Trailer Advice - (I know . . . boring.)
 

I need some advice regarding my trailer. Currently, I have a nice custom purple trailer that matches my boat. It's a middle-of-the-road brand (Roadrunner).

I love the look of the painted trailer, but it is starting to show some signs of minor rust, even though my use was 100% freshwater until last May. Now I will probably be doing an annual trip to the Keys for a week, so the trailer will get dunked in saltwater twice per year; once to drop the boat in, once to take it out. I know just one exposure in saltwater can spell eventual death for a painted trailer.

Anyway, I'm wondering what options I might have.

1. Is there a particularly good paint that I might have the trailer re-painted with? This assumes that I prefer to have the trailer painted and just accept the risk of corrosion.

2. Can a trailer be galvanized after-the-fact, or is this something that is done to individual components before the trailer is fabricated?


Thanks.

My advice is.....................

Go for the extra cash a use a sling at a marina. One in one out cost less than painting the trailer. This way it stays fresh water perfect. Good idea?

LS

I had my trailer frame galvanized after the fact. If you mean by after the fact,,,, yeah,,,, after is was totally disassembled. I had new springs and brakes installed and new bearings. Spent a ton on it. I'd suggest that you can get by with just washing the trailer down well after the salty dunk because the frame itself isn't the biggest problem, or just use the sling like Lucky Strike suggested. If you were to clean , zinc chromate and paint the rusty areas you can maintain the trailer without galvanizing. The biggest problem I encountered was not rusting on the frame but all the problems with the brakes and hardware. Any way you look at it when you put it in the salt there is lots of work to do afterwards. I've known people to install sprinkling systems behind the backing plates for the brakes in an attempt to flush out the salt water. You can wash and wash and the salt still seems to get everywhere. Even the brake cylinders were all rusted up after one season. I dunked mine in the salt at least 40 times one year.

If you have a freshwater steel trailer DO NOT DUNK IT in salt.

Plan to splash the boat at a marina with a fork truck or sling that can put you in. Depending on how your bunks are set, they might be able to just stick the forks in and pluck you right off your trailer..

i have 1995 custom eagle trailer 32-0 i didnt buy it with the boat the color was red with some signs of surface rust. i contacted a local galvanizer asked what i should do. remove the axels, bunks, brake actuator,springs lights and wires.you have to sand blast before it goes to galvanizing.the process is they acid dip the trailer then is dunked into the galvanize tank when it comes out of the tank they grind off any high spots or slag then when it's still warm it goes into a paint both basicly any color. i went white then purchased the decals from eagle and sonic.i still have the boat lifted off the trailer but it will never rust even if i did go into salt water.the galvanize flows into all the areas.trailer mrg don't do this be cause the extra cost which is not much.the cost of my job was around 1200.00 which is about .60 per pound. but you never have to touch it again.

Sell it while it is still in good condition, and get an Aluminum!!!!!

You'll never be able to paint the inside of the tubes.

I,m with rchevelle71 , sell or trade it for an aluminum.

I use Rolls trailers on my Donzis. They are a work of art!

T.A. Mahoney's in St Pete will trade with you.
1-813-241-6500

Or Rolls Trailer in Plant City 1-800-ROLLS-52

If you want a pic email me @ [email protected]

Why do you need to if it is galvanized???

Sonic28,

Your story was exactly what I was hoping for. If it actually works, that's what I would like to do. It's the best of both worlds (rustproof and nice color). I always assumed the paint would not adhere to the galvanized trailer.

Now I just have to find someone who can do what you had done. I'd much rather spend $1200 to do what you did versus spending $3000 on a new aluminum trailer that won't look as nice.

Thanks again.

Galv takes a special primer if yourgonna paintit.

ric
i'm in the steel fabrication business i'll contact the galvanizing assoc and see if there is a good one in your area.and yes you are right the galvanize is a very flowing hot liqiid with a lot of zinc it flows thru the tubes and channels so it will get eveything.they might have you put a couple of drain holes in the tubing section as the heat from galvy could blow up the tube.the paint is what they call color galv.and yes it lokks better then any painted trailer on the market due to its not a production unit.and more custom.make sure don't be cheap put a good set of wheels on it. good luck

hi ric
try industrial galvanizers tampa 800-776-4528
paul

Thanks, Paul.

I have a hard enough time keeping my boat shined up, so I have always taken the lazy mans ugly galvanized trailer route.Thing is when they get about 5 years old the galvanized unit starts to look better than the rusty painted one.If looks are a priority I would go the aluminum route.I wouldn't galvanize a painted trailer after the fact because there will be lots of corrosion in the tubes you cant sandblast.A freind of mine had a production made trailer that was painted and the main rail on one side rusted through after about 7 years with very little salt use.The thing that was interesting is the new rail (bolt together design)was only about two hundred bucks.I wish more people would spend more attention to the mechanical maintenance,and proper sizing of trailer to boat than waxing there pretty trailer.

Painted trailer + salt water = death to the trailer. For one in and out I'd have it lifted - or go on and buy an aluminum. Aluminum is the only option that will hold up to constant salt water use. And, with any of the above a very thorough rinsing is a must after each use.

The one thing I do have going for me is that my trailer has a minimal number of closed "tubes", so everything can be rinsed thoroughly. One tube is at the tongue, which never gets submerged. The only others are the axles. Are axles generally sealed? If not, I can always replace them with galvanzed axles, I suppose (There are no aluminum axles, are there?).

If you do go the galv. route, you will need air vent holes in the tubes. Be sure to check with the plater as far as how it will be dunked so you know where the vent holes need to be.

Ric... I galvanized my trailer after it was disassembled. After a couple of years being dunked in salt water, there are small cracks in the galvanization that will begin to rust. I hope you aren't thinking that by galvanizing the frame that most of your problems will be over. The springs, backing plates, brakes and bearings are what really take a beating from the salt water. In either case, boat trailers take lots of maintenance. I personally would save the expense of disassembly and galvanization. From your prior post I see that you don't have any closed tubes. My trailer was the same. I'd suggest that you just closely inspect the trailer frame every time the boat is off. Then when you return and wash down the trailer you can touch up the paint after the trailer has dried off. I'd rather attempt to keep up with the rusting on the frame by constantly wire brushing and repainting. If there are small cracks or pores in the galvanization, the salt water will find it's way in and start rusting anyway. There will always be issues with the fenders and running gear. I don't have enough fingers to count the number of times I had the wheels off my trailer in the few years it was dunked in salt water. I had bearing buddies and the water still managed to seep into the bearings and rust them. I had drum brakes and the salt even leaked into the wheel cylinders and fouled them. It got to the point that I had spare rebuilt wheel cylinders and spare wheel bearings and seals. Like I said.... the frame is the least of your worries.

Reed,

I'm fully prepared to (and have been) dealing with the non-frame related issues. I would have those same issues with any trailer. (I installed a brake flush kit a couple of years back. Hopefully, that will help.) I've just been trying to determine if there is a better solution for my frame (short of buying a new trailer). After realizing that I have no closed tubes, I came to the same conclusion you did; just stay on top of the rust. It really has not been that bad. The worst part is where the bunks mount to the trailer brackets. I guess the wood stays wet for a while and causes the metal that touches it to rust. I have to figure out a way to get my boat off the trailer for a couple of days so that I can grind them down and repaint them with multiple coats of TrailerCoat or Rustoleum, followed by a topcoat of matching purple paint.

By the way, I realize that this is a losing battle in the long-term. I just want to extend the life of the trailer as long as possible. I can do an awful lot of grinding and touch-up before the cost and time involved will add up to the cost of a new trailer.

Thanks for your input.

You got it buddy! I have another trailer and I painted it black so that I can keep up with the rust just by spraying it with Rustoleum. Now everyone always wonders why my trailer looks like new. Take care.