Thread: Paint recommendations for box trailer needed

Hi All

The tub on my box trailer is almost solid surface rust now and needs cleaning and painting.

What is the best product to use? I would prefer something I can just brush on to make touching up easier in future.

The tub is folded up out of zincalume steel. One too many loads of bricks / concrete / gravel have stripped the coating and now its pretty much covered in rust.

The rest of the trailer is fine (sprayed in hammertone) i just want to touch up the tray before the rust gets serious.

Thanks

Hi Vince,
I have just bought a new 6x4 trailer because my old one had rust right through the floor. I had painted it about 10 years ago (and it looked brilliant) but the bricks, sand and tree mulch pretty much removed all the paint.

I suggest you scrape off all the loose paint, clean it with turps to get the dust and any oil off, then paint it with Wattyl Killrust or similar. There is a product called Penetrol (see it on the web) which apparently carries the paint into all the crevices and holes in the metal if you really want to protect the metal.

I am treating my new trailer with kid gloves, and I think that prevention is better than cure. Anywhere the film of paint is broken will rust, so I have bought a piece of rubber from Clark Rubber and put that on the floor to protect it. I notice the new trailer has drain holes on the front so the water will run out rather than pooling on the floor. I have been toying with the idea of cutting some plywood to protect the sides, as the old trailer was rusting on the sides as well, but did not rust as badly as the water ran off, rather than soaking the floor.

Another option is to get a galvanised tub or go the whole hog and and get a fully galvanised trailer - about $1400 in Perth.

The more you can protect the steel from scratching or getting wet the longer it will last.

Penetrol is an excellent product. I've used it on steel before after wire brushing off the rust. I've not bothered to mix it with paint, just used it as a primer layer. Couple of coats and the steel has not rusted again after being in the weather for over 18 months.
The problem is, all these treatments are just coatings and once you remove them via abrasion, corrosion takes place.
So I agree with above posting, treat the rust then protect it from abrasion with a sacrificial physical layer and try to keep it dry.

May I make a recommendation please....
I built a 6.5' x 4.5' trailer in 1984 and it's been well used from then to now.
It has a few bumps & scratches but for the most is in pretty good order, because I've always had a tarp over it whether it's full or empty.
If you're going to go to all this effort, spend your time & money repairing your trailer, IMHO, it's well worthwhile getting a good tarp to keep it covered. I've always used heavy tear-stop canvas with a heavy PVC under-edge on the combing..
Good luck with the cleanup, repair and painting.
Cheers, crowie