Trailer protection - Lanolin vs Tectyl

[Scott79]

Yes, that ol' chestnut. I know it has been done to death, but am interested to hear what people are using, and why.
In the process of purchasing a second hand boat, and the trailer is in good condition, looking to get the most out of it. My first thought was to coat it in Lanolin, just because it is easy to work with and I know some guys swear by it. I have seen it work well on a mates trailer also, applied every 6 - 12 months I believe. I have noticed that his gets what looks like a white crust in places though, but it scrubs off and doesn't look like it has affected the gal in any way.
Have searched the threads and Tectyl comes up a lot, but sounds like it is a little more difficult to apply, and stays sticky - is this the case? How often should you re-apply Tectyl?

Interested to hear people's thoughts, pics would be great also.

Thanks,
Scott.

[Kero]

I wonder what this stuff would be like!

http://www.xtrollglobal.com.au/products/rust/rust-conqueror-uv/

[tunaticer]

Tectyl is a much longer use product than lanolin.
Shell make a product called Ensis Fluid.......similar lines to Tectyl except it is available in 3 grades and all three are absorbed into the metal and will self seal on the next hot day repairing any damages from scratches and stones etc.

[Fisher4life]

I have been using fish oil for years now, a few days after it has been applied it dries and repels water. leaves a slightly yellow tinge on the gal steel, but stops the corrosion and rust.
I re-apply annually

[ozscott]

Xtroll rust conqueror uv. Dries hard. Much higher specific gravity than water so gets everywhere and forms a complete seal. I wouldn't use lanolin spray on a Galv. My trailer is mostly dura gal (so very thin galv) with blue steel goose neck with 2 coats of Xtroll RC and 2 coats of Xtroll Easygal. Gets dunked completely.



Cheers


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[davo]

I am a lanolin fan. My trailer is 12 years old with no rust. I actually mixed half/half lanolin grease and lanotech then heated it and coated the trailer. I spray the rear sections internally and externally often. Only recently I did a full monty on it again. I spray it on the hubs and they are like new even after all this time.

[Dave_H]

Lanolin for me, 32 years (no, not a typo it was replacement Boeing trailer bought by my old man in 1982 to replace the original 12 year old one that he couldn't get a hub for in a hurry the day before we were to go on holidays with it...) and it still going strong to this day!

[Tangles]

Yes, that ol' chestnut. I know it has been done to death, but am interested to hear what people are using, and why.
In the process of purchasing a second hand boat, and the trailer is in good condition, looking to get the most out of it. My first thought was to coat it in Lanolin, just because it is easy to work with and I know some guys swear by it. I have seen it work well on a mates trailer also, applied every 6 - 12 months I believe. I have noticed that his gets what looks like a white crust in places though, but it scrubs off and doesn't look like it has affected the gal in any way.
Have searched the threads and Tectyl comes up a lot, but sounds like it is a little more difficult to apply, and stays sticky - is this the case? How often should you re-apply Tectyl?

Interested to hear people's thoughts, pics would be great also.

Thanks,
Scott.

I had a new trailer and sprayed it with Lanolin from new, i got white crusty bits very quickly which started into the Gal. I then removed it which was a mission and sprayed with tecktyl and Inxos. Not an issue since in the last 2 years , there are threads on using lanolin on a trailer from new and i wish i had seen them as it would have saved a lot of hassle.

Since removing the Lanolin and using the inox etc i have had no dramas at all. lanolin is great but IMO not on a trailer

Mike

[tjotter]

If I want to spray into [hard to reach] insides of Trailer RHS sections
[10 yrs old, gal steel that is rusting],
& if I want something that lasts a bit longer,

would I be better to use Tectyl 506, Ensis Fluid, or Xtroll ?
Thanks.

[Scott79]

Still seems like the split is fairly even, with a couple of new entries!

I had read the X-troll on a previous thread, it may have even been yours OzScott. 4 coats would take a while no doubt, but have you had to reapply anything at all or is it a 'once off' type product?

Interesting that Inox rates a mention, I tried that on my last trailer and it wasn't long at all before the water stopped beading, I reckon it just washed off after a few dunkings.

Trailer is stored outside also - which no doubt shortens the effective period, but will Tectyl survive a range of temperatures, ie, it won't 'melt' off in summer?

Thanks again,
Scott.

[AndrewB]

I have a trailer that is 7 yrs old with multiple layers of Lanolin and yes some spots of the white crust so hand wire brush off and dob of greased all good. Had a previous trailer many years ago that just applied marine grade grease (which is very tacky) with a rag and only did it once. If you want the very best rust preventative this has got to be it, but extremely messy and not too sure what the environmentalist think of it. Ryan Bell originally of Belco trailers suggested to me Lanolin could in some instances provide adverse reactions and he would recommend inox but like most you need to reapply. I believe new galvanising takes a while to settle down, after a while it gets a white powdery finish and maybe better to leave till this reaction has happened prior to any application.

[ozscott]

Mate the 2 coats dont take long to go on - and you dont have to galv over, but I did because I wanted it to look even (multiple metal finishes underneath) and have extra protection given lack of hot dip underneath. Its a once off - its a total protection thing and nothing else required. I do put some fish oil on my springs because I am paranoid and because springs tend to rub and wear the finish.

Cheers

[Noelm]

I guess what it amounts to is... do it when the trailer is new, and keep at it, no use once it has started to go bad, you are only covering up, or at best, slowing down potential dramas.

[bonneville]

yep, its all about continual application !
im sold on lanolin, love the stuff, have all different types of it, use it on all things for the boat, classic british bikes everything.
I was sold on it when they dredged up some old army rifles a few years back, wrapped in some sort of material sheeting, but thickly coated in lanolin, in the Sydney harbour, been there for 40 odd years. now once the outer crusted layer was taken off the rifles, there condition was mind boggling considering how long they had been on the ocean bed. i'll try and dredge up the article which showed a before and after, got them somewhere. my trade ute, has a tail light lense that keeps filling up with water, and ofcourse blowing the bulb, generally the mechanic drains it and puts a new bulb in every service, im buggard if I could find how waters getting in, 2 years ago I spat the dummy, took the front off the lense, and literally plastered lanolin grease in there on all electrical areas, well the lense is 3/4 full of water, and everything still works !! my mechanic cant believe it LOL, i'll fix it one day properly, but submerged in water, she still works ! great stuff and a good talking point lol

[GM-Bluewater]

I use lanotec on my Hilux, i have had it for about 8 years and average 7-8 trips to Fraser a year in it, backing boats into water and generally not worrying about what i drive through. Every time i get back i hose the sh!t out of it and use 2 cans of Lanotec. There is a little surface rust here and there on the chrome bumpers but other than that there is no rust at all. Pretty amazing considering what i have put it through.

[undasize]

Hi , Ring the helpline number on the lanolin bottle and ask them about lanolin causing white rurt on gal boat trailers , Lanolin made my trailer look like shit , the lanolin rep blamed it on" cheap gal jobs these days and doesnt happen to all trailers" , he recommended i wash it off and offered to sell me a product to do so ! i declined . Cheers

[Snapperscott]

Lanotec on my trailer about every two months. Only issue is that it burns off the discs after about the 1st km usually smokes a bit but then fine. ill reapply after every trip to the whole trailer. Not a spot of rust on it and its 5years old.

[Scott79]

Lanotec on my trailer about every two months. Only issue is that it burns off the discs after about the 1st km usually smokes a bit but then fine. ill reapply after every trip to the whole trailer. Not a spot of rust on it and its 5years old.

Every 2 months mate? Is that a complete job with the boat off each time, or just a bit of a touch up here and there?

I am thinking whatever I put on needs to last 6 - 12 months, I wouldn't mind doing it properly if it was only once per year.

Scott.

[TheRealAndy]

At the end of the day, it does not matter what you use (within reason), just as long as you keep using it. Even house paint will help. Obviously, treatments like the various tectyl and xtroll offerings will last longer than lanotec, but lanotec will do just a good a job if you keep applying it frequently. The biggest problem with boat trailers is RHS, and the fact they drill holes in the bottom of the sections so it does not explode when galvanizing. It really is a pointless exercise because why gal the outside and leave the inside exposed to salt water. RHS is a joke they way its used on trailers. You would be better off with it not galvanized and minus vent holes with a layer of paint.

Maintenance is the key here. Paint it well, paint it often.

[Bonus]

I have used all of the abovementioned products and with a galvo trailer, I would paint the outside surfaces with wattyl galvo primer and then 2 coats of Wattyl aluminium killrust. The inside of the trailers use the xtroll rust conquerer. I have 2 boat trailers done this way and one is 11 years old . They both look like new and are easy to wash.
Have a look at how they maintain galvo bridges. They paint them.

[ozscott]

My trailer main rails box. Fully sealed and with 2 litres of fish oil inside and bolts with neoprene seals to drain and refill when heeded.

Cheers


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Scott79]

Am leaning towards Tectyl, but..... Does it remain sticky for ever? Someone else has said it 'melts' off on a hot day - is this the case?
I really want something that goes on and 'dries', rather than a sticky finish. Someone had said that if mixed with metho when applied it does dry out, but not sure I want to try it.

Thanks,
Scott.

[TheRealAndy]

Am leaning towards Tectyl, but..... Does it remain sticky for ever? Someone else has said it 'melts' off on a hot day - is this the case?
I really want something that goes on and 'dries', rather than a sticky finish. Someone had said that if mixed with metho when applied it does dry out, but not sure I want to try it.

Thanks,
Scott.

Tectyl always stays sticky. Dont mix with metho, you will compromise it.

If you want something non sticky and permanent, then you need to look at polyeuretahine or epoxy based solutions. They will require less maintenace but are a pain in the arse in to deal with.

[Scott79]

Cheers mate, not sure I want that sticky finish.
Might need to look at some of the alternatives.
Scott.

[chris69]

Not long did a 18mth old trailer with Xtroll silver as the gal was nicely oxidized and stripped and washed it down with KB coating prep wash klean then rustblast that leaves a zine phoshpate etch and Xtrolled the inside of main rails by pulling some foam covered with the xtroll back and forth and sprayed inside the crossmembers and stood the frame up from side to side,the xtroll silver is very runny and sticks well,did the callapers and hubs aswell, it took 3 weekends but very well worth the effort i dont expect to have a problem for a very long time,ive even put some cutting board on top of the leaf spring in the slipper plate on the main frame to stop it rubbing coating and gal off,it seems to be holding with just zip ties.

[cwcarter]

Hey Scotty check out valvolines web site. They have a heap of Tectyl products, some are tacky others are not. Not sure what type everyone uses.

http://www.valvolineeurope.com/english/products/tectyl/transportation/cid(7096)/tectyl_5660w?category=tectyl

[ozscott]

Mate I can post some pics of the finished xtroll product if you like. It's the bees knees of protection in my book.

Cheers

[Dave_H]

Hi , Ring the helpline number on the lanolin bottle and ask them about lanolin causing white rurt on gal boat trailers , Lanolin made my trailer look like shit , the lanolin rep blamed it on" cheap gal jobs these days and doesnt happen to all trailers" , he recommended i wash it off and offered to sell me a product to do so ! i declined . Cheers

I strongly doubt the cause was pure lanolin. More likely very poor surface prep or you didn't remove all traces of paint/solvents/salt.

[darylive]

Penatrol and give it a day or two to dry properly

[docaster]

Penatrol and give it a day or two to dry properly

How does penatrol compare to tectyl?
Does penatrol bond ok to good galv?
I've found lanolin doesn't last.

[Scott79]

Mate I can post some pics of the finished xtroll product if you like. It's the bees knees of protection in my book.

Cheers

That would be great if you could mate. Thanks

[honda900]

Tectyl 506 does not stay sticky it forms a hard skin, After a year or so you can see cracks in it. Lanolin is the one I have found to permanently stay tacky, binding dirt to the trailer.

Regards
Honda

[Dave666]

You blokes will probably think I am nuts.

When I purchased my 70's boat it was on a 20yr old Redco trailer. The springs, axles & hubs were shot & replaced. The frame and cross members were quite good except for rust underneath. I wire wheeled all rust and cold gal painted any metal were the gal was gone. Then I painted the total frame with Penetrol (inside the frame with garden sprayer). Then painted with Kill Rust Primer (2 coats) and finished with 2 coats of KillRust hammer fish in gunmetal grey. Then painted underneath, all springs, axles, hubs with Tectyl.


Lot of work but 4 years on it still looks like the day I did it. No rust under the paint and none inside the frame that I can see. Told my wife I saved thousands over buying a new trailer - she reckons the amount of beer I drank while doing it I could have bought 3 new trailers ::)

[ozscott]

Here are some photos - its Xtroll x 2 rust conqueror and 2 coats of xtroll Ezygalv over the top - the 2 lock together nicely.

Cheers

[Scott79]

Nice one mate, looks really good.
Did you leave the rollers on when you sprayed the conqueror, or are they naturally that shiny?

As a side note, I made a web enquiry to XTroll, they followed up promptly with an email containing the name and number of one of the technicians. Gave him a bell and he was really helpful and more than interested in talking about the product and suitability for my application.

Cheers,
Scott.

[ozscott]

Sweet Scott.

Haha...you caught me being lazy with my prep! The old rollers Looked sweet for a while.

Cheers mate

[stevebris]

Do they make electrical rust inhibitors for trailors like the ones marketed for 4wd's? You know the little black boxes? I have wondered if these are a viable option?

[Crocodile]

Hello All,
1. Penetrol
I used a wire brush in an angle grinder to remove all existing rust and then applied several coats of Penetrol and sat back and watched the rust come through the Penetrol within a couple of months.
Penetrol 0, rust 1.
2. Electronics
I had an ERPS unit professionally installed and watched the car go rusty.
When I complained to the manufacturer he gave me spray can of what smelled like fisholene.
ERPS 0, rust 1.

[Scott79]

xTroll Conqueror ordered, will apply next week.
Will post a few pics once done.

Scott.