Truck trailer repair advice needed


For you lovers of the Class 8's and bigger.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 331

Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:50 am

Post Thu Aug 22, 2019 11:06 pm

Truck trailer repair advice needed

Hi,
I have a large, old semi-truck box trailer that has begun to leak at the metal seams in the roof. Of all the different materials (tars, rubber materials, truck bed liner materials etc) available. what is recommended to coat the roof with that will seal and hold up to the hot sun, high winds, rain, snow and freezing hard hail the best? Hopefully something easy to apply that will last my lifetime. I'm too old to ever have to do this again.
Thank you for your recommendations.
Steve

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5160

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Fri Aug 23, 2019 7:40 am

Re: Truck trailer repair advice needed

Trailers I've seen repaired are done with an aluminum patch riveted with solid rivets and an epoxy type sealer.
I don't think any "liquid sealer" will last long on its own.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 331

Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:50 am

Post Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:30 am

Re: Truck trailer repair advice needed

Thanks.
But it appears almost every seam in the roof shows signs of some leakage over the years. I just recently acquired the trailer to be used for storage. Just got the wheels and suspension off and it's sitting on the ground now. I guess its true - you get what you pay for - not much. It was last registered in 1984, but my uneducated guess it was built back in the 30'3 or 40's. It has no dents but the paint on the outside must be a 1/4 in. thick. I only saw pictures of it before it was delivered. It would not surprise me if the paint was lead paint and the insulation is asbestos. It was a reefer trailer and looked good in the pictures. But now I'm stuck with it and must make it work. No holes but corrosion inside tells me almost every seam in the roof leaks. I have no idea how I would patch every seam.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5160

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:34 am

Re: Truck trailer repair advice needed

I'd ask a body shop for what they would recommend. There are many types of seam sealers, but I don't know the difference between them. Some are two part.

Site Admin
Site Admin

Posts: 4938

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:10 am

Location: Nampa, Idaho

Post Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:22 pm

Re: Truck trailer repair advice needed

Just a suggestion, look at Henry elastomeric roof covering. We use this stuff on RV's, They have some for metal roofs I believe.

Rusty Driver
Rusty Driver

Posts: 177

Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:50 pm

Location: Below the pinky finger of the Mitten

Post Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:40 pm

Re: Truck trailer repair advice needed

Now that it isn't moving down the road, it makes it easier- less flexing. I did the same, with a non-insulated trailer at my first house. I used the aluminized silver roof paint from the tractor store to seal the roof up, and bought several gallons of mis-tint oil based paint for the sides. Mixed together, the paint combined to look like tree bark, perfect for my use. I got a free, fiberglass garage door which I narrowed down to fit the rear opening, that made it MUCH more useful. Even wired it for power, eventually. I bought mine with a friend who wanted the axles for his semi trailer to increase weight limits. Mine was lined four feet high with sheets of quarter-inch aluminum, I sold that off to completely pay the money I had in the trailer, everyone was happy.

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