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Replacing Trailer Deck?

T

Tim in New York

Member
The deck on my 6 year old trailer is shot already. Wondering if I should put some space between the new boards to let them breath some? The old ones are right tight together and quickly rotted. And they are held down with 2 x 1/4 thread cutting screws with torx heads - the tips are pretty blunt. If I use the same type of screw will I have trouble getting them to thread in? I am surprised they were not more pointed.

Thanks!

Tim
 
Have a feeling it was either untreated or low quality treated wood. I did put stain on it every fall that I owned it - it was 3 years old when I bought it used. Will be sure to put ground contact treated on it this time around.

Tim
 
(quoted from post at 19:43:20 01/05/23) Have a feeling it was either untreated or low quality treated wood. I did put stain on it every fall that I owned it - it was 3 years old when I bought it used. Will be sure to put ground contact treated on it this time around.

Tim
Click to expand...

For the self-tapping 1/4-20 screws, generally used on trailer decks, you need to drill the holes for them with a #7 drill bit, just like you would for a 1/4-20 tap.

The ones I have decked with PT lumber were put together with no gaps and they shrunk leaving gaps.
 
Get some good White Oak and coat it then tarp trailer when not in use. will be the last floor you need to put on. I put a new White oak floor on my semi trailer about 10 years ago now. It sets out with no coating and no tarp. Still good. I may junk the trailer before the floor goes bad.
 
On a hot summer day I coated my trailer and truck bed with boiled linseed oil. There may be other things just as beneficial and maybe more cost effective. It seemed to help the longevity. The trailer deck seemed to benefit from a second coat more than the truck bed did. After application they would bead up when it rained.
 

The deck on my 25 year old trailer is PT southern yellow pine. It is showing its age but is still there and still holds my tractors. A few years ago a member of my church installed a new fire exit which includes a deck area. He put the boards right next to each other and six months later they were 1/4 inch apart.
 
The wood floor on my 1996 WW car trailer is going to need attention soon. I measured the boards and found they were 2x7. Never heard of a 2x7 before. They are not tongue and groove look to be just a plain 2x7 board. Each board has three of those torx head 1/4 self threading bolts. Can't remember if there was a gap between the boards when new. Right now it has about a 1/2 gap between the boards.

One board now has about a three foot bad section. I'm going to cut it out and try to spice in a 6 section of a 2x8 that came out of a hog shed dad tore down years ago. I have no idea what type of wood it is.

I've been looking and can't find a source for the 1/4 self threading bolts. Anyone know where to buy them?
 
(quoted from post at 20:50:16 01/09/23) The wood floor on my 1996 WW car trailer is going to need attention soon. I measured the boards and found they were 2x7. Never heard of a 2x7 before. They are not tongue and groove look to be just a plain 2x7 board. Each board has three of those torx head 1/4 self threading bolts. Can't remember if there was a gap between the boards when new. Right now it has about a 1/2 gap between the boards.

One board now has about a three foot bad section. I'm going to cut it out and try to spice in a 6 section of a 2x8 that came out of a hog shed dad tore down years ago. I have no idea what type of wood it is.

I've been looking and can't find a source for the 1/4 self threading bolts. Anyone know where to buy them?
Click to expand...

Pretty much anywhere. Search for "self tapping screws".
 
I found them on McMaster Carr,
https://www.mcmaster.com/self-tapping-screws/tip-type~blunt/drive-style~torx/thread-forming-screws-for-joining-wood-to-metal/threading~partially-threaded/tapping-method~thread-forming/

But also at this other site that was significantly less costly.

https://www.trailerdecking.com/Trailer-Deck-Screws-Torx-2-inch-T30-Fasteners-4004

Tim
 
Having just gone through this, this summer with my GN, I ended up with 20ft PT. I put down joist tape on all the supports so the PT was not up against the metal and pre drilled all the holes for the torx screws. I bought mine on eBay, they are galvanized so they won t rot from PT. I also coated every screw with anti seize. I used 2 drill bits for almost 400 holes, and it came out fantastic. I did put a small gap, and expect more from the wood shrinking, to help with water draining. All my old deck was rotted on the sides and underneath, had a tractor break a board. I ended up coating 3 times with used oil in a pump sprayer, and it looks nice, beads water and really isn t slippery. I am happy with how it came out, and expecting it to last awhile.
 
Thanks - Good idea on the tape between the metal and boards. I just ordered my screws from Amazon and now have to get the lumber. Also good idea on the non-seize. Although hopefully I won't ever be doing this again, the next guy would appreciate it.

Tim
 

Use TEKS screws

Where I worked we used thousands per year securing bar grate decking to steel structural framing.
They are made for trailer deck lumber among other uses.
No pre drilling at all.
https://www.teksscrews.com/products/wood-to-metal/

Wood-to-Metal-398x215.png
 

I put saw mill 2x6 white oak on my goose neck in 09. I put them on tight but dried out and now they have a gap between them. I put a coat of used motor oil on it every hot Fall and Spring day and never cover it. Still good today
 
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