UNDERCOAT TRAILER:WINTER SALT?

[escavader]

Should i undercoat my 2 year old tandem,with rubberized undercoating before winter.The calcium and salt can take its toll on stuff up here in MAINE.Is there any reason not to?I just thought it might protect it,although i try not to use it.Someone always needs a driveway pushed back etc and i gotta haul the tractor.Napas got it on sale for 3 bucks,thought i might be able to do it good for a twenty.It is possible to be some spotty slight surface rust underneath,im not sure,go right over it?Good idea?bad idea?other product thats better?THANKS AHEAD
ALAN

 

[Egon]

Please note this is not the voice of knowledge:

What I would suggest is sand blasting to solid metal as much as is possible. Then painting with a rust retarding type paint followed by an overcoat of regular paint.

For the undercoating use roofing tar/sealant [ that ugly black sticky stuff ] mixed 50/50 with varsol. Use the sand blasting gun to spray it on. Several coats may be advisable. [ expect to discard any clothing used in this process.]

The roofing tar is much cheaper.

 

[ronjhall]

Please note this is not the voice of knowledge:

What I would suggest is sand blasting to solid metal as much as is possible. Then painting with a rust retarding type paint followed by an overcoat of regular paint.

For the undercoating use roofing tar/sealant [ that ugly black sticky stuff ] mixed 50/50 with varsol. Use the sand blasting gun to spray it on. Several coats may be advisable. [ expect to discard any clothing used in this process.]

The roofing tar is much cheaper.

Having used some roof coating from Lowes recently I will agree with you.
Varsol is Mineral Spirit's here in the states.
Using the Sand Blasting gun may not be the best way to apply it. May be a bigger cleanup job than the actual apply. I applied it with a wide putty knife. Found that it wanted to drip down even in its thick state. Turning trailer upside down may make it work better.
I have used the stuff they sell at local auto stores with great success. It will not drip as much. Make sure area being coated is clean.

 

[herringchoker]

The roofing tar works well if you keep it from hardening and cracking in the future. If it does that, the water and salt get into the cracks and collect between the coating and the metal and it ends up rusting even faster than it would have without the coating. At least that's my experience. What I do to keep the coating from hardening is to oil spray it every fall. Which reminds me, I better get at that soon (It's a messy job.)

 

[George2615]

My H&H trailer came with undercoat from the factory. My Appalachian gooseneck frame was painted. Each summer I pick up a few cans of rubberized spray on undercoat and give the trailer frames a quick touch up. All of my area roads turn white from the salt thrown down each winter. They don't call Syracuse the salt city for nothing. Anything I can do to resist the salt attack on metal helps.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I undercoated the metal frame of my Snow Trac (Swedish made snow tractor pictured in my avatar) with a 2 part epoxy that is very similar to "Rhino Liner" The stuff is amazine, takes an impact and protects the underside of the the machine. If you've got a reasonable size compressor, and really want to do a job that would be durable long term, I'd recommend it. Cost to do the underside of a trailer would probably be $75.

 

[johnk]

What was the name of the two part epoxy and where can you buy it??? I just picked up a new equipment trailer and would like to get something on the bottom of it..Thanks..

 

[Boomerang1]

Do some research on coal tar eoxy. I used to be an industrial painter 20 years ago and used it on stuff that would be submerged in salt water.

Sewage treatment plants would want it applied to the rakes that were used for raking foreign objects out of the sewage.

After it cured, it would look like a rubber inner tube had been shrink wrapped over the entire piece.

You can spray it, roll it or brush it on if you like.

 

[escavader]

HELLO,
I did my trailer today .It took 7 cans!!! looks great under there. Note ...wear old clothes!!!I did it on a tarp...dont do it on your cement floor,cause it will get all over it.They didnt have enough of one brand ,at NAPA,so i used 3-m and also duplicolor brand the latter kind sprayed much better,had a better nozzle thats why.It was also cheaper.iM SITTING HERE ON THE COMPUTER AND IM FINDING GOBS IN MY HAIR!!Wear A WINTER HAT!! Got to hit the shower now,but i bet it wont wash out,it took gas to clean the hands.
ALAN

 

[KY Gun Geek]

Sorry to dig this old one up, but I was wondering how the undercoat did.

The horror story you hear about undercoat is that it traps water next to the steel and actually makes the rusting worse.

Thanks!