Trailer rehab

[bako88fan]

I have a 1994, 22' Trail rite trailer that I've had for a year. When I bought my boat/trailer, one of my negotiation points was the condition of the trailer. It had been in and out of salt water in the Pacific. It is unlikely that it had been consistently rinsed after launching. There is a lot of surface rust and some mild pitting.

I only boat in fresh water so the rust hasn't gotten any worse. I'm replacing the brake lines, brakes, bunks and prepping to paint the trailer. My hope is to get it as close to new as possible.

I have attached pictures. I'm hoping to get some prep advice. Would anyone suggest taking the wire brush on my Grinder and brushing all the way to metal? I've been using a flap sand wheel based on a previous forum post. While it easily takes the finish to the metal, the flap wheels are shot within a few minutes.

What would you do fellow iBoaters? Would you just rough up the paint, prime it, spray new paint and call it good? I will be using Magic brand paint from Tractor Supply using a compressor and gun. I've never done this before but I'm sure my iboats brethren will be of assistance.

 

[littlerayray]

Re: Trailer rehab

no pics

 

[sphelps]

Re: Trailer rehab

I used the valspar tractor oil enamel with the enamel hardener . Mine was galvanized so the prep was a bit different . You can use the wire wheel on your angle grinder or put a rubber backing plate on the use what ever grit that works for you . That may be a little cheaper than the flap disc . Clean it good with some TSP then wipe down really good with acetone before priming . I would use the magic primer also .

Good luck !

 

[akorcovelos]

Re: Trailer rehab

I'd hit it with a wire wheel to knock the loose rust off and paint it with Por15. Do that and the trailer will be around long after you and the boat are dead. It can be thinned and sprayed just like the tractor paint.

 

[Josh P]

Re: Trailer rehab

I'd hit it with a wire wheel to knock the loose rust off and paint it with Por15. Do that and the trailer will be around long after you and the boat are dead. It can be thinned and sprayed just like the tractor paint.

if you do por 15 it has to be top coated it is not uv stable. It is a rust stopper sealer tho works great.. just expensive

 

[akorcovelos]

Re: Trailer rehab

Not sure about being UV stable, but I painted one of my boat trailers with it many years ago and it still looks like the day I did it. Not all that expensive if you consider its going to last forever.

 

[bako88fan]

Re: Trailer rehab

OK so my rehab project is complete! Once my buddy and I started stripping the boat down to the frame, we encountered more rust, and a few more problems than we expected.

Trailer Slideshow by jeremy_meadors | Photobucket

We built a boat lift from some spare stainless steel and iron tubing that my buddy had. We welded jack stands for the back from iron pipe and brake rotors. The bow was lifted by a stainless steel 4"x4"x10' beam.


I decided to use a two-step approach to knocking off the rust and scale. I used a combination of wire cup brushes and a flat wire brush. Suprisingly, the wire cut brushes worked well on most of the surfaces. A cheaper Harbor Freight brush was no match for a quality DeWalt brush. Once I hit the entire 22' trailer with the brushes, I moved to coarse flap disks to get all of the fine rust and paint off.



After removing all of the rust and paint, we used the Magic primer and then hit it with the Magic Tractor paint. We stripped this trailer all the way to the frame and axles. We replaced all of the surge brake line as well as the brake plates, master cylinder and brakes. New, pressure-treated bunks were installed and the bunk carpeting was replaced. Everything got galvanized or stainless steel hardware to reduce future rust. Hopefully, I won't have to do anything but a little sanding and touch up again.


A big thanks to all of you who replied as well as those who have posted ideas and their experiences. All together, I was able to complete the rehab for under $500, which is about 1/5 of what a new trailer would have cost.