I had to get a loaded dead dump truck on a low boy this afternoon. With the lack of steering I couldn't keep it on the rails and ended up turning about 25% of the decking into kindling. I don't think that I had this forum to ask last time I had to re deck an equipment trailer. I am a little curious about what the community thinks is the best wood for this. Generally, because I am in Hawaii, I prefer ohia. Or silver oak, but, I have had about 3 helpers that have been taken out by silver oak sensitivity or allergy. One of those was one of my sons. I have a friend that swears red gum eucalyptus is the best locally available. I have never tried it, but think I might give it a go. What do you guys prefer?
I prefer old-growth Alaskan Yellow Cedar. But getting Yellow Cedar on the BI would be like me trying to get red gum eucalyptus in Alaska. There are some beautiful eucalyptus with the crazy rainbow bark, along the road, driving through Kaloko.
I use import wood so you can look for it there. Apitong is some tough stuff. This is who I got it from, they ship to Hawaii. https://www.trailerdecking.com/Hawaii.html Left to right, boards treated with their fancy oil, natural boards, and the rotten oak I was replacing. I put it on the front deck of the 20 ton also. It is workable but tougher than oak, and for sure more rot resistant.
My goodness. There was probably an indigenous pigmy family living underneath that Apitong tree until you decked your trailer with it. .
I used oak on my gooseneck back in the early 90s and treated it with aged engine oil. I cant believe how it has lasted.
I took a run at it today with the 120, it is not indestructible but plenty tough.
I ordered decking from this morning for our RGN. Decking, screws, and stain, shipped right to the shop. I guess we'll see if it was the right call.
Too bad you don't have any trees up there to cut down. What was the total? $2-3,000? The last trailer deck screws I got were pretty spendy.
We have trees, just not the right ones for trailer boards, lol. I got 2 extra each of the different boards, it's 1.75" thick by 7.5" wide, 15' and 17' long. So, with the four extra boards it was a little under $2500. I thought that was more that reasonable for apitong. We'll see in a few years if I should have used oak.
I think you will be happy with the apitong. It has held up really well for me. That is what is on my current lowboy, I think I have had this trailer for about 5 years and it looks the same as the day I picked it up. I had a trailer with oak that held up good also but when I got rid of it a few boards were cracked. I have not priced any lately but that sounds like a good buy.
Well, this will be my last post on this thread. I'll be starting a new thread on the I-beam replacement project we now find ourselves involved with after pulling the old decking.
That does not sound good.
One thing leads to another. Sigh,…
Could be worse, it's the short "junior" beams that are rotted out. There are 30 of them, they are pierced through the center main beams, and butt welded to the side rails.
For sure. Way better than a main beam. Sounds like a lot of cutting, grinding, welding, and painting before the decking goes on….
Who orders used oil and diesel fuel?
???
You won't find better stain then some firm of oil and diesel fuel, I even have it on my pool deck
It does work amazingly well. I also like Chevron Shake and Shingle oil, but it’s getting ridiculously expensive.
Use red diesel and ATF for a real nice red tone
Not only expensive but in some cases hard to find. A cedar fence is the best thing to test wood sealers/ preservatives on. I tried shake/shingle oil didn't even make it a season, tried just about every brand. Preserva Wood is the only one I've found that lasts, oil base. Any water base is a waste of cash.