LD1
Epic Contributor
So I finally purchased a trailer after 2+ years of on/off shopping. Its a 2015 24' 14k AMO bumper pull.
Trailer was overall pretty good shape. But I swear about every used trailer I saw of just about every brand.....its like they do minimal paint/prep work on the under side of the trailer. All the metal that can be "seen" going down the road...this trailer almost looks like the day it was made 8 years ago. But the cross members are pretty rusted. Nothing structural or rotten....just surface rusted and peeling paint.
So I pulled all the deck boards off and gonna paint. But that leaves the question.......how to proceed.
I have refinished a ton of old equipment and implements. And always had good luck with just a wire cup on an angle grinder.....knocking off all loose rust but not down to shiny steel. Then rustoleum primer....and either valspar or rustoleums "farm and implement" paint with their hardner. The stuff sold at TSC or rural king. I spray it with an air gun and its pretty cheap.....but even implements I painted 10 years ago still look real good and no rusting. But they also arent going down the road at 70mph getting water and road salt spray.
I have looked and stuff like por15 or similar are like $250/gallon and seems there are just as many people that say its junk as people who swear by it.
I know painting is all in the prep work....
I dont plan to grind the whole trailer. The outsides look good....I'll just do some touch up. Mainly concerned with everything on the underside. The 20-some 3" cross members, and the insides of the main channel frame that need attention.
Also open to better top-coat paints vs the rustoleum or valspar farm & implement stuff. Lots of "industrial" type coatings....or DTM type paints. Really want to find something readily available and not have to mail order.
Have also considered once I get the heavy stuff knocked off.....brushing on muratic acid then powerwashing. Muratic acid dissolves rust and leaves bare metal. And it wont effect the paint where the paint is still stuck good. (Makes rusted metal look like it has been sandblasted if you have never used muratic acid before). But that must be done outside or it will eat concrete.
So any of those of you that have stripped and re-done a trailer frame or similar.....what have you found that works the best? And what doesnt and not to waste time doing.
Given that I dont want to strip wiring, lighting, etc and the outside frame is fine....sandblasting is not really something I want to do.
Trailer was overall pretty good shape. But I swear about every used trailer I saw of just about every brand.....its like they do minimal paint/prep work on the under side of the trailer. All the metal that can be "seen" going down the road...this trailer almost looks like the day it was made 8 years ago. But the cross members are pretty rusted. Nothing structural or rotten....just surface rusted and peeling paint.
So I pulled all the deck boards off and gonna paint. But that leaves the question.......how to proceed.
I have refinished a ton of old equipment and implements. And always had good luck with just a wire cup on an angle grinder.....knocking off all loose rust but not down to shiny steel. Then rustoleum primer....and either valspar or rustoleums "farm and implement" paint with their hardner. The stuff sold at TSC or rural king. I spray it with an air gun and its pretty cheap.....but even implements I painted 10 years ago still look real good and no rusting. But they also arent going down the road at 70mph getting water and road salt spray.
I have looked and stuff like por15 or similar are like $250/gallon and seems there are just as many people that say its junk as people who swear by it.
I know painting is all in the prep work....
I dont plan to grind the whole trailer. The outsides look good....I'll just do some touch up. Mainly concerned with everything on the underside. The 20-some 3" cross members, and the insides of the main channel frame that need attention.
Also open to better top-coat paints vs the rustoleum or valspar farm & implement stuff. Lots of "industrial" type coatings....or DTM type paints. Really want to find something readily available and not have to mail order.
Have also considered once I get the heavy stuff knocked off.....brushing on muratic acid then powerwashing. Muratic acid dissolves rust and leaves bare metal. And it wont effect the paint where the paint is still stuck good. (Makes rusted metal look like it has been sandblasted if you have never used muratic acid before). But that must be done outside or it will eat concrete.
So any of those of you that have stripped and re-done a trailer frame or similar.....what have you found that works the best? And what doesnt and not to waste time doing.
Given that I dont want to strip wiring, lighting, etc and the outside frame is fine....sandblasting is not really something I want to do.
