Getting Under to Paint Frame

[Mr Lynn]

The frame of our 2013 Casita (new to us this spring) is showing a good deal of rust. So at some point I'm going to have to get underneath with a wire brush and a can of some rust preventive and/or paint.

I suppose with the high-lift axle it's feasible to crawl under it, but it's still really tight under the axle and the tanks. It would be a lot easier if I could get the trailer higher. I could jack it up and support it with jackstands, though I wonder about the stability of four of them; maybe two at a time, front and rear? And while I've got a rolling jack adequate for changing tires, I don't know if it would give me a lot of additional room underneath.

I could (with great care!) back it up onto auto ramps, which would at least give me some room under the back half. And then maybe pull it off the ramps, unhitch it, and tilt it till the back end touches the ground?

Any better suggestions?

/Mr Lynn

[mary and bob]

I use solid wood ramps that were in a truck shop that I worked in. I kept them when the shop closed. Find a sawmill that can cut a set for you.

[Mr Lynn]

Well, I've got a pair of metal ramps I've used for cars. Any reason why wooden ones would be better?

/Mr Lynn

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by Mr Lynn

Well, I've got a pair of metal ramps I've used for cars. Any reason why wooden ones would be better?

/Mr Lynn

The whole bottom surface of the wood ramps sets on the ground, where the metal ramps I own only make ground contact at each end. I feel my wood ramps are much more stable. Not quite as high as the metal ramps, but I like the wood better. My opinion only, use what works best for you. Using concrete blocks is not a good idea, I see you didn't mention them.

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

The whole bottom surface of the wood ramps sets on the ground, where the metal ramps I own only make ground contact at each end. I feel my wood ramps are much more stable. Not quite as high as the metal ramps, but I like the wood better. My opinion only, use what works best for you. Using concrete blocks is not a good idea, I see you didn't mention them.

The wood ones would be better on dirt or grass, that's for sure. Not so much on pavement (though in hot weather the metal ones do sink into blacktop!). I wouldn't trust concrete blocks, which can crack.

What do you do about the front half?

/Mr Lynn

[tractors1]

I'd use hydraulic jacks and wood blocks to progressively get the thing high enough to use 4 jack stands. Cribbing works well - that's how I jacked my 2 story 1902 house up 8 inches on one end to level it.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Mr Lynn

The wood ones would be better on dirt or grass, that's for sure. Not so much on pavement (though in hot weather the metal ones do sink into blacktop!). I wouldn't trust concrete blocks, which can crack.
What do you do about the front half?

Wood only and it can be built up to any height you want, I'd use 2 x 8s" as the wider it is it, will be less likely to sink if you're not on a hard surface. I never had any luck with the metal ramps as they always wanted to slide as I was trying to get the car on them, slick concrete . No idea how much clearance you need but it's an 1 1/2" with each board added. You could also build the same ramp for the rear of the tug to bring it all up and keep it connected if you don't feel comfortable raising the tongue on blocks. On another tack, you could just raise one side at a time also.

[Backwater Bill]

I scraped, brushed, primed and painted the frame on my last trailer twice. It's a lot of work. The first time it only lasted a season or two. The second time I followed up(after the paint had cured) with Krown T40 and never painted again. It creeps into the nooks and crannies and also lubricates leaf springs and stabilizer jacks.

https://www.krown.com/products/aeros...and-lubricant/

I have no connection to the company.

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by Backwater Bill

I scraped, brushed, primed and painted the frame on my last trailer twice. It's a lot of work. The first time it only lasted a season or two. The second time I followed up(after the paint had cured) with Krown T40 and never painted again. It creeps into the nooks and crannies and also lubricates leaf springs and stabilizer jacks.

https://www.krown.com/products/aeros...and-lubricant/

I have no connection to the company.

Great testimonial! Took me a while, but I found their online store:

Krown Aerosols Can, krown rust proofing can, krown spray can, krown rust can – Krown USA

How many cans would it take to cover the frame of a Casita 17?

/Mr Lynn

[Captleemo]

Over the years if I needed to work under my vehicle I would use 4 jack stands and never worried about the stability as long as it was on the driveway. If it were on the ground put some plywood pads under the jack stands to prevent them from sinking in. After you have cleaned off the rust as best as you can get either a spray can or regular liquid can of cold galvanize paint and use it like a primer before putting on the regular paint. If the trailer manufacturers would spray galvanize the frames before painting them rust would not be such an issue. I am planning on checking my frame for rust and If I find any the metal will be treated with galvanize after removing the rust and before applying the paint. I live on the Texas gulf coast and worked in chemical plants for many years and have seen first hand how fast metal will rust without proper treatment and how effective galvanize paint is at preventing rust.