Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

[bryanwess2000]

I'm thinking about taking some 2x4 steel tube cutting in half and making a partial sleeve for my galvanized trailer. I know i'll have to grind the galvanizing away at the joints. I plan to weld a lap joint onto the existing frame above the point of clean metal. The trailer must have been stored with the tongue down because the rust is only at the front few feet. Anyone do this successfully and was it a lasting repair?

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

The rust you can see is only at the front. Chances are it is everywhere else just lurking. A bandaid is just that. Keep in mind your idea is a temporary repair.

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

That's one thing i don't like about tube trailers, you don't see the rust until it's too late. I thoroughly checked the trailer with a ball peen hammer as well as drilling the bottom of the frame tubes to check for rust. I wouldn't attempt this repair without knowing the rest of the trailer was sound. I understand your thinking of it as just a bandaid but some 1/2 ton trucks with fully boxed frames are made in this fashion, my nissan titan as ex. so I think it can be a decent repair especially since it's stored indoors and this part of the trailer will not get wet when the boats launched. The only part I'm not too comfortable with is the vertical weld that will be subject to stress, but I can make the section overlap a gradual diagonal with the inner and outer laps offset from each other to distribute the stress along the weld.
I'll be posting this question on a welding forum as well for opinions about the strength and integrity of this type repair.

My next trailer will definately be a heavy duty c channel style to avoid this again.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

While I am skeptical in the generalization that tube trailers are more prone to rust internally I tend to agree with spdracr on this one.

Yes it can be done and it can be done as a solution to your problem, thing is once you get to welding you can very quickly find that the base metal is in fact too far gone for you to get a good solid weld.

anywhere you have a sleeve I suggest you drill a couple holes in the base metal to weld the sleeve beyond your main welds, if your base metal is in good shape you should have a long lasting setup provided you properly protect it afterwards, either by cold galvanizing or primer and paint. I would suggest long sleeving this setup just to help strengthen the trailer. Sleeving tube is the preferred method of repairing tube whether it is square rectangle or round, the only difference is that typically the sleeve is not the base also in other words the repair is a combination of sleeve and same size base metal replacement, weld clean and paint, by doing this you would be hard pressed to find the repaired section after Galv/paint.

On another note I would love to see pics of the trailer now.

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

I didn't mean for it to sound as if tube trailers are more prone to rust, just that detecting rust is harder. That coupled with them being constructed of lighter gauge metal vs. a good c channel frame, makes the c channel easier to detect rust and repair before it gets to the point of failure. When I take my boat to the gulf coast I see mainly galvanized c channel and aluminum I beam trailers, another reason i favor c channel. I think my trailer would have lasted a lifetime if properly stored but the PO docked her boat at her lake house and the trailer must have been kept outside tongue down because the rust is progressively worse from 2 feet into the y split to the point of attachment. I'll definately make shure I tie into clean base metal when I weld and it will be cold galvanized afterward. The rest of the trailer really is sound otherwise I would just scrap it. I'll try to post pics later. I think I understand what you suggest, cut out affected area
then tie into tube with same sized material then cover with sleeve. Repair existing tube then cover with oversize tube.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

some trailers have a bolt-in tongue, if yours does, you could simply replace the tongue.

if it was me, I would replace the whole tube for the tongue. can you post pics?

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

I really wish it was that easy. Unfortunately the rusted areas are in the 2x4 beams that connect to the tongue. If this doesn't work I'll have to buy some beams about 18' long. It has a good axle, cross beams, rollers etc. Just rusted on the bottom of the 2 beams right at the front couple of feet. I've taken many 250 mile trips to the gulf with it. I'm glad nothing bad happened. I was buffing the bottom of my boat when i noticed the rust. I did't notice it before because the PO had coated it with galvanizing paint. I poked it with a screw driver and it went right through. Scary.

I'll try to find the camera, we misplaced on our camping trip a few weeks ago.

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?


My wife deleted the before pics. It was a little worse than I anticipated. The front of this trailer was about to separate from the tongue tube. I haven't welded much in the last 10 years so excuse the ugly beads. Inverted welding was interesting with a few burns on my head and neck. Rusty 14 gauge steel isn't fun to work with esp using flux wire. I overheated my lincoln 175 a couple times so anyone wanting to do any serious repairs would probably need a machine with a higher duty cycle. If I had to do it over I would just buy a good used channel trailer.
A few areas had rust over half way up the tube and the arc busted through causing me to have to weld up to clean metal and fill in the hole. This trailer will only be used until I find a suitable used replacement. I've lost all confidence in tube trailers. I had no idea they were made from such light gauge steel, i was expecting at least 12 gauge.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

I still wouldn't be trusting that trailer. Don't you think the joint at the front of that tube is going to be a major weak point now?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

I still wouldn't be trusting that trailer. Don't you think the joint at the front of that tube is going to be a major weak point now?

Ayuh,.... Ya gotta love saltwater,... I agree, that wagon oughta be scrapped for a few parts,....

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

I'm actually more concerned about the seam at the other end where the angle iron transitions to just tubing, there is much more flex in that area. The front is much more rigid and is tied into a large weld not into tubing. I'll have to agree with you guys most of it will be headed to the scap yard soon.

 

[tbrandon]

Re: Anyone weld a sleeve onto rusted tube trailer?

I've been welding for 30 years and have fixed many frames from heavy mining equipment to cars but never a boat trailer although I have built a couple trailers... My advice... fit metal of at least the same thickness or better to cover the entire rust damaged area and cut oval shaped holes in it about 12'' apart, weld all of the linear welds on the patch including the ovals but do not weld any vertical as that is where you'll get a break in the frame. Welding only inline with the frame will allow that thing to still flex without any problem.

Tom