Couple Noob Trailer Questions.....

[gltrap54]

Recently bought this older T10D-16' Towmaster that's in need of some deck work.... Existing deck is 2" white oak.... Where's the best place to buy replacement boards? If I was to buy them from a local saw mill, would they need to be treated?

In terms of overall quality, where does Towmaster trailers rank?

 

[jaxs]

View attachment 632267


Recently bought this older T10D-16' Towmaster that's in need of some deck work.... Existing deck is 2" white oak.... Where's the best place to buy replacement boards? If I was to buy them from a local saw mill, would they need to be treated?

In terms of overall quality, where does Towmaster trailers rank?

If you want the same material as on there now,ask for #2 yellow pine and it will benefit immensely if pressure treated.

 

[dstig1]

+1 That looks like good old spruce/pine/fir lumber.

 

[Morning Wood]

That looks like oak to me. You could source oak from a mill or just go with PT SYP. No idea on the quality of tow master

 

[Deere Dude]

PT boards for me.

 

[fried1765]

That looks like oak to me. You could source oak from a mill or just go with PT SYP. No idea on the quality of tow master

I disagree!
That original decking is NOT OAK!

 

[4570Man]

I disagree!
That original decking is NOT OAK!

There’s a piece of plywood patching the deck. I’m pretty sure the rest of the deck is pine.

 

[lucky llama]

There is pine, oak and plywood on the deck in the picture. I would go back with ground contact pressure treated pine.

 

[lucky llama]

There is pine, oak and plywood on the deck in the picture. I would go back with ground contact pressure treated pine.

 

[herm0016]

replaced mine with pressure treated pine. Menards had the best lumber for it around here without costing more than the trailer itself. tear old off and cut off the screws if they wont come out. clean it up and paint the cross members. use 1/4 or 3/8 self tapping screws. drill the appropriate size hole in the wood and metal, run the screws in by hand, i used a brace, to avoid breaking them or stripping them out or over driving them.

 

[Morning Wood]

Looking again. ****. There is no oak there at all. I must have not had glasses on

 

[gltrap54]

There's always that chance the deck has been replaced because the trailer is a 97'... AFAIK that's the original deck.... Newer specs from Towmaster show the deck of the T-10D as 2" nom. White Oak.... It's no deal breaker but I wanted to go back with whatever the factory had used...

 

[herm0016]

There's always that chance the deck has been replaced because the trailer is a 97'... AFAIK that's the original deck.... Newer specs from Towmaster show the deck of the T-10D as 2" nom. White Oak.... It's no deal breaker but I wanted to go back with whatever the factory had used...

if you can source it, the oak is a great choice. around here, it would have cost me over 1000 dollars! The pressure treated was under 300 including the new screws.

if you can get the oak, i would slather it in linseed oil before you install, no other finish. i spray my pressure treated stuff with a coat of Thompson's after a year or so. keeps it from soaking up water.

 

[3gunr]

IM wondering about the screws ? i have 3 trailers and none have screws in the deck. The boards are trapped under an angle iron on each end.

 

[TractorGuy]

If you go with pressure treated pine make sure and research the effects it has on metal. You need to coat any metal it comes in contact with.

 

[herm0016]

IM wondering about the screws ? i have 3 trailers and none have screws in the deck. The boards are trapped under an angle iron on each end.

the wood just bounces around in the middle??

 

[tguy]

Flooring Screws | Fastenal

 

[TractorGuy]

I tried some of those drill tip wood to metal screws on a trailer deck once. First bump I hit several of them broke. They were very hard and brittle.

Sandwiching the wood with angle iron and fastening it with nuts and bolts is the only way to go on a deck trailer.

I have also attached wood to a trailer with grade 2 carriage bolts and nuts and had them hold up.

 

[herm0016]

I tried some of those drill tip wood to metal screws on a trailer deck once. First bump I hit several of them broke. They were very hard and brittle.

Sandwiching the wood with angle iron and fastening it with nuts and bolts is the only way to go on a deck trailer.

I have also attached wood to a trailer with grade 2 carriage bolts and nuts and had them hold up.

yep. self drilling screws would suck. the screws linked above are not self drilling, but self tapping. you drill the hole in the wood and metal, and run the screw in. they work great. just put 120 of them in my trailer and did not have any problems.

 

[Ford850]

If you want to protect the metal from the treated wood, get some self adhesive window flashing tape. Works great to protect steel from treated wood.