trailer painting

[mike davis]

It is time to repaint my aluminum cobra trailer. I'm not planning to spray it myself but does anyone have any thoughts on using an auto body shop to do the work? Could I do some of the prep myself? Any idea about the cost?

Thanks

[lynn]

On Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 3:29:38 PM UTC-7, mike davis wrote:
> It is time to repaint my aluminum cobra trailer. I'm not planning to spray it myself but does anyone have any thoughts on using an auto body shop to do the work? Could I do some of the prep myself? Any idea about the cost?
>
> Thanks

Be sure they know it is aluminum as sand blasting will make it look like a "Flintstone" trailer.

[jfitch]

On Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 3:29:38 PM UTC-7, mike davis wrote:
> It is time to repaint my aluminum cobra trailer. I'm not planning to spray it myself but does anyone have any thoughts on using an auto body shop to do the work? Could I do some of the prep myself? Any idea about the cost?
>
> Thanks

You might try a paint shop for large trucks and/or motorhomes. Many of these are aluminum bodied and as long. Another suggestion is to have it wrapped in vinyl. The graphics could be spectacular!

I had a high end glider refinish shop guess at mine and their WAG was $6K for just the top in PU.

[Darryl Ramm]

I am also interested in this. I am especially curious how shops strip the vinyl cladding, and how cladding residue at/under the rivets affect the polyurethane paint.

I do wonder what a glider trailer top would look like in Lexus pearlescent white :-)

[Roy B.]

20 years and 3 gliders ago, I needed a Schreder type aluminum trailer sanded & repainted. I took it to a guy who built racing stock cars in a shop next to his house. 1 week, $1000 cash green money, no questions & no paperwork later it came back looking great. Last time I saw it (2 years ago) it still looked good. Sorry about the ozone layer . . .
Roy

[Papa3[_2_]]

You'll see several threads on this topic on R.A.S. There's definitely a "reward curve" as far as how much effort and cost you really want to put into an aluminum tube trailer. I'd argue that it only needs about a 10 foot refinish (i.e. looks good from about 10 feet). In that case, using an aluminum boat refinishing process can get the job done for less than $500K in materials (self-etching primer and a rolled-on topcoat). We've had several jobs done at our field using this sort of process, and they really do look good. One of the nicest is an Eberle trailer (fiberglass but same general idea) that used rolled-on epoxy-based paint. Looks much better than factory original and has held up for 10+ years.

[Papa3[_2_]]

On Friday, September 22, 2017 at 10:20:28 AM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
> You'll see several threads on this topic on R.A.S. There's definitely a "reward curve" as far as how much effort and cost you really want to put into an aluminum tube trailer. I'd argue that it only needs about a 10 foot refinish (i.e. looks good from about 10 feet). In that case, using an aluminum boat refinishing process can get the job done for less than $500K in materials (self-etching primer and a rolled-on topcoat). We've had several jobs done at our field using this sort of process, and they really do look good. One of the nicest is an Eberle trailer (fiberglass but same general idea) that used rolled-on epoxy-based paint. Looks much better than factory original and has held up for 10+ years.

Whoops - reading comprehension issue. I was looking at the comment down thread about a Schreder trailer and didn't see that the original post was about a Cobra. It's definitely worth putting a bit more into a Cobra. I've sprayed one, and it's just a matter of doing the same prep work as any other metal refinish. I would definitely go with a good automotive urethane..

If you brought a completely stripped and etched top to an auto-body shop, I suspect you could get it painted for less than $2,000 including paint. Less if you can find someone "off the grid" to do it.

The below video gives you a sense of what's involved in the prep of an aluminum surface. FWIW, an aircraft-grade "eco stripper" really makes removing the old paint pretty easy. If you started on a Friday night masking and applying the stripper, you probably could be done by Sunday night as far as being ready to go to a paint shop.

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

You can buy quite a few brand new trailers for $500K!, why bother repainting?
;-)

(Yes, I know, typo.....)

[[email protected]]

> The below video gives you a sense of what's involved in the prep of an aluminum surface.

link?

[Papa3[_2_]]

Oh yeah...that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydy927hIkHU

[David Salmon[_3_]]

At 22:29 20 September 2017, mike davis wrote:
>It is time to repaint my aluminum cobra trailer. I'm not planning to
spray
>it myself but does anyone have any thoughts on using an auto body shop to
>do the work? Could I do some of the prep myself? Any idea about the cost?

>
>Thanks

Earlier this year we decided to re-paint our Cobra trailer which was
showing it's age. On advice from a professional painter we used Zinsser
Exterior Gloss. It cost us about £60 for paint, and about 3 days preparing
and painting with a roller. Looks good to me, and since then another
syndicate was impressed enough to do the same with their Cobra. A bit more
cost for the stickers of course.
Dave

[Craig Funston]

On Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 10:00:07 AM UTC-7, David Salmon wrote:
> At 22:29 20 September 2017, mike davis wrote:
> >It is time to repaint my aluminum cobra trailer. I'm not planning to
> spray
> >it myself but does anyone have any thoughts on using an auto body shop to
> >do the work? Could I do some of the prep myself? Any idea about the cost?
>
> >
> >Thanks
>
> Earlier this year we decided to re-paint our Cobra trailer which was
> showing it's age. On advice from a professional painter we used Zinsser
> Exterior Gloss. It cost us about £60 for paint, and about 3 days preparing
> and painting with a roller. Looks good to me, and since then another
> syndicate was impressed enough to do the same with their Cobra. A bit more
> cost for the stickers of course.
> Dave

David,

That's an option I've been considering as well. Looks like a good product. I have yet to find the US equivalent.

Thanks,
Craig

[Dave Bieniasz]

At 16:51 23 September 2017, David Salmon wrote:
>At 22:29 20 September 2017, mike davis wrote:
>>It is time to repaint my aluminum cobra trailer. I'm not planning t
>spray
>>it myself but does anyone have any thoughts on using an auto body shop
to
>>do the work? Could I do some of the prep myself? Any idea about the cost
>
>>
>>Thanks
>
>Earlier this year we decided to re-paint our Cobra trailer which wa
>showing it's age. On advice from a professional painter we used Zinsse
>Exterior Gloss. It cost us about £60 for paint, and about 3 days
preparin
>and painting with a roller. Looks good to me, and since then anothe
>syndicate was impressed enough to do the same with their Cobra. A bit mor
>cost for the stickers of course.
>Dave
>
>

I painted my trailer earlier this year with Lechler 2 pack paint that is
designed to be applied with a brush or roller. The results were very good
and the paint was reasonably priced, around £70 if I remember correctly.
As with any paint job though, the key factor is the preparation.