Trailer decking

[Wacky]

Well my 2001 18' dovetail trailer has finally started to show some age. The boards are starting to rot. I have done a search and see that the PT boards are not the way to go due to the corrosive properties of the treatment. So I was wondering if the untreated pine would work just as well. I would stain it with an oil based stain, but still not sure if it is strong enough. Any ideas of what wood would work best but not break the bank? I thought of going to the local sawmill but heard some stories about the price of oak right now. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Iowachild]

I had enough white oak sawn locally for my 16' trailer last May for $150. My trailer is at a weld shop now for new fenders, then after blasting and painting I will be installing the oak deck that will be treated with PA crude oil.

 

[grnspot110]

Don't know about the current treatment, but my 16' trailer has a #1 CCA floor, not problems with it! The trailer is over 15 years old.

Untreated pine would need some kind of treatment to keep it from deteriorating quickly! We used to coat hay racks & even manure spreaders with used engine oil years ago. Just don't tell the EPA or the environmentalists what you're doing! ~~ grnspot

 

[LD1]

PT lumber seems to be what most trailer builders use. At least in my area. If it were that big of a problem, I would think there would be more people complaining about it.

What kind of lumber was used last time that it only made it 10 years??

And have you considered skinning it with diamond plate and being done with it?

 

[wny770]

Well my 2001 18' dovetail trailer has finally started to show some age. The boards are starting to rot. I have done a search and see that the PT boards are not the way to go due to the corrosive properties of the treatment. So I was wondering if the untreated pine would work just as well. I would stain it with an oil based stain, but still not sure if it is strong enough. Any ideas of what wood would work best but not break the bank? I thought of going to the local sawmill but heard some stories about the price of oak right now. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

My trailer is a 1998 with pressure treated decking. No problems whatsoever.

 

[Wacky]

PT lumber seems to be what most trailer builders use. At least in my area. If it were that big of a problem, I would think there would be more people complaining about it.

What kind of lumber was used last time that it only made it 10 years??

And have you considered skinning it with diamond plate and being done with it?

I think it was untreated pine, the boards are rather light, but I stained it every 3yrs. It hasn't even been stored outside very much! Just the last 2 yrs. it has been outside alot. The places that started rotting are mostly around knots.

 

[Wacky]

Don't know about the current treatment, but my 16' trailer has a #1 CCA floor, not problems with it! The trailer is over 15 years old.

Untreated pine would need some kind of treatment to keep it from deteriorating quickly! We used to coat hay racks & even manure spreaders with used engine oil years ago. Just don't tell the EPA or the environmentalists what you're doing! ~~ grnspot

I am going to treat it with something:thumbsup:. Just need info if this has been done with any success before.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Treated is what I have on my trailer from the factory but when they need replaced I will use White Oak from the saw mill 5 miles away. About the same price and a good coat of used motor oil/diesel fuel and they will last 25 years.

Chris

 

[Wacky]

Treated is what I have on my trailer from the factory but when they need replaced I will use White Oak from the saw mill 5 miles away. About the same price and a good coat of used motor oil/diesel fuel and they will last 25 years.

Chris

Yours is probably the #1 treatment, right?? I am kind of worried about trashing my c'members with the #2, more corrosive treatment. I may go with the treated boards if I could find some stainless strapping to cover the c'members with. I think the oak is much heavier isn't it?

 

[Rustyiron]

The "NEW" PT lumber has corrosive chemecals in it. The older trailers that these guys are talking about were treated with CCA and the new pt is differint and the name escapes me right now but all of your fasteners need to be either stainless or double dipped galv. (at least in the building industry) Down there in west by god VA get some white oak or ash from the local mill.

 

[Soundguy]

I went pt on mine when i redecked.

I painted my under metal with black asphalt fence paint. painted the decking as well, on saw horses. 2 good soak-em-up coats.

used 4 gallons on a 7'x16' trailer's worth of deck boards and the frame.

it's been 7ys since that 04 redecking with the new corosive boards.. any neary a bit of rust.

I used the double dip galvanizes self tappers for deck fasteners. a lil more $ than bright zinc.. but.. no corrosion either.

alternately.. some areas will still order you the CCA wood.... i can get either at the local supplier as long as the CCA is not for home building.. etc.

ps.. that asphalt fence paint protects the wood better than the pressure treat.

my first deck rotted thru from 00 to 04.. completely soft.. this one is still solid.. only has 1 end of one board 7ys later that even looks odd.. and that is because of a knot and a crack thru the not right at the end... I puitt hat board with the knot at the front side edge so no weight would be on it.


soundguy

 

[deepNdirt]

Anyone here ever use Ipe ( Brazilian hardwood ) to deck a trailer? I've work with this material when building house decks and it is very dense/strong, and last forever, I might also say it is heavy, and quite pricey

 

[Rustyiron]

That would win a trlr beauty contest! Commercial trailers use a Brazilan wood called apitong (spelling) .

 

[Qapla]

Since you will have all the decking off, why not spay the cross-members and any other support material that will come in contact with the boards with spray bed liner?

Then, the type of boards you use will not make so much of a difference. Then, if you use PT and double-dipped galv fasteners, the bed should outlast you.

 

[foggy1111]

If I could come by that apetong decking for cheap....I would use it in a heartbeat. It would outlast me. Good stuff. :thumbsup: I have PT wood decking (pine?) on a PJ trailer.....and I painted it with used motor oil two years ago. Water still beads up on it. I store it outside. When the water doesnt bead, we will coat it again. I dont see an issue with this....if you apply it reasonably.

 

[pat32rf]

We can normally get hemlock from a local mill for half the price of PT at the lumber yard and find that it lasts plenty long. Not pretty but works great with no corrosion problems. Maybe the salt on our roads preserves it......

 

[dstig1]

When the Feds banned CCA (perfect gov't logic: it worked well and never caused a problem but contained Arsenic so it scared the enviro-weenies), the mfg'ers went to a formula that had a ton of copper in it. That is corrosive to a lot of materials, so the requirements became either using SS fasteners or triple hot-dipped galvanized. Alum is toast with this stuff by the time you finish nailing it down...

The other trick is to isolate it. A lot of deck builders use Vycor or even house wrap to put a barrier between the PT wood and the joist hanger.

The more recent improvements in PT lumber use things like micronized copper so they are able to use a lot less of it. That cuts costs plus reduces the corrosion problem a lot. Many of these newest grades allow regular galvanized fasteners/brackets. Best thing to do is ask someone with a clue at a decent lumber yard what they have and what the corrosion issues are or what fasteners are approved.

Chris - I am jealous. You live right on the edge of the best White Oak stands in the nation. Frank Miller Lumber on the IN/OH border is widely known for their QSWO.

 

[Wacky]

The only fasteners my deck has are 3 holding the front angle down, and the rear is just slipped under the welded angle. Would the PT need more to keep from bowing?

 

[LD1]

The only fasteners my deck has are 3 holding the front angle down, and the rear is just slipped under the welded angle. Would the PT need more to keep from bowing?

Bowing ususally isnt the issue.

Some trailers arent made like that and the boards have to be bolted to stay on the trailer. It isnt hard to convert it to the style of yours, but some people dont like it because it is a little more noisy because the boards do bounce a bit. Not a issue for me though.

 

[deepNdirt]

The only fasteners my deck has are 3 holding the front angle down, and the rear is just slipped under the welded angle. Would the PT need more to keep from bowing?

Let me ask you...... does your trailer have the tendency to --hmmmmm! I'm trying to think of a word to best describe wobble or bow from corner to corner? if so! I think I might now know why my trailer does this as the boards are only attached on front of the frame and slipped under the rear and attached on 1 middle cross member,

My thinking is if the boards were to be secured to each of the cross member it should get some of the shake out, would y'all think so?