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Trailer decking material

M

mkirsch

Well-known Member
Boy I'm starting to sound like a total spaz here... but suddenly the trailer deals are flying fast and furious, and I actually have options.

Today I'm going to look at exactly the trailer I want, and a decent price. It's a 7-ton deckover. Only problem is it needs some decking.

What makes good replacement decking material? Pressure treated 2x12s from the lumber yard are just plain garbage.
 
On my 20' deck over, I used 5/4" pressure treated decking on each side and for the center (about 2' wide I used 1/2" diamond plate. Bolted everything down- The cross rails were about 18" apart.
Every Spring I paint the wood with crank-case oil.
It's heldup at least 5 years.
 
Lumber sawn from used utility poles (old ones treated with creosote......be aware of the dangers of sawing/handling it); have used it in cattle trailers, 4-wheel trailers (wagons to some folks); bridge/cattle guard flooring, corrals, gates, chutes, etc. My flatbed gooseneck is about 20 years old; had to replace one plank last year; just by the way it looks, I'd say they'll all have to be replaced within 3-5 years. Spent its whole life sitting out in the weather........in a climate that gets 48-50 inches of rain per year.
 
I used 2" roughsawn lumber from a local sawyer. All oak...the best part? would have cost the same if i had bought pressure treated!
 
Find yourself some rough sawn white oak. Don't use red. Treat it once or twice a year with your favorite brand of wood preservative. You will never be sorry.
 
I took an oak log to get it ripped into 2" pieces. Got around $30 in my floor. I keep it in the barn as much as possible. Been on the trailer for 8 years now. Good enough to haul the pulling tractor around during the summer & move square & round bales.
 
If you can find some Red Elm planks they are strong and do not weigh as much as oak.
 
I have had very good luck with hemlock. Lasts a long time, and much lighter than PT or white oak. It seems I always have a weight problem, especially after being sick for 3 months this last winter.
 

Why not Red Oak? I built a trailer deck with 1" rough cut Red Oak, and it lasted almost 30 years! It was never treated with anything and almost never shedded!
 

I agree that Hemlock's a good choice as well! I've got some 1.5" rough cut Hemlock on the stick, waiting for ambition to do another kicker rack deck!
Got Red Oak stringers and cross ribs for it!
 
Don't have a clue where you live but I lived in the Puget Sound area of Washington state for several decades. The area had numerous shipyards where US Navy and other ships were dismantled and scraped for salvage. There were numerous sources for materials from those ships available for sale to the public. I would think the teak decking would be some awesome material for trailer decking with its durability, exposure to weather, strength and last the appearence is very nice. Just a thought but you might not be in an area where it would even be available or feasible, Hal.
 
Rochester NY.

The nearest Navy ships are in Buffalo at the museum, and somehow I don't think they'd be too keen on selling me some of the deck boards.

We do have hemlock growing just about everywhere, and a neighbor has an old sawmill that he uses to saw up hemlock boards.

If I do run into a trailer that needs decking (the one I was asking this question for fell through) I'll keep that in mind.
 
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