint the hardware from day one since it will rust no matter what. I'd use stainless but I've yet to find stainless, (or galvanized for that matter), hardware that's strong enough to do the job. For some reason they only seem to galvanize really junk hardware. There are also dissimilar metal issues with using stainless steel hardware.