I am thinking about painting my boat trailer myself. My question is what paint should I use? I am thinking about using a non-slip textured paint that would be easy to apply and hide any defects. I figure that I could apply these coatings in the garage vs renting a paint booth. Here is what I am looking at.

https://www.nonskidpaint.com/cat-trailers.php

http://www.herculiner.com/

Has anybody used any these products? Does anyone have any better ideas on what I should use?

...but I've painted several trailors over the years using plain old Rustoleum paint and a brush. The Rustoleum seems to level very well and doesn't show brush strokes until you look closely. I brush off the rust and hit these spots with their red primer before brushing on a top coat in whatever color you want. If you want a low cost non-skid surface you can buy the non-skid grit at a marina. In my case I have a bucket of fairly fine sand from the White Sands Missile Range in my basement. I just sprinkle on some of this sand into the last coat and when it dries if it's too abrasive I just put on one final coat on top of the sand.
Doug

Herculiner works great and holds up and hides alot. We paint quite a few trailers every year with that stuff, make sure to put a good primer down too.

Herculiner works great and holds up and hides alot. We paint quite a few trailers every year with that stuff, make sure to put a good primer down too.

Thanks. What do you like for a primer?

propmann, what does it cost to have a trailer painted with the stuff they use on truck beds. who does this kind of work? do you know anyone who does this in wisconsin. good fishing

I went through this last season with a 2006 trailer that was already rusting from stone chips. I was so impressed with the Line-x I had just put in my truck, I took it to them. It was a little spendy, but well worth it. The end result was much like the Ranger road armor, but the line-x stuff is tuff as nails. Shows zero wear coming up on year of hard use. They are a franchise firm, the guys in green bay are great.

Dupli-Color makes a spray Truck Bed Coating . It works well. I used it to touch up a couple spots on my Ranger trailer. Wallyworld sells it.
Bob

Mabfish, what did the line-x run? Did that include surface prep?

I dont recall the exact figure, but i seem to recall it was in the area of $1200 WITH the additional cost of sandblasting. Mine had to be sandblasted because it had really taken a beating and the stone chips were rusted. If yours is in fairly decent shape, they may be able to rough it up and spray it. I also put in the plastic bunk boards at the same time, and these are great upgrade if you put your trailer in the water a lot. The wood bunks on mine rotted after a season and a half. This boat got put in almost everyday for the first season, so it wasnt that huge of a suprise to me.

Dupli-Color makes a spray Truck Bed Coating . It works well. I used it to touch up a couple spots on my Ranger trailer. Wallyworld sells it.
Bob

Does the Dupli-color come in spray cans?

Yes, it's a 16.5 oz. spray can.
Bob

does any of the bed liner stuff come in colors, or are they all gun metal grey?

Strip your trailer.
Remove the lights, and all rollers and bunks.
Take the trailer to a sand blaster and remove the tires from the wheels.
Then, have everything - including the wheels sand blasted.

If possible - have it dried in an oven.

Then, power coat, or rhino coat the trailer, rewire, and reassemble and you will have a trailer that will need no further maintenance.

It will be spendy, but you will have a lifetime trailer.

------------
Of course the easy and cheapest thing is to buy a galvanized or aluminum trailer with no finish and you will never have a maintenance problem with the trailer for as long as you own the trailer.

Take care
REW

I have always used "Industrial Marine" primer and paint. I buy it at sherwin - williams. It is a little expensive, but you get what you pay for. It stands up to alot of abuse and weather.

Rick

Strip your trailer.

Of course the easy and cheapest thing is to buy a galvanized or aluminum trailer with no finish and you will never have a maintenance problem with the trailer for as long as you own the trailer.

Take care
REW

Be careful with aluminum trailers. They flex ALOT. I have been hearing more and more reports of cracked frame members on aluminum trailers. Also, it is not uncommon for aluminum trailers to float. That is correct. They are so light, that the air in the tires and the wood bunks actually creates enough bouancy to make the trailer float. I'm not saying it happens with all of them, but some folks are complaining about it. And for the ones that are experiencing it, they say it is a PITA. If I was a salt water boater, I probably would go with an aluminum (Rolls Axle brand), but for fresh water, galvanized is hard to beat. Steel also gives you alot more weight down low which results in a lower center of gravity for your boat / trailer tandem.

I have always used "Industrial Marine" primer and paint. I buy it at sherwin - williams. It is a little expensive, but you get what you pay for. It stands up to alot of abuse and weather.

Rick

I'm re-doing a utility trailer in my garage right now and that is the exact product I have purchased to re-paint it with. Did all the prep work last weekend. In the process of applying the primer right now.

I just bought a new trailer for $1250--maybe you could trade.

Goldman

I'm re-doing a utility trailer in my garage right now and that is the exact product I have purchased to re-paint it with. Did all the prep work last weekend. In the process of applying the primer right now.

Finished painting the trailer a couple weekends ago. That Sherwin Willians Industrial Marine enamel seemed like some serious paint. Coats go on thick. Now the real test. How well will it hold up.

I am thinking about painting my boat trailer myself. My question is what paint should I use? I am thinking about using a non-slip textured paint that would be easy to apply and hide any defects. I figure that I could apply these coatings in the garage vs renting a paint booth. Here is what I am looking at.

https://www.nonskidpaint.com/cat-trailers.php

http://www.herculiner.com/

Has anybody used any these products? Does anyone have any better ideas on what I should use?

I thought about doing the same thing myself. If you do it, please post how it worked.

Has anyone ever used a small 4 inch wide roller like a trim roller for interior painting to paint a boat trailer ?
Just thinking it would put the paint on smoother than a brush ?

Finished painting the trailer a couple weekends ago. That Sherwin Willians Industrial Marine enamel seemed like some serious paint. Coats go on thick. Now the real test. How well will it hold up.

did you brush, roller or spray it on ? and how does it look ?
I went to sherwin williams and asked for a marine paint and the guy showed me All Surface enamel, he said it is comparable to Rust oleum.