Repainting a rusted hitch

[tanin]

Hello,

I want to repaint the hitch on our family's 76' Sovereign.

I tried searching the forums and apparently there are two common solutions. Either clean everything and paint or use a special painting that you use directly on the rust.

Can anyone offer a bit of advice? I couldn't figure out which option is better and the +/- of each solution (outside the obvious easiness and time).

A great weekend to all

[AWCHIEF]

If it is highly rusted I would sand blast it before painting. Prime and paint per what ever brand of paint you use.

[Lumatic]

Are you talking about the hitch (tow vehicle) or the coupling (trailer)?

[CRH]

No need to make it harder than it should be. Use a wire brush and scraper to knock off any loose rust and scale. Rattle can with your favorite rust preventative paint.

[Greg1410]

I clean off with a wire brush and grinder. Then used left over degreaser and metal prep from POR-15; painted with POR-15; then used farm implement paint from tractor supply. Perhaps overkill, but turned out great.
Greg

[hannahreo]

Start off with wire brush, then fine sand paper, wipe down well with rag with Acetone. First coat with good quality primer followed with two coats of rust proof spray paint.

[mrdfred]

OMG, There is a paint for that!! Unless you want a mirror finish on your hitch, save yourself a lot of time and trouble. Go to The Home Depot and buy a can of Rustoleum Hammer finish spray paint. It comes in various colors, choose the one you need and get to work. Knock off any flaking paint and spray. It says right on the can what prep is required. The hammered finish looks good and covers any unevenness in the finish. I have never had anyone look at my hitch and say YUCK! As a matter of fact, I haven't had anyone look at or comment on my hitch, except my wife when I made her look at it and admire my handiwork.

Good Luck

[USAtraveler]

Originally Posted by mrdfred

OMG, There is a paint for that!! Unless you want a mirror finish on your hitch, save yourself a lot of time and trouble. Go to The Home Depot and buy a can of Rustoleum Hammer finish spray paint. It comes in various colors, choose the one you need and get to work. Knock off any flaking paint and spray. It says right on the can what prep is required. The hammered finish looks good and covers any unevenness in the finish.
Good Luck

Must be the Argosy owner's answer. I've done exactly the same thing...perhaps with a little more prep than prescribed on the Rustoleum label. Looks good and seems durable.

[featherbedder]

I use either spray or brush on rust convertor after quick clean up then use aluminum brush or spray paint, no rust showing thru for over 3 yrs. if small are shows rust just touch up w/aluminum paint. I do this way on all metal parts that rust, sometimes heavy rust. Tried sand blast big mess, for small jobs not worth trouble.

[perryg114]

POR15 with a top coat of something will work best. That stuff if tough. There an aluminized paint that will stick to rust called Aluthane. It is similar to POR15 but you can also use it as a top coat. Might take two or three coats. The worst the surface the better these rust encapsulating paints work POR = Paint Over Rust. I have never have much luck with anything made by Rustoleum.

Perry

[jimstream]

POR 15 is the best product to use if you don't want the rust to bleed through the new paint. Wire brush the rust, wipe down with a good cleaner, the surface needs to be grease free. Paint with POR then apply a top coat. POR is not UV stable. The top coat can be any good paint. POR 15 has a very high pigment content compared to other paint and a chemistry that bonds molecularly to rust and clean metal. It will look and perform like it was powder coated. I have applied it to every piece of steel on my 1968 Safari and have no recurring rust.

[CRH]

I bought POR for a truck frame and the bottom of the bed 15 years ago. I bought the metal prep kit as well. I followed instructions to a T. It lasted less than 10 years and peeled off in big pieces on both surfaces.

I have had good luck with Rustoleum hammer finish. I painted a rusty metal patio glider with it 5 years ago. It sits in the weather 24/7. Rust hasn't broke thru yet. It still looks great.

[PatrickW]

Paint it white, then it's easier to see in your backup camera. I paint all my hitches white, and the only comments I ever get are "that's a good idea".

Patrick

[InterBlog]

+1 on the POR-15 - I've used it successfully on pretty much everything I've tried, including some of our rig's exhaust components.

I do recommend that you find the "microcans" if you are able. It's expensive stuff, and as soon as a pint can is opened, it will start eating its own rim because it is chemically reactive (this is hard to prevent). So if you can find single-serve smaller cans, it's potentially less waste or less buying of empty replacement cans to contain the residual.

[McArthur]

Another + for POR15. I've used all of the rust preventing paints and nothing compares to POR.

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

+1 on the POR-15 - I've used it successfully on pretty much everything I've tried, including some of our rig's exhaust components.

I do recommend that you find the "microcans" if you are able. It's expensive stuff, and as soon as a pint can is opened, it will start eating its own rim because it is chemically reactive (this is hard to prevent). So if you can find single-serve smaller cans, it's potentially less waste or less buying of empty replacement cans to contain the residual.

I believe it's the moisture in the air that makes it harden, so each time you open it you introduce a little more moisture, and the paint begins to cure. I started keeping it a Stop Loss Bag from Lee Valley, and so far that's working well. You just squeeze out as much as you need into a container and no air enters the bag.

[Wingeezer]

I did the same as others have mentioned on our Hensley hitch. The original paint which wa apparently powder coat did not survive the elements well at all even though I bough the expensive cover!

I use dwire brushes on an angle grinder and removed all the original coating and then applied a brush coat of POR 15.


After that, I sprayed the hitch with black and orange "rattle can"paint to simulate the original colours. I got free replacement decals by calling Hensley.

The results were excellent and after a couple of years, holding up much better that the original finish!

I do love my Hensley hitch, but think that a better job of finishing would not go amiss!