Trailer painting options

skyhighZJ

skyhighZJ

Gov retirement < needs to live
Joined
May 31, 2012
Location
Aberdeen, NC.
I have completed all the necessity items on our “new” stock trailer including wiring, brakes, tires, and checked/repacked the bearings. The trailer had a bunch of vinyl lettering which I have removed and I would like to paint the trailer at some point although not a huge rush. It lived its former life in Oklahoma so no rust to fix but the paint has seen better days. My thoughts are to go over the whole exterior and rough sand it then give it a heavy coat of white rustoleum tractor paint. My questions is, if I buy it in the gallon can I roll it with a foam roller and expect it to lay out decent? I know some people have had good luck spraying it with a HVLP gun but I have no place to do it inside and don’t really want to buy a spray gun either. I’m not looking for showroom finish just a good ten footer. What are my options? DF4F3B1C-9391-4D95-B8C7-228C876B537F.jpeg
 
Oil base enamel and roll it! No airborne mess. Goes on thick. Lays down decent. Its a trailer. I've saw new ones with plenty enough orange peel. Will lay as slick or slicker. Requires almost no thinning.
 
Durulux marine oil based paints worked on pressure washing trailer for 15 years... reapply every 6-8 yrs not sure on colors tho

* not sure if durulux was used 15 yrs ago but has held up for last 7 pretty well to have painted over rust lol
 
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I've tried a few, from Glidden, Rustoleum, and Sherwin Williams. The equipment I used to build we did spray with Glidden Equipment enamel. Really tough like other oil base but all slower to dry.
I've rolled more of the simple Lowe's Rustoleum instead of buying from paint only place.
The companies ordered from suppliers.

The trick if thinning is only use what they recommend. I royally screwed up one job by using lacquer thinner....the can suggested mineral spirits. Was full of chemical fisheyes and was horrible.
 
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Well I started working on it. I used whizzy Wheel to peel the vinyl lettering and an orbital sander on the whole trailer with 120 grit paper. I’ve got 3 coats of rustoleum gloss white oil base on the driver side and nose (Lowe’s is switching to krylon so the rustoleum stock is on sale). Gonna tackle the passenger side this weekend. So far it’s laying on nicely and finishing like glass. I didn’t thin it. I just put it in the pan and rolled it with a foam roller. Used a foam brush to cut in and get in the nooks. Gotta put the side vents and the fenders back on once finished. Someday it will get new fenders cause these are pretty tired but they’ll do for now with a bit of straightening and some polish.
 
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