Re-decking a trailer

[Daren Todd]

Boards were pretty rotten on my 16ft dove tail trailer. To the point where I went through it with the tractor

Replaced the decking today. And it really wasn't to bad to replace. The hard part was removing the old boards.

Then had a piece of flat stock steel and a piece of angle iron to remove that holds the boards down at the top of the dove tail.

After that it was just a matter of one cut on each of the 16ft boards. Then a matter of laying the new deck in. Then welding the angle iron and flat stock back into place.

Took six 2x12x16's and one 2x8x16 board. In this case I used pressure treated. Couldn't locate a saw mill close buy to get some oak. Only took 2 hours start to finish.


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[8upbowhunter]

Nice job, slap a little paint on that baby and it will look brand new[emoji848]


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[CaveCreekRay]

Very nice work Daren. Good for 20 more years.

 

[mickeyd]

Looks good to go. Good work.

 

[Daren Todd]

Thanks guys I'm actually gonna soak the wood in some Thompsons water seal at some point. Not gonna be this weekend though. Got too much on my plate.

Just got back from hauling a truck load of stuff to good will. Got the old deck hauled out back to the burn pile. Now I gotta hay the yard, weed eat the edges and around the trees. Then mow the ditch with the push mower. Blow all the crud off the walk ways and driveway. Then tomorrow, I get to go to my in-laws, Bush hog, weed eat, and mow there property. Then haul the Kubota, Bush hog, and box blade back to the house since I got some field mowing to do for the neighbors

 

[Tooljunkie]

About 8 years ago i used poplar decking -rough sawn. Still holding up other than the shrinkage. But yours looks way better. Nice work.

 

[bearskinner]

I just did the same for a buddy of mine. I might have suggested painting it with the wood off. It's a lot easier. Then stained the wood separately, once its dry put it back together.
The hard part is getting up the gumption just to do it!

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Unless they have improved the formula, Thompson's is a short term solution. Its not particularly UV stable, it lasts maybe a season, and its expensive when re-applied every year. Plus, it may decrease traction, especially with damp tires.

Once you get Thompson's on, getting paint to stick later may be an issue. A couple can's of Home Depot "oops" exterior paint mixed together would give you better and longer coverage for the price of one can of Thompson's. If you have any leftover, give the upper surface a second or third coat with a few days in the sun between coatings. That will give you super UV protection on the underlayers and a much longer trailer life.

Just sayin'

 

[tlefire]

Anybody using a 50/50 mix of diesel fuel and used motor oil on the wood?

 

[D2Cat]

I had rough Oak on a deck. I waited until the moisture pretty much evaporated (6 months) then brushed the wood with linseed oil. (I got the oil from the counties recycle depot. Where someone was cleaning out a garage and discarded paint, oil, etc. And would do so on a regular basis.)

I applied the oil several times over the years, always on a hot day. Never had trouble loading a 6000# trencher, and the wood lasted about 22 years, before one board caused grief!

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Len,

I used to coat my trailer every other year with whatever I had leftover in polyurethane. Park it out in the sun, let it dry a day, hit it with another coat... let it dry until it was all gone. After 37 years, it looks like fiberglass over wood!

A good penetrating oil would be a good choice. Hot day apps help get in in the wood.

LOL...

 

[Tooljunkie]

Was going to mention diesel and used oil but i youn know the enviromentalists are everywhere. Cant put used oil on a road, but new motor oil is ok. So new motor oil and diesel is what i will suggest.

 

[RCW]

Daren- nice job!


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[Cottonwood]

Anybody using a 50/50 mix of diesel fuel and used motor oil on the wood?

I rebuilt a deck and side boards on a trailer about 16 years ago with 3/4" treated plywood. Every year I soak it in drain oil with an old rag or brush, making sure the edges of the plywood get well covered. It's never spent a day inside and the wood is as good as new. No warping, and no rot. All I make sure of is that the deck is tilted, so water doesn't set anywhere.

 

[sdk1968]

Len,

I used to coat my trailer every other year with whatever I had leftover in polyurethane. Park it out in the sun, let it dry a day, hit it with another coat... let it dry until it was all gone. After 37 years, it looks like fiberglass over wood!

A good penetrating oil would be a good choice. Hot day apps help get in in the wood.

LOL...

i like this a lot! If another wood trailer crosses my path, will do this one.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

sdk,

Shortly after my wife and I got married (1980) we bought a house when interest rates were 13.5%. We had about $40 left each month after paying the bills and going to the commissary. I needed a bed for my motorcycle trailer. I figured out how to do it with two sheets of plywood.

I planned to buy marine grade plywood for the trailer but, I couldn't afford to. I could afford two sheets of 3/4" 7-ply interior and hoped that I would at least get five or six years out of it. That was 37 years ago! Doesn't seem a long time ago but, I hardly recognize the people in this picture, taken about the same time! Lol... Same trailer bed, same wife. I am money ahead! Hopefully, Daren's trailer will last as long.

 

[bearbait]

Nice job, around here the metal roots before the wood if not protected.

 

[D2Cat]

Ray, did those coats of polyurethane cause the deck to be slick?

Now you identify yourself as weird, " Lol... Same trailer bed, same wife."

This day in age, most guys wouldn't be satisfied with either one after 37 years!

 

[sdk1968]

sdk,

Shortly after my wife and I got married (1980) we bought a house when interest rates were 13.5%. We had about $40 left each month after paying the bills and going to the commissary. I needed a bed for my motorcycle trailer. I figured out how to do it with two sheets of plywood.

I planned to buy marine grade plywood for the trailer but, I couldn't afford to. I could afford two sheets of 3/4" 7-ply interior and hoped that I would at least get five or six years out of it. That was 37 years ago! Doesn't seem a long time ago but, I hardly recognize the people in this picture, taken about the same time! Lol... Same trailer bed, same wife. I am money ahead! Hopefully, Daren's trailer will last as long.

great story & thanks for sharing it with us!

good looking young couple there!

 

[skeets]

She looks pretty squared away,,,you ahhh not so much,,,lol