galvanized or painted?

[hipster dufus]

resaerching my new boat. galvanized or painted trailer? which is best? i am also considering oiled hubs and led lites. maybe hubs with grease fittings. small boat, 16 ft, so i dont think brakes are necessary. any and all opinions welcomed. this willbe ny retirement boat. am leanining towards a 1648 mv aluminum. thanks

 

[DC20]

Re: galvanized or painted?

Go with galvanized, especially if you ever boat in salt water. I had a trailer once with oil hubs, once they were rebuilt they did not give me anymore problems but they don't seem to be popular. LED lights are great. Two speed winches are nice but if your boat is light it may not be necessary.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: galvanized or painted?

The painted trailer looks pretty when it is New, and pretty ugly when it is Old!

The Galvanized trailer just looks galvanized forever!

 

[MWG2600]

Re: galvanized or painted?

Trailer depends on salt or fresh water, If you have the o[tion go with the oil filled hubs. if they dont leek they will never need service.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: galvanized or painted?

I vote galvanized.

 

[dingbat]

Re: galvanized or painted?

Hot dip galvanizing coats 100% of the trailer with a galvanic coating that doesn?t peel. The structure is also open so any water that finds its way into the trailer is allowed to drain out or evaporated.

Paint only covers the outside of he trailer. The inside is bare steel and any moisture that finds its way into the structure will just sit there and eat away at the metal. At this point a failure is imminent, with little to no advanced warning.
Keep in mind you can always paint the outside of a galvanized trailer for esthetics. You can?t paint the side of a non-galvanized trailer for rust protection.
As far as a hubs are concerned, I?d stick with grease.

There are two inevitable in trailers.
1. A seal will fail sooner than later. Usually at the absolute worst time.
2. Seals eventually wear out the area where the seal rides on the shaft. At that point, the shaft will need repaired or replaced.

A seal failure or a lost bearing cap on a greased hub has minimal impact of the drive ability of the trailer. A seal or cover failure on an oil lube is catastrophic. Do not pass go, don?t collect $200.

Yes, trucks use an oil lube system on the highway but when was the last time you saw a truck axle deep in the water launching a boat?

 

[jkust]

Re: galvanized or painted?

I vote galvanized. My 2004 sig boat trailer has light rust starting at the seams and it's never been outdoors for more than a week. It is a Shorlandr and was an expensive trailer. I had to go around and apply a rust inhibitor. My 1984 Bayliner Galvanized trailer or course is rust free and the metal looks like it did back in 84 and it's been stored outside all but about 3 years.

 

[tbird175]

Re: galvanized or painted?

Galvanized. I have a 1970 galvanized trailer that still looks good.

 

[tboltmike]

Re: galvanized or painted?

Bought a 10 year old inland lake boat with a painted trailer. After about a year in saltwater, and I try not to dunk my trailer, the paint was toast. Had it stripped and galvanized about 20 years ago and still looks, well, galvanized! I am just now starting to replace some of the galvanized axel bolts.

 

[hipster dufus]

Re: galvanized or painted?

the painted trailer i am looking at is c channel. i dont see where rust could hide in it. freshwater only.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: galvanized or painted?

The rust starts at the welds and hides and spreads under the paint.
By the time it becomes noticeable, it has spread a few inches.

Someone with an older painted trailer will post a picture in a minute. (Hint, Hint!)

 

[Sixmark]

Re: galvanized or painted?

The rust starts at the welds and hides and spreads under the paint.
By the time it becomes noticeable, it has spread a few inches.

Someone with an older painted trailer will post a picture in a minute. (Hint, Hint!)

I could post a pic of our 1977 Dilly trailer, but it wouldn't support your claim, it's white paint still looks great today. That comes with maintaining it and washing it regularly, which is something that many people don't do anymore these days because it requires a little extra time.

They are usually the same ones who don't bother to clean the vegetation of their rigs as well.

 

[catfishcarl99]

Re: galvanized or painted?

i have a 1989 spectrum 1700 fish ski on a galvanized trailer. only rust on it is the coupler and winch. rest is still speckled galvanized. one thing i dont have to maintain.

also. i had bulbs blowing on mine about every other trip. got led's about 5 years back. never look now. they are bright and work. i dont even unplug them.

also buddie bearings. i love my trailer. its almost maintence free

 

[catfishcarl99]

Re: galvanized or painted?

wish my boat and motor was so easy. lol.

 

[alloffroad]

Re: galvanized or painted?

One issue with oil hubs is if the trailer sits for an extended period of time the oil drains off the top half of the bearings leaving them exposed where grease will stay put when the trailer is not being used.