Paint Job on Heritage Trailer

[Lund 2025]

The boat I purchase this year came with a Heritage Trailer underneath it. At first glance the trailer looked pretty good. After I got it home I noticed the area where the tongue swings away is rusted and there is also rust around the spring areas. I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago and had to travel on about 7 miles of gravel rode at about 30 mph. When I got out of the truck at the gas station I was stunned to see significant rock chip damage on the fenders and also the cross support that sets between the wheel. The cross member looks like somebody actually took a shot gun to it because there are some many rock chips in it. I know I didn't have mudflaps on the truck and that may have helped with the damage but has anyone else had this problem. I really didn't even think about the trailer being damaged. I was more concerned about the boat getting all dusty. I've had two other trailers, a shoreland and a ranger, have trailered them both on gravel and never experienced any type of similar problem. Is this a bad paint job or did I just screw up by trailering on a gravel road without mud flaps. The rock chips are now starting to rust. Is this something the warranty on the trailer should cover. I never really thought that trailering on gravel could be considered a misuse of the trailer. Thanks for any imput.

[2746]

Not sure if this helps but I have owned two Heritage trailers but never another brand. With the first one I did not have flaps and after two trips to Canada I had what you described. I don't know if it's an inferior paint job or would have occured with any trailer. When I bought my next boat last year I purchsed the Towtector flaps. Four trips to Canada along with some gravel and almost no damage. Again, I don't know if it's the trailers fault or not but the flaps do help considerably. That of course doesn't help you much now that the damage is done.