Pickup winch frame coating

[dashed]

Sorry in advance - I've just spent 2 hours reading old threads and I'm still lost!

I'm in the process of building a box section frame to mount a winch inside the back of my pickup (covered with canopy). It'll allow me to drag stuff up a ramp into the back of the pickup bed. Something like this but a bit tidier:

It'll be new steel so my intent is to remove mill scale with flapper wheel and degrease then epoxy primer coat and matt black top coat. I don't have spray facilities so looking for brush / roller application. It's inside the back of the pickup but will still see a few knocks and bumps and be exposed to wet dogs, mud etc so I'd like a fairly robust finish, but obviously doesn't need to be car bodywork quality finish.

I'm bamboozled by choice but does this look like an ok combo? Or any better suggestions (for a complete newbie!).

 

[jo1010]

I'd suggest a 2 pack epoxy...eg lechler 29107 or hb body.
For top coat consider upol raptor (bedliner) - can make it smooth so you don't drag your skin on it! It's also a 2 pack but some brush it on...sprayed with a schutz gun it doesn't become an aerosol....

.....Or a synthetic tractor type enamel and just touch it up if it gets scuffed

 

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Honestly, I'm a complete newbie at this! I got confused by Lechler as I didn't understand which hardener I needed and whether I needed thinners as well?! I thought that link I posted above was a 2 pack epoxy...

So any suggestions as to exactly what I need would be hugely appreciated!

 

[jo1010]

Yes the Rawlins you posted does have hardener with it...but if spraying you'll need thinners though. I don't know that particular rawlins primer so it's hard to advise which thinner - you'd need a Rawlins website to look at the specs. ......tbh if you use a particular distributor for vehicle paints just see what they sell most of and research their recommendation before buying.
I've only used the lechler and the Hb body myself - so those are known products for me...but there are others - as long as you can get the correct technical details for them

 

[Agroshield]

Something like this but a bit tidier:

You may have considered this already, but that would look a whole lot tidier if the wires could be routed inside the tubes.

 

[dashed]

Yes the Rawlins you posted does have hardener with it...but if spraying you'll need thinners though.

Thanks - I don't have spray facilities so will be brush / roller only. So I guess that makes life a bit easier in that regard.

.tbh if you use a particular distributor for vehicle paints just see what they sell most of and research their recommendation before buying.

I'm not a vehicle person so never sprayed anything that wasn't from a rattle can in my life. I'm starting from absolute scratch here! Most of what I make is just bits around the farm (trailers and stuff) so gets galvanized. I can stick chunky metal together with reasonable success but never done bodywork and not the first idea where to start with paint so appreciate your help

You may have considered this already, but that would look a whole lot tidier if the wires could be routed inside the tubes.

Good thinking - will look loads better and very simple to do. That cable is only the remote for the winch so very straightforward to route internally.

 

[colnerov]

I'm not sure why the winch is up high, maybe better down on the bed floor where it could be bolted down to a crossmember affixed to the chassis rails. If a pull up high is needed then have the fairlead up there.

 

[dashed]

I'm not sure why the winch is up high, maybe better down on the bed floor where it could be bolted down to a crossmember affixed to the chassis rails. If a pull up high is needed then have the fairlead up there.

Pull is from ground level our out of a small trailer up a ramp to the tailgate so high is necessary to prevent the cable running over the tailgate at a tight angle. If you mount the winch low and fairhead high then you still need a way to support the fairhead so might as well have the whole thing up there.

I know there are a a few shooting folk on here but it's to get red deer into the back of a pick up without popping my tripe out and is how the Forestry Commission set up their vehicles.

 

[Migmac]

I'm not sure why the winch is up high, maybe better down on the bed floor where it could be bolted down to a crossmember affixed to the chassis rails. If a pull up high is needed then have the fairlead up there.

The top of our winches are nearly as high as the pickup roof. The frame on the current pickup isn’t bolted onto the chassis, our olds ones were. Much stronger. Ours are up high to minimise wear on the rope. Still runs on the back of the tub but not as much as when we had the winches lower