How To Stop Rust On a Trailer

POR-15’s Three Must Use Rust Remover Products

By John Gilbert – Photography By the Author

Sometimes a plan goes sideways. The first step to turning a tech article on how to stop rust on a mangy old Model A frame into a how to restore a 20-year-old car trailer is to temporarily redirect one’s priorities.

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02 Rusty chains used only as a tether gain an enhanced appearance coated in POR 15 — Rusted trailer safety chains potentially under load should be replaced. Rusty chains used only as a tether gain an enhanced appearance coated in POR-15.

Originally, I was gearing up to use POR –15 products to stop the rust on “East Coast Graffiti,” my 1931 Model A. On the day I ordered everything I needed from POR-15 to begin the Model A project I mentioned to friends on Facebook I was thinking about thinning out my collection of classic trucks, starting with my favorite, a 1979 Chevy C10 Big 10. The trick to shedding a collection of vehicles without any regrets is to get rid of your favorite one first, then dumping the rest should be easy.

03 these busted Harbor Freight LED brakes and tail lights still work — Hit numerous times by Amazon delivery trucks, these busted Harbor Freight LED brakes and tail lights still work but offer good probable cause for a traffic stop and getting cited.

Within hours after the Facebook post my buddy Jay Jones bought not only the flagship ’79 C10 Big 10 but my ’73 Chevy C10 as well. I’m a procrastinator but I’ve learned how to trick myself into getting things accomplished. Restoring my tandem car trailer to reward it for 20 years of excellent service had been on the back burner of tasks I’d wanted to accomplish. Then a disabling blow to the trailer; while in storage one tire peeled a tread cap and I knew the other three 5-year-old radials were not to be trusted. I found the best price for new trailer radials and rear tires for the GMC was from Westlake Tires; I can’t imagine how an expensive brand of tires could have performed any better.

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04 This 15 year old remote control Harbor Freight winch still works like a champ — This 15-year-old remote-control Harbor Freight winch still works like a champ and easily disassembles for repairs should the cable jump the spool and jam.

Deadlines and commitments work best for me to get things done, so I committed to Jones I’d deliver both C10s to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, using my car trailer. But first I needed to make it roadworthy and that’s why you’re reading about a car trailer rehab instead of the latest progress on “East Coast Graffiti.”

05 Water shortage in California so just a stiff wire brush and 100 psi of air pressure worked to knock off the dirt clods — Water shortage in California, so just a stiff wire brush and 100 psi of air pressure worked to knock off the dirt clods and loose rust scale.

Applying Metal Prep Coating

I’m using POR-15 because it will stop rust without requiring one to completely dismantle a project down to the bare frame to be able to sandblast rust off. In fact, POR-15 works best on rusted or seasoned surfaces. For smooth metal surfaces POR-15 adheres best if a “foot” is etched with POR-15 Metal Prep, as it leaves a phosphate coating.

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06 Typically trailers have a Zerk fitting on axle ends to add grease to wheel bearings — Typically trailers have a Zerk fitting on axle ends to add grease to wheel bearings. The drums were removed, brake lining checked for wear, and wheel bearings repacked

Fifty years ago, I met an old guy repainting a very old steam locomotive with a brush. He said it was a special paint called Locomotive Black. I thought to myself that Locomotive Black would leave dirt in it with brush strokes, but the next time I saw the train it looked like flawless black porcelain. There are two methods that work well to apply POR-15: by brush or with a spray gun, and both provide perfect results.

07 The street rodder in me dictated installing new CAD plated lug nuts for cosmetic reasons only — The street rodder in me dictated installing new CAD-plated lug nuts for cosmetic reasons only. Original wheel studs and lug nuts were not stripped. If threads drag get new lugs.

Forty years ago, I leased a 3,000-square-foot paint shop, but now I’m down to working in a two-car garage. After painting the car trailer out in the street in front of my suburban Orange County home I’ve decided against spraying POR-15 on the Ford Model A in my garage. POR-15 can be used successfully in primitive conditions.

Nothing beats this Harbor Freight 2-ton low-profile floor jack for getting into slammed places. Harbor Freight jack stands now equipped with double locking safety pins.

Applying The Rust Preventive Coat

But I’m getting ahead of myself. To describe using POR-15 rust preventive permanent coating its characteristics are not going to be what a seasoned car painter will expect. “Stirred not shaken” describes the most important step to using POR-15. I used semi gloss black and the first thing I noticed was although drying slowly dust and dirt was not appearing in the paint as it cured. POR-15’s cured hardness and flowing out dust-free with porcelain-like qualities reminded me of Locomotive Black.

09 To cover the trailer I used one 1 2 gallon of POR 15 Rust Preventive Coating — First step is to use a Cleaner Degreaser. To cover the trailer I used one 1/2 gallon of POR-15 Rust Preventive Coating and one 1/2-gallon POR-15 Matte Clear Coat.

Applying The Clear Coat

The final step painting the car trailer was to spray two coats of POR-15 UV Matte Clear Coat, a two-part waterborne semi gloss polyurethane clear used as a UV screen topcoat over POR-15. I wasn’t surprised POR-15 semi gloss black air dried to a hard-shell finish, but I was expecting the waterborne matte clear coat to dry squishy and was amazed it air dried to an impressive hard-shell finish equal to POR-15. MR