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mile2885 · 06-02-2011, 06:12 PM

We have property that is located on a bluff overlooking the Saltwater that we would like to camp at weekends in the summer. Due to high ferry costs (over $200 a trip with the trailer) I was asked if I plan on leaving the trailer on the property for the summer months.

When we bought the trailer the clear coat was burned off on the top from the sun. I decided to strip and polish. My polish job is certainly not perfect but looks ok.

My concern now is that if we decide to leave the trailer on the property for about 4-5 months that the saltwater air will really eat the trailer. Do you think I'm over worried about this? I could wash it every time I'm up which is anticipated to be every few weeks in the summer. Is there something I can use to help protect the polished surfaces? Thanks!

InsideOut · 06-02-2011, 06:26 PM

Unfortunately, saltwater is an aluminum trailer's worst nightmare. Keeping it waxed will help, but it will oxidixe & start to corrode much quicker than in a dry climate.

It's a beautiful view though...

Shari

pbearsailor · 06-02-2011, 06:40 PM

Mine sat on Lopez and San Juan Islands for around 40 years before I got her and did not get eaten alive, but she wasn't polished.

cheers,
steve

mile2885 · 06-02-2011, 06:56 PM

That's a coincidence! Lopez Island is where our property is located. Not looking forward to the ferry ride. I'd also like to use the trailer other places so maybe it's best just to eat the cost but I'm curious to see how it would hold up if we left it there.

JFScheck · 06-02-2011, 07:07 PM

Use it, if you keep it clean and wax the corrosion will stay away - It's salt spray that really carries the crystals, not the mist that is developed by the lowering of the dew point....

Gringo · 06-02-2011, 08:02 PM

That would be a pile of rust and aluminum oxide here in about three years, but the PNW is totally different than the trade winds in the tropics 24 hours a day. And it looks like you've got a little buffer between you and the salt water.

barts · 06-02-2011, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mile2885

That's a coincidence! Lopez Island is where our property is located. Not looking forward to the ferry ride. I'd also like to use the trailer other places so maybe it's best just to eat the cost but I'm curious to see how it would hold up if we left it there.

We have 10 acres on Lopez Island as well near Port Stanley.... Webspinner and I will be there, staying in the Tin Pickle, for much of July.

- Bart

wmarsha · 06-02-2011, 08:36 PM

so, knowing full well that the ferry system is tied into some governing authority and therefore most probably NOT user friendly-I forge ahead with my conservative optimism and ask: Is it possible to get some kind of "ferry pass" that would allow for x number of trips at a reduced price? I dunno, but having the trailer around makes for more usage. just sayin' ol' bill

pbearsailor · 06-02-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mile2885

That's a coincidence! Lopez Island is where our property is located. Not looking forward to the ferry ride. I'd also like to use the trailer other places so maybe it's best just to eat the cost but I'm curious to see how it would hold up if we left it there.

I'm still parked right next to the water here on the mainland and the areas I've polished have held up ok. You'll be fine--maybe the polish will suffer a bit, but the rest of the trailer will definitely not get eaten. Ferry ride is fine, but maybe try to plan your trip for an arrival at Lopez with a fairly high tide to make the ramp easier.

What Gringo said is right: we don't corrode up here anywhere near like they do in warmer areas. The San Juans are actually quite a bit drier as far as rainfall goes than we are just a few miles to the east, too.

Hope to get mine out there later this summer to reunite with her original owner who still lives on Lopez.

cheers,
steve

mile2885 · 06-02-2011, 09:14 PM

I was noticing how steep the ramps can get when we were at Anderson Island last weekend. Good points to take into consideration. Since we are fairly green with the trailer thing all the tips we can get to make the trip easier are helpful.

barts · 06-02-2011, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmarsha

so, knowing full well that the ferry system is tied into some governing authority and therefore most probably NOT user friendly-I forge ahead with my conservative optimism and ask: Is it possible to get some kind of "ferry pass" that would allow for x number of trips at a reduced price? I dunno, but having the trailer around makes for more usage. just sayin' ol' bill

Actually, the (tax hating) conservatives decided that the ferry system should try to pay it's own way, unlike the roads. As a result, ferry fares have climbed dramatically in the last ten years. But proposing that rural residents pay more for their roads won't fly....

There is a commuter book available, but IIRC it doesn't apply to trailers....

For retired people on the Islands, high ferry fares have been a significant strain.

- Bart