painting a trailer

[timdan94]

my trailer needs some repairs and I'm going to paint it while the boat is off. What paint are you guys using when redoing them I'd prefer to use a sprayer and spray it. Thanks.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

Rustoleum works fine and it's cheap too

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

I mix the Rust-Oleum 50/50 with paint thinner and blast it through my Binks. Mask off what ya dont want painted and blast everything else. I used my car lift and painted the top then raised it up and blasted the bottom.
Overspray everywhere but thats par for the course. Painting my trailer was my favorite improvement last summer, new tires were a close second.

 

[MRS]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

Rustoleum works fine and it's cheap too

I know the photo is dark but that is what I used six can's plus if you buy the rust-oleum spay handle that fits on the can's it is way easier on you finger than trying to use your finger on the can's. Just make sure you center the nozel of the can in the center of the handle. I just painted the fenders tonight with the same stuff and they look good.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

MRS ya done a real nice job on that trailer, looks great. Love the color.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

Wire brush, disc sander, rustoleum with a nice big brush. Not the prettiest finish but does the job really well.

 

[MRS]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

MRS ya done a real nice job on that trailer, looks great. Love the color.

cobra, Thanks I just did the fenders tonight I am going to put diamond plated fenders on but they will have to wait for a while. I know this is a older boat and trailer (1986) setup but it is the nices setup I have had so just trying to make it has nice as I can. So (timdan94) the biggest pain is the prep work get all the rust off and prime the rust spots and have at it.

Here are my fenders just brought them in from sraying tonight.

All painted with rattle can's

 

[marlboro180]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

I use enamel with a reducer and an iso hardener. Lays down flat and is a fairly hard finish.

 

[mla2ofus]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

I've been using "Flood Penetrol" sold at Lowes. It's supposed to be mixed w/ oil base paint to eliminate brush marks, but I spray it on cleaned, bare metal unthinned and then when dry spray oil base paint over it. I coated the inside of my 55 gal barrel test tank w/ it and after a week full of water I haven't seen any sign of rust or peeling. I'm hoping I've finally found something to prime metal with that bonds well. Only drawback is it takes about 24 hrs to dry good before painting over it. I guess time will tell how well it holds up.
Mike

 

[timdan94]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

I used to paint crude oil tanks for a friend and he used to get a hardening marine grade enamel from sherwin williams but I can't find it anymore. Does anyone know of any paints like that and where to find them anymore.

 

[Bondo]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

Does anyone know of any paints like that and where to find them anymore.

Ayuh,.... Rustoleum from about any hardware store...

 

[redone4x4]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

I use enamel with a reducer and an iso hardener. Lays down flat and is a fairly hard finish.

thats what i used. I chose a flat white for mine. It actually covered up alot of chips and stuff on my old 1987 trailer. paint was a little pricey, but to me it was worth it. $150 for the paint and all supplies/reducers/ etc needed.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

Wire brush, disc sander, rustoleum with a nice big brush. Not the prettiest finish but does the job really well.

a little thinner (not much- maybe 5%+ to 10% max?? I do it by eye/feel) to even out flow and the aforementioned Penetrol (you should probably follow directions but I am not good at that and use probably about 15%) applied with a China Bristle brush will make your brush job look A LOT better- even pretty! The thinner lets it lay down quick, and the Penetrol slows the drying down to leave the finish wet long enough to gloss out nicely.

I have painted oil base paint on a lot of stuff with a brush: in homes, on boats, car parts, trailers, and woodwork. For gloss I like ACE Polyurethane Enamel, and Benjamin Moore has some softer finishes if you need that. ACE used to have a semigloss which is what I used on my trailer.

My 2Cents

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: painting a tailer

Re: painting a tailer

Going to move this to the restoration section

 

[redfury]

Re: painting a trailer

Imron would be something that would last. I've done the rattle can thing and I scratched my fender with the edge of my glastron and it scraped it right off, plus I've got areas of rust spots showing through after 2 years. I'd do everything you can to make sure you are rust free and then treated to convert rust, prime and then paint to avoid having to do the job any sooner than later.

I think you are going to have to decide how long you want the job to last and stay pretty for the amount of work you are willing to invest in it.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: painting a trailer

Imron .....I think you are going to have to decide how long you want the job to last and stay pretty for the amount of work you are willing to invest in it.

Imron, or Rustoleum by the quart- if you don't prep it it won't last. My trailer (a 1964 Sea King) is painted with Red 'Rusty Metal" primer from ACE and ACE semigloss topcoat applied with a brush in 2001. I touched up a few spots every couple of years. But it is basically still good today.

The budget and tools on Imron are a lot more jingle than a good china bristle brush and a quart or two of Rustoleum or ACE. My trailer looks good. But not as good as spray job. But really good...

Everybody's expectations are different.

 

[redfury]

Re: painting a trailer

Imron, or Rustoleum by the quart- if you don't prep it it won't last. My trailer (a 1964 Sea King) is painted with Red 'Rusty Metal" primer from ACE and ACE semigloss topcoat applied with a brush in 2001. I touched up a few spots every couple of years. But it is basically still good today.

The budget and tools on Imron are a lot more jingle than a good china bristle brush and a quart or two of Rustoleum or ACE. My trailer looks good. But not as good as spray job. But really good...

Everybody's expectations are different.

I agree, which is why I made the caveat of prep and the amount of effort that goes into the paint job. I don't see the point in going nuts over prepping the surface and then using a cheap rattle can paint on it though, which is why I suggested Imron ( or similar ). Powder coating would be the cats pajamas if the trailer warranted the effort/$$.

I just am not a fan of cheap paints, you get what you pay for. I'd rather have used a paint I know will be able to handle a little abuse, instead of having to worry about accidentally scraping it and then having to touch it up later ( which personally, I'd probably never get around to ).

It's a personality/personal preference thing, including a budget item. I've just gotten to the point in my life that I'll spend the extra money for the better item, instead of buying the cheaper one twice ( read: good angle grinder instead of a 19 dollar job that has no chance of survival against FRP dust , or any dust for that matter....I'd rather avoid a tool fire in my hands in the first place ).

 

[timdan94]

Re: painting a trailer

I'm actually pulling the boat off of the trailer gonna pressure wash with castrol super clean then flapper disk/wire brush/sand the whole trailer then pressure wash with just water then spray it with rustoleum rusty metal primer then use "do it best" rust coat enamel which is made by rustoleum .

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: painting a trailer

Rustoleum here. Looks great too

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: painting a trailer

....I just am not a fan of cheap paints, you get what you pay for.....It's a personality/personal preference thing, including a budget item. I've just gotten to the point in my life that I'll spend the extra money for the better item, instead of buying the cheaper one twice ( read: good angle grinder instead of a 19 dollar job that has no chance of survival against FRP dust , or any dust for that matter....I'd rather avoid a tool fire in my hands in the first place ).

No- less money does not mean less quality.

You are right in that it is a personality thing. A good brush job will have just as good a lifespan as the no-brush-mark spray job- absolutely no relevance to your $19 tool metaphor. Might even last longer because of coating thickness. If you got the money- well, Imron or powdercoat everything you want. Sure, powdercoating will be a little more smooth than my brush job, but I just want to go fishing, not spend more than I have in my boat just to coat my trailer.

timdan - your trailer will look great and be well protected. Experiment with your thinner a little bit- I assume you are using an air sprayer. Xylene as a thinner can speed up the drying a little; regular mineral spirits dries just a bit slower if you need it to flow out a little more.

friscoboater - it does look great; good job.

I am pretty anal about appearance of my mechanical things. :redface: But I don't need to impress anyone with better-than-new appearance to go catch fish. Life is too short; if working on and paying for your boat is your hobby- great! At my economic level a really nice job with the money available is what gets me on the water- and my hobby is being on the water: comfortably and with no break downs.

Sorry to sound harsh here but OP only wanted advice on how to paint his trailer- he asked what we did. We used Rustoleum!