Welding Tips and Tricks

I am just starting to build a small utility trailer. I built 2 for my own use in the last year- One a tilt with winch and one a straight 6x10 utility. These I primed and painted but now with this one I am considering hot dipped galvanizing. The local fab shop gave me the name of a company they deal with. 2hr drive away. This means 2 trips ( dropoff and pickup)and aprox . $150 more cost over painting it myself. This trailer I am building to sell and I am wondering if the cost of galvanizing could be recouped as a selling point - durability etc. I know what the trailer market is like. I just do this because I enjoy it and it keeps me out of the better 1/2s hair. Any thoughts

Just my thoughts -

If the hot dip place was 10 minutes away, sure. But 2 hours? No. For one trailer, for yourself, maybe. But if you are going to be making them for sale then you are going to have to add quite a bit to the price to cover your time, fuel, etc.

Also...all you need is one glitch/mistake/dispute with the hot dip place and you will be looking at maybe adding an extra 2-hour trip. Keep it simple and paint with hammer tone or similar.



Kym

Trailers are a tough sell. They are everywhere on Craigslist. IMO guys don't care if the trailer is powder coated or hot dipped or gold plated, it's mostly about cost and trailer manufacturers can build them so cheap, a garage bandit can't compete with them. I do alot of trailer repairs and mods but I gave up building them on spec and trying to sell. Plus my state makes it almost impossible to get a title for anything but a liscensed manufacturer. Trailers are fun to build but a pain to sell. Things may be different where you are but the only money in trailers around here is fixing them.

Kinda figured that's what I would hear and I agree. I am in Ontario Canada and it is the same here. I am retired and really don't care if I make much money - just having fun. Factory builts are all over -sheet metal frames -no primer just enough paint to give them colour etc. I have a friend that runs the local land fill and I see the crap that comes in. I just heard the other day that the ministry of transport is going to start checking private trailers - about time. Lots of homebuilts - just pick up a plate and go. I see trailers held together with wire -cracked bubble gum welds - loose wheels etc. If they don't regulate it something bad will happen and even good homebuilts will be banned like in some areas you mention. Thanks for the advice -think I will paint

They didn't stop giving out home built titles because of junky dangerous trailers even though I see them all the time around here, they stopped because people were stealing trailers and applying for a homebuilt title and restamping them. It was quite the scam for awhile. I can't believe there aren't more trailer accidents as there is some real junk on the road. The mexican landscapers are the worst. They won't pay to have the repair done right. If they break a leaf spring they just use an arched tree branch for a replacement. Have fun with the trailers. They are my favorite thing to build. I still build small ones when I build a mobile cooker/smokers...heres one I did a couple years ago I have done quite a few and I get excited when I get to do one.

You don't salt spray in winter?
I wouldn't buy a trailer that wasn't hot galved.
Here all trailers have to pass roadworthy every year.
If you build your own it must pass a serious examination before you're allowed to use it on public road first time.

AndersK wrote:You don't salt spray in winter?
I wouldn't buy a trailer that wasn't hot galved.
Here all trailers have to pass roadworthy every year.
If you build your own it must pass a serious examination before you're allowed to use it on public road first time.

They salt the Hell out of the roads here...even if it only might snow. The vast majority of trailers here are painted. A small portion are powder coated...way more expensive..and some are even aluminum but the only dipped trailer I ever see are boat trailers. I see aluminum boat trailers too but never utility trailer...the salt would destroy them. We can get a title here in my state but you have to wait months for a state inspector to come out and inspect your trailer and IF it passes he drives a state rivet into the tongue and then you get to apply for a title. The whole process takes about 6 months.
They don't do trailer inspections here but they should. There are some serious piles of shit on the roads around here. If the state made everyone properly fix their trailers, I would be a very busy boy.

That is one sweet trailer-very clean and functional. In the picture the bottom of the jack is cut off -just wondering if you used a wheeled jack? My grandson built a small trailer with one and I was sold first time I used it. As for inspections when I was in the construction business all trucks and trailers had to have an inspection every year. Worked well for us as I had a big well equipped shop with hoist etc. We did our yearly winter maintenance -did all the prep work and had a local mechanic come in and check supply the sticker. I compare the private trailer situation to before mid 80s when there was no farm building code. I was in the farm building business then and it was very frustrating trying to compete with the jackknifers putting up crap with no bracing - minimum fasteners - lighter guage cladding etc. so I quit the building and concentrated on the concrete end only. Funny thing was for a few years every time we had a heavy breeze it became quite common for these new buildings to fall down! I built a lot of buildings and never lost one. Finally the powers to be woke up and created a farm building code to protect the customer and put the builders on an equal footing. That cleaned the bushes because a lot of these gomers had no clue how to build a proper structure. Private trailers could be easily inspected before being plated at our current licenced safety check facilities with perhaps a 5 year renewal period. As you say that would clear out the dangerous junk and create work for proper builders. I am from Ontario Canada and we actually have a good inspection system. Most garages are licenced to do the safety inspections -just make an appointment and probably within a day or two its done. Short story long.

I'm cool with short story long We are all subject to throat-cutters and bureaucracy at some point in our lives. It's the day that you stop letting it bother you is when you are really living. I'm not there yet bit I'm improving.

How about a zinc primer? Carboline is one brand, another is ZRC. Another point is full welding to seal laps where rust will take hold.

I actually have been doing a bit of checking on zinc primer and did run into ZRC which came highly recomended. Carboline I haven't but now I will check it to. The jury is still out but it was interesting learning about the hot dipped galvinizing process. There is a fair bit of prep.-proper size and placement of filling and air vent holes etc. I do usually solid weld joints if feasible -if not I clean-prime and seal with automotive seam sealer. This has worked fairly well. The big difference in hot dipped vs cold galvinizing is apparently lifespan - aprox 1/2 for cold. Mainly I am going thru this exercise to try to learn more and get a better job without breaking the bank. Thanks for your input.