Re-decking trailer

[sparc]

First off look under the trailer and look for wiring, ect. Take your chain saw and run it from side to side between cross members to remove old boards. I usually cut between the back and last support because there is less wiring, ect.

Next cut new boards to length. Now you can put in about 60% of the new boards by cocking them in sideways and beating them in place with a sledge hammer. You want them tight because they will shrink.

The last few boards you will need a helper and about a 16" piece of scrap 2X4. Place the front end of the deck board on the "cup" and place your scrap piece of 2X4 vertically on the back axle. Now have your helper, preferably a fat buddy stand on the back of the board bowing it by the rear cup. Take your sledge hammer and knock out the vertical piece of 2X4 and it will snap into place.

You may have to use the front axle or adjust the length of the 2X4 for your particular trailer.

I do them from time to time using my FEL bucket to apply the down pressure in place of a fat buddy.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Chris, what's your preference for species of lumber? And you are using rough cut (full thickness, not dressed) lumber correct?

In another thread I asked if anyone had substituted steel planks such as GripStrut for wood. I don't remember what the response was or if you even saw the thread but have you ever considered this?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Chris, what's your preference for species of lumber? And you are using rough cut (full thickness, not dressed) lumber correct?

In another thread I asked if anyone had substituted steel planks such as GripStrut for wood. I don't remember what the response was or if you even saw the thread but have you ever considered this?

99% of the time I am using treated lumber from Menards or Lowes. I have also used real 2" planks of White Oak from the local saw mill but only on a 25,000# GVWR tag trailer.

Most your 14,000# and under came with and are just fine with treated 1.5" thick stuff.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

That sounds great for the bed boards, but how do you get the last board in on a sloped tail section...they're so darn short.

I think you are talking about a dove tail? Usually 2' to 5' long. In all honesty in the 25 or so I have done only 1 was a DT.

What I did was on the far right side I cut out a piece of the top of the angle iron one board in. I belive it was 2X8 boards so I cut out the angle iron 8" wide. I did this where the top of the DT meets the flat trailer deck using a thin cut off wheel in my angle grinder. I then measured out 1" from each side of the cut and drilled and tapped the trailers angle iron to accept 3/8" bolts. I then got a 2" wide piece of 3/16" flat stock and cut off a piece about 12" long and drilled it to make a "cap".

You then drop in all the boards one at a time and slide them into position using a hammer to persuade them. The last board drops in then the cap is bolted into place. I used 3/4" long bolts with a flat washer and lock washer.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

my dove is semi open self celaning metal slats. after hearing about the short wood repalcement. i'm glad it is.

 

[Ryan03]

Chris, what's your preference for species of lumber? And you are using rough cut (full thickness, not dressed) lumber correct?

In another thread I asked if anyone had substituted steel planks such as GripStrut for wood. I don't remember what the response was or if you even saw the thread but have you ever considered this?

As Chris said, 1 1/2 in thick is adequate for many applications. I personaly let the trailer dictate how thick the replacement decking is. I like my deck boards flush with the top of the trailer frame, so if the top of the cross members is 2 in below the top of the frame rail, I install 2in thick boards, if it is 1 3/4, thats what I have the mill cut. As for species, If you are going to be hauling a machine with steel tracks on any type of regular basis, GO WITH HARD WOOD OAK, regardless of thickness. The steel tracks will shred pine decks in no time. On my personal trailers, 99% of what goes up there is rubber tired, so I get great service life out of pressure treated pine, it is half the cost of oak, lighter weight, and easy to find in my area. The local mill always has a good supply of treated pine logs ready to saw.. Typicaly the pine last me a minimum of 7 years.

 

[Stimw]

I've re-decked many dozens of 40', 45' and 48' semi trailers. Even steel decked a 48' Landall.
Normally it took 20-30 man hours to remove the old and install the new screwing the boards down with torque head 5/16" floor screws.
That's busting the old floor out with a 12lb sledge hammer, busting off the old screws too.
I still have a homemade "T" drill handle that fits a CP air drill so I could stand up and drill the holes!
It takes the better part of a 50lb box of screws to do one.
I always run a couple rows of floor screws on the smaller trailers. It keeps the boards from warping and makes the trailer a lot stronger.
I never liked the drop in floor boards. They are fast to build but lack strength.

 

[Car Doc]

I use a chainsaw to tear down also and wrenching the boards up usually breaks the deck screws across the stringers. I haven't done a whole lot of trailers mostly mine every so often.

I find the deck screws must be hardened and are pretty brittle if any are left sticking up a hammer blow from the side breaks them flush usually and a 4" fixes the stragglers then I just drill new holes and screw new screws in.

 

[brown40]

If you are towing all "wheeled" vehicles I'd use PT 2x6 or 2x8: whatever is your cheapest square footage for the job. Ditto on knocking off the heads: you'll waste a lot of time attempting to extract them, and never line up the holes on the few you manage to remove. You will spend more money and time on self-tapping hardened fasteners for narrower wood, so factor that into your cost. Also, I needed to go to a trailer dealer to find them. They don't self tap well & you'll be ahead pre-drilling a good pilot hole rather than trying to let them knaw their way into angle iron.

I did my 20 footer & 2x8 was the best price and original used, but it did take a 2x6 at the end to finish... My deck has two 90 plates capping the beavertail & deck end, so I didn't have to deals with bowing or squeezing, except that last 2x6 went a little tight. I brushed it down with motor oil after it weathered a bit, which was likely a completely unnecessary waste of time and slid around for the first year, but now it's fine & I feel better for it now that I can stand up on it!

While you have the deck off: that's the time to rewire, sand prime & paint & check everything you can't usually see easily, so don't get too rushed with it; take time to do the whole 9 yards while you have an easy work area.

I made cold frames with the old decking--will give you some material to make a non load bearing project.

Good luck--it's an easy project and will give you years of piece of mind if you cover all your bases while you have it ripped up.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If you are towing all "wheeled" vehicles I'd use PT 2x6 or 2x8: whatever is your cheapest square footage for the job. Ditto on knocking off the heads: you'll waste a lot of time attempting to extract them, and never line up the holes on the few you manage to remove. You will spend more money and time on self-tapping hardened fasteners for narrower wood, so factor that into your cost. Also, I needed to go to a trailer dealer to find them. They don't self tap well & you'll be ahead pre-drilling a good pilot hole rather than trying to let them knaw their way into angle iron.

I did my 20 footer & 2x8 was the best price and original used, but it did take a 2x6 at the end to finish... My deck has two 90 plates capping the beavertail & deck end, so I didn't have to deals with bowing or squeezing, except that last 2x6 went a little tight. I brushed it down with motor oil after it weathered a bit, which was likely a completely unnecessary waste of time and slid around for the first year, but now it's fine & I feel better for it now that I can stand up on it!

While you have the deck off: that's the time to rewire, sand prime & paint & check everything you can't usually see easily, so don't get too rushed with it; take time to do the whole 9 yards while you have an easy work area.

I made cold frames with the old decking--will give you some material to make a non load bearing project.

Good luck--it's an easy project and will give you years of piece of mind if you cover all your bases while you have it ripped up.

Lowes carries the self tapping deck screws.

Chris

 

[dstig1]

So does Menards. But they don't call them trailer decking screws, just self-tapping. I bet HD has the same thing. I still pre-drilled when I had to replace a deck board as I didn't trust the screws to actually drill the hole themselves. Not hard to do and worked well.

These were the ones I got:
Teks #12 X 2-3/4" Plymetal 40Ct at Menards