pkspx

Some people have said that washing your trailer down after it has been in salt water does little to nothing at all in preventing it from rusting. Can anyone back this up? I guess if it rusts it rusts but trying to keep it new as possible. Last time I used it i washed it and used the SaltAway product.

cuda

If it's a steel trailer, one dunking and it's rusting. Remember, rust never sleeps.

BillR

Why?

Can't you rinse it off??

I too have a steel trailer - haven't dunked in salt, but I guess it will happen.
What can be done to prevent rust and corrosion?

cuda

You'll never rinse it all off. A lot of steel trailers rust from the inside out. Where it's welded is where you'll first see rust. It will start rusting as you are out on the boat, that same day. I rinse the piss out of my trailer springs and axles, which are steel, and usually still have to change them after about six years. I was pulling a trailer that the axle showed no visible signs of corrosion, until it broke in half, and I had to rebuild the entire undercarriage of the trailer on the side of the road in a brand new just blacktopped parking lot, on July third. That was a ton of fun, especially since the place I had to buy the parts was thirty miles down the busiest gdamn road in Florida, and I had to make that trip twice. That parking lot was like sitting on a stove.

The only thing you can do to prevent rust, is buy an aluminum trailer.

Of course you are welcome to dunk it in salt and prove me wrong, though I wouldn't advise it.

Joe

Buy a Myco..... The '03 steel one never rusted and still looks brand new. I did reg. spray it w/ a spray that's made for camper slides. it's in a purple can w/ a yellow pop-off lid. you can't miss it. look in walmart w/ the rv toilet supplies etc... i believe it's appx. $12 per can. i also use this to spray my transom after washing the boat. keeps the scum line off it and the pipes when boating/sitting in a marina etc....

great stuff.... anything to prevent manual labor!!!!!! if you guys can't find it, let me know and i'll take a dig. pic and post it.

RedDog382

Don't do it. I have a steel Eagle that was "salted" only a couple times prior to my ownership and it is rusting in a few spots.

cuda

I know of an Oso member that will disagree with that. I don't know the entire story, but Myco guaranteed five years against rust, and apparently the owner was NOT happy with Myco after it started rusting.

Dangerous Dave

There are coatings that will help with rust but you'd have to dissassemble the entire trailer and coat each piece entirely, reassemble and one nick will lead to rust. I have seen Myco's and Pacific trailers that hold up pretty good but aluminum is the way to go. I have a steel Loadmaster that I use in salt and it's rustier every time and I spray the heck out of it with salt away and fresh water. I plan on selling it for scrap when I'm ready for an aluminum.

2112

What about Galvanized welded steel trailers??

cuda

They will last longer, but they are so gddamn ugly to begin with, that I'd rather tow a rusty steel trailer.