Trailer deck

Randyr · Aug 15, 2008

Ok this might be a little off topic, but it doesn"t seem to fit anywhere else either, so please bear with me.
My utility trailer has a painted plywood floor but it"s getting older and starting to decay.
What do you suggest I replace it with?
I have thought about pressure treated wood planks like the bigger car haulers and landscapers use, and treating it once a year to wood presevative like Thompson"s.
Or maybe a sheet of steel "checker plate". Would that be expensive for a 4x8 sheet?
Or maybe aluminum checker plate. Would there be any issues with a galvanic reaction between the steel frame and aluminum? Would it be more expensive than steel?
Or maybe just another sheet of plywood?
What do you think?
Thanks.

bradley martin · Aug 15, 2008

How much money do you want to spend? Aluminum checker plate will be at least 3-4 x the price of steel. Rough sawn white oak or black locust make an excellent floor, particularly if treated every couple of years w/ a heavy coat of creosote. Plywood will be the cheapest but as you have found out, it will not last long if exposed to the weather. Treated plywood will last longer but will still fail due to glue failure.

keh · Aug 15, 2008

What Bradley said. The issue I see with pressure treated wood is that is a weaker wood like pine. The white oak or locust is stronger. If you get that, try to get as few knots as possible. If you have a 1 x 6 board with a knot 3 inches across it, you have a board with the strength of a 1 x 3.

KEH

Roy in georgia · Aug 15, 2008

for that small of a trailer I am guessing it only has one axle. used mostly for a motorcycle or lawn equipment. Get a piece of plywood then coat it with some fiber glass rosin it will help protect it leave it ruff and don't coat the bottom only the top and just under the edges so it can breath and dry any moisture that may build up. This way it goes back like it was

tg in VA · Aug 15, 2008

Why not just put another piece of plywood on it, maybe off quality 3/4" CDX? I've got an old flatbed that has had the same plywood nailed over some old planks for 10 or so years with no problem. A sheet of off grade 3/4 CDX is less than $20. If you get 10 years, that's less than $2 per year.

Gary from Muleshoe · Aug 15, 2008

I think going back with plywood is the way to go. You can get treated plywood and then keep it treated every year just as you would the planks. Make sure to treat the under side as well. It will last you several years that way. Metal prices are so high that you would probably have a heart attack if you priced a 4x8 sheet of either steel or aluminum.

Big M · Aug 16, 2008

We built a tilt-bed goose neck trailer a couple of years ago. Optioned for a "rumber" floor. It is made of recycled tires and plastic. Same size as a 2x8 with tongue and groove sides. Really like it, plenty of traction for skid steer loading and looks good. Pricy, 2 to 3 times the price of wood. With the weight of the skid loader, the cross memeber had to be every 8 inches. If I ever purchase another new stock trailer it will have rumber too.

MarkB_MI · Aug 16, 2008

Well, it depends on what you're going to haul. Pressure treated plywood would be a good way to go. and would be the simplest. Replacing the plywood with pressure-treated 2x6s might require some modifications to the trailer.

If you replace it with plain plywood, you can do a lot to prevent rot just by sealing up the edges. If you have any carriage bolts in the deck, caulk under the heads when you install them to keep water out of the bolt holes. Rot fungus spread through end grain, so sealing up all end grain will significantly slow down rot. If you really want to make the plywood last, give it a coating of epoxy resin covered by a coat of paint.

If you go with pressure treated dimensional lumber, check the species. The best pressure treated lumber is branded "SYP" (southern yellow pine) and is quite strong. In some parts of the country other species (such as red pine here in Michigan) are used for PT wood; these species are much weaker than yellow pine.

If you can get pressure treated 2x6 tongue and groove this would be great for a trailer deck.

steamnjn23 · Aug 16, 2008

been in the same situation. install a sheet of Vantech. looks similar to OSB(waferboard, chip board) but has a lot more glue in it. it will last appx 5 yrs exposed like you plan to do. $30 per sheet here in chattanooga area

Randyr · Aug 17, 2008

Thanks for the replys.
Big M, Your suggestion of the Rumber floor sounds cool. I like enviromentally friendly things.
I live in Ontario Canada, so where would I find this material?
I didn't see any Canadian distributors when I googled it.
Thanks.

Trailer deck

Randyr

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bradley martin

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keh

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Roy in georgia

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tg in VA

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Gary from Muleshoe

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Big M

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MarkB_MI

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steamnjn23

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Randyr

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