Trailer frame painting - what to use

[duc916]

I have a Haulmark enclosed trailer that is about 4 years old and the paint on the frame rails is coming off. I would like to remove the old paint and repaint, I will need to brush on the paint.
I have spent way too much time on the internet researching and have found great reviews and terrible reviews for about every product on the market. I am looking for real world experience with a product. What have you used that you would use again without hesitation? I would also appreciate any tips on application you learned while using it. Thank you for the help.

 

[mda2000]

Different trailer but I have a 5x8 trailer I put a pressure treated pine deck on to replace the expanded metal. I just wire wheeled the metal and used Rust Oleum rusty metal primer and Rust Oleum paint to topcoat it. That was about 3 years ago and the trailer lives outside. Everything is still holding up great and I'm about to do the same process with my 17' flatbed.

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[59 wagon man]

por 15 works well on the bottom out of uv light

 

[WoodsTruck]

I have this same issue on my enclosed sled trailer. I clean it up and brush on Rustoleum paint but the rock chips from winter driving get me right back to square one too quick.

 

[burleyfarm]

I used this product. I applied it within three months of purchase so I had very little rust. Where I did have rust i used either a wire brush or sanding disc on my orbital sander. I spray primed the rusted areas. After it dried for 24 hours i then sprayed the satin on all the surfac https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-extreme-chassis-black-paint.html


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[Outlander]

Enjoy my journey in my snowmobile trailer album. My knees still ache from crawling around last summer

View media item 92697
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=6555

 

[theoldwizard1]

Depending on how rusty it is, you may want to start with a "rust converter". Knock the loose stuff off and use it as a primer.

The "toughest" paint is "farm and implement" paint. That is what they paint farm equipment and other heavy equipment with. It is an oil based alkyd enamel. Various manufactures (Valspar, Rustoleum) You probably won't find it at your corner hardware, but farm stores will have it and you can buy it online. Also look for something call "enamel hardener". A small amount added to the paint will make it as tough as nails and will hold up better to chips.

 

[4xdog]

My best recommendation:

1. Strip as well as you can. Make sure the surface isn't so smooth that it has no "tooth" for the coating to anchor.

2. Rust convert. (I use POR-15 Metal Ready, but there are many products.)

3. Precoat. I like POR-15. It's nasty stuff to apply -- difficult flow properties, nearly impossible to remove from anywhere you don't want when dry. But it levels really well and will not show brush marks. It cleans up with mineral spirits before it cures. Buy small cans 'cause they're really difficult to use only part of a can and keep the rest from curing before you return to it (see an ongoing thread on this subject). Plan to throw the brush away when you're done -- not worth trying to clean.

4. Topcoat with the final color of your choice. This is required. POR-15 isn't UV stable, but other than that the stuff is nearly indestructible. You'll never have to touch that frame again.

 

[zmotorsports]

por 15 works well on the bottom out of uv light

That is what I used on both of my enclosed race trailers. But POR-15 is messy and a PITA to work with overhead while lying on your back.

 

[az45]

If you need to brush it, PO15 is the only way to go. I usually try trick one of my guys into doing it for me...Tom Sawyer style.

 

[SGKent]

Owning a VW bus, Por15 has some limitations. That said, it is hard to get off once you put it on, and other paint doesn't stick to it well once it cures, nor does it sand easy I am told once hardened, so if you need to do it again someday keep that in mind. Too bad you can't pull the box off, put it on blocks, send the frame to be blasted and powder coat it.

 

[fordkid88]

Appliance enamel

 

[InsanePyro]

Implement paint

 

[niferous]

Zinc rich primer with an urethane top coat.

 

[Mr.N]

I have a Haulmark enclosed trailer that is about 4 years old and the paint on the frame rails is coming off. I would like to remove the old paint and repaint, I will need to brush on the paint.
I have spent way too much time on the internet researching and have found great reviews and terrible reviews for about every product on the market. I am looking for real world experience with a product. What have you used that you would use again without hesitation? I would also appreciate any tips on application you learned while using it. Thank you for the help.

Painting is 90% prep. Remember that when prepping your frame, the paint will not matter if your prep is sub-par.

Fix the rust first, and make sure to use primer on bare metal.

For Oil base paint, heat it up with hot water. Then the brush marks will flow together nicely. There are additives to help it dry faster.





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[NFH2740]

Sherwin Williams single part urethane topcoat and Kem Kromik universal metal primee.

 

[murrayj70]

I did the same thing as comment #2 mines holding up very well. Trailer sits in my driveway year round. Only thing I would maybe do different is spray it with a clear coat after paint.

 

[kerrynzl]

Zinc rich primer with an urethane top coat.

This ^^^ But forget the urethane and just use "Cold Galv" paint.

You want the zinc in the paint to oxidise, not the parent material.

My Father zinc painted a farm trailer approx 30 years ago.
Some of the paint ended up being really thin and showed signs of surface rust [similar to old primer.]

So I got it soda blasted to repaint it again [2016] and it was near perfect underneath.
This was a trailer that lived for 30 years parked in long grass.

Now when I built my own trailer, I used "Electro-Galv" steel. I paint 2 coats of CRC aerosol zinc paint to the welds.

 

[59 wagon man]

one thing about por15 is it sticks well especially to your skin ,if you don't wipe it off almost immediately with their cleaner, your toast and wearing the por15 till it wears away with your skins. plan on a few days of black marks

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Many in the boating industry are using truck bedliner coating.

Doesn’t save anything on the prep side, but it holds up far better to the impact of road debris hitting the frame than paint. Use a primer or undercoat that is a much different shade than the top coat to help you spot damage to the top coat so you can touch it up before it turns into a rusty mess.

 

[slackdaddy1]

Curious what oil based zinc rich paint you all are using these days?

This ^^^ But forget the urethane and just use "Cold Galv" paint.

You want the zinc in the paint to oxidise, not the parent material.

My Father zinc painted a farm trailer approx 30 years ago.
Some of the paint ended up being really thin and showed signs of surface rust [similar to old primer.]

So I got it soda blasted to repaint it again [2016] and it was near perfect underneath.
This was a trailer that lived for 30 years parked in long grass.

Now when I built my own trailer, I used "Electro-Galv" steel. I paint 2 coats of CRC aerosol zinc paint to the welds.

 

[59 wagon man]

I used bedliner to topcoat the surface and I am very disappointed applied with a roller several coats

 

[kerrynzl]

Curious what oil based zinc rich paint you all are using these days?

On my trailers [for welds] I used CRC "Zinc it" Aerosol spray paint.
1st coat was a factor 72 [72% zinc I'm told] which dries flat grey.

The 2nd coat was CRC "Bright Zinc" which was factor 60 but with aluminium in it .
I only did the 2nd coat for cosmetic appearance.[it closely matched the "Electro-Galv" steel]

The brush-on Zinc paint my dad used was a marine paint made by Altex [a local paint factory in my city]

Altex paints has now been merged into Devoe industrial coatings [USA]

My dad was an engineer that built "Herringbone" and "Rotary" Milking sheds for dairy farms [He used to stick weld galvanised steel outdoors ]

I use to wire brush the zinc oxide off, then brush paint all his welds with the Zinc paint back in the 60's [that's how I earned pocket money as a kid]

edit: It was a simple "One step" brush on process. Perfect for underneath trailers

 

[toplessHO]

sounds like a job for one of those tilters

 

[duc916]

Thank you for all the replies. A lot of good information.

 

[Dutch01]

I have had good results with plain red oxide primer

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Chassis saver Silver Aluminum
mix it well