Yet another trailer decking question...

[WinterDeere]

I know there have been several threads on trailer decking here, for various applications and trailer types, but here's one more: It's time to replace the decking on my log and tractor hauler, which is a Big Tex 70TV closed-side landscape trailer with 2x6 PT decking.



The PT works well for skidding logs in with the winch, or dragging them out with the tractor. Slick enough to allow logs to slide, no paint to damage, and yet grippy enough when dry that things don't slide too badly on their own.



Then again, when it's mossy and wet as it was this weekend, it's as slick as greased ice. I took a header while loading a rocking chair onto the trailer today, don't know how I didn't manage to break anything on myself or the chair.

It spends its life outdoors, but I'm been debating building a roof over it to protect the new decking:



I don't love the new PT, at least partly because it's so corrosive it causes any metal on the trailer in contact with the wood to rot. But it's a cheap trailer, used for cheap things (firewood = saving money on oil, tractor hauling = saving money on paid hauler), it doesn't make sense to invest in Ipe or Mahogany decking on this thing.

People keep suggesting aluminum on these threads, but I have no idea where I'd even find that, or why it should be less slippery than wood. If you even utter the "A" word, you'd better come with a source for where I can source the stuff, not just a dream of what might be best.

What would you use, if this were yours?

 

[John0829]

Local sawmill, rough sawn oak, treat with diesel and used motor oil it will probably out last the trailer.

 

[WinterDeere]

I'm close to Heacock Lumber, who process a lot of oak, but they only sell it green and full rough dimensions. I'd have to dry and mill it, which I am set up to do, but it means postponing install until at least end of summer.

If I'm going to do all that work, it'd have to be white oak, since red rots too fast, but I can call and see if they mill white in those lengths and sizes.

edit: I see they now list kiln drying and s2s / s4s. That's new, as far as I know.

Another thought would be to just use 2x6x16 PT, because it's cheap, and lay down plastic strips on the crossmembers to provide a little contact insulation between the PT chemical and the metal trailer frame.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I see articles about deck building where the builder is placing some kind of strips on the joists. Wonder if those would work?

 

[WinterDeere]

I see articles about deck building where the builder is placing some kind of strips on the joists. Wonder if those would work?

I'd probably just buy a roll of adhesive-backed 1/16" x 2" polyethelene (i.e. Tupperware), and roll that onto the angle steel before laying down the new pressure treated. It wouldn't really protect the trailer sides where the wood contacts, but that probably gets rinsed clean by rain and snow better than the members running under the planking anyway.

This trailer was something like $3500 new, so the decking solution will need to be cheap. In other words, before I go spending $1k in decking, I'd think of just selling this trailer ($1800?) and buying a new one with fresh decking and everything else new.

 

[WinterDeere]

Okay, just ordered white oak to be sawn. Total cost is $450 for white oak in 6/4, versus $325 for red oak, so no real comparison when considering superior rot resistance of white.

I'm also going to take the opportunity to relocate my two large batteries to the rear of the trailer for more manageable tongue weight, while I have the decking off. Will also be a good chance to needle scale, wire brush and repaint any areas that need it.

I might even get around to building a lift-off roof to go over the whole rig. I had looked at that years ago, but prior to losing a deck in under 10 years, had figured it wasn't worth the effort. I'm re-thinking that, now. A lightweight A-frame with a pair of lifting hooks at the ridge, covered in cedar shake or even corrugated metal, would protect the whole trailer when sitting in the woods. Set it on the trailer railings with a few tie-downs in the corners to keep it from blowing off, and then lift it off with the loader to set in the lawn when trailer is in use, given I only use this trailer a half dozen times per year.

 

[Norm W]

I was able to get 2X8 locust 24' long to deck my trailer. The wood doesn't seem to rot when used as fence posts. I'm coating it with drain oil just to be on the safe side. I guess it depends what part of the country you are in as to what is available. It stands up to a Cat 212 grader, so I guess it passes the strength test too.

 

[WinterDeere]

Yeah, I've always heard locust is good, too.

My window sills were made of white oak, installed between 1734 and 1775. Most are still doing fine, after 300 years in constant weather and contact with damp stone and mud, so I guess it passes the rot resistance test.

No one ever claimed oak was less than brutally hard either, so no worries on strength. It will definitely surpass the 2x8 PT SYP it's replacing!

The only down side is weight, as it's quite a bit heavier than seasoned PT SYP.

 

[nyone]

One way to make the wood decking not so slippery is to pressure wash it every few years. And if you think wood decking is slick you never touched a piece of wet diamond plate. That stuff is like greased ice.

 

[WinterDeere]

The irony is that I had just pressure-washed the current decking the day before I wiped out on it. Yeah, it was probably even worse before. There's only so much you can do with 10 year old pressure treated lumber that's been sitting under trees all its life.

In addition to the white oak decking, I'm giving strong thought to building a roof that I can set onto the trailer when not in use. I've already done this for other pieces of equipment. The tailgate ramp will probably need to be removed each time I set the roof onto the trailer, which was one of the primary reasons I didn't ever get to this before, it seemed like a PITA. But given how quickly the trailer is aging, I think it's a PITA that's worth the effort now.

 

[LouNY]

The irony is that I had just pressure-washed the current decking the day before I wiped out on it. Yeah, it was probably even worse before. There's only so much you can do with 10 year old pressure treated lumber that's been sitting under trees all its life.

In addition to the white oak decking, I'm giving strong thought to building a roof that I can set onto the trailer when not in use. I've already done this for other pieces of equipment. The tailgate ramp will probably need to be removed each time I set the roof onto the trailer, which was one of the primary reasons I didn't ever get to this before, it seemed like a PITA. But given how quickly the trailer is aging, I think it's a PITA that's worth the effort now.

Instead of a lift off "roof" you could make on skids that could be slide in and pulled off.

 

[newbury]

Talking of removable roofs.
For my 18' Hudson trailer I put PT uprights in the stake pockets and 2x6 spaced up the side.

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The picture shows an early version. Which was used for transporting a lot of stuff from Va. to Ms. Had a DIY plywood top. But I got the major big items transported so it went back to being a parking lot queen in reserve for hauling my tractor if it broke down..
Then since Covid it's primary use on road use has been a very occasional use by my BIL.
But I found it very handy for temporary storage - long pieces of lumber, large empty cardboard boxes for the burn pile, fencing, etc. Things I just want to keep out of the rain.
SO, I put some 2x4's across the top and just laid long sheets of used roofing metal I had (like these ) across the top. I hold them down with just a rope, so they don't blow off in storms.
Then I park it in one of my sheds when I'm away for a long time and take it out when I need the space. The couple of times my BIL needed it for road transport it took about half an hour to empty it and take the roof off.

 

[WinterDeere]

Instead of a lift off "roof" you could make on skids that could be slide in and pulled off.

Good idea. That has the advantage of being able to be installed or removed without use of my loader, or if the loader has insufficient reach and height.

I have a winch on the front of the trailer, that could easily pull a roof on skids onto the trailer, and it could be pulled off with any vehicle or even by tying skids to a tree while driving trailer forward.

It might even be possible to build a cantelever tail section to the roof to cover the tailgate, such that it need not be removed. The only disadvantage I can see to your plan is it still results in wood on wood contact on the trailer deck, so any moisture or leaves may still keep things damp and rotting in those areas.

My original plan was probably something like a 6:12 pitch roof with ridge right down the centerline of the trailer, with the narrow edge of 5/4x6 cedar rafters sit right on the round tube railing, with collar ties a foot up from there to keep rafters from splaying. Cover it in cedar shakes to make the neighbors happy (it's parked right along neighbor's primary driveway approach), or brown corrugated metal if I want to save money, just keeping it light. If rafters were squared off at the ends, the whole rig could be safely set on the ground without damage to the roofing material, but it would require quite a bit of reach and height from my loader to get it on/off.

I've built similar roofs for other equipment in the past, in fact my 3-point plug aerator is sitting under one right now, but never one this big.

 

[LouNY]

OK, wheels?

 

[WinterDeere]

Nah... I think skids would be fine, if I go with your plan.

And I think I'd do removable tailgate either way, so I can keep roof plan low. In order to clear the tailgate, I'd have to raise the roof at least 2 feet higher, which is just going to let more rain and leaves blow in between the roof and railing, not to mention making it more of an eyesore to the neighbors.

I really just need the whole thing to be about 30" tall at the eves, to clear the railings.

Speaking of which, if I could find a folding tailgate, it'd resolve that problem and others. I don't feel like building one, but maybe I should just bite the bullet and do that. A tailgate that folds like you see with most lift gates on the backs of trucks, would solve a lot of problems for me.

 

[WinterDeere]

This is the current tailgate, albeit mine is mostly destroyed due to dragging hundreds (thousands?) of logs over that corrugated metal:

I could cut it at the mid-length point, weld in square tubes and hinges, to make it fold back on itself after raising.

The frame on mine is in good shape, but the corrugated metal is all bent to hell, so finding something better to weld in it's place wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

 

[2manyrocks]

One of the issues is figuring out how rigid to make the roof frame so the roof metal doesn't flex and start leaking versus how light the roof needs to be in order to be taken on and off.

Have you looked into a metal carport?

Seems like everytime I need my trailer, I have to spend an hour finding a place for the junk that's on it. Having to take a roof off just seems like an additional situation where later down the road, you're going to be asking yourself why you didn't get a carport or built a shed for it.

 

[WinterDeere]

Yes, I have considered the carport, but I'm trying to make the thing less of an eyesore for the neighbor along the property line where I keep it, and I think the carport would be step in the wrong direction there. A low roof in cedar shake or matte brown finish would help it disappear in the woods that run along that neighbors driveway where I keep the trailer, whereas most carports are going to be much bigger and visually "louder".

I never keep anything on my trailer, it's always ready to go, so I can't relate to that problem. The roof would indeed add a step to remove, but I always have to get the tractor out to retrieve it from the woods anyway. So it really wouldn't be a huge deal to turn around and use the loader to lift the roof off, at that point.

As to stiffness vs. weight, I've always built roofs for equipment like this using all cedar framing and then either cedar shake or corrugated roofing. This would be the largest and heaviest one, but the weight should not be any problem for the loader on my 3033r. I'm a little concerned about height and reach, but not at all with weight.

 

[2manyrocks]

Build a shed to look like a classic New England covered bridge.

 

[WinterDeere]

Well, I picked up my new decking this morning. A dozen planks of 6/4 x 8" x 16' white oak, freshly rough-sawn. They'll go on stickers in a sunny spot on the driveway for a few weeks, with a clear plastic tent arranged around them as a solar kiln, to dry while I remove the old planking and do some refurb and modifications on the trailer.