Tongue / frame painting

[polarlyse]

I was cleaning up the tongue of my trailer today. I removed a bracket for the sway control because I will be installing the Anderson hitch. I didn't use it anyhow. I welded the holes closed and ground them and cleaned up the rest of the tongue / frame to prepare for paint. I got paint mixed and will do that in the next few days. I did prime it today.

BUT, I was thinking ahead to the next time this need doing I just may do it with a bed liner paint. Do the tongue and the tool box ( inside / outside ) with the tinted bed liner. I think that will be a super durable finish that will outlast any regular painting many times over.

Has anyone else done this, is there any reason not to ??????

[Steve Bryant]

This idea has some merit. What kind of bedliner do you think that you would use for this project?

My son made some welded running boards for his 2002 Duramax Sierra and had them coated at the same time the bed was coated by a Rhino Liner dealer. It's worked well for eleven years.

Steve

[mefly2]

+1 on truck bed liner ...also available in spray cans for small projects like the WD hitch parts. It is holding up well on my load bars.

[klittle]

Polar - I like the idea for durability over time...the lining texture is just so hard to keep clean, especially behind a tow vehicle. If you use it try and have it sprayed as smooth as possible. I know truck bed liners are intentionally "sprayed rough" to prevent slippage. I just finished the tongue on my '66 Overlander last week (blasted, ground and overhauled everything in that general area...jack, breakaway sw, spare wheel and bracket, propane tanks, valves, reg...) I'm a PPG Deltron nut so that is usually my choice for refinishing. Post us some pic's of your project when done! I also did the center section of frame, axles, backing plates and drums. I still need to do the rear section and box area but I'm waiting for the bumper to get back from the bumper shop. It was tweaked more than I could straighten and grind. There will probably be more frame to paint when I fix my banana wraps up front. A few photos for those interested.

[DJW]

I'm going to try to tag on to this thread. I'd like to just touch up the tongue on my '04 A/S. I suppose I can get paint from A/S, but anyone have suggestions for local or better options?

Thanks,
Don

[Alphonse]

Originally Posted by DJW

I'm going to try to tag on to this thread. I'd like to just touch up the tongue on my '04 A/S. I suppose I can get paint from A/S, but anyone have suggestions for local or better options?

Thanks,
Don

Don, I took the battery compartment cover off my 2010 model to Sherwin Williams and had them match the gray paint color. They sell some decent paint for metal and the color matched remarkably well. A friend used it on an '07 and it matched his very well too. Don't know if the color is the same '04, but I have the paint codes from SW if you need them.

[Larry C]

A couple years ago, I sprayed the inside of the pull out drawer at the rear of my Excella with bed liner paint purchased from NAPA. There were several places where the PO had put indoor/outdoor carpet and had rusted badly.
First I wire brushed it with an angle grinder, removed all the rust, the primed, and put 2 coats inside and out.
It worked great, and it was relatively easy to do.

[alumascoupe]

I went the extra mile and POR-15'd the entire frame after sandblasting stage, that move cost an extra $75 when I failed to topcoat within proper time, had to buy etching primer then top coat silver for tongue, but now my AS has a silver tongue ! I like the bedliner idea, probably cheaper to re coat than POoR 15 !

[BAB]

Even with a brand new trailer you begin to see deterioration in the paint coating within a year. I bought a can of the matching pewter spray for touch-up purposes, but can see this "going down to the steel" in my not so near term future. Thanks for posting this as it gives me some background for the best way to tackle this.

[Alphonse]

Originally Posted by Alphonse

Don, I took the battery compartment cover off my 2010 model to Sherwin Williams and had them match the gray paint color. They sell some decent paint for metal and the color matched remarkably well. A friend used it on an '07 and it matched his very well too. Don't know if the color is the same '04, but I have the paint codes from SW if you need them.

Don,
As requested, here are the Sherwin Williams paint codes:

[Florida 55]

Originally Posted by Alphonse

Don, I took the battery compartment cover off my 2010 model to Sherwin Williams and had them match the gray paint color. They sell some decent paint for metal and the color matched remarkably well. A friend used it on an '07 and it matched his very well too. Don't know if the color is the same '04, but I have the paint codes from SW if you need them.

Al - Did you brush on the gray Sherwin Williams paint? If so, did you have any problem with brush streaks? How about a picture of the paint job?

[Alphonse]

Chuck
I only did touch up where a previous owner had skinned the paint with a poor hitch installation. Perhaps our buddy Tom may post some photos of his which he brushed on.

I would recommend talking to Sherwin Williams and getting their recommendation on how to thin this stuff for spraying (my intension before I paint the whole tongue) and/or brushing. It is quite viscous and I believe needs some thinning for either application method.
Al

[DJW]

Hmmm, stopped by the local Sherman Williams store today. They are trying to be eco friendly, and California appropriate, so don't stock the oil based version of this paint. Though he was sympathetic, the fellow made the argument that the latex based paint, and it's flexibility, might be a better choice. He also told me about another store nearby that has the oil-based stuff, so I can go either way. Thoughts??

Don

[Alphonse]

Originally Posted by DJW

Hmmm, stopped by the local Sherman Williams store today. They are trying to be eco friendly, and California appropriate, so don't stock the oil based version of this paint. Though he was sympathetic, the fellow made the argument that the latex based paint, and it's flexibility, might be a better choice. He also told me about another store nearby that has the oil-based stuff, so I can go either way. Thoughts??

Don

Don, my experience with latex paint for metal is quite poor and I personally avoid it like the plague.

So for me personally, I am only willing to use the oil based. I understand the need to be sensitive to solvent use and diposal and feel that I can manage that responsibly.

A thought for you - Sherwin Williams paint codes can be used elsewhere. Not sure if the OTHER store is a Sherwin Williams but if not, I am betting they will be able to use the codes and mix you a can that matches.

[Steve Bryant]

Go to a Sherwin Williams Automotive Products Store with the paint code information. Also, pull a panel off a nearby surface so that they can do a computer based color match if necessary.

Go to this web site Store Locator - Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and type in Lafayette, CA as your location and a bunch of stores pop up.

Steve

I agree about avoiding laytex paint, BTW.

[DJW]

Thanks Alan, and everybody else-

Went to another SW paint store this morning and they had the oil base, and mixed me up a custom quart. $24 for the quart.

And yes, as an "old guy" I really only trust oil paint for exterior, metal, etc.

Well, now the easy part is over. Now I have to do the prep work, which we all know is the most important, and the hardest/messiest part of the task.

Don

[DreamStreamr]

I like Polarlyse idea of bed liner coating for the a-frame and non-wearing hitch parts. We did Alaska caravan last summer and my frame and wd bars are peppered -- too bad, I had powder coated the bars two years ago and they still looked primo, but not anymore. The bed liner coating in smooth version might hold up a lot better.

Last year I took bottles and batteries off, washed and sanded entire front frame and pieces. Used damp-proof primer and alkyd enamel, multi coats to refinish it. I used paint thinner to get good flow on the finish coats, sanded with progressively smoother grit for each re-coat on finish paint. Came out really fine.

Then a couple of hundred miles of gravel roads -- it doesn't look so great now. Then again, it really looks well utilized. Still, we'll refinish to protect. Just didn't think we'd be doing it again after only a year.