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Thread: New trailer preventative maintenance

  1. #1

    New trailer preventative maintenance

    The main frame of my trailer is all rusted and needs replacing. I did some years ago, cut out and replace the cross rails, as they rusted out in the in the centres where the holes are, but now the main rails are rusting. So, does anyone seal the holes up before the trailer's first water dunking, if so, how have you done it. The trailer is a 20 year old Redco, and they still make the same trailer, so i can buy just the chassis and swap over all the rest!

  2. #2

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Curious to know how much the chassis cost alone?

  3. #3
    Ausfish Addict disorderly's Avatar
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    Sep 2006
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    In the Jungle/Mission Beach Hinterland

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    When my last trailer started to rust apart...I cut off the rear section from the triangle piece back and just used the old one as a template and bought the RHS and welded up a new one with my cheap cigweld inverter arc welder...I am a rough welder but had no problems...

    I have also heard of blokes welding a cap on the end of the long pieces of RHS steel and drilling a hole in the top and putting some sump oil inside ….as its the salt water getting into the drain holes and open ended RHS that seem to rust them from the inside out......would this help..?

    cheers Scott

  4. #4

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by gazza2006au View Post
    Curious to know how much the chassis cost alone?
    Gaz, it's a run of the mill Redco, $1100 for the frame, or $3300 for a complete trailer!

  5. #5

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by disorderly View Post
    When my last trailer started to rust apart...I cut off the rear section from the triangle piece back and just used the old one as a template and bought the RHS and welded up a new one with my cheap cigweld inverter arc welder...I am a rough welder but had no problems...

    I have also heard of blokes welding a cap on the end of the long pieces of RHS steel and drilling a hole in the top and putting some sump oil inside ….as its the salt water getting into the drain holes and open ended RHS that seem to rust them from the inside out......would this help..?

    cheers Scott
    Hey Scott, I replaced all 3 cross braces about 5 years ago with gal box, which are now slowly starting to rust through again, while the welds i have to constantly rust treat and repaint. Now the main rails are getting really rusty inside, so it's better that i just replace the frame i think.
    cheers,
    eric

  6. #6

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    If you go to build again use channel so there is no internals you can't wash down.
    I rebuilt mine recently using 75x38 channel and 75x10 flat bar cross members.
    Fitted a full length floor plate walkway down the middle and welded the lugs for the rollers to the floor plate over the cross members.
    Attachment 120039
    Attachment 120040
    Jack.

  7. #7

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by ericcs View Post
    Gaz, it's a run of the mill Redco, $1100 for the frame, or $3300 for a complete trailer!
    Wow i didnt think a frame would be so cheap!!! making me think maybe i should have went that option, i have seen a frame or two for sale on Gumtree and Ebay but never actually thought a shop would sell one direct

    that is definitely a saving over buying a complete new trailer

  8. #8

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    I welded in new cross members, drilled a hole in the top and welded a nut over the hole. I then filled with oil and then screwed the bolt in. Works a treat.

  9. #9

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by gazza2006au View Post
    Wow i didnt think a frame would be so cheap!!! making me think maybe i should have went that option, i have seen a frame or two for sale on Gumtree and Ebay but never actually thought a shop would sell one direct

    that is definitely a saving over buying a complete new trailer
    have to go through a dealer when i order it, and that was the price the dealer quoted. hopefully that price doesn't change!

  10. #10

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    It never even crossed my mind about a new trailer frame purchase, i was in Boeing Trailers the other week buying my mudguards and seen all the trailer frames stacked outside they had about 50 frames all galvanised

  11. #11

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    I'm curious and possibly missing something....if the trailer frame can hold oil without an Exxon Valdez incident at the ramp, how can saltwater ever get in there? So why the oil?

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

  12. #12

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Two options - seal it up and fill it (this means ruining the galvanising straight up) or get it rustproofed and periodically re apply. You can get a trailer frame (or at least could get) a trailer frame professionally rustproofed for a pretty cheap price. I took a DIY approach and purchased a proper rust proofing gun. My initial application was done in lanolin but I have since switched to fish oil. It gets re-applied every couple of years both internally and externally. You could go with something like Tectyl as another option. It makes a mess and your trailer won't look all nice and shiny (something that has run in my favour once with the light fingered grubs in our area taking the nice shiny one next to mine) but it certainly seems to stop the rust.

  13. #13

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    So, maybe flip the new frame and fill the cross braces with some fish oil, and a rubber bung to plug it, the coat the side rails inside and out with lanolin or similar?

  14. #14

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by ericcs View Post
    So, maybe flip the new frame and fill the cross braces with some fish oil, and a rubber bung to plug it, the coat the side rails inside and out with lanolin or similar?
    The cross braces are usually open at either end with a triangular notch or the brace is mounted slightly lower than the rail thus leaving the bottom open making it rather difficult to seal it up without the use of a welder - from what I have seen anyway. I simply spray mine inside with the rust proofing gun and then leave a container under the centre of the cross beam and at the back of the side rails to catch the run off ( lesson learned from the first time - shed floor is still sticky where the boat sits). The outside I do as much as possible with a long handled 6 inch paint roller and then just quickly spray what I can't get at with the roller - less mess that way. Takes a couple of days for the stuff to skin off properly and stop running. I don't bother with the lanolin anymore so much on the trailer apart from the winch cable - mainly due the convenience of a pressure can. I do fish oil inside and out.

    On a different note, I did seal the main beams in my last trailer when it reached the point it required rust cut out and the rear cross beam replaced. I used channel for the replacement beam and drilled and tapped the main beams with a 1/4BSP tap to take a hydraulic bung sealed with pipe sealant.

  15. #15

    Re: New trailer preventative maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by TheRealPoMo View Post
    I'm curious and possibly missing something....if the trailer frame can hold oil without an Exxon Valdez incident at the ramp, how can saltwater ever get in there? So why the oil?

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
    You make a good point, The trailer my big boat is on was a closed off chassis but some how salt water found its way in but never got out it ate the trailer from the inside out and the damage is quiet extraordinary huge big pieces of rusty steel massive over holes i was lucky to make it home when i bought it

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