Trailer Repaint On the Cheap?

[mbrule]

Slight thread hijack

For moderately small projects (example 48" box blade that only needs 1/4 of it rust/paint removed) which do y'all think would be a better tool - sandblasting or needle scaler?

sandblast......

Or:

DA sander, die grinder, wire wheel in drill, angle grinder with sanding disc, sandpaper by hand.

Needle scaler is best for hard to reach areas (corners and such)

 

[tcartwri]

It is a lot of work to sandblast a trailer. btdt.

Paint stripper to remove the remainder of the old failed paint. A pressure washer will take the rest off.
Hit the rusty areas with a knotted wheel on the grinder.
Paint with rustoleum or similar.

And... any of the wiring that was painted with a solvent based paint will be garbage. The jacketing will just flake off when you handle it. I would replace all of it.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a 16 foot Andersen equipment trailer and just had it blasted and painted about a month ago. The blasting was about 200.00 and primer/paint was another 500.00 After it was blasted I realized the inner fenders were rusted through as well as the shrouds around the tail lights. So I had new metal welded in. All said and done I spent 1050.00 to restore it and it looks brand new. It has less than 5k on it for mileage and I just put new wheels and tires on it from dry rot. So I figured it was money well spent. When I was there I ended up getting a 20 foot Downeaster low profile tilt trailer.... So now I have a real nice 16 foot Andersen for sale!

 

[QRTRHRS]

I am guessing that the original paint was powder coated? Whenever I have tried to repaint powder coating in the past, there were areas that still had paint on that I had simply sanded smooth where they met the stripped off metal.

Those areas would fail after about six months or so. Is that the way it is with powder coating or did I do something wrong?

If I wanted to sandblast a whole trailer myself, I would rent a tow behind compressor and blasting unit. The rental company should have the blasting medium for sale too.

 

[strum456]

Ok so process would be:

-scale/pressure wash
-light sand (I'm thinking 60grit on an orbital sander)
-epoxy primer from a can
-some kind of top coat

This means i'm applying the primer directly to the surface that is combo rusty steel and old sanded paint)?

First, you should know that there are no magic products that will adhere perfectly to less that perfectly prepared substrates. Just because a product is marketed for use over rust, doesnt mean it works particularly well. The truth is you have to do a good job with surface prep.

Cleaning solvent? Get an automotive grade wax and grease remover. Laquer thinner evaporates too quickly, can contain unknown substances, and was never designed to be used as a cleaner for prepping steel.

Epoxy in spray cans? Dont bother. They will be very expensive and way too slow. Your compressor is not ideal for spraying paint, but it would be WAY better than rattle cans. Brushing would be my second choice.

Epoxy pricing? I use Southern Polyurethanes Epoxy primer. It is about 160 for 2 gallons. It is more expensive than some other options, but how much is your time worth? I have used all kinds of junk before I started using epoxy. If I am going to take the time to prep something, it is worth the extra money to me to know that I will not have to do it over.

 

[orezok]

I would consider automotive undercoat for the bottom side. It doesn't need a lot of prep to stick and provides excellent rust proofing.

Available in rattle cans.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have a 16 foot Andersen equipment trailer and just had it blasted and painted about a month ago. The blasting was about 200.00 and primer/paint was another 500.00 After it was blasted I realized the inner fenders were rusted through as well as the shrouds around the tail lights. So I had new metal welded in. All said and done I spent 1050.00 to restore it and it looks brand new. It has less than 5k on it for mileage and I just put new wheels and tires on it from dry rot. So I figured it was money well spent. When I was there I ended up getting a 20 foot Downeaster low profile tilt trailer.... So now I have a real nice 16 foot Andersen for sale!

Trailers can be money pits. I bet you ended up after new tires and the paint job in about the same money to buy a new one.

Chris

 

[timswi]

You can sand blast it with what you have, but there will be a beer break every 5 minutes or so...If you're not in a hurry, who cares...

A 3M "Clean-n-Strip" pad works very well on surface rust...Used them on many classic car restorations, they aren't cheap but they do tear up rust and leave a clean surface...Slow going on large surfaces though..

As was said, hit it all with a DA using 150 or less paper..Epoxy (best) or Rustolium primer and rattle cans....You have plenty of compressor to use an HVLP spray gun to use a generic single stage auto paint, if you want to buy the chemicals needed....Otherwise, clear out the Home Despot shelves and convince them you aren't a graffiti artist.

 

[Tomtint]

Trailers can be money pits. I bet you ended up after new tires and the paint job in about the same money to buy a new one.

Chris

Maybe not as much but not that far off. If I remember correctly I
Aid 3500.00 ish for the trailer new back in 06. It's a 10k GVW. The only things I have done was to repack the bearings once a year. The new wheels and tires were 320.00 plus the cost to repaint......today it would still be another 3k for a new one.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Maybe not as much but not that far off. If I remember correctly I
Aid 3500.00 ish for the trailer new back in 06. It's a 10k GVW. The only things I have done was to repack the bearings once a year. The new wheels and tires were 320.00 plus the cost to repaint......today it would still be another 3k for a new one.

Yea, what I was getting at is many times I see folks buy a Craigs List trailer the put new paint, wiring, lights, wood, bearings, brakes, tires, ect and by the time its done they could have a new one. Its just the way it works.

Chris

 

[sklunk]

I'm repainting my 16' utility trailer right now. I also wanted to do it "on the cheap" since it's just a trailer and the paint will get scratched up the more I use it. All the steel on mine was good so I just spent time with a combination of drill/wire wheel/stripping wheel/wire brush/3M ScotchBrite pads/grinder with flapper wheel/etc. After I hit the bad spots and knocked off most of the loose paint and rust I coated the exposed areas with rattle-can primer (not the entire trailer surfaces, just exposed areas).

After that I went to Tractor Supply and bought the Valspar Implement paint in black. It was $35/gallon and 1 gallon should be enough to do my trailer. It is epoxy paint so it takes a little longer to dry but gets hard as a rock when it cures. I already have a compressor and was thinking about getting a sprayer for it but a local tool supply store (similar to Harbor Freight or Northern Tool) had a refurbished Wagner electric sprayer on sale for $20. I figured it was worth a try and if it broke or didn't do a good job I wasn't out much money. So far I have the underside, crossbeams, and inside the fenders done and it came out pretty good. This weekend I will do the "exposed" surfaces (the ones you see) and I'll spend a little more time making them look good. I also have some 3" rollers on hand if I need them to dress up the fenders and faces of the channels.

Counting paint, sprayer, primer, and all the sanding/scuffing tools I used I probably have just under $100 in the whole repaint.

 

[KY Gun Geek]

Trailers can be money pits. I bet you ended up after new tires and the paint job in about the same money to buy a new one.

Chris

Well, it is a Gatormade. Which means if you buy a new one you need to spend a couple a hundred re-wiring it. LOL

So here's the break down:

$2200 Trailer
$700 Brakes & Drums & Bearings
$300 Electrical Components (Wire, Lights, Boxes, etc)
$150 Welding & Repair

$3350 - Spent so far

A new one just like it (except sucky wiring!) is $6500 (maybe you can deal a little)

I figure if i cherried it out (i.e. new deck and a pro paint job), I'd be looking at $1500 (total $4950) so I'd be left with $1550 over a new one. I haven't looked, but I think tires could be done for $500, so I'd be at $5450. I think a primo used trailer would go for about $5500 (if you could find one) so I'm right at that figure.

But, that's not where i'm trying to go. This is for hauling hay and occasionally a 5000# tractor to move the hay (nothing showy about it)

If I can get the paint done for $500, and right now, the tires seem to be very serviceable. Then the thing will be very functional, and I'll have just under $4000 in it.

 

[danceswithdirt]

Ky Gun Geek, I'm with you on the trailer restoration. My old trailer as posted in (which trailer thread) will need extensive restoration that will add up in cost. I can get a new comparable trailer locally by clays trailers for $5100. And still sale my old one. So now I'm considering a new one. Also gave Kaufman a thought. I frequent that area and may look into them. Current trailer is between the fenders and giving a flat deck thought.

 

[Tomtint]

My unexpected trailer restoration started because I could not get my L3700 SU loaded on with out dragging the BH on the ground driving up the ramps. Nag it was impossible to go up backwards because the BH frame hit the trailer. I ended up with a tilt trailer that solves this issue and while I was there I noticed a trailer they just finished restoring that looked great. Sooooo the rest is history.

 

[94BULLITT]

I recently painted a car trailer. I just used a angle grinder with a wire wheel to clean it up. I painted it with rustoleum from lowes. It was $10 a quart.

 

[F250DSLPWR]

I have three trailers that need repainting. My 20' low boy gooseneck, my 12ft utility, and my 16ft utility. All the paint on them is badly deteriorated... Funny timing, I just looked on craigslist last night and found two different people that sand blast and paint in my area. I emailed them last night.
I used to do sandblasting and painting 25 years ago (a lot of horse trailers), but do not have a place where I can blast and paint anymore. 25 years ago I used PPG DP40 two part epoxy primer. It has a metal etching chemical built into the paint. I am not sure if this is still the best epoxy primer? of if there is now a better primer? Anyway, I intend to have the trailers blasted and epoxy primed then painted with a nice single stage automotive acrylic enamel with hardner in it to match my truck.

I am not impressed with Valspar.. so far the spray can Valspar- new kubota orange fades very quickly to a pink color...I am not sure about their implement paint, is it really epoxy? I will have to check next time I am in Tractor Supply.

 

[rsewill]

For a down and dirty paint job, I used to paint my belly dumps with a parts washer with the suction hose stuck in gallon cans of Rustoleum. Looked good from 30 feet and going down the road. I'd pressure wash the dirt off, mask off anything I didn't want painted (the hardest, most time consuming part) and paint away. Lasted for years. Probably took four hours a trailer.

 

[Randyr3554]

I repainted my trailer 4 years ago. After wire brushing it down with a wire brush on my grinder, I primed with Devoe 4360 Structural Steel primer. It's tough stuff. The brushes and roller can't be cleaned with paint thinner, it takes Xylene to do it. And the fumes are strong, use good ventilation or wear a respirator.
Then I top coated with a standard oil based enamel.
This is a universal primer, can be top coated with any paint, and will cover old paints too.
I used it on rust spots on my car, held up well.

 

[triplemoutdoors]

You really need to try one of these (picture for visual reference, diff.types available)spray handles. They're not very expensive, IMO, they take rattle cans to a better level.

I agree...I have several different styles. It allows you to do a better paint job.

 

[jejeosborne]

I have painted three trailers in the past two years. I used a paint from my local rural king made by majic. They sell hardener and reducer to work with it. The hardener adds to the gloss value as well. An automotive painter turned on to the paint and I have been very happy. Sprayed with a HVLP gun from harbor freight which worked great.