Covering 8'x16' flat dump bed made out of heavy 2x8's

[Gale Hawkins]

In putting in the acre parking lot and hauling all of that sandy gravel from two miles up the road I want to stop all the cracks so dirt and sand stay off of the twin cylinder hoist and the rest under the bed and make heavy dirt stick less.

Four sheets of 3/4" treated plywood is $36 a sheet. Since at Lowes it is very wet and heavy I was thinking about letting it air dry for a few weeks with 2x4's for spacing and to prevent warping if possible.

Has any one used this for a truck or trailer with an wooden bed? It is shrink after it dried out?

Lowes sign states to use stainless steel or hot dipped fasteners but I have never used stainless steel? I just plan to screw into the current 2x8 decking.

The truck sets out. Thanks

 

[mikehaugen]

I'm not sure I would want to do that, Seems a lot of moisture would get trapped between the two layers of wood and rot them quickly. Is this just temporary for this project or are you going to leave it like that forever?

 

[oosik]

View attachment 384469View attachment 384468

Two years ago I built a 8x12 farm wagon with a 5/4 exterior T&G plywood deck. The plywood I got at Lowes was bone dry so I've had no shrinkage problems. I would let the plywood dry, in the shade, so it - hopefully - dries slowly. The minuet it starts to show warpage, screw it down. I just used standard 3" trumpet head wood screws. I painted the deck with roofing goop and it took about two weeks to dry. I've had no problems with shrinkage, of course. We are somewhat less than bone dry here so I've never worried about rot and the wagon has been out in the weather since day one. If the treated plywood you have is exterior - then unless the truck sits in the rain all the time - the contact surfaces between the 2x8 deck and the plywood will dry long before you have to worry about rot.

I've got another photo of the wagon that's bustin my chops trying to downsize and upload. I'll keep at it and get on this thread soon. What a real PITA the second photo became - persistence prevailed

 

[Gale Hawkins]

oosik that is one nice job on that wagon.

Mike I thought about that but the plywood should help keep the old flooring dry and I could hit the old deep with Tompson Water sealer again. The dump has 2.5' pipe stands built in that can be flipped up to keep the bed a enough angle to drain in a rain.

I am leaning towards putting them end to end on each side so there is only one cross seam when dumping. On the other hand if I put them on cross ways when the rear edge gets messed up I would just have to replace one piece.

Going with 1/2" would be another thought but at Lowes it looked like it warped worse and the cost difference is less than $40 on the job. Since the bed inside the sideboards is less than 8' we will have to cut each piece or just notch out of the stand holes and let the sides set on the plywood decking.

OK. I think I will notch out for the standards. They are steel for the 2' sides and when dumping the standards will help prevent them from wanting to slide off so the screws would just be holding it in place.

 

[hslogger]

Just use the doggone wood bed and hose the rig down good when you are done. You can go nuts trying to keep everything tidy clean. Gravel aint gonna hurt anything .

 

[bigtiller]

A couple tubes of silicone to fill the gaps with should hold up pretty well after it cures for a few hours.

 

[Bengineer]

... Lowes sign states to use stainless steel or hot dipped fasteners but I have never used stainless steel? I just plan to screw into the current 2x8 decking...

Some of the newer preservative treatments are much more corrosive than chromated copper arsenate. First google that I looked at: Simpson strong-tie FAQ.

I'm in the hose-er down when you're done camp as well. Boards will let the water run off and be tougher than plywood.

 

[roadhunter]

I used great stuff to fill gaps between timbers on a barge we used to haul some dirt. Seemed to work pretty well. Or just throw something like and old piece of carpet down and put a few nails to hold it down.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

In the process of getting on end on grade and widening the drive some may take about 50 loads of dirt and maybe a 100 loads of gravel to do one acre 8" deep so I need something slick if possible. I do not like the sand on the two three stage cylinders. Most likely I will get the dirt work done and one 4' size 30' long sewer in this year and get started with the gravel for maybe 20 cars along the ditch bank.

I need it prepped so I can see what I need to do to make sure it drains well. One end is low because years ago someone pushed up a levee along the creek which I will take back to the low area because it the highway culvert got stopped up I would want the water to take to the parking lot vs the side where the church is located . One end is shaping up to be a good building site and not swampy like a lot of the area.

I will try to get some photos. It has taken about a month most evenings and all day on Saturdays. Working on it on Sunday would not be cool.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/panel-products/construction-panels/concrete-forming/3-4-x-4-x-8-greencore-plyform-concrete-forming-plywood/p-1501365-c-13341.htm

The treated at Lowes did not have even one smooth side so I checked with a lumber yard in town and decided to go with 3/4" plyform that has sealed edges and is water proof and it is not soaking wet and needs drying. The price is about the same too.

 

[oosik]

Gale,
When I went to choose on decking material, I saw that plyform and I also looked at what they call marine plywood. The plyform did not have T&G edges and the marine stuff looked like it had been on the bottom of a tanker for about 5 years, already. There is a TREMENDOUS price difference between Lowes in Spokane, WA and your lumber yard in KY! Both the plyform & marine plywood were $65 per 4x8 sheet. As I remember, I paid about $48/sheet for the 5/4 T&G exterior grade here. I also checked the price for two 4x12 sheets of 3/8 inch rolled steel. Found out right away it was too heavy for me to man handle and the price was truly astronomic - $700/sheet. The bed on the wagon has worked out fine. Final cost for everything, including the running gear - Horst, 10 ton - was $2695.

 

[boggen]

spray in bed liner

contact a local metal shop or like, and see if you get some 1/16" to say 1/4" rolled sheets of metal. in your wanted overall width and length.
you already have the 2x8's for support, your just looking for a liner, to keep sand/dirt from going through the cracks.

keep in mind of the "grain" if using plywood. so as you dump, your not causing a bunch of extra splintering to happen at the edges. along with keeping the grain going with direction of the dump. so stuff slides with the grain on off the trailer vs catching on the grain.
again if using plywood and goal is only to deal with cracks. get some 1/2" plywood. and lay it in link singles on a roof. with some over lap.
plywood is going to warp, stretch, bend, twist, chip, splinter away. for your intended purpose. don't put so many screws/nails in it, to make it solid. just enough to hold it in place while dumping. if it falls out while dumping, then will fix it with a couple more screws / nails / bolts and continue on.

 

[blueriver]

Save your used motor oil and brush the existing wood real good. .. After it drys silicone the cracks pushing the silicone deep with your finger. ... Simply keep the old wood well oiled and it will last longer than the truck

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Plywood From Standard To Marine Grade - Lumber 2 of Oklahoma City.

Here is some plywood options with prices from the middle America.

We plan to notch for the standards so they will keep it from sliding off when dumping more than just screws plus the heavy sides will be resting on the outside edges of the plyform. Since the plyform has sealed edges we will put the cut edges up front at the steel headache. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[SPIKER]

For what you are doing, I would look for some 14 Gauge Steel, cost per sheet is maybe 1/2 again what plywood would cost & will slide better & not cause issue. The steel can be screwed down and holes cut for side pockets easy enough. Once done pull it out & use for other jobs or stacked aside for reuse on the trailer...

That or like others said already have the 2x8s just seal and coat them with some used motor oil to keep it slick & lasting.

I would NOT put plywood down on dump bed that would have moisture between layers it might hold up for a few years but plan on re-doing the 2x8s a few years out and the plywood...

Mark

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Spiker I was get a price on that at church tonight. I plan to be trying to get the last trees on the ground but the guy that has been working for years at the local steel supplier and a welder on the side can give me a ball park figure.

I prefer steel but wood beds have pluses too. The Plyform would be more of a shop class project for the kids and cost under $200. It should keep the current bed and hoist system in the dry plus it will be reversible so we can use the other side and or remove it all together if hauling rip rap size rock.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

For what you are doing, I would look for some 14 Gauge Steel, cost per sheet is maybe 1/2 again what plywood would cost & will slide better & not cause issue. The steel can be screwed down and holes cut for side pockets easy enough. Once done pull it out & use for other jobs or stacked aside for reuse on the trailer...

That or like others said already have the 2x8s just seal and coat them with some used motor oil to keep it slick & lasting.

I would NOT put plywood down on dump bed that would have moisture between layers it might hold up for a few years but plan on re-doing the 2x8s a few years out and the plywood...

Mark

When ahead and got 4x8 per sheet price on 11 gauge (1/8th inch) and the price was $90 so about twice the price of plyform which is not bad but there will be the welding cost vs. no cost to install the plyform 3/4" other than for fasteners. I could get it seamed and bolt to the bed I guess.

 

[farmer2009]

One more thought would be to take the 2x8's out of the bed. And replace them with that 11 gauge. Might need to add a couple of extra cross members but for the cost of the 2x's and plywood you would have a permanent solution that would hold up to large or small rock. Just dump large rip rap in slow so you don't dent.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I would like a good steel bed but I just picked up the 1989 F700 16' flat dump to use around the place (15 acres) but maining just because I wanted one. We do plan to move a hill to a valley up at the house so we can build a nice shop. Actually with the FIL 265 MF and JD 310B backhoe I am fixed for retirement I think. I plan to keep the stuff around until I am 80 if my bones keep moving at all.

The question comes as to how much to to spend to upgrade the bed that is functional today?

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I got a quote of $710 for metal and installing the 1/8" (11 gauge skin) so I am still toying with the idea. Since the truck sets outside and is seldom used it is a toss up. Picking up hay in the field metal gives you less traction but more slipping when dumping heavy clay soil is a good thing. I guess during the winter it could be used as shelter for short stuff on wheels.