Painting galvanized trailer

[chuckauten]

Has anyone painted their galvanized trailer with undercoating or bedliner paint? Seems that it would protect better than galvanize spray. I had my trailer rebuilt last year and they sprayed rust spots with galvanized paint. Rust coming through.

Any thoughts or experiences?

Chuck

[fultondalecrappie]

I have painted mine before and painted it with cold galvanizing spray paint and I have a friend that paints cars and he put a clear coat over it and it held up for about 3 years.

[Fishtaco]

I have used the cold galvanized with mixed success and have a friend that did his trailer with a bed liner product. His was not a galvanized trailer however, so I don't know the answer to your question.

I have painted vehicles and utility trailers over the years and the biggest trick is to clean the metal and clean it again. I use a rust conversion primer, so that any rust that sand blasting or bead blasting doesn't get is turned into something stable and inert.

I would think that using the bed liner stuff over galvanized wouldn't work that well, simply from not being able to get the stuff really clean and contaminant free.

I'd think it would start to fail in a few years, but I hope I'm wrong.:D

[Flatwater]

Recommend you use ospho on all rust prior to painting and prime with rust reformer. If your galv is peeling ping all the loose stuff off first. Pressure wash super good and use soap prior to priming IF it has ever been in saltwater. Then I use good brush on rust proofing paint. We have brackish water here and it does make a differance.

[chuckauten]

Thanks fellows. Looks like I will make the decision when I get the boat off the trailer and strip it down. I'll get a better idea of what am dealing with. If it last's 3-5 years, then it will be worth it.

Chuck