Time to re-deck my trailer

[Diamondpilot]

I like the diesel oil and a little diesel fuel mix. Cheap and easy to apply. Farmers around here use it on everything like fences, ect. As for wires I just rebuilt a and re-decked a trailer for a customer a few months back. It had the wires just zip tied under it so I welded a chain link on each cross member to hold the wires up. No sharp edges and free to me from the local hardware.

Chris

 

[2manyrocks]

It's an interesting observation that the angle at the end of the trailer held in moisture and rotted the boards. That makes sense.

The angle does help to avoid splitting or chipping the end grain of the wood when things get slid in and out of the back of the trailer.

I think most utility trailers lack enough steel support in this area if they are going to be used to haul things like small tractors. When something is first loaded on the trailer, this is where the first weight transfer takes place. You've probably seen trailers with bent rear support members. I had repair damage in this area on the used trailers I bought. I added a larger angle to the rear on them.

Your deck looks good.

 

[JB4310]

Looks great, better than new, I learned something, to make it easier I see you did one board at a time. I was thinking you lay all the boards down then you'd have to keep climbing under and back for every bolt, much easier I see now to work from the side in the opening.

Might consider reinstalling that angle iron over the board ends just for that little protection it provides them, I don't think the water trapping concern outweighs the benefit.

My PT deck is drying out and cracking a little so I'll be preserving with something, got plenty of diesel so if that's the way to go, all the better.

JB.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks everyone. The oil and diesel mixture is what I was trying to remember, but kept coming up blank when I tried to think of what others had used. My experience with the more traditional wood sealers has been rather disappointing.

I've built quite a few wood decks for clients here in East Texas, and most of them are decked in 5/4 PT wood. The first one that I did here was back in 02, which is before I bought this trailer. That deck is in great condition and there is no sign of rot or decay. The boards have shrunk a fair bit, but otherwise, with nothing added to them, it's doing fine. Why that wolmanized wood rotted out on my is sort of a mystery to me. It either has to be because it is just inferior to PT wood, or that angle iron at the end is holding moisture and allowing the end grain to rot without me being able to tell. Once the rot starts, it's all over. I thought that a metal plate at the end might help protect the wood, but don't really know if I need it or not. I only use the trailer a few times a year and mostly to pick up culverts or a lumber that's too long for my truck bed. I'm building a deck next month and will need it then, but otherwise, it just sits here for months at a time. I keep it at an angle so that water runs off of it to the rear, which just makes it worse for catching and holding water with that angle iron over the boards. Without that angle iron, I think that the water will just run off of the wood and the end grain will dry out rather quickly.

If I'm wrong, I'll post pictures and hopefully a solution to the problem. For now, I don't see a need for the angle iron, and will keep it in my scrap pile. It's painted red, so I'll know what it's for if I need a piece of angle iron.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Diamondpilot]

Eddie, why not put he angle iron back on but space up 1/4" with some pieces of flat stock? Once welded in position this will allow the water to run and keep the ends of the boards protected.

Chris

 

[/pine]

An effective method of sealing the cut off ends lumber is to heat paraffin in a coffee can etc and apply with a disposable paint brush...

caution should be taken when heating the wax...I use a propane torch outdoors away from other flamable materials...

 

[Stimw]

I have re-decked dozens of 40-45-48' flat bed semi trailers. The Torq screws are the best way to fasten. (available from a good bolt supplier) They are self tapping. You drill a 7/32 hole for 1/4" screws or a 9/32 for 5/16" screws and run them in with an impact.
It's too late for your repair now but if anyone else is doing this job, FYI.
I used to R&R a complete floor in about 30 hours. I've even got a drill with a home made handle so I could stand up and drill the holes.

 

[Sackett2]

here is the picture of the deck dad and I redid last year. note the metal strip in the center, it covers the ends of the 8' boards.

 

[Alan L.]

Thats similar to my trailer which I also paid about $900 for new. The boards were painted black and lasted maybe 6 years. I bought $190 worth of 2 x 8" pressure treated and since it needed rewiring (had a short that kept blowing the fuse in the towing vehicle), 2 wheel bearings replaced, and the other bearings packed, I just dropped it off at a trailer repair outfit about 20 miles from my place. They did all the labor for a reasonable price. Replacing those boards is quite a bit of work.

About 3 years ago when I was doing this, I think it was somebody on this board that recommended I go a the sawmill in Oklahoma and get rough-sewn oak rather than the pressure treated pine or fir that I ended up with. Just didn't want to go that far, so I got the lumber at Home Depot.

 

[EddieWalker]

here is the picture of the deck dad and I redid last year. note the metal strip in the center, it covers the ends of the 8' boards.

I think the picture of your trailer shows the problem that I had with mine really good. At the end of the trailer, near the ramps, there is some build up of dirt. I think this is why the boards rot out at the ends. The dirt, or leaves, or whatever it is, gets under that angle iron and holds moisture there. Over a short period of time, the boards start to rot. The more I think about it, the more I feel that it's the biggest problem for the wood decking and the reason the boards rot out. Compared to a wood deck, the wood on a trailer should last just as long. I'd expect 20 years out of it and was really shocked at how quickly the previous wood failed.

Eddie