Utility trailer load floor - Substitute for modern treated lumber

snipped-for-privacy@c3net.net fired this volley in news:fc1efad8-0f3c-41d4-ae2c- snipped-for-privacy@y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:

In my opinion, you should replace it with good BC grade exterior plywood, and, if you wish, slather both sides and edges well with zinc naphthenate or other brush-on wood preservative.

I can see no good reason why a trailer deck should _ever_ rot out, even if it gets wet. You dry it and keep it out of the weather. The deck gets crunched, punched, and perforated long before it rots.

I have two trailers. One is decked with 2x6 SYP -- twelve years old, in Florida, no rot. The other is one of the little HF-style "fold-up" jobs, about 4x8. It's decked with 5/8" exterior plywood. Twenty years old. No rot. The metal is darned-near shot, but the deck wood is sound, except for a little de-lamination around the edges.

The solution to the ACQ problem is to wash the mud off your (trailer's) undercarriage, and store it under shelter.

LLoyd

I'd suggest using the ACQ material, with suitably rated fasteners, but isolate it from the actual trailer frame with strips of something like EDPM roofing membrane between the ACQ wood and the trailer frame. You could also check with a call to a trailer manufacturer to see how they've already dealt with the issue.

If you want to and can store your trailer inside all the time, it never should rot out. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but personally I don't see the point in building a $10,000+ storage building to keep $200 worth of wood on my $900 trailer from rotting out every decade or so. My trailer sits outside in central Florida, with lots of rain and high humidity, dew 360 nights a year. I put a new deck on my trailer Monday. I used 2x10 ACQ lumber, with hot dip galvanized carriage bolts, I used vinyl siding (cheap) and roofing tar (on hand) to keep the planks from touching the frame of the trailer. Ask me in 10 years how it works out.

I use phenolic ply for the deck of my pickup trucks.It`s birch plywood bonded with resin.Parked outside all the time and no swelling or splintering.All the decent truck bodies are floored with it over here.About $60 for an 8 x 4ft x 18mm sheet.Fasten it on with self drilling c`sunk screws,very quick to fix.You also see it used for shipping container floors. Mark.

What about using 2x6 plastic lumber. The stuff that's made of recycled milk jugs etc. It'll never rot and shouldn't cause any problems with the steel trailer frame. Could cover that with 1/2" plywood to keep the sand etc from dribbling out.

I ripped that stuff in half and used it for the side rails on my trailer. I expect it to last longer than the rest of the trailer. The problem with plastic limber (besides the cost) is the weight. It is amazingly heavy. Could amount to hundreds of extra pounds on a trailer (compared to wood) if you used it as decking.

Vaughn

I did my 16 ft with locust wood a tad expensive but the wood will be there long after the steel rusts away batw

The plastic lumber is as expensive as the exotic woods, double the price of Pressure Treated Fir or Pine. And heavy, as mentioned above. And it's very weak and springy when compared to softwoods, and nowhere near the strength of a hardwood. You have to double the support stringers and still avoid placing any point loads between stringers. Everything is a trade-off, and there are many ways to do the job.

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I am sure you are right about the treatment leaching out and corroding any steel it drips on. I plan to inspect it at intervals and if it gets bad I may need to do something.

Carl Boyd

And to add to Bruce - The 4x4's are hollow. When you cut plastic wood you get a hasmat or pollution based waste that is very very stringy. It becomes a real mess. Non-bio degrade. Must be picked up.

If the ECO tree hugger (trees are replenishable) priced plastic below that of wood then it might be sold. I see of little value in it with the real lack of designs.

I saw a deck being put in on one of the DIY or like channel - they put down untreated pine as headers and stringers then plastic over that.

Meaning it all will be crap when the pine rots out.

Martin

Mart> >

If you want to have it last forever, install a plywood or steel floor and have it sprayed with urethane truck bed lining.

If you want a long lasting trailer bed that will handle some serious abuse plank it with live oak (evergreen version of the oak tree species)