# Paint on trailers



## JD3430

Anyone have a trailer with an exceptional paint job?
I have yet to see a trailer over 5 yrs old with paint not falling off or considerable surface rust. 
The big tex I'm borrowing is no exception. Powder coating peeling off en-mass. I must give it back to my friend who has been generous enough to let me use it while he gets his health back and buy my own.

Looked at many, many brands. Some are now coming out with a rhino-like coating instead of paint.
Anyone have a really great trailer that's stood the test of time- say 5+ years and still looks great?


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## rjmoses

Powder coating seems to be all the rage. I've found powder coating really isn't all that good. The problem most of the time, as with all painting, is surface preparation. The paint has to bond with a clean surface.

Nowadays, if I see something that advertizes powder coating, I usually won't buy it. It looks good at first, but then the coating starts to flake.

Personally, I prefer the old-fashioned oil based paints--they just seem to adhere better.

Ralph


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## Guest

i really like my big tex trailers but tht is thier only downfall ! BAD PAINT!


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## Teslan

Maybe it's because most trailers are kept outside? Plus maybe inferior paint to automotive paints and an inferior process to apply them? I had a hay buyer that used to build smaller trailers for a local dealer. I'm pretty sure he didn't have an inside paint booth or paint dipping baths like cars, trucks, tractors have. I'm assuming most other trailer makers are similar. Weld it together and spray paint it maybe with some primer then some black paint.


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## 8350HiTech

Seems like almost everyone around here is running either Moritz or PJ. Most of them look good, PJs might seem a bit nicer after a few years. Might.


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## mlappin

Yup, doesn't matter what kind of paint it is, surface prep is the secret to keeping it on, that goes for powder coating as well.


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## Bonfire

My PJ still looks pretty good. It's definitely scratched up but not peeling anywhere. Black paint and the curly q pinstripe. Roll linseed oil onto the floor every couple of years. Holding up real good. Now that I think about it, I think the VIN sticker is faded out enough you can't read it. Looks like it says VOID behind it.


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## JD3430

Bonfire said:


> My PJ still looks pretty good. It's definitely scratched up but not peeling anywhere. Black paint and the curly q pinstripe. Roll linseed oil onto the floor every couple of years. Holding up real good. Now that I think about it, I think the VIN sticker is faded out enough you can't read it. Looks like it says VOID behind it.


How many years old is it? 
I prefer paint over primer to paldercoating.


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## Bonfire

JD3430 said:


> How many years old is it?
> I prefer paint over primer to paldercoating.


2001 bought 7-02.


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## JD3430

Stored outside or inside?


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## Bonfire

Outside.


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## RockmartGA

Teslan said:


> Weld it together and spray paint it maybe with some primer then some black paint.


I would wager that the paint process in many trailer shops is to blow it off with an air hose and spray paint on bare metal.

Problem with paint is that you may not be able to tell much about it until a year or two has passed.


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## GawasFarm

I have a PJ bought new in 2011 and there is some paint coming off and rust starting.......but I live in the north where they put salt and sand down on the road. Besides those spots were the salt hits it is still looking sharp!


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## JD3430

Even in your area, I think paint coming off after 3 years is unacceptable. 
Love PJ trailers, but the powder coating scares me.


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## GawasFarm

JD3430 said:


> Even in your area, I think paint coming off after 3 years is unacceptable.
> Love PJ trailers, but the powder coating scares me.


Do they put salt/sand mix down in your area? It is crazy how fast things rust especially were the tires are throwing up the mix. I agree its not great but there is a reason you have plastic inside the wheel wells. Most vehicles HERE are rusting in 10-15years unless you wash every week during the winter.


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## JD3430

I have seen some trailers that now come with a "rhino coating" type of paint.


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## MT hayer

I still drive my old 1979 F100 rock chips in the paint but no rust. Just less moisture out here helps. My Donahue is an 02 model, I think it has done well. Regular paint. The gravel roads and chains getting banged off of the sides are showing. I never have seen the paint peel on its own. I agree, the powder coat is nice and good, if done correctly!


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## deadmoose

MT hayer said:


> I still drive my old 1979 F100 rock chips in the paint but no rust. Just less moisture out here helps. My Donahue is an 02 model, I think it has done well. Regular paint. The gravel roads and chains getting banged off of the sides are showing. I never have seen the paint peel on its own. I agree, the powder coat is nice and good, if done correctly!


You must not have the salt and other chemicals spread in winter?


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## JD3430

Would be interesting to see how each mfctr. Paints their trailers. 
I remember one brand made in Kansas, might have been "Titan"???? 
IIRC, they seemed to have an impressive paint process.


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## MT hayer

No, we don't have much salt used. In town mainly. I hope it stays this way. Yes Titan does a fair job. I have one that is a mid nineties model and the paint is good still.


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## JD4030

Bought my 30 ft PJ in Jan 2010, two yrs later the paint was peeling off underneath. So much for powder coating. I could grab the peeling paint and peel more off, and under the paint was rusty steel!!! They painted over rust. Right now it's a rust bucket under there. With what we pay for trailers, I would expect a lot more.


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## Vol

JD4030 said:


> Bought my 30 ft PJ in Jan 2010, two yrs later the paint was peeling off underneath. So much for powder coating. I could grab the peeling paint and peel more off, and under the paint was rusty steel!!! They painted over rust. Right now it's a rust bucket under there. With what we pay for trailers, I would expect a lot more.


Cannot blame the powder coat.....just very poor pre-paint preparation....nothing will stick long to improperly treated metal.....except rust.

Regards, Mike


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## 8350HiTech

JD4030 said:


> Bought my 30 ft PJ in Jan 2010, two yrs later the paint was peeling off underneath. So much for powder coating. I could grab the peeling paint and peel more off, and under the paint was rusty steel!!! They painted over rust. Right now it's a rust bucket under there. With what we pay for trailers, I would expect a lot more.


They didn't necessarily paint over rust. It probably started growing under there once it started to peel somewhere and there became an entry way for air and water to creep in underneath.


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## JD3430

I don't understand why this powder coating is so hyped up? 
I think it's total crap.


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## F350-6

The best paint I've had on a trailer was on a PJ I bought new in 96, stored outside. The powdercoating held up well. A few areas where it was scratched or beat up I got a little rust, but it never spread or started peeling. It did fade out to a dull finish.

Just got a new trailer. PJ wouldn't build what I wanted so I went with Top Hat. Paint on this one isn't going to last. Too easy to chip off.


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## rajela

Tell us about the TOP HAT..details man..


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## F350-6

What do you want to know besides the paint that peels too easy? I didn't like the license plate mount either so I changed that too.

Otherwise, it's a 20+5 deckover with center pop up, low provile, single tandem gooseneck with 8k axles.


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## rajela

So what is there that PJ wouldn't do??


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## F350-6

Wouldn't go low profile on singles.

At first they said that 7k's would flex too much and couldn't be done with a pierced beam because they would rub over bumps on the deck. I asked about the steel plate over the wheels instead of lumber like the others do and they sayd the axles flexed too much and would rub anyway.

So I asked them why their lowboy trailers with 7k axles had less clearance between the wheel and the fender than the low profile deck over would? I asked why those 7k axles didn't flex so much that clearance was an issue? I asked why my 8 year old trailer, which I had admittedly overloaded a time or two, never had the axles flex or rub on the low clearance fenders.

The sales guy didn't know so he called the factory and talked with them for a while. After the phone conversation I was told they couldn't do that. When I asked why, he said, I don't know, but I can't sell you one.


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## mlappin

JD3430 said:


> I don't understand why this powder coating is so hyped up?
> I think it's total crap.


All depends on the quality of the job and material used.

A friend of mine owns a garage in town, in they get caught up he takes trucks or even semis and turn em into two trucks or roll backs. They get one down and he uses that one till the next one is done and then seeks the one he's been using.

He's tried having his truck rims powder blasted then powder coated. Claims thats a waste of money, better off to have em soda blasted then painted with poly-urethane.

I may have to try that, last summer I did a break job on my hay truck, cleaned the rims up, got rid of the rust and painted, after this winter some rust is coming back thru.


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