Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello friends,

You all have already helped me alot and I hope that river is still flowing.

I need to know what metal shape and thickness for the frame construction you like best over all.
We will be going to the coast with this teardrop Lord willing!
What type of coating is the best short of stainless steel?
Powder coat
Super duper primer
epoxy paint
Rustoleum
Krylon
and something I'm going to check into next week is hot dip galvanized.

Thanks for your advice

Stephen

I like the 2" square tube. Clean, easy to work, and it's completely sealed on the corners!

I primed it with rusteoleum primer, and plan on painting it with gloss black rusteoleum!

But check out some more options here...

http://www.mikenchell.com/weekender/chassis.html



Mike...

Stephen G. wrote:Hello friends,
What type of coating is the best short of stainless steel?
Powder coat
Super duper primer
epoxy paint
Rustoleum
Krylon
and something I'm going to check into next week is hot dip galvanized.

Thanks for your advice

Stephen

You pretty much have it order from most durable to least.

Powder coat is probably the most durable because it will flex without cracking. It also does a better job of encapsulating the metal.
Super duper primer If you are talking bout epoxy primer it is good stuff. I worked at a paint shop where we did mil-spec painting. We made a mistake and painted something that was supposed to be masked off. Aircraft stripper took off the paint in 10min but we had to keep it there for a couple hours to get the primer off.
Epoxy paint Same goes for the paint, it is super tough
Rustoleum works fairly well and is easily available but I'm not totally convinced of it's rust prevention.
Krylon is just paint and will work in a pinch

I like Hamerite. I used it on my frame. I found out about it from the jeep forum. those guys use it for their frames. Also Por15 is supose to be good. I have only used hamerite. It works great on my Jeep and my TD frame.

kai

Let me make a point about powder coating. Something that I've learned the "hard way."
My brother and I fabricated a custom glass rack for my shop truck. I decided to get it powder coated to match the color of my truck. $750.00 later, I had the nicest looking glass truck that ever rolled the streets, for about two weeks!
The powder coating started flaking off and the powder coater wasn't willing to make good on it, so I told him, "Well, I'll do some advertising for you." It's been about two years and sometime next Summer, I'm going to build the thing over with stainless. My assumption is... the metal wasn't propperly prepared, prior to the powdercoating being appied.

So my advice on powder coating is make sure the coater is willing to gaurantee the adhesion of the product.

Kai, That Hamerite sounds like pretty good stuff, I'll look into that myself.

Yup just like paint, most of the work and expense is in the preperation. I think you are correct, the surface wasn't prep'd correctly or maybe it wasn't heated long/hot enough. It is unfortunate that it was such an expensive lesson.

Well,
One good thing about those lessons learned the hard way... you never forget!

mexican tear wrote:I like Hamerite. I used it on my frame.

I didn't know you could get Hammerite in North America. It's not cheap, but it is a startlingly good product - you will not find any practical person in Britain who'll say a bad word about it. Its ability to stick to rust and then stop it rusting any more must be some sort of anti-gravity trick. The original 'hammered' version does seem to be superior to the more recent gloss or 'smooth' version.

It does come from a few miles down the road from me, but that ain't why I like it. :wav:

Andrew

Here's a thought, any opinions on having the trailer frame and then later the underbody sprayed with Line-X or Rhino liner? I've seen 4X4 rigs sprayed inside and out with the stuff.

I like the "hammered" finish of the hamerite. I have tried other in spray cans and smooth. Neither of which I like as well as spraying it on with a airless sprayer. I live on the beach and use my Jeep on the beach all of the time. I made a bumper/air tank and hamerited it. Two years and no rust yet.

Rino liner is great and tough as He__. Lots of jeep guys use it on the inside of the tub. I have seen a few 4X4s with the outside done too. I have not heard of anyone using it on their frame.

kai

kai,
Is the way the Hammerite smooth version sprays the reason you dont like it or its ability to prevent rust the reason?


angib,
What about the the original Hammered version is superior to the new?


I looked at a site about it and it said it can be put on bare metal yet they also have primers. If I use this product which primer if any do I use?

I'm very sorry to ask so many questions but I have to. I can't afford to make any mistakes.

rhino liner ...

is flat too cool for school. two things.
it looks horrible if you don't keep it clean.
get genuine rhino liner from one of their dealers -- it should come with a written warrantee.


it costs a little more to paint-match, but you can get it to match any car newer than 1949 (if you can find a paint code a rhino liner applier can order the color).

i have seen it used here in texas to replace vinyl roofs that were hailed out. two and three years later, no fade, no peel. I'm seriously considering it for my tear, when the time comes.

Stephen,

I do not like the way the smooth looks. The smooth in the spray can does not seem to work as well as the hammered sprayed on. Maybe it is only the spray can.

kai

Stephen wrote:What about the the original Hammered version is superior to the new?

I'd say the hammered was more durable than the smooth. But that may be because:
a) the smooth is the newer product, and "they just don't make 'em like they used to"; or
b) the hammered is more macho!
Andrew