What kind of paint for my trailer?

[Frank R]

I will be welding up a sturdy 4x8 utility trailer that has a drop-bed feature. I need recommendations on paint. Here are the criteria:

• I will be storing it outside.
• It must be very durable; Rustoleum will not do; I have that on my current trailer.
• It must be gloss black.
• I am looking at epoxy primers.
• I am looking at two-part urethane finishes or epoxy for the top coat.
• It must not be spray-applied. I will roll and tip the finish (roll it on and tip off any bubbles with a brush).
• No need for supplied-air type respirators; organic cartridges for vapors and mists will be used. I know some high-tech commercial finishes need special filters and even booths for ventilation because they are so toxic to brain cells; I don't want that.
• Applied in a heated garage in a Michigan December.
• Would prefer it in quarts, gallons if I must, but not 5-gallon pails.
• Did I mention durable and glossy black?

I got a quote from a commercial painting service that does agricultural equipment for $500, which seems high for a little trailer with a wood bed. They use a Sherwin-Williams epoxy primer with a two-part urethane top coat, spray applied. I looked up the products and they are only available in five-gallon pails.

I have worked with epoxy coatings in the past while building wooden boats and coating my garage floor. I am familiar with their working characteristics. I like the durability and the low odor.

Any recommendations?

 

[94BULLITT]

Welcome to the forum. I was going to say rustoleum, that is what I painted mine over a year ago with and it still looks good. I asked a painter before I did it and he said urathane would be the best but I cheaped out. You could brush any paint on. Another thing I considered was a DIY truck bed coating kit like herculiner.

 

[MIKE R]

Tremclad proffesional or the Rustoleum Auto enamal from Tsc but it comes as a spray can.

 

[len10]

I've had good luck with KBS All-In-One Chassis Kit Chassis Paint Kit - KBS All-In-One Chassis Kit - Frame Painting Kit KBS Coatings

It's a urethane paint. It's definitely not cheap.

 

[SPIKER]

I would go get the Glossy Black Equipment Enamel at TSC and the Hardener that goes with it. It can be applied w brush or roller and if it is not sprayed then you dont need the respirator. This should be applied over a base bare metal treatment with some high quality cleaner etching phosphate metal primer. Let primer dry per instructions most also easy to apply with brush or roller. finish may have a bit of streaks from the brush follow up. I painted my dump trailer using it some 10 years ago now and it is just rusting where it was scratched off using ROCKS and FEL damage.

You can thin it some to help do away with the rough looks from roller but only mix enough of the hardener to make one coat let it dry a good while then over coat. 1st coat should be thin so it penetrates and makes a good bond then add a 2nd coat for good coverage after a 20~30 min up to a couple hours of dry time. use a test board/metal to make sure 1st coat is dry enough to not pick up or stick to the roller/brushes.

The truck bed coatings also would be good but must still treat the bare metal with some phosphate phosphoric acid to etch the metal so it bites OR sandblast it well

M

 

[JDskidder]

I've had good luck with KBS All-In-One Chassis Kit Chassis Paint Kit - KBS All-In-One Chassis Kit - Frame Painting Kit KBS Coatings

It's a urethane paint. It's definitely not cheap.

I painted my truck frame with KBS and it was great, but keep in mind it is not UV stable and will fade without a topcoat. It also will not thin with traditional paint thinners, so you must use their brand thinner if you plan to spray it. Once that stuff dries though it is STUCK.

 

[Scotty Dive]

I have painted both my trailer and a homemade logsplitter with hammerite by masterchem. Can order it online at walmart. In is awesome. I use the hammered finish in black. It provided a mottled look that hides sins and it has a ton of metal in the paint. I had a crane drop a car frame on to my trailer and the paint hardly chipped. The angle iron was bent but the paint was in better shape.

 

[jimgerken]

Epoxy is awesome stuff. I have used it quite a bit and even projects that simply have a coat of epoxy primer on bare metal, can last outdoors for years and years. Of course if it is chipped off, it cant protect. The front of the trailer maybe can have a plastic protector "bra" kinda thing.

Maybe you are used to using a new low-odor product, but the stuff I used will take the top of your head off if you sniff it. In case you don't know, or for the sake of the others reading this, Epoxy and catalyst with MEK is highly toxic and cancer-causing. Using a respirator is not enough protection, Unless you are working outside, in my opinion. If indoors, supplied air respirator must be used. And don't let the fumes and mist of the epoxy (or any paint for that matter) go thru the heat exchanger of your heater/furnace. Maybe this is a prject you could put off till next summer?

A trick I learned with Epoxy primer was to add 20-25 % lacquer thinner to it, which gives it a gloss. Be sure to top coat within a few hours or you will have to sand it to get paint to stick. But if you want it black anyway, then the black primer would be a great choice without a topcoat.

$500 doesnt sound all that bad for what you explained. The solvent based epoxy was expensive last time I bought it.