Tongue/frame Paint

[campcollector]

Can anyone tell me what the factory tongue and frame paint color and type was/is being used on the 2003 and current A/S trailers? And is there an equivilent spray paint product in that color such as Rustoleum/ Kryolon etc?

[Tripp]

There is a product sold by the eastwood company (eastwoodcompany.com) that is pretty close. It is sold as an engine detail paint. I think is is cast iron grey or similar. Check out their site.


Tripp

[john hd]

your airstream dealer should have it.

it is an exact match. about $22.00 a can.

did my '92 this last spring, cannot tell the differance.

john

[85MH325]

Originally posted by john hd
your airstream dealer should have it.

it is an exact match. about $22.00 a can.

did my '92 this last spring, cannot tell the differance.

john

$22 a CAN???? would that be for a gallon can??? OMG! Sticker Shock!!!

Ok... whew... a little more calm now...

John, how about you just send me what's left in yours?

Roger

[john hd]

roger,

all you would get is the marble in the bottom of the can.

actually, it is not that bad of a deal. i have paint spraying equipment, binks guns etc.

however, by the time i took the centari number out of my owners manual and got reducer, hardener, prep solvent i would be way over $22.00!! by a factor of two!

so, for a rattle can that sounds expensive. but, given the fact i only need to do it every ten years it ain't bad.

i also got some plasticote in a can. same price, it will be interesting to see how that works.

john

[George Jr.]

I believe you will find at WalMart..... Dupli-Color stock # T177W Gunmetal (rattle can) a match at about $3.00 per can. Match for my 1988.

[85MH325]

Originally posted by john hd
roger,

all you would get is the marble in the bottom of the can.

actually, it is not that bad of a deal. i have paint spraying equipment, binks guns etc.

however, by the time i took the centari number out of my owners manual and got reducer, hardener, prep solvent i would be way over $22.00!! by a factor of two!

so, for a rattle can that sounds expensive. but, given the fact i only need to do it every ten years it ain't bad.

i also got some plasticote in a can. same price, it will be interesting to see how that works.

john

John...

Whew... I thought I was going to have a stroke there for a minute... I feel much better now... That's a LOT of money for a rattle can.

Thanks for the alternative, George! I bought some that works, but doesn't quite match. I'll see if I can find the #T177W.

Roger

[campcollector]

3 dollars is worth the try!

[rcaldwel]

We have a 2001 Bambi and the front frame paint needed freshing up. I went to Walmart and got two cans of the spray on truck bed liner paint. It is gray/black. It went on easy and has a texture to it. It has been on there for about a year and still looks new. I think it is due to the tuffness of the bedliner paint. Might want to try it. We are very satisfied with the results. In fact, I sprayed the inside of the rear bumper compartment where a little surface rust was seen. Provides a tuff coating and does not chip off easily.

Bob Caldwell

[campcollector]

I tried the walmart paint on top of a POR 15 application and its very close. I actually like it better because it has metal flek in the paint. I also coated the propane bottle base plate with duraback bed liner and it is bullet proof. I will post a photo later.

[dscluchfc]

I just did my banana wrap and A frame with a Rustoleum Black Metal Flake that was a little darker, but a very close match....about $3.50 a rattle can.
The exact match is available at the local dealer for $22 a can...uhhhh...NOPE....not gonna do it....wouldn't be prudent.....

[bredlo]

I'm going to have our frame sandblasted due to all the rust - one of the options we were offered by the guy I talked to was powdercoating to protect it in the future. Any reason why this wouldn't be a good idea on the tongue area? I figure a medium gray or black powdercoated tongue would be practically bulletproof against dings and scratches, and who doesn't like bulletproof?

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by bredlo

I'm going to have our frame sandblasted due to all the rust - one of the options we were offered by the guy I talked to was powdercoating to protect it in the future. Any reason why this wouldn't be a good idea on the tongue area? I figure a medium gray or black powdercoated tongue would be practically bulletproof against dings and scratches, and who doesn't like bulletproof?

Just curious? did he give you a price quote and are we talking the whole frame?

[bredlo]

He wouldn't talk price without seeing it. I said, "It's a typical ladder style frame, 19 feet long with an indeterminate amount of rust. How about a ballpark?" Nope.

So, it could be so expensive to coat and bake an enamel onto something that size that it's not worth it. But after watching them powdercoat a chopper frame last night on American Chopper, I'm even more convinced that this is the way to near-permanently protect any steel surface from corrosion.

Now, who knows? Once I get a good look at my frame, it might be eaten through to the point of no return, but that's another story.

[upallnight]

So you haven't gotten a look at the extent of the damage. Have you seen enough to decide on your repair method?

[bredlo]

Not at all. Other than some mediocre-looking rust on the tongue, I haven't seen enough to determine whether or not it can be saved, (and having no experience with steel, or structural engineering, I won't be making the call anyways!) That will be left to a trustworthy professional.

Since the frame is the foundation for all will sit upon it, and since I'd like to put the tow vehicle in drive without ever giving a thought to the structural integrity, I'd rather skip a few amenities for the time being, if I need to put more into the structure. I'd rather camp in an empty, yet rock solid trailer than a well-appointed one with an iffy lifespan.

On the powdercoating: I feel like I've heard enough about it that I'm certain if applied properly, it would be a prevent virtually any problems down the road - ever. Now, once I start piercing that outer layer with screws and such, who knows? Maybe that comprimises the whole thing, in which case I'll probably go with paint like everyone else. There's something about a silky smooth, glossy tongue to match the polished sides that sounds attractive to me.

If it's in too bad a shape, I'll have to have a whole new frame fabricated. In the event that's necessary, I'll go on a short trip, and ask that one of you tell my wife all about it.