MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: cancan on November 26, 2010, 10:25:27 PM
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Hi all.
Any pros for or against a Hot Dip Galvanised CT against painted.
I always thought if it went up the beach then galv was the best but there seems to be more and more painted these days in fact you hardly see galvanised CT these days.
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One of my boat trailers was a hot dip galv, once it started to rust got under the galv & just kept going. The painted one seemed to fare better. Daryl
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I'm not sure about gal dip had nothing to do with it but when I decided to build my ct I thought painting would be ok but if I did it again I think I'd use duragal or similar because painting is a lot of work and the cost of the paint and extra effort isn't worth it and duragal should out last paint imo.
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Galvanised is good. If you look at the leading campers like Kimberley, TVan etc, all have galvanised chassis.
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Hot dipping is great for the chassis, when you do it to the thinner sheet metal and the floor of the trailer you get warping ... looks like crap!
Guess it depends on where you take your CT and how long you want it to last.
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If I get around to building another trailer I would get it galvanised, I painted mine and used the best etch primer I could buy and then put hammertone over the top, funny thing though is the hammertone chips off the etch primer really easy but the few areas I didnt prime the hammertone hangs on much better, one of the areas not primed was the coupling so its gets plenty of knocks. I had read somewhere not to use etch primer under hammertone but didnt follow that advice, the etch primer hangs on really, really well and the hammertone is easy to touch up. Still reckon that gal would be best and agree with Trev that painting isnt as cheap as you first think by the time you add everything up.
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I've had tow garden trailers over the past 30 years, each one has sat outside and carried all sorts of gear, the painted one eventually died, however the gal trailer looks like new after 8 years.
Regards
Geoff
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Cancan
When i built my first trailer i got it Galved. I think its a good idea as you dont have to worry about the stone chips and living on the coast in the tropics etc. But as i built my trailer i have been doing a few additions and mods to the trailer where you are drilling into the trailer body and chassis. A good coat of galv paint does the trick though. As someone mentioned about the warping, this can be eliminated as the sides of the trailer should have ribs in it as most do and the floor is left out of the trailer whilst its dipped. The floor only has to be a sheet of galv. flat which you just sikaflex down into position and seal around the edges.
But this is only good if your building your own trailer, but yes i would galv the trailer.
Cheers DP
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Have you thought of powdercoating. You can save some $$ by speaking with the powdercoating company and ask when they are doing a big batch as they often have some left over and can do it at a lower price.
About 8 yrs ago I had a car trailer done for $250.00. It ended up a light green colour but still towed the same :cheers:
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Most camper trailer manufactures will use durogal for the chassis and zincalume for the sides, etch prime then paint over.
Even if the paint chips it shouldn't start rusting.
When manufactures hot dip gal the trailers they'll use std steel and then galvanise them.
If I was in Qld and doing a lot of beach work I'll probably go the hot dip gal otherwise the std durogal/paint I think is fine.
John.
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Thanks everyone.
I am not actually building but buying a CT complete. Just checking if the extra cost to galv is worth it as you don't see to many around these days. Having said that I just followed a galv CT for a few km's
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Cancan
If you are going to keep the trailer for a long time you may be happier galving the chassis, and can assist at time of resale.
Regards DP