Trailer refurb

   / Trailer refurb #1  

tld

Silver Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2002
Messages
205
Location
Boston, GA
Tractor
JD 2025r
A93406E3-1F6B-4329-A26A-07757FA1144E.jpeg

Here is a trailer I am rehabbing. 6x10 and at least 10 yr old.
New floor for sure. Has full 1 by 5 1/2 PT now. Would you use same or go with something else?
The boards are “trapped” on one end and 1/4 inch trailer deck screws on the other. There is a support every 24 inches with 2 deck screws on each board. 75% of the screws are coming out fine. Others twist off. Can I go back with same size deck screws in those holes, or do I have to drill new holes?
Thanks for your help.
 
   / Trailer refurb #2  
I have a similar trailer; it has 2in thick PT boards. On my trailer the back end will accept a 2in board under the "trap". If it were me: I would drill and use grade 5 carriage bolts with a nylon insert locking nut to keep the bolts from coming loose..

I treated my trailer with a deck sealer years ago because it sits outside. I use the trailer to move a lawn mower, bales of hay and bags of fertilizer or lime. These items do not wear the sealer off the decking.

My approach may be "over kill" but as I get older my time is more valuable than the cost of materials.
 
   / Trailer refurb #3  
Last time I did this, most of the decking screws broke off or I could not get good purchase on the head. The wood was pretty rotted so I cut the across the middle and yanked up and beat the pieces off. Some of the screws stayed in so I cut them with my sawzall.

I could have used decking screws but instead drilled through and used carriage bolts (I used to sell bolts and had a ton left over from my son’s Eagle Scout project making picnic tables). We jacked it up on blocks so my son could work underneath comfortably and tightened the lock washers and nuts.

I have a 16’ I was going to redo last summer but decided to wait until this time of year because wood prices are so high. They are still high so I might wait a little longer. I did look at Lowes but they had a limited supply and most of the 16s were not real straight. As a temp workaround I had some old used 2x6 and laid them 90 degrees crossways over the bad spots to temporarily reinforce them enough to hold my tractor weight.

I did see some YouTube videos where folks were jacking up the center of the new boards so they could bend and lay new ones without cutting up the lip weld. Seems easier to bend on the longer boards. I might try that when I get back to doing mine.
 
   / Trailer refurb
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I have a similar trailer; it has 2in thick PT boards. On my trailer the back end will accept a 2in board under the "trap". If it were me: I would drill and use grade 5 carriage bolts with a nylon insert locking nut to keep the bolts from coming loose..

I treated my trailer with a deck sealer years ago because it sits outside. I use the trailer to move a lawn mower, bales of hay and bags of fertilizer or lime. These items do not wear the sealer off the decking.

My approach may be "over kill" but as I get older my time is more valuable than the cost of materials.
I like overkill.
What would you use to get the rust off?
Any “best” primer and paint? Thanks
 
   / Trailer refurb #5  
I prefer to use the self tapping deck screws like came in my Big Tex trailer. Run a drill bit thru the wood, and into the cross-member, then run the screw in and your done. No need to have someone tighten them from underneath.
David from jax
 
   / Trailer refurb
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I prefer to use the self tapping deck screws like came in my Big Tex trailer. Run a drill bit thru the wood, and into the cross-member, then run the screw in and your done. No need to have someone tighten them from underneath.
David from jax
Can I use the old holes in the cross member or need to drill new?
 
   / Trailer refurb #7  
I like overkill.
What would you use to get the rust off?
Any “best” primer and paint? Thanks
For the rust scale I would use I wire brush. For the surface rust I would use a "rust converter primer". The converter will turn the rust back to steel and seal it. I would then paint over it.

You may have to buy the converter at an industrial paint store; I did. This is strong stuff that one needs to follow the safety guidelines. It will melt a foam brush and discolor galvanized steel. The picture below is not my picture, it comes from Lowes Hardware website. The picture is indicative of my results. The rust literally was gone immediately.

I am not sure of the brand I used. I do know when I talked to one of the "kids" at a big box store he looked at me like I was crazy. He went on to tell me that no such item existed.





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   / Trailer refurb #8  
I would clean the loose rust off and then use a product like POR-15 or Chassis Saver to coat and protect it.

You will not get the old screws out. You can try to break them off by using a driver, but I would just remove the old rotted boards and use a grinder with a cut off disc to cut them flush with the frame.

You can buy self-tapping screws at TS like these https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...drilling-screw-1-4-in-x-2-3-4-in?cm_vc=-10005 to screw the new boards down. Don't even attempt to use the existing holes. Just drill pilot holes and drive the new screws where you need to.

I use PT pine for these types of trailers. Just plan on re-doing it every few years.
 
   / Trailer refurb #9  
I use PT pine on my trailer floor. I also used hot dipped carriage bolts (don't want any more holes than necessary in the frame) for the middle and the ends are trapped. For rust, wire brush (or sandblast, but this has to be done right because of the wheel bearings), then rust converter, primer and paint. I use ospho (phosphoric acid) on light rust which converts the iron oxide (rust) to iron phosphate and makes an excellent primer. Ospho does not work on shiny steel, it needs the oxide.
 
   / Trailer refurb #10  
I am not sure of the brand I used. I do know when I talked to one of the "kids" at a big box store he looked at me like I was crazy. He went on to tell me that no such item existed.

I've had the same experience. Shortly after the DEF system came out I was in a big box store and a clerk came up and asked to help. So I told him I was looking for diesel exhaust fluid. He looked at me like I was nuts and turned around and walked away. (Probably thought I was just making something up)
 
 
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