Could someone give me the dimensions of the cross bars (galvanized square tubing) on the typical cat trailer (for 18 footer X 8’ beam). Length, width X height, and wall thickness? Don’t have one handy to measure and I wanted to price out the material to convert an old powerboat trailer while I am here at work…

Thanks,
Bob

I'm gonna go out a limb here and say... if the boat is 8.5' wide, than the trailer needs to be that wide so you can attach strap hooks and so forth next to the hull cradles.

If I had to "--engineer it" then thats what I'd bet on.

Let me try to restate my question, and make my request less ambiguous…

What I am really wanting to know is the box cross section dimensions…is it 1-1/2” X 1-1/2” ??? or 2” X 2”??? square…and what is the wall thickness…If I have that, I can call up the machine shop and ask…( lets say for example it is 2” square with a wall thickness of .125”)… what will two pieces of galvanized square stock 2” X 2” with a wall thickness of .125”, 8’-6” long cost me…? I need to know what the box dimensions are? And what the wall thickness is?

Thanks,
Bob

Don't use box! Use C-Channel. Box will hold water and rust out pretty quickly! My trailer is at a lot or I'd go measure it for ya, but it's nothing bigger than what you'd see on a small bass-boat. These boats weigh well under 1000lbs and don't require heavy-duty trailers.

My 6.0NA trailer has 2" sqaure tubing with a 1/8" wall. The unsupported ends extend 24" from the trailer box frame and are almost 8.5" long.

Jake

Thanks Jake...that's exactly what I was looking for...

Bob

sure - note that I meant overall length is nearly 8.5' (not 8.5"). It's probably closer to 8'

Just in case anyone else is interested in doing this, our local machine shop wants $63.00 for a 24' stick of 2" X 2" 1/8" walled galvanized square tubing...said it was cheeper to buy the whole stick than have them cut two 8'-6" pieces..

Bob

Remember that once you cut it the area where you cut it won't be galvinized. You could just spray a little silver rustolium on the ends to keep them from rusting. Anyplace you cut or drill is a place where rust can start.

Mike Hill
H20 #907

Yep...thats what they make cold galvinize for...

I'm curious, because this is almost twice the amount that the local industrial supply warehouse here wants for an identical piece of non-galvanized.

If the price difference is because of the galvanization, then you might want to take the approach I am with my new tilt and just put the whole thing together then give your buddies a case of beer to help you coat the whole damn thing in POR15.

Better than galvanizing IMHO. AND you can get a bright yellow trailer at the same time!

what's POR15 (poor 15?)

Don't forget that when you cut the galvanized tube, the cut ends are not coated.

Not exactly sure what it is chemically, all I know is that its bulletproof. The antique car guys use it to coat car chassis parts.

basically, my car buddy says that its the stuff that all the hot rod and street rod guys are using to preserve all their junk. Its not a paint per se, more of a coating. He says that if its going to be exposed to sunlight for long periods of time, then you really should paint on their supplied primer and then put a topcoat of something on it to protect it. He says overall, that he trusts this stuff more than galvanization to protect from rust.

He says a simple internet search will provide answers to your questions

More like three times the price…bare steel was $23.80 for 20’, Galvanized was $63.00 for 24’. I live in Florida, I live on an a barrier Island, I do all my boating in salt water, and if its not an Aluminum I beam trailer, or Hot dipped galvanized it won’t last anytime at all…

How many times will you have to replace bare steel in comparison to Galvanized steel? How about your time spent? For an extra $40 bucks I would rather do it right the first time…. Ends touched up with cold galvanize paint.

What is that they say?…Never can afford to do it right the first time…but always can afford to do it a second time…LOL

What you friend is suggesting sounds like some sort of Epoxy if it has to be top coated when exposed to the sun (Epoxy paints generally chalk badly in the sun). Remember when you are painting (coating) steel all you have to have is one little nick in the coating and its all over…think about vinyl coated steel car racks…thick rubberized plastic coating, but the moisture and salt find there way under the coating and the whole thing turns to crap. Galvanized is much more forgiving in a trailer environment.

seeker,

I asked about the chipping specifically.

he said that they use this stuff on everything from chassis parts to axle housings to engine blocks. He said that theres never been something this tough.

But most cars are not immersed He may be right MauganH17 about it being really tough in the car environment...but most cars are not immersed in salt water...or even exposed to the salt air environment that a cat trailer is...like I said all it takes in one little nick, gouge, place where it didn't get completely coated and its going to start rusting...beside most of those car guy are really anal about keeping their babies super clean.They would never have a chance to rust anyway...

except cars where they put salt on the roads.

I don't think you're getting the correct impression. This stuff is like spray-on rhino liner but tougher. It doesn't chip, period.

For anyone builing a trailer, you can have it hot dip galvenized after it's built. Most large cities have a facility, look in the yellow pages. You will have to take it apart and pull off anything you don't want dipped in acid or molton zinc. The yard will charge you by the weight of zinc they put on. My tilt trailer was done that way and shows no rust after 10 years.

I asked my materials people about POR15 for extreme salt environments vs galvenizing. The response was, for long term (10+ years) it is something you might want to put over galvenizing but not instead of galvenizing.

It was interesting, painted galvenizing (the process used for good car fenders) is rated for 1000's of hours exposure to salt spray vs 10's to 100's of hours for most coatings.