Utility trailers, any bad ones?

[Rock Crawler]

My buddy Adam is over to drink beer and lay down weld! Drinking beer and welding... Does life get any better than this?

19 5,000 lb rated D-Rings are being placed around the top frame. That should be good enough.

 

[oldballs]

You sure that's plenty enough Rock?

 

[Stimw]

Next time save yourself some clean up by spraying WD-40 to control the spatter.
I buy it in gallon cans and put in spray bottles to use for everything.

 

[Rock Crawler]

All done. Let the paint dry a few days and kick it outside to live it's life.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Hey guys, the rear corner stabilizer/load jacks that I placed.... My buddy says that they are not for loading and that they are too stabilize a camper trailer only. He suspects that they are going to fold up as soon as I go to use them.

Is there a similar design but much more HD version of this, or do I need to use old faithful.... The weld on pipe stub mounted, screw jacks that I use on my big flatbed?

 

[s219]

I agree with your friend, I remember looking at that style jack and it was obvious it wasn't going to last long.

They make high capacity weld-on drop leg jacks that have a pin to set the height, which may be more efficient than a crank. For example:

Bulldog Square, 18" Tall Drop-Leg Kit with Pin - 8,��� lbs Bulldog Accessories and Parts BD5��27�

You just need to make sure you can retract them after the load is on the trailer, which isn't too hard if you have a rolling payload that you can move fore/aft to adjust balance and take the load off the jacks.

I use stacked 6x6 timber blocks to support the rear of my trailer when loading my tractor, and they have just enough gap to slide out afterwards. I don't recommend blocks unless you absolutely need more robust support (to handle side loads, etc) than a drop leg can provide. I just happen to have stacks of the blocks around for rigging equipment, etc, so it was a natural solution. Someday I'll weld on pair of drop leg jacks.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I emailed the place that I purchased the trailer and these legs. The legs are rated at 1,000 and each. I'm doubtful that they will last long.

I'll end up cutting them off and putting on the welded tube style that I use on my big trailer. I really wanted these to work since there are much faster to deploy and retract, but it is what it is.

 

[PA452]

Looks like a nice trailer.

I bought a 16' PJ landscape utility trailer a few years ago and love it. Came real close to pulling the trigger on a few others before I discovered this one; looking back I feel like I dodged a bullet. It has a lot of nice, well-thought out features that the others I looked at didn't have.

 

[timswi]

I bought this Rice about 5 years ago..The powder coat is holding up kinda OK but the next one will be automotive paint. Has all the features I was looking for and has served me well.

 

[gstrom99]

I guess I'm missing something here. Why is Powder Coat a bad thing on a trailer?

 

[Industrial Toys]

It's the worst, poor quality coating imaginable. I "Thought" it was a superior process, but it is all environmentaly motivated. It does not adhere to the metal in any way as good as paint. And, it eventually flakes off if in any wet or especiallly salty environment, in huge flakes. I call it powder scab, except that a scab sticks better and is more fun to pull off.

I mean, the coating is hard and nice looking, but meaningless if it doesn't stay on the metal. AND, you can't rework it or touch it up.

I would never buy a new trailer unless galvanized. Looks new twenty years down the road.

 

[PA452]

My PJ has a powder coat finish. It's held up very well so far, but I've only had it probably three years now.

 

[aczlan]

I guess I'm missing something here. Why is Powder Coat a bad thing on a trailer?

Because it's hard to patch it when you put a hole in the powder coat either through poor surface prep on the part of the builder, you scraping it with the tractor while loading, or time and abrasion from road debris.
Then once you have a hole in the powder coat, the rust will start from there and work out under the powder coat until the powder coat starts to come off in sheets.

Aaron Z

 

[Rock Crawler]

Why wouldn't you just swipe a brush of gloss black rustoleum over any areas that you see the slightest indication of rust at? Seems simple enough to me... That's what mine got after the welding.

 

[aczlan]

Why wouldn't you just swipe a brush of gloss black rustoleum over any areas that you see the slightest indication of rust at? Seems simple enough to me... That's what mine got after the welding.View attachment 594693

As I recall, paint will not stick very well to the powder coat at the edge of your problem area, so the boundary between the bare metal where the powder coat was scraped off and the powder coat is unprotected and will rust easily.

Aaron Z

 

[RickB]

Why wouldn't you just swipe a brush of gloss black rustoleum over any areas that you see the slightest indication of rust at? Seems simple enough to me... That's what mine got after the welding.View attachment 594693

You will have your own answer in a year or two.

 

[Rock Crawler]

You will have your own answer in a year or two.

This trailer is sprayed enamel... Do I don't think I'll know what you speak of.

My 1999 trailer has been getting smaller with a brush full of rustoleum and spit at by cans of miscellaneous black paints, and after 20 years... It's still a black trailer. A couple times a year I'll down an hour looking for slight surface rust, and I cover it.
No oxygen.... no rust.
No moisture..... No rust.
No susceptible material.... No rust.

Any one (or more) of the 3 that you can control will stop the process. That's scientific fact.

 

[oldballs]

I have two 3 x 5 yard carts that are approx 20+ years old. One is black and one cream colored. The powder coat does come off in small/large sheets. At first I used rattle can spray paint to touch up the bare spots, but the peeling continues...and it still looks like crap; so I just don't bother anymore. Otherwise the carts are well made and having given me very good service.

Fortunately my equipment trailer is properly painted and still look fine (but a little faded) after 20+ years.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Industrial Toys]

It hardly seems like an environmenally friendly coating if the thing will be melted down sooner rather than later. Thought of another good name for it. Shake and Bake!

 

[Rock Crawler]

It hardly seems like an environmenally friendly coating if the thing will be melted down sooner rather than later. Thought of another good name for it. Shake and Bake!

Interestingly, one thing that jaded me and made me second guess buying this "Quality Trailers Inc" trailer was that Lamar and some others advertise the powder coating, and Quality advertises the 2 layers of enamel.

I know that when I hit it with the flapper wheel to prep for welding, the black paint appears thick and is laying on a tannish color primer that you go through before finally getting to steel. But I've always understood that powder coating is the cool guy coating and paint is all back of the bus.... I guess I'm the majority opinion here in this forum, powder coating is the back of the bus.