Post by ladymcts on Nov 6, 2014 14:33:38 GMT
Here are my latest Trailer projects ... spread over a couple of years. Can't remember if I shared the first half of this on the other place or not, so here are both parts.
I have a 1997 Merhow. The former owner had some rubber mats installed on the walls, and the floor has always had rubber mats down to cover it. But over the years, the shavings and pee and poop would settle down into the crevices and unfortunately do their damage right on the metal frame. I don't use the trailer frequently, and really did try my best to keep it cleaned out between uses, but those mats must weigh at least 50lbs each and pulling them out was the only way to get at the frame, so I'd do that once a year.
The frame started out painted white, and by the time I was addressing it in 2013, it was pretty well rusted, particularly in one area where the roof had leaked so rust had really gotten hold. None of what I did here was all that professional or high quality. I'm sure that an auto body repair dude would be flipping his lid at me about how horribly I prepped and how I "can't do" what I did, but I did it anyway.
Spray-In Bed-Liner
I cleaned out the trailer best I could at one of these car wash facilities with the high pressure hose and got out everything that I could. I followed that up with some fine grit sanding and light soapy water cleaning. Then used a Spray-In Bed-Liner to cover all the paint and rust that I could see, spraying generously slopping onto the boards which I figure won't hurt. I took my time in that I sprayed one very thin coat each day for seven days separate days rather than trying to rush, ending with a fairly nice thickish coat when finished.
I do have a recommendation on brand because what I did two years ago got me thru the horse area using Dupl-Color's bed-liner. Today I'm working on the feed area with Rust-Oleum's brand and the Rustoleum is a lot smellier, and waaaaaaaaaaaay thinner. I think it's going to end up more like I sprayed black paint on real heavy instead of the thick bedliner effect. The duplicolor costs more but it's worth it!
Window Flashing
So after I did the bedliner thing, I was so proud of myself, and felt like I was doing something to prolong the life of the trailer. But just a couple of hauls and I realized that there was a further design flaw in how there was a pretty significant crevice formed between the RFP wall and teh frame, or between the frame and the floor. Bits of shavings would get down in there and be impossible to remove.
I'd seen on home improvement shows this sticky rubbery film that would go directly onto wood around windows or at roof joints before laying in the new hardware (window) or laying down the new shingles. I tried asking for it at every local home improvement store and go the typical response that I get around here, "What do you want that for?" Not, "Let's see if we can get that for you" but "we don't have it so you must be crazy." Oh my goodness I do love living out in the country but I truly would be crazy by now if it were not for Amazon.
Even hunting for it on Amazon was a bit of a challenge, finding the right terminology and sifting thru all kinds of rubber or plastic products before finding what I think was the right thing. They don't list it now, but here it is on Home Depot's site ... Nashua Weather Flashing, 6"x75' roll.
I basically installed it as a barrier to cover those corner crevices. Once it was in place, I do have a concern that it's not very sturdy. It's meant to keep out water, not meant to cover gaps which might have something poke down into the gap. So I feel if I were to use really stiff shavings like cedar (not saying I would!), then maybe it would ram holes into it. Maybe I could double-up on it for strength, as I do have some left over still. But I think I'm just going to try it as-is and see how it goes.
The second complaint I have about the product is that it was ridiculously difficult to "start." Basically it's black product on a white backing, and getting the black off the white was hard. My 40+y.o. eyesight doesn't like looking at closeup things anymore, and my fingernails were trimmed short, so I was making kind of a gooey mess. I finally figured out that if I just picked at a bunch of goo and made a tearing motion, I could get them apart and well started.
OK ... let me hear it ... tell me why these were bad ideas!
Stuck a pair of scissors in to show how deep a crevice could go. At this particular spot there seems to be some flex in the wall as well, so it's not quite all that deep, but just gives you an idea.
Good Stuff!
www.autozone.com/paint-and-body/truck-bed-coating/dupli-color-16-5-oz-bed-armor-truck-bed-liner/291641_0_0/
Good stuff, I think!
www.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-Tape-6-in-x-75-ft-Select-Window-Door-Flashing-Tape-1207782/100507542?MERCH=REC-_-SearchPLPHorizontal1_rr-_-NA-_-100507542-_-N
DO NOT RECOMMEND:
www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Automotive-15-oz-Truck-Bed-Coating-Black-Spray-Paint-6-Pack-248914/202938587
I have a 1997 Merhow. The former owner had some rubber mats installed on the walls, and the floor has always had rubber mats down to cover it. But over the years, the shavings and pee and poop would settle down into the crevices and unfortunately do their damage right on the metal frame. I don't use the trailer frequently, and really did try my best to keep it cleaned out between uses, but those mats must weigh at least 50lbs each and pulling them out was the only way to get at the frame, so I'd do that once a year.
The frame started out painted white, and by the time I was addressing it in 2013, it was pretty well rusted, particularly in one area where the roof had leaked so rust had really gotten hold. None of what I did here was all that professional or high quality. I'm sure that an auto body repair dude would be flipping his lid at me about how horribly I prepped and how I "can't do" what I did, but I did it anyway.
Spray-In Bed-Liner
I cleaned out the trailer best I could at one of these car wash facilities with the high pressure hose and got out everything that I could. I followed that up with some fine grit sanding and light soapy water cleaning. Then used a Spray-In Bed-Liner to cover all the paint and rust that I could see, spraying generously slopping onto the boards which I figure won't hurt. I took my time in that I sprayed one very thin coat each day for seven days separate days rather than trying to rush, ending with a fairly nice thickish coat when finished.
I do have a recommendation on brand because what I did two years ago got me thru the horse area using Dupl-Color's bed-liner. Today I'm working on the feed area with Rust-Oleum's brand and the Rustoleum is a lot smellier, and waaaaaaaaaaaay thinner. I think it's going to end up more like I sprayed black paint on real heavy instead of the thick bedliner effect. The duplicolor costs more but it's worth it!
Window Flashing
So after I did the bedliner thing, I was so proud of myself, and felt like I was doing something to prolong the life of the trailer. But just a couple of hauls and I realized that there was a further design flaw in how there was a pretty significant crevice formed between the RFP wall and teh frame, or between the frame and the floor. Bits of shavings would get down in there and be impossible to remove.
I'd seen on home improvement shows this sticky rubbery film that would go directly onto wood around windows or at roof joints before laying in the new hardware (window) or laying down the new shingles. I tried asking for it at every local home improvement store and go the typical response that I get around here, "What do you want that for?" Not, "Let's see if we can get that for you" but "we don't have it so you must be crazy." Oh my goodness I do love living out in the country but I truly would be crazy by now if it were not for Amazon.
Even hunting for it on Amazon was a bit of a challenge, finding the right terminology and sifting thru all kinds of rubber or plastic products before finding what I think was the right thing. They don't list it now, but here it is on Home Depot's site ... Nashua Weather Flashing, 6"x75' roll.
I basically installed it as a barrier to cover those corner crevices. Once it was in place, I do have a concern that it's not very sturdy. It's meant to keep out water, not meant to cover gaps which might have something poke down into the gap. So I feel if I were to use really stiff shavings like cedar (not saying I would!), then maybe it would ram holes into it. Maybe I could double-up on it for strength, as I do have some left over still. But I think I'm just going to try it as-is and see how it goes.
The second complaint I have about the product is that it was ridiculously difficult to "start." Basically it's black product on a white backing, and getting the black off the white was hard. My 40+y.o. eyesight doesn't like looking at closeup things anymore, and my fingernails were trimmed short, so I was making kind of a gooey mess. I finally figured out that if I just picked at a bunch of goo and made a tearing motion, I could get them apart and well started.
OK ... let me hear it ... tell me why these were bad ideas!
Stuck a pair of scissors in to show how deep a crevice could go. At this particular spot there seems to be some flex in the wall as well, so it's not quite all that deep, but just gives you an idea.
Good Stuff!
www.autozone.com/paint-and-body/truck-bed-coating/dupli-color-16-5-oz-bed-armor-truck-bed-liner/291641_0_0/
Good stuff, I think!
www.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-Tape-6-in-x-75-ft-Select-Window-Door-Flashing-Tape-1207782/100507542?MERCH=REC-_-SearchPLPHorizontal1_rr-_-NA-_-100507542-_-N
DO NOT RECOMMEND:
www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Automotive-15-oz-Truck-Bed-Coating-Black-Spray-Paint-6-Pack-248914/202938587
