After leaving the trailer with Sandia trailer for over three weeks, I get a call from them with some unsettling news!
The estimate was 1/2 of what the original estimate was to do the whole trailer! $3500 to sand blast, re-skin, and replace the floor boards. The sand blasting alone was over $1500. The whole reason why I stripped it down was to lower the cost. I delivered half a trailer ready to be cleaned up, and so the price was cut in half, even after I did all the work stripping it down to save on the clean up.
So, I have the trailer back home, and I will do all of the clean up. Sandia trailer will re-skin, put in the floor boards, and make the hinged lower frame for the glass top.
At least the new Cobra hitch was welded on!
Here in New Mexico, the weather has been playing tricks with me. Through the month of June, there was no rain. Due to work and school, I was unable to do any work on the trailer over the weekends, but as soon as I was able to plan to clean the rust off of the trailer frame and paint, Ka-boom! Thunder and rain.
From the second weekend in July and every weekend until the second weekend this past October, it has rained every afternoon!
Between the rain drops...
I started the work from the back of the trailer frame, and worked forward. I used everything from sandblasting, belt sanders, to a mouse sander. On tight areas I had to blast or use my hands to remove the rust.
Don't worry, when this photo was taken, I was still adjusting the jack Stands. The trailer didn't fall over!
Special Note:
The sales clerk at the paint supply shop recommended the product "Rust Mort" to treat the rusty areas. The product is a phosphoric acid solution that converts the rust and seals the corroded areas. It will only attach the rusty areas. But be advised... you MUST clean the residual product off before painting over it. Any moisture in the atmosphere will reactivate it until it has been neutralized.
I will spare you of the gory details, but sand and spot painting this was a pain in the ass!I sanded down the fenders and blasted the rust out of the wells. Cleaned up the hub and leaf springs.
Here is a sample of the fenders before the cleanup.
And after painting the primer on the them
Notice the blue tarp used to cover my work between the rain drops!
The next task was to repair the tailgate hatch. It was full of holes from light, reflectors and tie down latches.
I sanded the steel gate, which had over three different colors on it.
I used chopped fiberglass and fine cloth to repair the holes. I was please with the results. I used primer on it to seal the metal and to show any areas that I missed
And a shot with more of the frame painted with primer.
Eventually the frame did get sanded, treated against rust, and painted with primer.
I finished the frame the first week of October, and Sandia Trailer has it now to put the floor in, skin the sides, and fabricate the hinged lower frame.
The secret to getting a project like this completed is, Money, Space, Time, and Money... Of which I have little of!. But I do have plenty on insanity!
But if you really want something, you will find a way to get it!
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Oh, by the way, remember how I said the trailer is like a bad penny... While transporting the trailer to Sandia trailer to finish the bottom work, the wind was blowing hard, and blew open the gate and it hit the road, the trailer lights blew off, and my license plate hit the road..... Like I said, this project,... well , you know the rest!
When I see what you're going through to resurrect your trailer it almost makes me glad that mine was too far gone to even attempt repairing. Almost glad because, although I didn't need to put in all the hard work you're doing I did end up spending a hefty sum of money buying a new clamshell trailer.
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