metal deck vs. wood deck

[FredH]

Most of the contractor's I know around here all use wood decks . One , as mentioned , with rain , ( we get a lot here ) , slickness . Second , Is repairing . Were a wood deck can be replaced by pretty much anybody , a steel deck requires shop time thus they can have a laborer work on a wood deck but with steel they need to use shop / mechanic time . One contractor I know even has wood on his Peterbilt tilt bed ramp truck for hauling his D4 or backhoe around .

Dents in steel are forever .

Fred H.

 

[earljr59]

Thanks to The Trailer Guy for good info and good pictures. That is a very nice looking trailer.:thumbsup:

 

[lostcause]

As a side note, I know little of the weight and density of metals, so forgive my ignorance.

the easy rule of thumb is 490 lb per cubic foot for steel. figuring plate and bar weightsf from that is just a matter of division(i've always got a calculator somewhere on the desk, not to mention pretty much every phone and computer has a calculator now).

angles weights can be roughly figured as if they were two pieces of plate. channels and beams are not so easy, but they are generally noted by their weight per linear foot. a 3" channel could be noted as a c3x4.1, which means that it weighs 4.1 pounds per foot. same as a w12x19 beam - it weighs 19 lb per foot.

just remember the number 490. it all comes from that.

 

[dfkrug]

I like steel floors... but they CAN be slick.

I like them, too. And slick can be a good thing.

I ordered a dually trailer from TruTrailers (Fresno) years ago, and I specified a
few changes, including dimensions, and an upgrade to steel deck. I
wanted smooth seamless 10 ga steel, instead of the standard wooden
deck. The weight was similar (my deck is only about 6psf), but there
was an up charge. I have weighed it at 1500# empty.

I like a smooth deck so I can raise the tongue with my loader and dump
gravel, sand, dirt, or other materials easily. Last time I bought a couple
of tons of gravel, unloading was easy.

Also, outdoor trailer storage just ruins wood.

 

[crazyal]

It really depends on what you are going to use the trailer for. The steel tracks on my case dozer kill wood quickly. My current tri axle has a wood center and steel diamond plate on each side. Tire chains also are hard on wood. If you plan on hauling things like scrap steel or attachments that you'll be dragging onto and off of the trailer it will shorten the life of the wood.

If you are going to be loading tractors, cars, etc with rubber tires then wood is fine. You will at some point have to replace it but it's also replaceable. What I mean is on several spots the steel decking on my trailer is bent and would be real hard to straighten out. It functions just fine but if looks matter then the wood trailer can be made to look new by swapping some boards and some paint.

A nice thing about the steel deck (at least on my trailer) is that the decking is bent at a 90 degree angle down. That "leg" makes for a great place to hook a 2" strap to. I wouldn't use it to strap a tractor down but when carrying lumber or something else stacked up that needs straps from side to side it gives infinite places along the side to attach a strap.

 

[slowzuki]

Loading a steel tracked vehicle onto a steel deck trailer is more than a little nerve wracking. Lots of operators killed doing it. Many guys will weld guide plates or rebar etc for the tracks to grab.

Not a lot of them left hauling tracked stuff around here.

 

[crazyal]

Loading a steel tracked vehicle onto a steel deck trailer is more than a little nerve wracking. Lots of operators killed doing it. Many guys will weld guide plates or rebar etc for the tracks to grab.

Not a lot of them left hauling tracked stuff around here.

The trailer is fine (unless you are stupid enough to try and do it on the side of a hill), it's the ramps that are hard. Most use low boy trailers to avoid ramps.

 

[slowzuki]

Low boys not too common here except for excavators. The transition from ramp to deck is tough, metal dovetail is bad news.

 

[Hematite]

I like them, too. And slick can be a good thing.

I ordered a dually trailer from TruTrailers (Fresno) years ago, and I specified a
few changes, including dimensions, and an upgrade to steel deck. I
wanted smooth seamless 10 ga steel, instead of the standard wooden
deck. The weight was similar (my deck is only about 6psf), but there
was an up charge. I have weighed it at 1500# empty.

I like a smooth deck so I can raise the tongue with my loader and dump
gravel, sand, dirt, or other materials easily. Last time I bought a couple
of tons of gravel, unloading was easy.

Also, outdoor trailer storage just ruins wood.

Of course, who ever heard of steel rusting especially hauling sand and gravel.:laughing:

 

[Hematite]

I do not like steel. It gets really slick quick. Wood is cheap to replace, ect.

Chris

I agree, I wouldn't have a steel deck for any reason.:thumbsup: