How to Paint a Trailer Exterior

Trailers are great vehicles for hauling cars and parts to the yard, but like any vehicle, they undergo some amount of wear and tear. With all of those things moving on and off the trailer, paint gets chipped and parts get damaged. Fortunately, it's not very difficult to paint a trailer; it just requires a lot of prep work. Sure, you can overdo it with crazy graphics and custom pearl coats, but to do a clean and simple paint job on a trailer, it just takes some time and some paint.

Instructions

1

Park the trailer in an area where you can safely spray the paint, such as a garage or large, outdoor area. You want to pick a spot where, if you get any overspray on the surrounding area, it won't bother you or your neighbors.

2

Scuff down the entire surface of the trailer using a red scuffing pad. This is going to create a mechanical connection for the paint to stick to as well as clean up the trailer of any grime or damage.

3

Pour the automotive cleaner/degreaser onto a few of the lint-free paper towels, then wipe the wet towel across all of the painted surfaces of the trailer. You want to clean all of the surfaces so the paint will stick to the trailer.

4

Mask off the vehicle using the masking tape, masking paper and painter's plastic. The goal is to cover any object on the trailer that you don't want to apply paint to, so mask off the lights, tires, wiring or anything else you don't want to be black. The painter's plastic comes in handy for covering the entire surface of the ground you're working on or to mask up the area around the trailer to protect your workspace.

5

Pour the tractor paint into the HVLP spray gun and connect the gun to the air compressor. Place the air mask on your face so you don't inhale the fumes from the paint. Spray a light coat of the tractor paint across the entire tractor, using the HVLP spray gun to overlap your spray by 50 percent on each pass. You're creating a misting coat of the tractor paint on the trailer, which will also help to create a mechanical adhesion.

6

Spray three more coats of the tractor paint onto the trailer, using the same 50 percent overlap but moving more slowly with the HVLP paint gun to create a wetter coat. The tractor paint is tougher than regular paint and not only stops rust from forming but will better resist chipping.