Protecting wheel house frame

[Benjy]

I have a 2012 ice castle with the regular steel frame. No galvanized coating, no protection on it other than black paint. The paint is coming off in the usual spots and the frame is rusting in spots. I knew this would happen, so not complaining about it, but looking at options to fix it to reduce rust issues. I've heard about guys applying a roll-on type truck bed liner product to the frame. I'm thinking about cleaning off the rust and then putting a bedliner product on there. New paint will just chip off again in a year. Has anyone done this? Any other suggestions for rust protection? I know this will not make the frame bullet proof since there are portions I can't access, but I have to think it would at least help.

[harvey lee]

I am in the process of grinding the entire frame even underneath the house itself. The I am going to put a rust preventer on all the metal surfaces and then an epoxy like a truck box.

It's going to be a big job and I do not know how long it will last but it beats no protection at all.

Should at a minimum keep some rust away and waterproof the metal for a few years, if it wears off or I see any bad spots after a few years, I will simply do it again in those spots.

From what I have researched, I need to get as much of the rust off as possible.

[gunner55]

Well not to a IC but we did a 5X10' flatbed type trailer.Took a drill with a wire brush to it then brushed on Herculiner.It probably doesn't see as much highway time as yours does but it has held up well for close to 10 years.

[BuckSutherland]

When I built mine I used a wire wheel to clean the frame. Wipe down with acetone, and then rolled on Herculiner. It is a REALLY big job, but it is worth it. Once you start you almost have to keep going cause rust we come back quickly with any type of humidity.

Absolute must have:

Wire wheel

goggles

dust mask

sandpaper

various wire brushes

cleaning solvent

clothes you can just throw away when you are done

lots of light so you can see everything really good.

surgical gloves

If you use herculiner make sure to stir a lot so the rubber doesnt all sink to the bottom. Keep it suspended and the mixture even. Stir it with a drill.

Any more questions you can PM me. I built in 2009. This year I will have to grind a little off and touch up some spots. Frame look like new underneath liner yet.

[smduke]

I have had 2 new fish houses and one wheeler trailer built and I had them sand blasted and spray zinc coated. I find it hard to believe that there is a better coating than this. It cost around 450 fora complete trailer. This is not a do it your silver jib though.

[RiverChuckNorris]

I have had 2 new fish houses and one wheeler trailer built and I had them sand blasted and spray zinc coated. I find it hard to believe that there is a better coating than this. It cost around 450 fora complete trailer. This is not a do it your silver jib though.

Who have you had do this?

[eagle_3464]

I don't know the details on the spray zinc you are referencing but I am guessing it is a nice smooth finish. Our products where I work are grit blasted, zinc powder coat primer and epoxy powder coat top finish. This is a nice and very durable finish. The zinc primer coat makes a huge difference in salt spray tests. This finish is however nowhere close to hot liquid dip galvanizing for durability. Galvanizing is inside and out on your tubular frame and the 850° liquid actually permeates into the steel. Scratches in the galvanized finish are somewhat self-healing if not gouged excessively deep. The only drawback is that the finish is not as smooth as powder coat or sprayed finishes.

[JakeJ_Mn]

Last summer, before I had my current house built, I had the frame galvanized dipped. A friend built the trailer and arranged the dip job somewhere in the cities.

After roughly, 3500 miles on the road this past winter to LOTW, URL, Leech, Winnie, and Canada, the frame looks like new. Even though the floor base is treated plywood and the frame is galvanized, I had bedliner sprayed underneath. Overkill forsure, but the last 3 wheelhouses I had with steel frames all rusted and were high maintanence with the miles I put on every winter.

I ended up grinding, sanding, wire wheel brushing, and lots of on your back work to keep the steel frames in good shape. The last one I had - I put herculiner on before I ever used it in the winter. It held up good.