Beach Life: Maintaining a Trailer in a Coastal Environment

[Ollie Ollie in Free]

We have been spending most of the past two months on or near the beach. Beach life is new to me. It is delightful in general, but punishing on equipment. An acquaintance whose job is equipment maintenance on the coast suggested two things:

(1) Hose down the trailer (and TV) every couple of weeks, especially the undercarriage, and

(2) Cover any exposed metal surfaces with an extra coat of clear acrylic or enamel paint, which won't prevent rust, but will prolong the useful life of the equipment.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[topgun2]

Wax, wax, wax.

And, did I say, wax?

Bill

[Ollie Ollie in Free]

Thank you, topgun2! You have "waxed eloquent" on the subject.

[GAP]

We live and travel mostly in coastal environments.  Do quite a lot of winter trailering too.  The stuff they put on roads nowadays is murder on vehicles. 

I used to have a film lighting business and had a number of trucks.  Historically, rust related problems ran me thousands of dollars.  Did some homework and found that plow guys often undercoated their gear with Fluid Film as did maintenance folks working on bridges in marine environments .  It's a natural based fluid, sprayed on undercarriage (with options of spraying into rocker panels, etc...) which acts as a penetrant and lubricant.  Used if for years on work and personal trucks and absolutely swear by it.  

Lots of folks apply every year.  I used to clean my vehicles, coat with fluid film, repeat again the following year then do every other or 3rd year depending on how much use the vehicle sees.  Commercial applications at garages is about $20/running foot but, if you have a compressor, you can buy the kit to do it yourself.  A garage should discount as there is only frame to do on our trailers as opposed to the entirety of an average vehicle.  Stuff goes on like viscous fluid then absorbs dust and firms up a bit.  I used to go right from garage to drive on a dirt road.  Turns into a brown, rubbery coating.  You can leave entirely alone till next application or spray with low pressure but will wash off with high pressure and soap.   I put on a 5 year old box truck which I had another 10 years with absolutely no new rust growth.  You hit rusty spots with a wire brush - lightly - apply the film and that's it.  Unlike standard undercoating, will not trap moisture and cause further rust creep.  Penetrates into nooks and crannies really well.  There is overspray which gets on exterior of vehicle but is easily cleaned with a hose and whatever cleaning soap you use.  Have to be careful not to get on brakes.  I always had the tech steer clear of them and I would follow up with canned spray Fluid Film which you can get at auto stores/amazon to hit spots they missed.  

I have not applied to my entire Oliver undercarriage yet but have done the axles, trays that LP tanks sit on, base of the tanks themselves and suspension bits.  Our trailers have so little metal in undercarriage that it would probably be easiest and certainly less $ to just buy a few cans and apply by hand.  Will do a test by coating a cross member under the Oliver and checking progress in the fall before doing the whole frame.  My f150 is just a year old so will wait till the fall before having it done.  Some folks say it's best to wait for a bit of corrosion before applying so there is something for the film to stick to.

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

I would not paint any aluminum part unless you have extensive experience with aluminum coatings.  Coatings which will work are expensive and difficult to apply.  Rattle can sprays from your local hardware store will shortly fail.

Go to any marina and you will find uncoated 6061 aluminum masts, booms, etc. living very happily in a marine environment  The surface will oxidize over time which provides a degree of protection.  If you find yourself up to your frame in saltwater give the trailer a good hosing off in fresh water.  After a winter of road salts it is good to do the same.  Otherwise, don't worry about it.

Waxing the hull is a good idea but even left unprotected modern gel coats are extremely durable and will easily outlast anyone old enough to be able to afford an Oliver 🙂

[GAP]

1 hour ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

I would not paint any aluminum part unless you have extensive experience with aluminum coatings.  Coatings which will work are expensive and difficult to apply.  Rattle can sprays from your local hardware store will shortly fail.

Go to any marina and you will find uncoated 6061 aluminum masts, booms, etc. living very happily in a marine environment  The surface will oxidize over time which provides a degree of protection.  If you find yourself up to your frame in saltwater give the trailer a good hosing off in fresh water.  After a winter of road salts it is good to do the same.  Otherwise, don't worry about it.

Waxing the hull is a good idea but even left unprotected modern gel coats are extremely durable and will easily outlast anyone old enough to be able to afford an Oliver 🙂

You are right about aluminium in marine environments but that is different then the effect of whatever scary material they are spraying roads with.  That said, while the metal on the axels and suspension on my trailer is certainly beat up, the frame still looks surprisingly new which is why Im holding off for no on spraying the Fluid Film.  BTW, this stuff is a grease not a paint.  Much the same as beeswax that you use to oil leather products.  Washes off with water and soap.  I sincerely doubt there is any chance of it having anything but a positive protective effect on the frames of our trailers.  Easy enough to find gory details on the website.  https://www.fluid-film.com/

 

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

1 hour ago, GAP said:

You are right about aluminium in marine environments but that is different then the effect of whatever scary material they are spraying roads with.  That said, while the metal on the axels and suspension on my trailer is certainly beat up, the frame still looks surprisingly new which is why Im holding off for no on spraying the Fluid Film.  BTW, this stuff is a grease not a paint.  Much the same as beeswax that you use to oil leather products.  Washes off with water and soap.  I sincerely doubt there is any chance of it having anything but a positive protective effect on the frames of our trailers.  Easy enough to find gory details on the website.  https://www.fluid-film.com/

 

I can see using an anti-corrosion spray on the ferrous metal which makes up the axle framework.  That makes sense.  I was referring to the 6061 aluminum trailer frame.  I built and own a 35" sailboat with a 6061 mast, boom and other components and, after 40 years living in saltwater, there is essentially no corrosion on any of the aluminum parts (the mast and boom is painted with AwlGrip).  I spent the last 30 + years of my professional life as a sales manager with an aluminum extruder where we annually punched many millions of pounds of extrustions of all types using many different alloys including 6061 - it is remarkable stuff.

The one compound I do use religiously is an anti-galling gel on fasteners.  You must also protect against contact with dis-similar metals ... mounting say a bronze winch directly against an aluminum mast or boom is a sure route to serious corrosion of the aluminum.

I am not against the use of waxes on gelcoat.  It does help with aestetics and can extend the number of years your Oliver will have that brand-new look.  My point was that a good gelcoat will put up with a lot of abuse and can be brought back to as-new appearance with surprisingly little effort. 

Take care of your Oliver but don't be afraid to use it ... they are tough little trailers and built to be used and enjoyed.

[GAP]

2 minutes ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

I can see using an anti-corrosion spray on the ferrous metal which makes up the axle framework.  That makes sense.  I was referring to the 6061 aluminum trailer frame.  I built and own a 35" sailboat with a 6061 mast, boom and other components and, after 40 years living in saltwater, there is essentially no corrosion on any of the aluminum parts (the mast and boom is painted with AwlGrip).  I spent the last 30 + years of my professional life as a sales manager with an aluminum extruder where we annually punched many millions of pounds of extrustions of all types using many different alloys including 6061 - it is remarkable stuff.

The one compound I do use religiously is an anti-galling gel on fasteners.  You must also protect against contact with dis-similar metals ... mounting say a bronze winch directly against an aluminum mast or boom is a sure route to serious corrosion of the aluminum.

I am not against the use of waxes on gelcoat.  It does help with aestetics and can extend the number of years your Oliver will have that brand-new look.  My point was that a good gelcoat will put up with a lot of abuse and can be brought back to as-new appearance with surprisingly little effort. 

Take care of your Oliver but don't be afraid to use it ... they are tough little trailers and built to be used and enjoyed.

Not that it applies just to the trailer but Im wondering what you would refer for an anti galling gel?  There are steel on aluminum spots on the Oliver that are concerning to me as is the case with my mountain bike and some of my fancy pantsy camping gear.  Thanks on that.

[Steph and Dud B]

3 hours ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

Take care of your Oliver but don't be afraid to use it ... they are tough little trailers and built to be used and enjoyed.

Yep. I feel a lot better having our Ollie at the beach than our previous fifth wheel with its steel frame.

[SeaDawg]

Our Oliver has been outside, 24/7/365 since purchase, in February,  2008. At least half its life is in a coastal saltwater environment,  30 feet from the bay.

We wash it when dirty, wax twice a year. Florida sun is brutal. Might be overkill, but we have the Ollie on the same schedule as our fiberglass boats (40+ and 20+ years old. )

That hefty aluminum frame we saw in the factory 15 years ago , and the marine grade gelcoat, are all doing great.

No worries about an Oliver at the seashore, imo, if you take care of it.

[GAP]

Great to hear that the aluminum frame is standing up to marine environment so well.  Guess that makes plenty of sense.  Even with lots of exposure over last winter to the hideous stuff they apply to winter roads here in NE, my frame looks pretty good but, you can bet, I'll be watching as that mystery stuff is a different animal from ocean salt.  

The overly wordy descriptor (apologies) I offered above about Fluid Film is very worth considering for those of us exposed to winter roads for both our trailers and vehicles.  Perhaps not for the frames of the Olivers but my trailer axles and suspension parts, LP tank trays - which were heavily corroded - all looked old beyond their one year of exposure.  I used a spray can of FF being careful not to contaminate the brakes.  After my truck is a couple of years old will have that sprayed stem to stern too.  Really stops rust dead.  Let a little surface rust form first for something to adhere to, wash and apply.  If you have flaking rust, hit it with a wire brush and paint scraper just to take off big bits, wash and apply.  Stops all undercarriage squeaks and cuts new rust growth to zero.

[Ollie Ollie in Free]

This is all valuable and reassuring advice, and I thank everyone for the contributions. My conclusion for the moment is:

1. Fluid Film on steel components, especially the undercarriage of my aging, but still chugging, 2008 Ford F350 TV (plenty of rust to adhere to on that one), but also the hitch, stabilizing jacks and axle on the Ollie)

2. Regular wash and wax on the fiberglass

3. Hose down (but not pressure wash) aluminum with water periodically

I can assure you that none of this has deterred us from using our Ollie: with the exception of a few days here and there, we have been full-timing in it since November 4! We really enjoy it.

The beach experience has also made me a fan of lithium grease on moving steel parts (hitch, door lock, stabilizing jacks).