[TomFasig]

Is there anyone out there that can give me some tips on how to restore the finish on a galvanized trailer? I have a Chariot tandem axle trailer that was made for my Mariah Talari 201 and it has oxidized over the past seventeen years and I would like to make it look better, if possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tom

[TomFasig]

Does everyone with a galvanized trailer just live with the oxidized, dull look, or are there solutions for the problem? I find it hard to believe that the way most Mariah owner's pride themselves in the looks of their boats, that they don't have a method to make the trailers look good. Come on, give me some pointers.

[mikeyt]

Ok, i'lll weigh in on this one but i'm not an authority on the matter. The oxidation on an aluminum trailer is actually protection for the aluminum itself. If you clean it then it will only oxidize again unless your find a way to protect it. The oxidation can be removed with an acid wash (some truck stops do this as a service to truckers) or you can do it yourself by mixing muriatic acid (i think its about 1 cup per gallon) and water. Just make sure to use the usual safety precautions when handling an acid & rinse the trailer well when done. I would then suggest that if you want to slow down the oxidation process which will start occurring again you will need to clear coat the trailer once it has been cleaned. As a caveat, doing it this way likely means you lose any graphics that were on the trailer.

Another option would be to buy an aluminum polish as sold at most auto parts stores and go nuts with your polisher.

[blockp]

Mikey, are you saying you can polish the galvanizing? Or are you talking about an unpainted aluminum trailer?

My Jubilee came with a galvanized trailer and like Tom's, the trailer looks terrible. I had considered giving it an acid wash to remove the galvanizing, then prime and paint it, but that seems like a lot of work for a trailer I use twice a year.

[Oregondunes]

clean, prime and paint.

[mikeyt]

Originally Posted by blockp

Mikey, are you saying you can polish the galvanizing? Or are you talking about an unpainted aluminum trailer?

My Jubilee came with a galvanized trailer and like Tom's, the trailer looks terrible. I had considered giving it an acid wash to remove the galvanizing, then prime and paint it, but that seems like a lot of work for a trailer I use twice a year.

Oh boy.... i dont know why i read 'aluminum' rather than 'galvanized' in Tom's post. You can use Oxalic acid & water to clean a galvanized trailer but the situation is the same. Galvanized trailers oxidize too & form a zinc coating which acts as a protective barrier. I believe muriatic is too strong for zinc so that's why they recommend the oxalic acid. If you go this route then you will have to clear coat (or prime/paint as Dunes suggests) if you dont want it to go 'dull' again. As said earlier too, this means you will likely lose your trailer graphics.

Another option is to use a pressure washer along with a commercial detergent.

[TomFasig]

Thanks for the reply. Other than, a lot of work, what would be involved in painting the trailer. How would I get the galvanize off?

[mikeyt]

Its not the galvanizing that you need to remove, just the protective zinc oxidation that covers it. As i said, oxalic acid & water will usually do that job in etching the surface clean, then you need a proper primer & paint. Here's a good link to 'painting galvanized metal'.

Personally i would try the high pressure spray / commercial detergent method first and see how it responds.

[Oregondunes]

truck wash. let dry, sand blast, powder coat. Ive done a couple of trailers in the past 10 years. runs about $2500 to have a trailer refurbished

[mikeyt]

Originally Posted by Oregondunes

truck wash. let dry, sand blast, powder coat. Ive done a couple of trailers in the past 10 years. runs about $2500 to have a trailer refurbished

That's another option Tom. It all depends on how much $$ you want to spend and what you want the trailer to look like when you are done.