Trailer protection - Lanolin vs Tectyl

[Scott79]

Yes, that ol' chestnut. I know it has been done to death, but am interested to hear what people are using, and why.
In the process of purchasing a second hand boat, and the trailer is in good condition, looking to get the most out of it. My first thought was to coat it in Lanolin, just because it is easy to work with and I know some guys swear by it. I have seen it work well on a mates trailer also, applied every 6 - 12 months I believe. I have noticed that his gets what looks like a white crust in places though, but it scrubs off and doesn't look like it has affected the gal in any way.
Have searched the threads and Tectyl comes up a lot, but sounds like it is a little more difficult to apply, and stays sticky - is this the case? How often should you re-apply Tectyl?

Interested to hear people's thoughts, pics would be great also.

Thanks,
Scott.

[Kero]

I wonder what this stuff would be like!

http://www.xtrollglobal.com.au/produ...-conqueror-uv/

[tunaticer]

Tectyl is a much longer use product than lanolin.
Shell make a product called Ensis Fluid.......similar lines to Tectyl except it is available in 3 grades and all three are absorbed into the metal and will self seal on the next hot day repairing any damages from scratches and stones etc.

[Fisher4life]

I have been using fish oil for years now, a few days after it has been applied it dries and repels water. leaves a slightly yellow tinge on the gal steel, but stops the corrosion and rust.
I re-apply annually

[ozscott]

Xtroll rust conqueror uv. Dries hard. Much higher specific gravity than water so gets everywhere and forms a complete seal. I wouldn't use lanolin spray on a Galv. My trailer is mostly dura gal (so very thin galv) with blue steel goose neck with 2 coats of Xtroll RC and 2 coats of Xtroll Easygal. Gets dunked completely.



Cheers


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[davo]

I am a lanolin fan. My trailer is 12 years old with no rust. I actually mixed half/half lanolin grease and lanotech then heated it and coated the trailer. I spray the rear sections internally and externally often. Only recently I did a full monty on it again. I spray it on the hubs and they are like new even after all this time.

[Dave_H]

Lanolin for me, 32 years (no, not a typo it was replacement Boeing trailer bought by my old man in 1982 to replace the original 12 year old one that he couldn't get a hub for in a hurry the day before we were to go on holidays with it...) and it still going strong to this day!

[Tangles]

Yes, that ol' chestnut. I know it has been done to death, but am interested to hear what people are using, and why.
In the process of purchasing a second hand boat, and the trailer is in good condition, looking to get the most out of it. My first thought was to coat it in Lanolin, just because it is easy to work with and I know some guys swear by it. I have seen it work well on a mates trailer also, applied every 6 - 12 months I believe. I have noticed that his gets what looks like a white crust in places though, but it scrubs off and doesn't look like it has affected the gal in any way.
Have searched the threads and Tectyl comes up a lot, but sounds like it is a little more difficult to apply, and stays sticky - is this the case? How often should you re-apply Tectyl?

Interested to hear people's thoughts, pics would be great also.

Thanks,
Scott.

I had a new trailer and sprayed it with Lanolin from new, i got white crusty bits very quickly which started into the Gal. I then removed it which was a mission and sprayed with tecktyl and Inxos. Not an issue since in the last 2 years , there are threads on using lanolin on a trailer from new and i wish i had seen them as it would have saved a lot of hassle.

Since removing the Lanolin and using the inox etc i have had no dramas at all. lanolin is great but IMO not on a trailer

Mike

[tjotter]

If I want to spray into [hard to reach] insides of Trailer RHS sections
[10 yrs old, gal steel that is rusting],
& if I want something that lasts a bit longer,

would I be better to use Tectyl 506, Ensis Fluid, or Xtroll ?
Thanks.

[Scott79]

Still seems like the split is fairly even, with a couple of new entries!

I had read the X-troll on a previous thread, it may have even been yours OzScott. 4 coats would take a while no doubt, but have you had to reapply anything at all or is it a 'once off' type product?

Interesting that Inox rates a mention, I tried that on my last trailer and it wasn't long at all before the water stopped beading, I reckon it just washed off after a few dunkings.

Trailer is stored outside also - which no doubt shortens the effective period, but will Tectyl survive a range of temperatures, ie, it won't 'melt' off in summer?

Thanks again,
Scott.

[AndrewB]

I have a trailer that is 7 yrs old with multiple layers of Lanolin and yes some spots of the white crust so hand wire brush off and dob of greased all good. Had a previous trailer many years ago that just applied marine grade grease (which is very tacky) with a rag and only did it once. If you want the very best rust preventative this has got to be it, but extremely messy and not too sure what the environmentalist think of it. Ryan Bell originally of Belco trailers suggested to me Lanolin could in some instances provide adverse reactions and he would recommend inox but like most you need to reapply. I believe new galvanising takes a while to settle down, after a while it gets a white powdery finish and maybe better to leave till this reaction has happened prior to any application.

[ozscott]

Mate the 2 coats dont take long to go on - and you dont have to galv over, but I did because I wanted it to look even (multiple metal finishes underneath) and have extra protection given lack of hot dip underneath. Its a once off - its a total protection thing and nothing else required. I do put some fish oil on my springs because I am paranoid and because springs tend to rub and wear the finish.

Cheers

[Noelm]

I guess what it amounts to is... do it when the trailer is new, and keep at it, no use once it has started to go bad, you are only covering up, or at best, slowing down potential dramas.

[bonneville]

yep, its all about continual application !
im sold on lanolin, love the stuff, have all different types of it, use it on all things for the boat, classic british bikes everything.
I was sold on it when they dredged up some old army rifles a few years back, wrapped in some sort of material sheeting, but thickly coated in lanolin, in the Sydney harbour, been there for 40 odd years. now once the outer crusted layer was taken off the rifles, there condition was mind boggling considering how long they had been on the ocean bed. i'll try and dredge up the article which showed a before and after, got them somewhere. my trade ute, has a tail light lense that keeps filling up with water, and ofcourse blowing the bulb, generally the mechanic drains it and puts a new bulb in every service, im buggard if I could find how waters getting in, 2 years ago I spat the dummy, took the front off the lense, and literally plastered lanolin grease in there on all electrical areas, well the lense is 3/4 full of water, and everything still works !! my mechanic cant believe it LOL, i'll fix it one day properly, but submerged in water, she still works ! great stuff and a good talking point lol

[GM-Bluewater]

I use lanotec on my Hilux, i have had it for about 8 years and average 7-8 trips to Fraser a year in it, backing boats into water and generally not worrying about what i drive through. Every time i get back i hose the sh!t out of it and use 2 cans of Lanotec. There is a little surface rust here and there on the chrome bumpers but other than that there is no rust at all. Pretty amazing considering what i have put it through.