brand new Haulmark Rustbox

[GPW]

That’s just AWFUL !!! I wouldn’t settle for anything less than a New trailer ... Looks like they took a used frame and just re covered it ...

Apparently they learned from the new RV industry that builds shoddy products with the cheapest materials and covers up all their sins ... (what you can’t see)
Chinese steel ??? Maximum profits ...

Doesn’t anybody take Pride in what they make anymore ???

[Shadow Catcher]

If it were me I would keep the trailer knowing there is a light surface rust problem, soda blast the frame and coat it yourself with somthing like POR 15 http://www.por15.com and make them pay for it. You will have a trailer that is superior to what they would provide as a replacement.

[digitek718]

I agree shadowcatcher, the only problem is i would not be able to get to the part of the steel that is between the aluminum sheeting...

[Trackstriper]

Edited a bit after rethinking some stuff....

.....have a trailer that is superior to what they would provide as a replacement.

Shadow Catcher has a very valid point. I had a good discussion with my dealer, who handles a number of different brands and has been in the business a long time. Our concern about sending my trailer back to the factory was that they'd make more of a mess trying to fix some of the items I was concerned about. Getting them to build a new one might not yield much better results....south Georgia construction, build 'em fast and cheap.

Our game plan was to be specific in a letter to the dealer, who would send it to the manufacturer, describing the issues. It would be costly to return the trailer to the manufacturer for rebuild, the items to be corrected were far beyond a local dealer's capability. We proposed that I do the corrective work, to my own satisfaction, and be reimbursed something for my labor. Not a lot...maybe $$$$ in my case. This would have been overall cheaper than other corrective possibilities and would have allowed for a somewhat satisfied customer. XXXX went out of business. Ha!

Many manufacturers only paint the wall posts where they are visible after the plywood walls are installed...that's just normal, fool the customer. I'm not sure if you'd have a failure issue in the future though, most of the cargo trailer going down the road are built that way, they fail and get beat up elsewhere. If you don't have a major leakage problem the rust will probably settle down an be a non-issue, especially if taken care of with one of the rust inhibiting products. Of course, you will know it's there.

If this is going to be a thirty-year-life trailer I would maybe be more concerned...although still aggravated.

[eamarquardt]

So I decided to remove my luan sidewalls in preperation for electric and insulation and I am horrified at whats underneath. Every single beam is completely rusted..some of them are bent..It looks like the metal studs they used to build my trailer have been sitting outside bare for YEARS!!!! I ordered from the factory because I wanted brand new..Is this a common find?? As soon as I figure out how to post pics I will show you what I am talking about...

The seat brackets in my Ford van are bare metal and have some rust on them.

All of the stuff you've posted pics of is not exposed to the weather (as best as I can see).

How old are you? In all likelihood, even w/o painting, being inside out of the weather, the trailer will outlast you with no chance of failure. All the rust is just surface rust and won't get much worse over time given that it's now protected from the weather. It just looks like the material was stored outside for a bit before being used in the construction of your trailer.

To paint all of the bare metal you'd have to remove all of the exterior skins which would be a major PITA.

It's not good workmanship, I'd be pissed/unhappy and let em know, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Move fwd and enjoy your trailer and the time you have left on this earth.

Cheers,

Gus

[digitek718]

Thanks for all the replies and comments..while alot of the rust is just surface rust, some of it is far beyond that eating away the metal-particularly the metal around the window...and maybe the rusted metal will not fail any sooner but its the principle of the whole matter that bugs me..i paid for a brand new trailer with assumed brand new materials why should i settle for less..i was cheated..i dont want this mess just patched up..i want what i paid for..if it was just a little rust here and there maybe i would just accept it but the amount of rust on mine is just unacceptable...everybody that i show the pics to of my brand new trailer gasps in disbelief..it almost comical at this point...lets see what haulmark says on tuesday..im really curious to see what there plan is to rectify this issue..oh well..i guess everyone steps in **** every so often....happy holidays everybody

[Wild Bill]

Sure looks like that they store their metal out side before they use it. Not a good idea to say the least. I wonder if you have a one of a kind or if they all look like that. I would want to inspect another similar unit to see if you have a trailer built from the bottom of the steel pile. Does anyone make an all aluminum trailer? I am sure the cost would be much more. Good luck with your build. Bill

[capt4903]

wild bill,

my cargo is an Aluma brand....built here in Iowa....trailer is all aluminum except for axle and coupler.....floor is extruded aluminum....

those rusty wall studs are totally unacceptable....some compensation is needed.....

[Shadow Catcher]

How is the siding attached? If it is attached with 3MVHB tape it is removable with solvent (quite specific which one). If it is mechanical screws or rivets easier to get off but harder to realign the holes to put it back. If it is aluminum to bare steel then an additional concern is galvanic action and the lack of a coating is even more of a problem.

[crttaz]

Even the welds are rusting.....those should have been wire wheeled and painted.

[Larry C]

Was it possibly a flood damaged trailer that had new plywood installed over the rusted metal? Might explain the lower price dealer.

[bdosborn]

If it is aluminum to bare steel then an additional concern is galvanic action and the lack of a coating is even more of a problem.

My guess is that is why the steel rusted so much. They didn't paint the steel before they covered it with aluminum so two dissimilar metals are in direct contact. Rust forms with a vengeance when you do that.

Bruce

[Trackstriper]

I've edited this post a bit so as not to bad mouth a manufacturer that I may need to negotiate with.....I'm going to give them another chance to make something right....

How is the siding attached? ....... If it is mechanical screws or rivets easier to get off but harder to realign the holes to put it back.

If it is aluminum to bare steel then an additional concern is galvanic action and the lack of a coating is even more of a problem.

Standard screws are visible in digitek's album. Chances are very high that the aluminum is clearcoated on the inside surface. The trailer manufacturers get this stuff in 49" widths to enable 1" laps at the seams and still maintain 16" O.C. wall posts. It probably comes from a couple of suppliers and would be pretty much the same throughout the industry. If digitek has a multimeter he can check with the probes to see if the interior surface will conduct current. My various trailers have been clearcoated, perhaps to avoid the issue of dissimilar metals, maybe not.

Not painting the wall posts is probably fairly common in steel framed trailers, Oh, they will paint it black where the steel is visible to a potential customer, but few people take the plywood off to insulate.

The worst areas on his trailer seem to be the posts below the window. I would suppose that these post are some of the least stressed on the trailer since the wall post is not continuous to the roof, being interrupted by the horizontal window support member. I really don't think I'd make a big deal about it. Wire brush what you can get to and hit it with a little Rustoleum....ain't perfect but better than what you have now.

[Optimistic Paranoid]

The only comment that I can add to all this is that the original poster should try to sort this out with Haulmark via his dealer first.

If that fails to provide satisfaction, look into the following:

A complaint to the appropriate Better Business Bureau.

Check with your state's Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

Was any part of this transaction handled via the U. S. Mail? (Either the order itself, or the payment?) Check with the Post Office, see if they are interested in launching an investigation into possible Postal Fraud.

Regards
John
Official Motto: Don't Get Mad, Get Even!

[pmspirito]

I bought my Lark 7x14 thru Thetrailershowroom. I went to the Lark factory in Douglas GA. All of the steel in stock and trailers under construction were completely rust free. I too took off the interior paneling and there was no rusted or bent studs. Also a very through coat of paint on all surfaces.