A good friend of mine coated the bottom of his car hauler with a mixture of grease and some sort of thinning agent. I'd guess mineral spirits or xylene. Rolled underneath and brushed it on every thing he could find. After 6 years of NE salted roads not a spot of rust on the frame or undercarrige. Not really the most pleasant thing to work under but no rust. I'm planning of spraying the underside of my new work body with a mineral oil we use on forms. If I remember it listed auto body coating as a posible use.

It will also wick into every crevice as it warms up. You won't want to lay it on super heavy just enough to coat the surfaces well.

 

Get the spray on rubber undercoating from Napa. It comes in a aerosol can and it easy to use. It'll coat the metal and the wood and seal it all off from road debris and moisture.

 

Yeah but rubberized undercoating doesn't hold up for shit. It scratches and chips so easily. POR15 is awesome, or you could get it vortex'd. If you want DIY, go to NAPA and get Body Schutz and the spray gun for it.

 

I'd just paint it. Get some good ol' Rustoleum and go to town.

 

Do they salt the roads there? If no then I'd just paint it. Just remember the paint is only as good as the prep job.

 

Try it's already rusted some and there's no way I'm gonna sand it all down. Maybe I'll just rattle can it and call it good.

 

I am going to take Aaron's advice on the bottom of the trailer. He knows what he is talking about. As far as the top, a small wire wheel and a can of gloss balck are a yearly project if you want to keep your trailer looking nice.

 

I figured if I was to paint my trailer one day.

The deck comes off, I'de send it out for sandblasting if it was affordable or I'de wire wheel it all.

POR-15 with proper prep.

You would not have to reapply anything after that. Probably ever again, and I could still do the can of undercoat after the deck went back on.

 

brush on Rustoleum Rusty metal primer. It holds up while rattle cans will not.

Or , if it is bare metal , wash it and POR15 it.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. The trailer is brand spanking new so the bottom is still clean it's just the metal has rusted from moisture. The problem with priming and painting and all that is that is a ton of surface area to rattle can, especially while your laying on your back breathing paint fumes :barf:

 

Why don't you stand it on its side? At least jack up one side about 4 ft and block it .

I just hooked up the winch and stood mine on its side so I could pressure wash it then sprayed it with my HVLP and Rustoleum.

 

I did one of my parents 15 years ago in that rustolium rusty metal primer. It worked prety good but was softer than I would like to see.

I am in the process of painting mine right now and am using por 15. It costs a little more but will be worth it in the long run. 2 coats or por15 and 2 coats of their chassis black top coat. The paint is tuff just don't get it on your skin because it doesn't come off...

 

I did one of my parents 15 years ago in that rustolium rusty metal primer. It worked prety good but was softer than I would like to see.

...

You have to top coat the primer with Rustoleum paint. Primer does not protect buy itself.

 

You could always use some LPS #3 rust inhibitor. It "dries" as a thick wax coating. It's pretty pricey in rattle cans but by the gallon or 5 gallon bucket it's not bad, about $30/gallon. You can brush it on or I use a small bug sprayer hooked up to my compressor. Here in the rust belt I can get 2 years out of one application on my daily driver but on a trailer out west you prolly won't ever have to recoat it. The nice thing is that if you ever need to work on something, it comes off with a degreaser like simple green, etc.

 

UMO mixed with diesel. Or use veggie oil, I've heard that works too.

 

Good old fashioned brush on rustoleum, not the new latex crud, is fish oil based. It truely never dries completely. That's one of the reasons it works so well, it is some what "self healing on small nicks and scratches. I learned this years ago from a family freind that worked for them as a chemist.

 

those that used the POR-15...
where'd you get yours?
most of the sites I visit and ebay, seem to have the same price
or, close to it. How much did you buy?
quart, gallon?
Anybody know where to get this at a good price?

also, what about the POR clear coat?
anybody use that?

Thanks !

BOB

 

those that used the POR-15...
where'd you get yours?
most of the sites I visit and ebay, seem to have the same price
or, close to it. How much did you buy?
quart, gallon?
Anybody know where to get this at a good price?

I can get it at the local car quest auto parts place now. Other than that I order it direct. It's about the same price but I have to pay shipping from por.

I started out with 2 quarts and ended up getting a full gallon from car quest. It's cheeper by the gallon.

 

I have rattle-canned a LOT of junk over the years, and prefer ACE brand rust blocker to rust oleum (sp?) myself...It seems to me darn near one coat coverage, sprays more consistantly and if you buy the bigger cans its cheaper and you get more...I have used the el cheapo $.99-$1.99 stuff, it plain sucks, and have used rust oleum, and its good...but I like my ACE brand best, plus you get the sweet adjustable fan nozzle tip that allows the spray to run either vertically or horizontaly, which is handy on tube work, etc...just my $.02

 

Rustoleum worked for me

I had a trailor that line-x wanted $1200 to do just the top. Rustoleum cost was under $100! I put two coats on and i carry a rattle can for tuch ups after wenching a car on or something like that. I just use a little paint thinner to clean the area that got scratched, let it air dry and then spray a nice heavy coat on the area. Works great for me, still needing to do the under side of that trailor. Probably going to use rustoleum to prep it, then spray on undercoating after i get a good surface to start with. Cost a little more but i think will be worth it and should hold up okay.