I have an open deck (all steel) car trailer that is about 8 years old and needs repainting. What have you guys used that you have had success with? I have a Graco airless sprayer and plan to spray whatever I use, just cant decide what type of paint. Have seen good and bad things about implement paint and was considering and industrial, oil based paint.

Mine's painted with a catalyzed single-stage urethane, to match my (white) Dually. Ramps & deck surface for the tires are sprayed bedliner. Middle of the trailer is fairly thin bare aluminum to keep road grit & debris off the underside of the cars.
Probably a gallon of paint on the whole thing; didn't paint the center or where the bedliner is. The bedliner was about $200, and maybe $100 for paint. Prepped it myself & traded out the paint & bedliner labor, which would've been about 12 hours total (masking & spraying both). I had the local "ClearBra" guy put that clear film on the fronts of the fenders to minimize stone damage, which was about $60.

I have a all steel open trailer.The deck is coated with bed liner,and the frame was wire brushed and all rust removed,primed with RustOleum red primer,then RustOleum gloss black paint.I primed the deck before applying the bedliner(I used PlastiKote in a 1 gallon can)which I sprayed on using a undercoat gun.The trailer was built in 1982 and I had to finally remove the diamond plate steel 3 years ago.I did the work on the frame while the bed was off,and then painted it after the new steel deck was put on.The RustOleum has done very well,and I applied primer and paint with a 4" brush.

I like good old Rustoleum... prime it after scuffing the
loose stuff off and them Rustoleum black

The Rustoleum oil based, high performance?

I think its oil base... I just brush it on.... or
3 other choices... machine paint, tractor oil base
paint or POR 15 (I use a off brand called Chassis Saver)
the tractor paint I get at TSC works very well also

Rustoleum, you can brush or roll it on, sprays okay too when thinned with cheap laquer thinner. You need to strain it twice if spraying, and use a big tip. If you want to sand, prime, sand and make it pretty, use Industrial Imron for an inexpensive catylized urethane.

i would use eastwoods rust encapsulator. i painted a railing years ago & it still hasn't rusted. no creeping rust either. it's a little pricey, but worth every penny. they have all good products. stay safe, seeya.

Mr. P, do you like the rustoleum or TSC paint better (have one of those 10 minutes up the road).

Any chance you recall whether it was the Valspar they carry now?

Hey Bryan good to see u back on here.How is the wife doing now from the accident.Hope all is well. Kenny

Thanks for the information, everyone.

Kenny,
She is doing a lot better, thanks. A few small issues now but for the most part fine. We bought her another car on Friday. Picked it up at that Honda dealership near Mason Dixon. Thanks for asking. How is your family?

Bryan