Trailer Paint

[Flipside]

My trailer got scratched up by some duffus who hit my trailer with his while parked in a trailer lot. Nothing is bent but there is a gouge in the fender. I assume I'll need to fill the gouge with body filler, sand it, and then paint it. The fender is welded to the trailer so I can't remove it.

Any tips on how to repair it and make it look like new? Should I buy a paint gun to paint it? I'd rather not have a Rustoleum finish on the fender.....

[teamseal]

If it is a fender a lot of times you can go back to the manufacturer and have a fender painted and sent to you cheaper then you can do it your self. Is the trailer a Ramlin?

[DanielC]

Flipside, I am going to guess your trailer is either a DHM, or a Ryan trailer. If it is a Ryan trailer, they are made close to Portland, OR. and it would be easy to get it repaired there.
If you want to do it yourself, unless you have a heated shop you can work in, it is getting too cold here for painting at home, outside. Generally, below 55 degrees is too cold. Modern paints are mostly a two part epoxy type paint, that need the heat to properly cure. Additionally, there are chemicals, and vapors in the paints you do not want in your house, if your garage is attached to your house. You do not want to expose your wife, or kids to this stuff.
You need an approved respirator to spray paints. Not a "Home Depot" dust mask.

A lot of dents, and scrapes can be worked out of the metal, without using body filler. I have done that on a few trailers I have repaired.
In my opinion, here is want you need, as far as paints, and primers go.
Once to have the dents, and or scrapes removed, you will have some bare metal. That needs a good primer, or it will rust through way too soon. depending on how well the metal "finishes out", you might need a surfacer type primer, also. Then you can finish that with paint.

[Paublo]

If you want a perfect paint job, send it out. If you will feel good with an ok job, there is another alternative. Many auto paint stores around here will put together a spray can with the exact color you want. You give them a color number from your car or trailer manufacturer and they mix that color and put it in a spray can. It costs about $15/can. If you are handy, fix it, fill it or whatever, spray it with primer, light wet sand, spray finish color, and you can even spray it with clear coat if you want. It may not be perfect will could fool most people.

[Flipside]

Would you guys powder coat it or paint it using a spray gun?

[DanielC]

You do understand power coating means that have to put the object in to an oven, and heat it up to enough to make the power melt, and flow out. Hot enough to cook the insulation on the wires, probably boil the brake fluid, hot though to burn any rubber bushings on the axle or springs, melt the grease in the bearings, and obviously the tires have to come off. All this in a oven large enough to fit your trailer in.

I am guessing it would be way cheaper to paint the trailer.

Didn't you say you just needed a spot repair on the fender?

[IDSkier]

Another option would be to have the fenders, or the entire trailer sprayed with bedliner urethane. I have seen a few in my area done this way and it looks pretty good. If you are a DIYer, An automotive paint shop can set you up with the spray gun and the liner kit for around $200. I did this to the interior of my Jeep, and it turned out great. My shop was able to color tint to an exact match of the exterior. I believe the urethane was made by SEM.

[Flipside]

I've seen powder coating done with a heat gun after it was applied.

I'll try touching it up using a spray gun. If it looks like crap afterwards, I'll take it to a paint shop. It'll be my winter project.