It's true that paint in a spray bomb is thin and a once or twice over with it doesn't put on as thick a coat as a brush. However sometimes, when painting somewhat convoluted objects spraying is the way to go. In the case of painting my car frame with Tremclad, I put on 3 wet coats with a contrasting coat as the second coat to ensure 100% coverage with each coat. Eight years on and no rust.
I think because sometimes, after the first coat making the object so much better, there's a temptation to leave it at one coat. In the case of paint I think more is better.
Ron
PatThat makes sense to me. Spraying can miss nooks and crevices, too, possibly by bridging over them. It's only a guess, but maybe spraying then brushing the sprayed paint into every corner would be ideal.
Excellent idea!In the case of painting my car frame with Tremclad, I put on 3 wet coats with a contrasting coat as the second coat to ensure 100% coverage with each coat. Eight years on and no rust.
I think because sometimes, after the first coat making the object so much better, there's a temptation to leave it at one coat. In the case of paint I think more is better.
I've heard that primers for household painting are available which change colour as they dry so that you can clearly see that the coat is complete, but simply changing paint colours seems like an effective approach which works with any paint (as long as it is available in more than one colour).that's disappointing to hear, for $30k+ trailers one might expect a very high quality paint job..ain't no paint expert but a 2 part polane/epoxy or powder coat might be good..what about that undercoating people up north put on the underside of their vehicles for use on the trailer frame....perhaps Escape should outsource the trailer frame to professionals.
Although it may still be popular in more rust-prone areas, not many people here (which is definitely north as population distribution goes) use aftermarket rust treatments... although some new car dealers make some extra money suckering buyers into undercoating to go with the "paint protection". Most of the aftermarket products are oily coatings that require regular reapplication - not something most people would want on their trailer frame. Even the permanent coating is sticky and unpleasant to deal with (we had it on a Honda which we purchased used).
Yes, but - unlike most components - the frames are custom-built to Escape's specifications. They're not an off-the-shelf or catalog item. Of course the supplier is an experienced frame builder, so their expertise is contributed to the design and specification - I'm sure they don't just blindly build whatever is asked. If the finish needs to be changed (and it seems like that is an opportunity for improvement) then Escape Trailer Industries can specify that change and have the frame shop do it.
good info..being from the south and not really having to deal much with snow/heavily de-iced roads...always thought that stuff they sprayed on the underside of vehicles for folks up north was something like that tough coating they spray coat as a bed liner in pickup beds...which in this camper's truck bed seems very durable, certainly more than paint...also used to use what was described as a 2 part Polane paint on steel in manufacturing..of course the paint process was rigorous and the steel had to be properly de-greased after fab/welding....paint job so tough it was difficult (but not impossible) to scratch even with a chisel.
The bedliner-type material would be somewhat similar to one of the layers of coating used in some areas of the body by vehicle manufacturers, and tougher paint than used on the visible panels is used as well. I think after the vehicle is finished is too late to get something like this to stick properly (due to those surface preparation issues), and in any event that's not what the aftermarket providers do....always thought that stuff they sprayed on the underside of vehicles for folks up north was something like that tough coating they spray coat as a bed liner in pickup beds...which in this camper's truck bed seems very durable, certainly more than paint...also used to use what was described as a 2 part Polane paint on steel in manufacturing..of course the paint process was rigorous and the steel had to be properly de-greased after fab/welding....paint job so tough it was difficult (but not impossible) to scratch even with a chisel.
Yes, that's the sticky stuff I mentioned. I dislike it for those reasons, and more.
While galvanizing is sometimes used for frames welded together like an Escape frame, it's an expensive way to go. U-Haul uses a lot of galvanized frames; apparently it is worthwhile for durability in these heavily used rental units. Those European frames are typically bolted together from modular components of stamped sheet steel, and are built by major suppliers (such as AL-KO), who typically supply the complete chassis - frame, axles/suspension, and coupler.
