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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Trailer - aluminum, galvanized, steel? Help!

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tingwc
1st Mate

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31 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/30/2006 : 17:12:28

Hi guys, I have an opportunity to get a used trailer for my boat. The owner tells me that the trailer is steel and has no brakes. He specifically said it is not galvanized.

He used the trailer in fresh water and I want to use it in salt water. Is this even feasible or will the trailer simply rust away because it is not galvanized? Is there anything I can do to the trailer to "salt-water-proof" it? Thanks in advance,
wallace

Wallace Ting
Queens, NYC
1988 WK

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2006 : 17:46:44

The majority of trailers under Catalina 25's are painted steel. Most have been rusting for years and only have cosmetic issues. Virtually no trailer over 20 years old has functioning breaks unless it has been owned buy people like us. I did a full front to back surge replacement on my 82 steel trailer and just switched over to electrics for my 89 steel trailer. Both trailers are butt ugly and only in need of fresh tires to be completely long-haul worthy. As for corrosion control in the salt environment, I am unexperienced but I understand that freshwater flushing is done as a matter of course.

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atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2006 : 20:17:15

For salt water, Galvanized is the only way to go. The best brakes are vented disk with surge coupler. Titan makes an aluminum master cly now so there are very few corrosion points.

Tom.

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At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2006 : 21:41:29

Galvanized is best, but, with a little care, steel will do fine.

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tingwc
1st Mate

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31 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2006 : 21:56:13

Bert,

You say a painted steel trailer in salt water would be fine.

What precautions would you take to ensure the trailer's longevity? Obviously, I know to flush with fresh water after each use. If I take my boat out for 3-4 hours do I have to rinse it after I launch it, or just when I retrieve the boat and I'm back home?

Any other precautions, such as painting the trailer with some sort of special salt-water-resistant paint or anything of the sort? thanks,
wallace

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Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2006 : 03:20:30

IMHO, the construction of the trailer has a LOT to do with it. I have an EZ-Loader, which is made of rather square BEAMS that are hollow inside. No amount of "flushing" can really get inside those beams. I am a freshwater sailor, but when I go salt, I will ONLY launch from a sling and keep the trailer out of the salt.

I thought about ramp launching in salt, but only if I could go immediately to a freshwater lake and actually DIP the whole trailer in fresh water to rinse it interally. A good duche is a good thing.

If the trailer is made of I beams where you could hose off all surfaces, that might be a different matter.

I am not talking about brakes, here, which is a separate issue.

Suffice it to say.....I don't want my painted steel trailer dipped in saltwater any more......

Gary B.
s/v Encore! #685 (on a well painted, maintained trailer)

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2006 : 07:28:14

I disagree with the statement that "galvanized is the only way togo in salt water"

My trailer is constructed of aluminum I beams and aluminum tubing. All stainless steel fasteners.
stainless steel disc brakes on all 4 wheels with aluminum and bronze disc mechanisms
Of course the axles are galvanized with torsion bar suspension.
The only steel component is the master cylinder on the surge grake actuator
I retrofitted an extendable tongue mechanism which I designed and had a fabrication shop build, and then took it to a galvanizer to have it hot dipped.
Very road worthy. Overbuilt with a 9600 lb capacity

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1772 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2006 : 09:05:39

<font color="blue">... I thought about ramp launching in salt, but only if I could go immediately to a freshwater lake and actually DIP the whole trailer in fresh water to rinse it interally. A good duche is a good thing. - Gary</font id="blue">

You're cracking me up, Gary

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2006 : 10:21:41

I've been boating in salt water for 35 years... a few observations.

Occasional saltwater launching will be ok with a painted trailer as long as you are diligent (religous) about maintaining it. This means a wash-down after immersion followed by a spritz with diesel (I use a 1 gal pump-up sprayer). You must also aggressively attack and control any rust spots as soon as they start to form.

A big problem on any trailer will be any 'regular' steel nuts and bolts. (those not galvanized or stainless). The sharp edges on threads will be attacked almost immediately. Coating them with grease helps hold off the decay a bit. I've replaced a lot of the nuts and bolts on my EZ-Loader with stainless... and have a lot more to replace yet.

All the above said and done, every XX years a painted trailer will need a sandblast/repaint when used in salt water.

Daily launching (drysailing)? IMHO: You're going to have a battle on your hands with a painted trailer.

Galvanized trailers are a very nice way to go... hose 'em off and put them to bed. I haven't owned an aluminum trailer yet, but if built out of the right alloy, it is probably the cat's pajamas.

As far as rectangular tubing vs I-beam or channel trailers... I've had both and have found that tubing is easier to maintain even if you can't get the insides very well.

The reason is that the tubing doesn't present as many edges for the corrosion to attack. Paint is fairly durable on flat or gently-rounded surfaces. The corners or sharp edges are usually the first points of attack from salt water. I hose the tubing out, diesel it, and occasionally run an OSPHO wash over the insides.

Side comments:

I have a set of the new spindle-lube hubs on my powerboat trailer... they are REALLY nice. Jack up the wheel, spin it while pumping grease into the zerk fitting and the bearing is repacked. (the old grease is pumped out the front). Flush the bearings this way after every use and they will last a long time. Wish I had them on the 'big' trailer.

LPS-3 is a nice product for controlling corrosion. It sprays on as a light oil and then sets up into a corrosion-retarding grease. Not cheap, but worth the money if you have the need.

I have a test underway using spray-on bedliner over 'good' paint as a marine coating. After a year and a half it still looks like the day I put it on. No signs of any developing rust! I think a brand-new painted trailer coated with this stuff would last a looong time.

Edited by - ClamBeach on 07/01/2006 10:23:41

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2006 : 10:35:16

I live and boat in a salty location. (I know one guy a few miles down the beach whose truck frame broke from rust even before he finished paying off the new truck loan.

) Around here, painted steel trailers are considered a poor choice for ramp launching in salt water. As I mentioned in a recent thread, used steel trailer tongues are readily available locally for dirt cheap because the rest of the trailer disolved away.

I have a hot dip galvanized trailer for my C-25, and I always launch and retrieve with a sling lift. On a couple previous steel trailers I (re)built, I tried sandblasting, treating with Ospho (phosphoric acid), zinc oxide primer, and two or three coats of oil-based metalic anti-rust paint. On one trailer, I think I tried coating some of the under carriage parts with epoxy in place of the zinc oxide primer step. That seemed to delay the onset of rust somewhat. But, bottom line, rust not only never sleeps, in the tropics it parties 'round the clock!

The aluminum trailers are also highly respected and popular here. However, I can'te even afford to ask what one would cost.

Although rinsing the trailer as soon as possible after it's been in salt water is a very good idea, it's just not possible to squirt water into all the nooks and crannies submersion gets salt into. Consider bolt threads, between spring leaves, between steel parts bolted to each other, and don't even get me started on salt in brakes! I met one guy who carries a few gallons of water and one of those pump-up garden sprayers with him to the boat ramp in the hope of getting the salt off the steel before it can do its dirty work.

-- Leon Sisson

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At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2006 : 12:54:28

If you religiously hose off your trailer after each launch...after you pick up the boat when through for the day, not after the initial launch, your trailer will be fine. Be sure you do all the trailer, underneath, all the corners, wheels, etc. Also, as mentioned above, when you see a rust spot get after it immediately, do not wait. You will also have to sand and paint it sooner than if used in fresh water.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2006 : 14:29:12

I should point out that I live in a place where it's cool all year round (70 degrees makes the newspaper... in the summertime).

Saltwater + steel trailer in hot weather is beyond my experience.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2006 : 12:34:37

If you find a really good buy on a used painted steel trailer, it might be worth it... If you're buying new and it will ever touch saltwater, buying ungalvanized steel is simply a waste of money. Aluminum is very nice, but the last time I looked, you could buy several gavanized trailers for the price of one aluminum one. But watch out--my first galvanized trailer (for a smaller boat) had a painted tubular steel axle that, as discissed above, could not be throroughly rinsed. It collapsed on the ramp as I was hauling out one autumn. The rest of the trailer looked great...

BTW, don't most states require brakes for trailers hauling loads this heavy?

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 07/02/2006 12:37:13

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