Still have your factory trailer? Take a good look at it!

[seahouse]

When new, and each year after that I put a few drops of oil* at all the connections and seams of the trailer. It is stored indoors except for a few weeks at the beginning and end of the season, but I'll be inspecting the interior of the tongue tube and maybe giving it a spray with Rust Check* in the fall.

I'm not sure that WD-40 is heavy-duty enough for the task, Crikey. It seems to disappear pretty quickly from outdoor things I've used it on on the past. Which does make it less “messy”, though.

Thanks for the “heads up” Paul.

- B.

*Most oil is dielectric, so it reduces electrolytic corrosion between dissimilar metals in contact, as well as cutting out oxygen and water in small crevices.

[Paul S]

Probably anything you apply is better than nothing!

Agree there are better choices than wd40.

But this trailer design is such a time bomb! I thought mine was 'good enough'.. I was wrong!!

[Crikey]

I'm not sure that WD-40 is heavy-duty enough for the task, Crikey. It seems to disappear pretty quickly from outdoor things I've used it on on the past. Which does make it less “messy”, though.

You're right of course! Maybe I should flow with my heritage and glop the darn thing with Lanolin grease. Baaaa!
Perhaps Highlander can supply a couple of spare ones!

[Wind Chime]

Hey Drams_1999,

I'll bite ... how did you paint the inside of the tounge?

We had our trailer completely referbished 2 years ago, including new steel 3"x3" 8' long steel tonge.
The entire trailer was sandblased them primed and painted. Local painter said there was no way he could paint the inside of the open tonge.

Darry

... I treated the tube with ZRC inside and out, this should perform much better than the factory paint.

[drams_1999]

LOL. He was lazy.

I held the tongue tube vertical with some line and used a big sponge (the kind meant for washing your car). Dip the big sponge in the paint so it absorbs it all the way through, then pull it back and forth inside the tube from one end to the other using a small diameter line wrapped around the sponge and fed to both ends of the tube. repeat as many times as you need to. Add paint by dropping it in at the top of the tube. I was generous with the paint and probably used more than I needed to.

It was a messy process but rest assured the entire inside surface of the tube was very well coated in ZRC by the time I was done.

I can't take credit for the idea, I found it online myself when nobody would sell me one that was treated on the inside.

I suspect the inside of the original tube did not have any paint at all. Mine seemed to corrode from the inside out. It looked very much like the pics posted on here by the time it was retired. In my case, it failed when I was cranking down on the winch and it folded up on me. At least it didnt happen on the road. A sudden shear failure would be a really bad day.

[Paul S]

I did it 2 different ways on the new tongue.. i had some old rustproofing paint.. so i taped a disposable paint brush to a old pole ( from a rake) at just the right angle to push/pull the slightly thicker paint on each of the inside walls. After that dried.. I took some chassis paint I had, which was thinner... I just poured it down one side.. til it came out the other end.. then rocked it back and forth til i got good coverage. repeat for all 4 sides

If the tongue is still in the trailer.. then using a sponge would work or a sprayer and long wand would work for internal frame rustproofing/painting..

[mastreb]

Tef Gel (available at WM) is specifically designed for galvanic corrosion resistance between steel and aluminum parts. It's easy to apply and the excess squeezed out and wipes off when you're tightened down. Lasts the lifetime of the joint.

[Sloop John B]

26x factory trailer! Don't leave home with it. Went to have the rusting springs checked and learned that axle, where clamp clamps, was rusted through. A square hollow time bomb moments from parting and dumping the boat on the highway. That would have brought tears to my eyes.

[Boblee]

You blokes must have a more toxic environment over there, our original trailer after 6 years showed no signs of rusting anywhere including the tongue section even though we had a brake fluid leak in there in the second year.
In fact when I remodelled the whole thing putting a tandem and galvanising it as well as stregthening in some places except for basically surface rust under the bunk timbers there was nothing.
Instead of just dipping in the hot bath prior to galvanising the trailer needed heavy sand blasting to remove the paint and even then still found some places where the paint caused trouble to the gal at 400+ deg c.
Can't see why the drawbar/tongue should rust as it shouldn't get wet when launching etc but even so we washed down the trailer ASAP after using.
As for protection as Crikey says Lanolin grease is the best for protection whether sprayed or painted on as even if you miss a bit it will migrate there and will not wash or evaporate off and maybe that did contribute to the lasting of our trailer as it helped to keep growth off the bottom and motor.

[extreem]

Here is a product I have used. It works great for coating the inside of a frame. Also good for stopping existing rust.

http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame- ... le-qt.html

[Paul S]

Here is a product I have used. It works great for coating the inside of a frame. Also good for stopping existing rust.

http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame- ... le-qt.html

True it is a good product. However, if the 5-10 year old frame is already rotted on the inside, nothing can help it! If you replace the tongue, then the internal frame coating would be a great option, as well as many other products. Just got to get something on it while it is solid! If you can remove the actuator and inspect the inside, maybe borrow a boroscope, to ensure the tongue is in need of replacement, or solid enough for coating.

Look at my original post, the tongue LOOKED fine, until i touched it..and it fell apart.

When we launch our M, the tongue almost always gets submerged, and the hold where the brake line exits is too high and holds in the water (on the all steel trailers anyway) A drain needs to be drilled in the bottom rear of the tongue to drain the water.

If the tongue is even questionable, buy a new section of 3x3 and coat the inside and weld in place with a new outer member, and likely , new actuator

[Ixneigh]

Why not a section on SS
Is that not strong enough?
I never coated the inside of mine. When it gets replaced, after it fails the annual hammer test, it's either that or a section of I beam.
Ix

[Paul S]

Why not a section on SS
Is that not strong enough?
I never coated the inside of mine. When it gets replaced, after it fails the annual hammer test, it's either that or a section of I beam.
Ix

The 1/4" section was cheap and way overkill. I guess you could use a 3x4 as well. Coating the inside is easy/cheap a well. Likely outlast the rest of the trailer. Could maybe weld/bolt in a section of galvanized steel. Unsure if you can weld steel to galvanized. I cant imagine what a 6' section of stainless 3x3 1/2" wall would cost (SS is much weaker than steel). unsure if it will be legal as well.

I cant imagine an i beam working - no real good place to easily attach the actuator.

[mastreb]

Here is a product I have used. It works great for coating the inside of a frame. Also good for stopping existing rust.

http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame- ... le-qt.html

Did the same thing. Easy apply. I coated the interior of the tongue, but forgot about the jack. The Jack has already rusted to unsafe, and the drawbar is fine.

I personally feel it was irresponsible for the factory not to interior coat the drawbar. It's cheap and simple.

[RHC]

I wish I had read this 2 weeks ago. My 97 original trailer (2nd owner) snapped where the side beams weld to the tongue while pulling the X up the ramp (ballast full).
I had the trailer refurbed 2 yrs ago but kept the tongue because it looked good and chunky. Shame on me, I do not inspect the bottom which had rusted thru.
Now I am at a loss between fixing and replacing ( or , sigh, sell the boat). Tires, galvanized wheels,disc brakes and master cylinder are all new, plus new LED tail lights.
Axle full of surface rust, but otherwise look good (I better check the underside).