Trailer Overhaul..

« **on:** February 13, 2010, 11:07:09 PM »

Hey, So I noticed a few rusty spots on the tounge of my trailer the other day when I was washing the boat.. And with your guys' help I got the boat off the trailer. I took it to the local sand blaster to have him give it a once over so I could paint it. Wouldnt you know nothing is easy. The "surface" rust decided to turn into big holes all over the place. I bought the metal today to redo everything that was rotted. My question is when I get it all back to lookin sexy like, then what? Do I throw on some thick single stage paint? Auto paint with clear? Of course I want it to last more than a few years. The one idea I had was to get the whole thing Line-Xd. Anyone seen that before? I think it would last awhile. Of course, Im taking pics along the way, gotta show someone how bad the rot was!

« **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2010, 11:19:45 PM »

Super Duty,

I used to do a lot of work on ocean boats, so rusty trailers is something I have seen a whole bunch...This will sound funny, but I would not paint the trailer but would rather powdercoat it with a zinc based primer and powdercoat it with the color of choice over that....Powdercoatings only real drawback is it is difficult to repair if it gets damaged, but is tougher than paint and is cheaper to do (paint, especially in California is stupid expensive)...

Depending on who does it in your area, it only takes a day to coat it.....unfortunately, you need to use metal containing fillers for imperfections.

My pops' Southwind trailer has been bedlinered and painted, it does not look bad at all and is tough as nails....Just a different look is all...

GT

« **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2010, 11:24:50 PM »

Paint is expensive for sure. I can get it for cost, but still sucks. My dad said he'd powdercoat it aswell, I just figured that would be big bucks. Closest place to get anything like that done (thats decent looking) is like an hour away. They always want to see the trailer before they quote. Anyone have a ballpark figure on powdercoating? Trailers like 21 feet long.

« **Reply #3 on:** February 14, 2010, 12:52:41 PM »

The last trailer I had powdercoated cost me $800, it was a dark blue powder, the color really determines the cost, some of the metallic powders are stupid expensive, the one I had done was a tournament boat trailer, came out bitchen...

Here is the one we bedlinered and painted...

GT

« **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2010, 03:42:27 PM »

Cool Thanks. Really appreciate the pic. Id be keeping it black. Ill have to check on the price for our bedliner. Sounds like the easy way would be powder coating it. One more thing.. What do you think about running the light wiring on the outside of the frame? Thats what destroyed the last trailer, the guy left the wiring holes open so water got in and say it the bottom half of the frame. Anyway to make it look clean on the outside?

« **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2010, 04:02:50 PM »

I've had a couple of trailers powder coated, but it was probably 6 or 8 years ago. I was surprised at the price--a place here in Clovis charged me about $400 to sandblast and powder coat them. He did it in 2 days--I took it in one day and picked it up the next. I had one done in red--still have the trailer, but the sun faded the red pretty bad--and one done in a light gray, which worked out much better. I don't even know if he is still in business, but I could check if you want.

« **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2010, 07:53:42 PM »

That would be sweet! Even a name or addy and I can look it up. Let me see if I can get a few pics of the tear down we did today..

The tounge after a little cresent wrench beat down..

Under the trailer.

The "surface" rust after blasting.

More "surface" rust.

« **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2010, 07:57:58 PM »

The tear down!

Puttin the old man to work!

« **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2010, 08:01:55 PM »

This is what she looks like now. Hopefully get the new pieces welded in tomorrow. Good ol "holidays".

Hows that for one of the 4 piles I swept up today? Im amazed I never had a problem with this trailer before!!

« **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2010, 08:04:27 PM »

Holy Cow!

You might consider welding it up tight and putting a nitrogen charge to the closed off box sections...How cool would that be?

That's actually how they do some amusement park ride structures for checking for structural integrity...

That's some scary rust quantities....

GT

« **Reply #10 on:** February 14, 2010, 08:07:11 PM »

Quote from: SuperDuty on February 14, 2010, 07:57:58 PM

The tear down!

Puttin the old man to work!

Dam thats a shtt load of work your looking at.... good luck

« **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2010, 08:42:43 PM »

ever think of using c channel with the open web facing in never get a rust problem with that just my .02

« **Reply #12 on:** February 14, 2010, 08:54:07 PM »

Yah, Way scary to think my boat was just hangin out on that trailer. No wonder the guy emailed me to make sure I made it home in one piece..

I wasnt sure if channel would look ok. Ill just make sure to box it off really good this time and Im thinking about running the wiring on the outside of the frame this time!

« **Reply #13 on:** February 14, 2010, 09:51:57 PM »

FWIW, lots of trailers are made of C channel rails. Good luck with the rebuild. Scary amount of rust!

« **Reply #14 on:** February 16, 2010, 07:21:32 AM »

dude!! you're a grab the bull by the horns kind of guy!!

keep the pitcures coming.
75 fantasy

« **Reply #15 on:** February 16, 2010, 07:25:43 AM »

what does the boat look like?

is this the boats original trailer?

i had a '71 rogers where the boat/trailer had sat out in the weather its whole life. boat was really bad off, but the trailer was in much better shape then yours. makes me wonder what made it get that bad.

« **Reply #16 on:** February 16, 2010, 08:42:25 AM »

B-rad there is a huge design flaw in that trailer....it is a boxed in trailer...that trailer has been storing water since day one...if it were me i would be drilling in some drainage holes or something rather for moisture to escape

« **Reply #17 on:** February 16, 2010, 03:58:15 PM »

Yah.. The guy had the wiring holes half way up the frame rails, so water was just sitting in the bottom half for who knows how long. I doubt its the original trailer for my 65 Howard. Didnt get that far on the frame on monday. Going out there today. Heres a picture of my boat thats been on it.

« **Reply #18 on:** February 16, 2010, 04:21:36 PM »

man...that things sweet.

« **Reply #19 on:** February 25, 2010, 09:12:21 PM »

Few more pictures. Finally stopped raining enough to get a few welds thrown on. Got the new main runners back in place, and Im adding another cross brace under the bar thats in between the tires, where the center shackles pivot. It was bent up after the rust ate away at the frame where it was welded. Wish I woulda had someone there to take pics of me flipping it over! Talk about genius! Nothin a snatch block, chains, mule tape, a 4x4 quad, and an old toyota cant handle!

« **Reply #20 on:** February 25, 2010, 09:43:56 PM »

Nice welds nice

« **Reply #21 on:** March 10, 2010, 10:01:49 AM »

Finally.. More progress. Youd never imagine how hard it is to sell a boat without a trailer!

Anyone notice anything different in the new pictures? Perhaps the big suport bracket to help hold the leaf springs in place? Now THATS factory looking!

Heres the plate I threw under the tounge to help keep everything together.

And the NEW support bar.

And again.

Threw the angle iron on to mount the bunks to.

And here she is with some paint!

Notice the unintentional "murdered" out tail lights?

Oh yah, and if you notice all the little spots in the paint.. thats EXACTLY what happens when it HAILS right after you finish on a mostly sunny day. I still have to throw the boat on and weld in the mounts for the floater bar, so I have to repaint the front anyway.

« **Reply #22 on:** March 10, 2010, 01:23:50 PM »

SuperDuty
nice job

the next time i'm at bass and need some fab work i'll know who to call

« **Reply #23 on:** March 10, 2010, 02:03:46 PM »

Haha.. Iv learned my lesson! If it was summer time and I was stuck out of the water for this long, I wouldnt be very unhappy! This (in my head) was a weekend job! Im happy with how its turned out so far, hopefully it will make the boat look extra good and sell faster!

« **Reply #24 on:** March 10, 2010, 11:29:53 PM »

And heres where I ended today! Just gotta drill out the old bolts that broke off that held on the license plate. (rusted solid.. Imagine that.

) Mount the stickey zip tie holders for the light wiring, throw on some reflectors to make the fuzz happy, and Im ready to pick the boat up to mount the floater bar! Oh, and dont mind that badass long bed yota in the background.. She means bussiness!

SuperDuty

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