Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

[SDSeville]

I will be repainting my trailer soon.

1. What is the best way to get rid of existing rust?

2. What paint should I use that might resist rust the best?

I know I should have a galvanized trailer if I boat in salt water (I only do it a few times a year), but I don't have the money for a new trailer.

 

[75TowerOfPower]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

You can actually buy cold galvinized spray paint, so you could clean off the rust as best as you can and the spray it with that paint and have the best of both worlds.

I worked with a steel erection company for a couple of summer and they used it when they need to gring something down and weld it. So it isn't as good as a paint job from the factory but should be better than some regular spray paint.

 

[TBTOsterman]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

Last March, I found a company that had a large enough oven to powdercoat and bake my trailer. The total, including sandblasting, was about $500 and it looks great. I think powdercoat stands up to the elements better than paint.

 

[tylermckee]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

Last March, I found a company that had a large enough oven to powdercoat and bake my trailer. The total, including sandblasting, was about $500 and it looks great. I think powdercoat stands up to the elements better than paint.

That sounds like a hell of a deal, i know the places around here would probably be at least double that number, depending on what size trailer

 

[TBTOsterman]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

That sounds like a hell of a deal, i know the places around here would probably be at least double that number, depending on what size trailer

Thats what I thought! There were several companies around that had enough room to do car frames but no boat trailers. This company happened to sell, build, and install ovens for a larger manufacturer that builds large-scale truck scales. This oven was in for repair and getting ready to be shipped back to the company. He needed a test run and my trailer was it!

I was very happy with the price and finish. I think the total re-build with all new hardware, lights, boards, carpet, and powder coated wheels was about $850.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

Well, I am going to try the galvanized paint. Do I need to strip all of the paint down to the bare metal 1st, or do I just need to get rid of all the rust?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

Well, I am going to try the galvanized paint. Do I need to strip all of the paint down to the bare metal 1st, or do I just need to get rid of all the rust?

Ayuh,... I'd at a minimum wirebrush the rust off, or at best, sandblast it off...
Then prime, 'n paint it with Rustoleum industrial enamel...

I've got an ole 1958 trailer in the backyard, I painted that way back in 88, that's Still carring 90% of it's paint...

Galvanizing really only works Well, on bare steel...

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

Thanks Bond-o. If I did go to bare metal, would cold galvanizing primer and paint actually help with salt water use?

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

SDSeville, I'm in the same boat as you, painted steel trailer used on salt, current rig not worth expense of replacing with galvanized (next rig will have that, though!). I dip the trailer in the Bay twice (sometimes 3x) a month.

I wirebrush off all the flaky paint, rust and scale with a 4" angle grinder, rough up the rest with a wirebrush on a drill, lay down a brush coat of that reddish "Rust Destroyer" primer, then two brush coats of Rustoleum. In the interim I touch up with Rustoleum rattle can. And I make sure I coat all the moving parts (springs, shackles, etc.) liberally with white lithium spray grease. And I have a couple 5 gal jugs of water to rinse trailer after launch, then a good hosing when I get home. Even so, I have to repeat the strip and paint process every three to five years; but the trailer has held up well for the 8 years or so I've had it. I just completed my third round of this trailer resto...there will not be a fourth as I am tired of it!

EDIT: I do have galvanized: wheels, jack, winch, etc. and I touch those up with the cold galvanizing spray. I considered that spray for the whole trailer, but as was said it doesn't stick well to old paint, and can get scraped/wiped off easily if the prep isn't 100% perfect, so I didn't think it would do any better than Rustoleum in the end. And it would have cost a lot more than a gallon can of Rusto.

EDIT 2: And before anyone says "you can get a galv trailer for a couple hundred bucks"...Not in Southern California you can't.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Painting My Trailer - fresh and salt water

Thanks guys. It looks like Rustoleum it is then. I can handle every three to five years. Plus, the saltwater place I go to most (CA Water Sports -- Snug Harbor, Carlsbad CA) has a freshwater hose at the ramp, where I immediately spray with Salt Terminator.