My Trailer deck is in need of replacement. I am missing a few boards and bolts so I plan on buying some deck washers to replace the ones that are missing when I replace the wood. It has hex head bolts that are sucked in flush to the surface now? I was thinking of using galv. carriage bolts. Any thoughts? Anybody use ash on there deck instead of white oak? Plenty of ash around to be had.
Ash is fine if it sleeps under a roof. It won't last like white oak if used outside, probably split up worse too.
I would suggest bathing the new wood in linseed oil before the first thing is hauled. Coat it well and let it sit out in the sun for a day or so. Ditto on white oak, red oak is acceptable.
I always use apitong it will last forever The Torks bolts that flush mount are usually self tapping witch make them fast caribe bolts require more effort I don't know if one will last longer than the other
I've always used Oak and purpose made self tapping deck screws. You have to pre-drill them, but they are self tapping. The only thing I don't like about them is that they don't always "cinch" up. Meaning you can lean on them until the torx bit breaks off and they won't suck the wood down to the cross members. In that case, I back them out and use a C clamp to pull them tight to the cross member before reinstalling. It doesn't have to be too pretty for an equipment trailer. They get torn up pretty quickly anyway.
Ash wouldn't be preferred but it depends on local selection ask your sawmill guy what he thinks I like carriage bolts will never use those brittle torx screws again in a few years they have snapped and the boards are loose also with carriage bolts you can pull them in after the wood drys
Thanks for all the replies! I researched a little and determined Dad was right. Ash is not as decay resistant as oak. I think I will use carriage bolts. I am going to strip the deck then my brother is going to blast and paint the trailer
We went with 1 1/2 inch treated lumber last round … Cost was $ 275.00 for the 20 foot deck . Throw down some conveyor belt on the heavy track equipment .
All we haul is a Case Backhoe. Looks a little nerve racking load and unloading the excavator!! Not much room for error!!
Td trailer is awesome that excavator wont hurt it nothing to be scared of unless you can't level the deck side to side or its wet
Not a lot of room …. It's about like getting a free pass on the carnival rides .
Trailer is a 1951 model . Gooseneck has been modified to fit the Kenworth truck and added some tailboard pins to keep the excavator from doing the " Funky Chicken " when loading . Throw down some wood under the tires to level the trailer .
Pressure treated is terribly corrosive. Ash weighs less, but rots fast. Red Oak has hollow tubes in it, water soaks deeply into it whenever it rains. It rots fast. White oak if you can get it is the best choice. Black walnut, or black Locust last ten years longer than stone.
We first went with Hickory wood on the deck . It worked pretty good & was tough & had some spring to it . It lasted about 10 years out in the weather and would go back with it but it takes a lot of time rapping with the feller at the saw mill …… The time it would take to get a trailer floor cut I could carve out another bow . Was quick & simple to go with the treated wood for the low boy & save the hickory for building bows .
I redecked an old Hyster lowboy a few years ago, used 3"x.." Fir for decking, no screws, I formed 2"x 1/4" flat bar straps to weld over the deck boards. Deck is still there and the hold downs are too.
I redecked one of my goosenecks a while back and I just used regular 2x instead of treated. When the trailer guys wanted to sell me specially coated screws, otherwise the treating in the wood eats the screws, I decided if it eats the screws its probably going to eat my steel under the boards. I coated it with used oil, and parked it out in the sun to dry it a little. A little dirt on the deck makes it less slippery, and it looks pretty good now.
Yep, I redeck a few hay trailers every year with 1-1/8" tongue and groove plywood, we soak the bottom side with used oil, seems to work well, the topside we soak with Thompsens water seal. The hay buyers would freak out if the deck was black.
White Oak is the best value choice, unless you can get black locust sawn locally. Hickory is in the same range as Ash for rot resistance, not much. If it stays inside, that opens up lots of possibilities for good hardwoods, even cottonwood in a thicker plank.
Never understood how folks use Cottonwood. Cut a Cottonwood down here and it'll be soft as a pillow in 6 months.
So far I haven't noticed any trouble with the treated lumber rusting the frame its mounted to . We used treated tongue & groove lumber when we built the bed for the Chevy C-60 . Steel subframe was house trailer beams & crossmembers . That was 17 years ago . She aint fell apart yet
I bought a C65 in 2006. It was 30 years old, 48000 miles, and had been stored indoors. The PT deck looked OK at the time, but it was as fragile as styrofoam. The steel frame of the dump body had been given a plastic overhaul, and under plastic, and paint, there was nothing left. I rebuilt the steel, and replaced the PT with Red Oak I cut on my own property. I had enough 2-1/4" Oak sawed to replace it once. Hurricane Irene stole my second round of oak, and 9 years later it was again falling apart. I now have steel. It seems to be holding up well.
My 9 ton got decked with PT, and I heavily greased all the contacted steel with some old Texaco Rustproofing Compound L. It held up well for several years with no evidence of rust.
Well we got the old deck off the trailer. came off really easy do to boards being in bad shape. just cross cut w/ circular saw and tapped boards out to dislodge washers. I thought I was going to take a impact and just unbolt it... I learned real quick that was not going to work. I wanted to save the washers because there are about 200+ of them. On Ebay they are $1 EACH! So I called Southeastern Equip. (Eager Beaver dealer) And got them for $.35 each. First time ever dealer was the cheapest place! Now it is at my brothers to get blasted and painted before bad weather sets in. We have a big enough heated shop to back it into to work on it this winter.
Most trailer MFG's now are using Apitong wood on RGN's/Lowboy's. The wood is as tough as they come. My local lumber yard got some to redeck one of my trailers. Stuff even is not phased by sheepfoot rollers which will destroy an oak deck.
Is that material as good or better than oak for rot resistance?
Apitong is much better It is a dry climate here but I have a trailer with apitong that is over 20 years old
I had some of the small pieces that were to short to use I tossed those and the old oak that came off the trailer behind the shop thinking I might use the stuff else where[probably not in this lifetime LOL] after 10yrs on the ground the oak has had it the Apitong looks like the day I put it there
For the materials price, I could replace the oak several times and still be cheaper than Apitong. Labor and hassle would have to be worth a lot for it to be worthwhile. Also depends on the wear and tear you put the trailer through, in addition to the rot resistance. And by Oak, I mean white oak heartwood, red oak will rot as fast as most hardwoods.
I finally got deck replaced. I got White oak sawn locally. I make it nice that the trailer fit into our heated shop . I bought the deck washers from local case dealer for 1/2 of what they were on ebay. It was not a bad project to complete at all
The 1 1/2" thick rough sawn green white oak cost $525 total. Washers were about $100 and I bought the grade 5 2 1/2" bolts at Rural King bulk, maybe $80? Then I replaced the jack. It was old and the bottom slide out was jammed and did not come out hence the Jenga stack of blocks under it. I had $1000 or a little less in the whole project doing it all myself except I unbolted jack and a buddy cut jack off plate and welded new on for $20
Nice work rickw !
That worked out nicely rickw. Must say the oak should do just fine.
This is a rather complicated decision because I had a similar problem and in the end I had to sell my trailer...