Pure Energy

After serious examination of the bottom of my boat, I determined it needs to be re-gelled. I have blocked the boat and pulled the trailer. The trailer is steel and has a lot of surface rust. While I have the chance I am going to grind/sand off all the rust and old paint.

What is the best product to use to help protect it from salt water?

Thanks

THRILLSEEKER

I would use an a few heavy coats of epoxy primer and then a good surface paint (doesnt neccesarily have to be epoxy).

My .02 there may be better ways that I dont know of

Intolerant1

The idea of having it coated with the truck bed liner stuff has been knocked around. Problem would be if it rusted from the inside you wouldnt see the symptoms until it was too late.

Audiofn

I would use Sherwin Williams POLANE (sp) It is VERY strong and it will work to kill the rust. Top coat after that with what ever, but it is NOT UV protected although I think they may have a UV protection on it now.

Jon

gmhdfan

Depends on what brand paint you are using. The best way is have it sandblasted, self etching primer, coat of urathane primer, than a single stage color. Everyone makes good products, you get what you pay for. I like DuPont products and follow up with Imron. PPG makes a good primer also. It really comes down to what the painter likes to spray. But don't go cheap it's too much work to ever have to do it again. Good Luck.

RUSSSR1

Have the trailer sand blasted. It will work much better than grinding at removing all the rust. You should not grind heavy on the welds. Sand blasting works well here by not removing to much metal but all the rust will be gone.

thisistank

Ken,

I am getting ready to do the same thing.....Not that this helps you, since you are not in California, but theres a guy here where I live that does commercial sand blasting and coating for the offshore oil rigs. He quoted me 850 bucks to sand blast my trailer down to the bare metal, then coat it with this epoxy they coat the "legs" to the offshore platforms that sit in the ocean, then primer it and pait it a candy purple to match the boat. Find someone near you that has the same type of business. There has to be something out there that will work. Look for someone that does sandblasting on big commercial catipillar's and industrial equipment. Good luck.

Tank

Pure Energy

Thanks guys. I have a small sand blaster that I bought from Northern Hydraulics but I don't think it is up to the task. My brother in law owns a body shop and will ask what he can suggests.

gmhdfan

Just look in the yellow pages. They have guys that will even come to you. Not that you want that mess at your house when they are done. You can also take it to someone that does media blasting and can prime it right there at their shop (with what every primer YOU want) this way you don't have to worry about it flash rusting before you get it to whereever you are going to prime it. Good Luck.

RLW

Ken, I see your from NJ. Can we assume that you are launching in saltwater. Is your trailer a box channel design, similar to Eagle?
If so, you might have interior rust that is surfacing. What I am getting at here is don't put a lot of time and money in to something that will eventually fail or has failed. Your trailer could be rusted out and be compromised structurally.