The used trailer I picked up has spots of surface rust on the deck and fenders, so some light sanding and paint is in order. It's a 16' with a full diamond plate deck. Before I go with the obvious primer and Rustoleum treatment, are there better choices of product for the job? I imagine the trailer deck takes some serious abuse, everything from a 2000# car sitting on it for long periods of time, to chains and tools scraping across its surface. Are there other products that will do a better job standing up to this kind of abuse?

 

You could try the stuff they sell that chemically changes the rust & coats/seals the metal. I can't remember the name(s) but you should be able to find it in paint or hardware stores.

 

This is what I use.
http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=345
POR-15 and Chassis Black topocoat.

 

if you really wanted to go all out you could rhino line it or something = to that...

 

I used that stuff on my trailer. It is Loctite Rust Converter. I got it at Home Depot. A 3M paint stripper wheel works better than sand paper. you can get that at home depot too. I think we used a pint of rust converter and 1/2 gal of rustoleum

 

If you happen to have a huge wad of cash the surface can be treated with one of the urethane products on the market including Imron. The alternates suggested above are very good too. The important thing is to remove the existing rust going beyond the obvious area by several inches.. A good autmotive paint supply house will be a great help to you.

 

I think you can get some Rustoleum heavy duty paint or something like that. I would advise doing something like this, and just hit the bad spots each year. Go with a gloss color. Other treatments will just cost more, and you'll eventually have to hit the bad spots each year anyway. A Rhino job is going to cost you about $1000+ to do a 16' trailer deck....they charge by the amount of product they use. Good luck....

 

I planned on hitting the rusty spots with a wire brush attached to a rotozip. The rust converter/neutralizer stuff looks pretty good. Will I need a primer, or just spray on standard Rustoleum after I spot-check with the neutralizer? In the end, I was wondering if there was a tougher paint to use instead of Rustoleum. I don't mind spot-painting each year, but the trailer will sit outside year-round, and I'd like to give it plenty of protection from the weather.

 

I'm sure there are some other products on the market. Go to Lowes, Home Depot and/or Ace Hardware and see what they have. If you use Rustoleum, get something like Protective Enamel semi-gloss or something like that. The enamel is going to be a bit more durable. I never used a primer since I was going over paint, but look at the can of Rustoleum and see what they suggest. Then again, primer wouldn't hurt.

 

We use this stuff on all our 48' flatbeds at my work that is tuff as nails, literally, you can bang on it with a hammer and it does'nt chip. Cost about $90 a gallon though. I'll find out what brand it is tommorrow.

 

you could also just buy a tarp and cover it when you're not using it (in addition to painting). That might help it resist the weather a little longer

 

I repainted my trailer before the winter this year with bedliner. I bought a gallon of the stuff at Advance or Autozone for around $50. It even came with a small roller, which is absolutely the best method of painting a trailer. The stuff looks great, should be very durable, and wasn't too expensive. I have quite a bit left over from the gallon, but I have a wood deck, so I only painted the frame and fenders.

-Chris