Had to redeck my trailer

[KennyG]

My long term goal is to build a place to get everything under roof. Trailer, tractors, implements and just everything I own. The sun and Mother Nature is just brutal over time and nothing will last if left outside.

Eddie

It makes all the difference in the world. I bought a used trailer 5 years ago with a deck that already had some damaged and deteriorating wood. I intended to replace it as soon as I got around to it. Today, it has the original deck and no apparent change in the condition of the wood. It's almost always stored inside. Maybe I'll get time to replace it in the next few years.

 

[clemsonfor]

The new ACQ doesn't last as long as the old CCA in any application, as far as I am concerned. Put in a new front deck, and spilled a soda on it the first year, which we didn't catch until later (froze, can burst under snow) and that section started to rot pretty much right away. OK, I can understand extra food for microbes. Stockade fence with PT rails, 10 years old. Several are growing mushrooms, I have replaced I think 3 posts now. Garden gate posts, 6 to 10 years, all rotted at the base.

30 year old 10x12 CCA deck on the back of the house, under built and rail pickets a foot apart...still standing. I did have to replace the end beam, but it had a large knot in it dead center, and was only a single across the end. Replaced it with a double just before the CCa-ACQ switch, still standing. Raised beds, CCA 4x6 double stacked, 15 years old, still good.

But even better is a rail fence my Dad built 45 years ago, out of untreated chestnut...still standing, last time I drove by the place.

You can still probably buy a 4x6 in cca as its a ground contact and there still treated that way. This was called MCA but I believe that is just some other term for ACQ from what I read??? Or maybe thats MCQ??

 

[oldballs]

Yes, Osage Orange does make good fence posts. I set some 40 years ago, some for clothes lines posts too....some in dirt and some in concrete. If you hit one with a hammer, it almost sounds like hitting steel.

But I don't know anybody that will cut them into dimension lumber. Some 8 inch PT posts have rotted off right at the ground in less than ten years....others haven't.....all bought and set at the same time. Go figure.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Old Junk Man]

Im of the opinion that the quality of wood had went down over the years. The oak around here the best treeswhere made into Rail road ties rather than boards. less sawing a 7x9 tie would only yield 7 one inch boards because the saw removes a 1/4 inch on each pass and you lose two boards to sawdust. and they where paying big money for ties they would have culled back in the day. the same with logs. those big ships that bring the imported junk where returning home with our best logs & lumber. So we are left with the outer boards (sap wood) and the cull lumber. and since treated wood is a kind of camoflauge the ones that got treated where the worst ones. There used to be a ball bat and handle mill & factory here. You could buy handles at the mill. We all knew not to buy the painted or linseed oil treated handles because they where inferior quality. no matter how good the treatment process it cant make the wood any better.

 

[farm boy00]

I see that the lumber on the trailer was treated with CA. Not much experience with that, could b the issue. If it was just non treated lumber I doubt it would last more than 2 years. All I see around here is ACQ, so it must be better?

Nope. TBN is the only forum I frequent. Was on AS for a while, never posted much. Didnt like the atmosphere, and havent been there for years. Only other forum I frequent is plowsite and thats only in the winter months

What plow forum do you follow?? I'm going to try to start plowing in a next year or so and landscaping

 

[LD1]

Plowsite is the forum. plowsite.com

 

[merlynr]

I've replaced my trailer deck and it doesn't require any screws or bolts to hold it in place. I have to bend them in except the first couple of boards because they tuck in at both ends.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My deck at my house was built in 2005 and needs redecking. My father's was built in 1983 and is still fine.

Chris

 

[grsthegreat]

Funny.. When i first looked at the thread...i thought you said "i had to REDNECK my trailer". Im disapointed, i wanted to see some nicw red neck trailers. He he.

Luckily, all my trailers have been able to be stored indoors. Never gave had any rot issues.

 

[GreenYellow]

Funny.. When i first looked at the thread...i thought you said "i had to REDNECK my trailer". Im disapointed, i wanted to see some nicw red neck trailers. He he.

Luckily, all my trailers have been able to be stored indoors. Never gave had any rot issues.

Me too! That's what caught my attention in the first place.

 

[clemsonfor]

Funny.. When i first looked at the thread...i thought you said "i had to REDNECK my trailer". Im disapointed, i wanted to see some nicw red neck trailers. He he.

Luckily, all my trailers have been able to be stored indoors. Never gave had any rot issues.

Me too! That's what caught my attention in the first place.

Sorry to dissapoint guys

I guess i should or written it like re-deck or replace deck or something to avoid dissappointed parties who inadvertantly clicking my post :thumbsup::laughing:

 

[Gem99ultra]

oh and i coated the trailer 3-4 times over the years with a mixture deisel and used oil about 50/50

All of this chat about rotted deck board makes me lose sleep. I oiled mine down with 100% boiled linseed oil 6 years ago when I bought the trailer new. Yeah, they "said" it had treated boards, but I've never found any tags, so I didn't believe them. And - it set outside in the sun all of the time.

So far I can't spot any rotten boards, but all of this chat making me nervous - I went this morning an picked up a gallon of boiled linseed oil, mixed it with 50/50 diesel, and re-mopped mine down again. Now I can sleep at night again... for 6 more years I hope.

Dang it! I failed to have the tires balanced. Well, I sure can't use it until that gets done. So much for sleep

Seriously, I do recognize that a little preventative maintenance saves a LOT of expense and work. I do appreciate threads like this to help me stay on the right track. Thanks for the tips, guys.

 

[paulharvey]

You should be able to find 2x6 CCA .40pcf, at farm supply stores. Last I knew, (could have changed) CCA was still legal for farm and industrial use.

 

[C4Ranch]

Buddy of mine replaced his with C perlin. Looked great. Not sure the cost or weight difference but no more rot.

 

[paulharvey]

Buddy of mine replaced his with C perlin. Looked great. Not sure the cost or weight difference but no more rot.

Red iron or galvanized? Welded or screws

 

[C4Ranch]

Plain ol primer. Screwed right in place of the boards. Looked really nice

 

[SandburRanch]

Treat the end grain, bolt holes and any area that touches metal with torched on paraffin.

 

[two_bit_score]

Sorry to dissapoint guys

I guess i should or written it like re-deck or replace deck or something to avoid dissappointed parties who inadvertantly clicking my post :thumbsup::laughing:

I also thought it said 'redneck' but it's a good thread and lots of good info. So :thumbsup:

 

[crazyal]

I would suggest putting end grain sealer on your boards before installing them. It'll keep the moisture from leaving and entering though the ends of the board and reduce the chances of the wood splitting. The ends of board dry much quicker than the face. When that happens the wood shrinks faster on the ends than the center leading to check (crack) on the ends. Once your wood starts to check the wood now has more places for water to enter. Each time it does it reduces the boards life.

I think if I was redecking a trailer I would look into using something like cumaru decking. It'll last for the life of the trailer and will be much stronger than pine. It'll be heavy though. The stuff is probably one of the stiffest woods on the planet. At about $6 a square foot it's not going to be cheap but never having to do it again kind of balances it out.

 

[woodskiff]

Hello..I'm in the process of re-decking my 18' trailer. The original, (2005), PT 2x12's were checking and had rot. While I have it stripped down I'm going to replace all the wiring and paint my frame. Etrailer has everything needed. I am not going to fasten the boards with the screws again,plan on using Galv carriage bolts with a bracket under the steel cross deck rails. Not sure if I want to replace the 2x12s with 2x10s yet.