Had to redeck my trailer

[clemsonfor]

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.

Too late for that. But the only real bad split started in the middle of a board from wide growth rings on board and a big knot on the edge.

 

[BuilderML]

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.

I second this, i was thinking the same thing:laughing:

 

[brown40]

The ends and crossmembers get wet and stay wet awhile every time it rains, condensation forms, fog sets in, etc... add the dirt washed into every open space and the perfect circumstances for deterioration to arrive. The deck bakes in the sun except where shaded by the steel on the ends, grass grows up into it between use. Trailers don't tend to get a decent home, cover, or preventative maintenance the way we would do a tractor, vehicle, boat or house.
I redecked mine with PT about 8 years ago, rebuilt the brakes, reprimed rusty areas and painted the whole 'naked' trailer. The deck is starting to dry out and show its age. I brushed the ends and deck with used oil when I installed brand new decking (be careful--its slippery when wet!) Of course if you sat me out in the elements 24/7 for 3000 days, I wouldn't fare too well either! I wish I had the space to store it under cover, but its not in the cards. The nice thing about having diesel engines is all the 'free' Oil-based products they provide. Tree-huggers despise the thought of it, but all the nasties in used motor oil will fill in those dirty and open spaces and discourage rot from taking hold. Lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, etc are great antifungal treatments.
PT is a wonderful way to force nasty chemicals into the minutes pores and spacing of fresh lumber, but more pores and spaces form every day, and water finds them, carries in dirt and spores, and washes away the PT at the same time. Wood is wonderful, but not eternal. Even PT needs maintenance and attention. Annual or biannual protective application--particularly where dirt accumulates and steel and wood make contact--will extend the deck life--for a while. If the owner doesn't fill the pores, nature will. I brush it--not spray--I don't want oil product anywhere but where I want them to go--plus brushing lets you work into the grain and saturate instead of misting the surface of creating a consistent film over an inconsistent surface.

 

[terryknight]

Have any of you, when re-decking (not rednecking) a trailer left gaps between boards? like a 8 or 10" board a 1" gap then the next board? it's a thought i have had, don't know if it makes sense. less wood, easier to clean, nothing gets stuck between board, and you could slide a chains, rope, strap though the gap to one of the crossmembers to tie stuff down. only issue i see is that the deck will now have gaps in i which could be a problem if something wants to fall through it

 

[GreenYellow]

Have any of you, when re-decking (not rednecking) a trailer left gaps between boards? like a 8 or 10" board a 1" gap then the next board? it's a thought i have had, don't know if it makes sense. less wood, easier to clean, nothing gets stuck between board, and you could slide a chains, rope, strap though the gap to one of the crossmembers to tie stuff down. only issue i see is that the deck will now have gaps in i which could be a problem if something wants to fall through it

I left a gap on the outside edges to allow for tie down to the frame. I did not leave gaps between the boards, and I'm glad I didn't. I've hauled several things that would be a problem with gaps. (Mulch, rocks, furniture with small legs, scrap metal, etc.)

 

[wildviking]

I have used a stain superdeck on my trailer and its 15 years old here in the northwest. I just use whats leftover from the deck staining. and even some mixing of neighbors stain makes it a bit slippery.

 

[brown40]

Have any of you, when re-decking (not rednecking) a trailer left gaps between boards? like a 8 or 10" board a 1" gap then the next board? it's a thought i have had, don't know if it makes sense. less wood, easier to clean, nothing gets stuck between board, and you could slide a chains, rope, strap though the gap to one of the crossmembers to tie stuff down. only issue i see is that the deck will now have gaps in i which could be a problem if something wants to fall through it

For decking you want to butt everything up tight--as the wood shrinks gaps will appear pretty consistently and reliably. Mine started tight, now a nail can fall through, except the head can't. I think a ratchet strap or chain could rip out the decking pretty quick if you wove it through. Butt them up tight, and in a year or two you'll have a fairly consistent ~1/8" gap appear when the wood seasons.

 

[LD1]

I left gaps in mine. Probably 1/4 or 1/2" when the wood was green. Now maybe 3/4" gaps.

My lumber was rough sawn, so gaps were not consistent when installed, but its a trailer deck, my tractor aint gonna fall through the crack.

Even when building a deck for a house or re-decking, I leave 1/8 gap. (I have handy spacers made from 1/8 angle iron and a handle on top). When the deck dries out, the gaps become ~1/4-1/2. Which I prefer. I dont like plinking the .22lr off the back deck, only to have all the shell casings fall partway through the gaps, and get hung up by the rim. I prefer they fall all the way through.

 

[crashz]

Mine has gaps. I think we spaced about 1/4" when we re-decked it about 20 years ago. Most of the boards are still pretty good, but very dry and splitting. Time to do it again.

But it has a slight twist in the frame, mobile home style axles (came from the factory like that), brakes are weak at best and on only one axle and its crusty. Its really time for a new trailer.

We have done nothing to this trailer but abuse it and expect it to work anytime we need it. And it has never failed.

 

[clemsonfor]

Mine has gaps. I think we spaced about 1/4" when we re-decked it about 20 years ago. Most of the boards are still pretty good, but very dry and splitting. Time to do it again.

But it has a slight twist in the frame, mobile home style axles (came from the factory like that), brakes are weak at best and on only one axle and its crusty. Its really time for a new trailer.

We have done nothing to this trailer but abuse it and expect it to work anytime we need it. And it has never failed.

But if your boards are 20 years old there the good CCA treated boards. I know of several trailers that are beat on and taken less care of than mine that are that vintage or older and the wood is a bit splitered and worn from loading things that have torn up the pine but the wood is no where near rotted.

Thats my point since there is no longer CCA treated 2x wood it does not seem to last as long. I know when they first started treating it those first few years after the switch there was problems. I think they had switched 5 -6 years prior to my purchase of the trailer so i would hope it was worked out by then but either the new chemical is that sorry or i did have a failure due to treatement or the chemical itself.

This new wood is a better quality (more growth rings) and looks better. And since were that much more into treating with the "new" chemicals hopefully they have learned a few things. I hope to get 15 years at least out of this wood!!!