Trailer Weathering

[dukhntr05]

I am about to start building a trailer from scratch. What is the best way to dirty it, rust it , and genally make it look old and used ?

[Semi Trailer Mechanic]

What's goin' on...

Before you start let me ask you a couple things.

What kind of trailer is it? Lowboy,Flatbed,tanker,bull wagon,van,dump,logger/pole,auto hauler,tipper/walking floor, container/intermodal,and so on.

Around what time of the year are you trying to weather it to? Winter,Spring,Summer,Fall and so on....

How old is the trailer?

What enviorment is the trailer exposed to 80% of the time while in transit?

Let me know the above questions then I'll throw a few ideas your way. I've been a semi trailer mechanic nearly 17 years now I've seen just about all of them all year around.

Also I have three seperate photo on line albums full photos I've taken while at work or just when I was out and about.

[dukhntr05]

I am going to try and make a sugacane trailer which is common here in Louisiana. The trailers are old spoke wheels and all and they are not taken care of by no means they are usually on either black top or grassy fields with gravel roads. I have never seen one clean or painted they are normally primered. As far as the time they are cutting cane as we speak so December. My first idea is to use a 40ft. flatbed frame and wood to make the containers.

[dukhntr05]

Found another picture

[Semi Trailer Mechanic]

What's goin' on...

A majority of this trailer can be built using Evergreen Scale and Plastruct styrene building materials. The front,passenger side, and the rear of the containers looks very simple to build. Are those containers removeable or does the drivers side of those flip open and the sugar cane is unloaded. If these are removeable are there bolster locks like those found on an intermodal container/chassis trailer. What are those chains used for? From the looks of the slack they don't serve as restraints/ tie-downs. Also the holsters on the side what are those used for?

I'm intersted because I may just build a trailer like this!

[dukhntr05]

This sugarcane trailer is unloaded by a crane tower that picks up whole container up on the passenger side by the holsters. The container pivots on a hinge thats located on the driver which it is dumped into a 3 sided dumpster and then picked up by a front loader and put in a big pile. there are no locks on the trailers and the chains are there to limit the container from possibly flipping over when being dumped.