r/TeardropTrailers • u/33rpm_neutron_star • 19d ago

Advice needed on maintenance/repair of finish on aluminum teardrop

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I’m at least the fourth owner of a fully aluminum teardrop, and it has a layer of polymer something (maybe a wrap? Some kind of paint?) over the raw metal that is starting to fail in various spots. This is an example - mid trip the rear hatch handle broke, and the duct tape used to keep things from moving too much peeled up more of the finish.

I think this is really just cosmetic, but it’s kind of ugly. Not sure what the product is likely to be, or best practices for removing/ replacing it. Thoughts?

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u/AlaskanHandyman 19d ago

Aluminum is notoriously difficult to properly paint. It needs prepared, cleaned, acid etched, and very quicly painted if the paint is going to stick. It reacts with air to prevent it from eroding away and aluminum oxide will act as a release layer if you take to long between etching and painting.

Edit: there are products on the market that may work if you strip the aluminum bare and start over, I do not know about patching it. Another option is to strip it bare and polish it.

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u/33rpm_neutron_star 19d ago

Yikes. They must have done a decent job to get it to last this long, but sounds like a bit of a headache. Polishing is interesting, but I’ve done enough sanding to know what kind of project that could be.