Had to redeck my trailer

clemsonfor · Jul 10, 2015

grsthegreat said:
Funny.. When i first looked at the thread...i thought you said "i had to REDNECK my trailer". Im disapointed, i wanted to see some nicw red neck trailers. He he.

Luckily, all my trailers have been able to be stored indoors. Never gave had any rot issues.

GreenYellow said:
Me too! That's what caught my attention in the first place.

Sorry to dissapoint guys

I guess i should or written it like re-deck or replace deck or something to avoid dissappointed parties who inadvertantly clicking my post :thumbsup::laughing:

Gem99ultra · Jul 10, 2015

clemsonfor said:
oh and i coated the trailer 3-4 times over the years with a mixture deisel and used oil about 50/50

All of this chat about rotted deck board makes me lose sleep. I oiled mine down with 100% boiled linseed oil 6 years ago when I bought the trailer new. Yeah, they "said" it had treated boards, but I've never found any tags, so I didn't believe them. And - it set outside in the sun all of the time.

So far I can't spot any rotten boards, but all of this chat making me nervous - I went this morning an picked up a gallon of boiled linseed oil, mixed it with 50/50 diesel, and re-mopped mine down again. Now I can sleep at night again... for 6 more years I hope.

Dang it! I failed to have the tires balanced. Well, I sure can't use it until that gets done. So much for sleep

Seriously, I do recognize that a little preventative maintenance saves a LOT of expense and work. I do appreciate threads like this to help me stay on the right track. Thanks for the tips, guys.

paulharvey · Jul 10, 2015

You should be able to find 2x6 CCA .40pcf, at farm supply stores. Last I knew, (could have changed) CCA was still legal for farm and industrial use.

C4Ranch · Jul 10, 2015

Buddy of mine replaced his with C perlin. Looked great. Not sure the cost or weight difference but no more rot.

paulharvey · Jul 10, 2015

C4Ranch said:
Buddy of mine replaced his with C perlin. Looked great. Not sure the cost or weight difference but no more rot.

Red iron or galvanized? Welded or screws

C4Ranch · Jul 10, 2015

Plain ol primer. Screwed right in place of the boards. Looked really nice

SandburRanch · Jul 10, 2015

Treat the end grain, bolt holes and any area that touches metal with torched on paraffin.

two_bit_score · Jul 10, 2015

clemsonfor said:
Sorry to dissapoint guys

I guess i should or written it like re-deck or replace deck or something to avoid dissappointed parties who inadvertantly clicking my post :thumbsup::laughing:

I also thought it said 'redneck' but it's a good thread and lots of good info. So :thumbsup:

crazyal · Jul 10, 2015

I would suggest putting end grain sealer on your boards before installing them. It'll keep the moisture from leaving and entering though the ends of the board and reduce the chances of the wood splitting. The ends of board dry much quicker than the face. When that happens the wood shrinks faster on the ends than the center leading to check (crack) on the ends. Once your wood starts to check the wood now has more places for water to enter. Each time it does it reduces the boards life.

I think if I was redecking a trailer I would look into using something like cumaru decking. It'll last for the life of the trailer and will be much stronger than pine. It'll be heavy though. The stuff is probably one of the stiffest woods on the planet. At about $6 a square foot it's not going to be cheap but never having to do it again kind of balances it out.

woodskiff · Jul 11, 2015

Hello..I'm in the process of re-decking my 18' trailer. The original, (2005), PT 2x12's were checking and had rot. While I have it stripped down I'm going to replace all the wiring and paint my frame. Etrailer has everything needed. I am not going to fasten the boards with the screws again,plan on using Galv carriage bolts with a bracket under the steel cross deck rails. Not sure if I want to replace the 2x12s with 2x10s yet.