trailer repairs

[99yam40]

What do any of you use to kill and then coat the rust on Galvanized trailers?

I have always in the past used a couple of coats of Ospho after chipping the big stuff off and then clean that good after a few days. then coat with ZRC with a brush or zinc cold galvanize in spray cans.
when board brackets got rusty I just put new ones on.
But the trailer I have now have the brackets welded on, so will need to treat everything and coat.

I have a feeling putting zinc paint on something that was Osphoed to kill the rust may not do any good if there is a layer of inert material formed from the Ospho & rust like the label says it does.

[boscoe99]

My experience with a steel trailer in salt water was terrible. Despite all that I did to it (including dunkings in fresh water after being in salt water) and priming and painting continuously, the damn thing simply melted away before my eyes. Mostly from the inside out.

If you are ever vigilant by removing any rust at the time it appears and treating the steel with a good primer and paint you can slow it down. Rustoleum seems to be about as good as any IMO. You have got to stay on top of it.

Which reminds me of the time I was in the Navy. A crew would start chipping paint at say the front the ship working their way to the rear. A crew would be right behind them painting. With gray lead probably. They would work their way down the side of the ship and then back up to the front on the other side. When they got to the front it was time to start the whole damn thing over again.

[99yam40]

Hot dipped Galvanized trailers have held up well down here in the salt because I rinse every time I come home, but I got to thinking if the zinc does not touch the real metal because of the coating that is left by the ospho treatment it will not really protect it.

probably needs to be just coated with a good paint, but am not sure

[TownsendsFJR1300]

On my boat lift galvanized steel extensions, I had to weld a tab (to extend) to one the extensions MAIN mount for it to reach the cradle.

The closest side (cradle) to the bank angles up, this is why I had to extend the extensions.

IE, grind off ALL galvanized sections, stick weld the new piece in, clean up and apply Rustoleum GALVANIZED spray paint (no primer).

The steel has to be spotless clean, roughed up a little for adhesion helps.

I put several coats on (letting it dry completely). It's been on there since 2006 and gets salt water wet every time the boat is dropped in the water.
If I re-painted it once since then, I don't remember.

It's circled in red where it was extended, welded, painted and installed:

[pstephens46]

I just replace the wasted sections and parts. The trailer has cost way more in repairs than the boat. Just be glad you don’t have brakes to deal with.

[99yam40]

problem is the brackets are welded on ,so not replacable.

It is a (99 boat and trailer I picked up 3rd hand in 2006 I think.

replace the axle with hubs,& springs along with finders a few years ago
but the board and brackets are what I need to work on now.

actually one of the guide posts that light and license plate are mounted on broke off last week.
it was welded onto the diamond plate on the side step of trailer, and that is in bad shape too once I started beating on it with a hammer
pulled boat off and set on jack stands Saturday and took trailer apart for reworking.
must have knocked 10 lbs of rust off so far

[99yam40]

I never did up date this thread, so here are some pics .
I need to take a pic of the finished product with the boat off of the trailer2-100_1799.JPG

[panasonic]

I rebuild a galvanized trailer with the tow bar bent up at about a thirty degree angle, I think some one left the plug in their boat and she filled up with water.

What rust that was on it I hit it with a wire wheel first, then plastickote rust converter and top coat with tremclad "aluminized" paint. It works good as the aluminum in the paint tends to corrode before the metal below it. It also matches the galvanized color so you. don't have to paint the whole thing...but I did anyway.

[panasonic]

What is the purpose of the rig above the engine? Do you stand up there so you can see further in clear shallow water?

[99yam40]

Yes, along with a good place to push pole the boat from
but have to have another person on the front of the boat to balance out the weight of the motor, gas tank, battery and me on the back end.

the guy that built the aluminum frame for me said he never saw a bar across the front of a poling platform before.
I told him I do not mind falling off the back into the water( I have not yet),but did not want to fall into the boat, and it is a good place for me to lean on or sit if I want to rest .
good place for a drink holder, clip to hold the push pole, rod holder, and a remote switch for my tilt and trim.
I can set the motor down in shallow water to hold the boat in one place when needed,

[99yam40]

I rebuild a galvanized trailer with the tow bar bent up at about a thirty degree angle, I think some one left the plug in their boat and she filled up with water.

What rust that was on it I hit it with a wire wheel first, then plastickote rust converter and top coat with tremclad "aluminized" paint. It works good as the aluminum in the paint tends to corrode before the metal below it. It also matches the galvanized color so you. don't have to paint the whole thing...but I did anyway.

I put 3 coats of Ospho(to kill the rust) on after beating the main layers of rust off and wire wheeling the rusted parts. Then puts 2 coats of rusolium rusted metal primer on.
then sprayed a can of white appliance paint on I had sitting around.
then a can of aluminum spray paint to get the silver color.

Ended up spraying it with some cold galvanized paint , the aluminum paint was too silver
new treated boards with 3/8" HDPE strips all SS fasteners

1st time to the ramp the boat started sliding off the trailer before getting to the water.

the ramp is not very steep, and it did not come all the way off, but I was raising the motor just in case as my brother was backing it down.
I keep the wench hooked on now until the back of boat is in the water.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

The Rustoleum galvanized paint works really well if you can get the surface super clean from rust.

I used it on the boat lift "extensions" where I had to weld an additional piece to it. Between that a couple coats of regular Rustoleum gray (takes real long to dry), no rust and it's been roughly a decade (sits in the water the entire time I'm out on the boat)..

BTW, the trailer AND the boat look great, nice job, nice set up!

An now we know where 99yam40 "comes from"!

[zenoahphobic]

On a boat trailer I only scrape a little and lightly brush the loose stuff, that tends to be the galvanising zinc off, and then use liberal amounts of galvanising zinc paint (Galvit).
This binds the flaking zinc, that would still have protection value, and covers the remaining firm rusty steel. I use no rust dissolver as it leaves a film, and compromises the function of the galvanic protection.
When rust stains come through again, which is quite little and some time down the track, I just dab them again with Galvit paint.

Remember what galvanising means, it is "electric" protection of the whole structure, using sacrificial zinc metal. If you were to paint over it that part of the protection mechanism is gone. What will then tend to happen, just like with painted bare steel, when there is a scratch or abrasion, rusting is amplified at that spot.

So galvanised steel needs direct electrical connection with the steel. The opposite to ordinary paint, It tends to protect exposed areas of bare steel. So any painting should cover minimal area, and only be done with conductive paint.

[99yam40]

you are only about 2 months late with your advice at this point, but that is what I was thinking to start out.
I will see how long this almost 20 year old trailer holds up.
maybe it will or will not out last the boat and motor I have on it

[panasonic]

I put 3 coats of Ospho(to kill the rust) on after beating the main layers of rust off and wire wheeling the rusted parts. Then puts 2 coats of rusolium rusted metal primer on.
then sprayed a can of white appliance paint on I had sitting around.
then a can of aluminum spray paint to get the silver color.

Ended up spraying it with some cold galvanized paint , the aluminum paint was too silver
new treated boards with 3/8" HDPE strips all SS fasteners

1st time to the ramp the boat started sliding off the trailer before getting to the water.

the ramp is not very steep, and it did not come all the way off, but I was raising the motor just in case as my brother was backing it down.
I keep the wench hooked on now until the back of boat is in the water.

Some years ago me and my dad put some Hdpe on the keel one of his boats that he build so she wouldn't stick on the wooden slip she was kept on while launching. I went to take her out for a row not long after and as soon as I tipped her upright...gone down the 30 foot slip in what it seemed like 2 seconds..and out in the water not tied on. All the old man said was "I knew that was going to happen. lol

This fishing you do, is it fly fishing?