Trailer deck life

[bambam31]

I bought a new 20’ trailer less than 5 years ago. I’m disappointed that I now have multiple rotted boards that must be replaced. The trailer lives outside in the weather but so does my deck at my house. I even put a few gallons of Linseed oil on it twice. Maybe I’m being unreasonable that I have to replace 30% of the boards on my occasional use trailer.

 

[DustyRusty]

Do you use the trailer in the winter when the roads are salted? Salt will destroy wood quickly. I have no idea of what wood the trailer manufacturer used when the trailer was manufactured. In the old days, truck bodies were covered with white oak planks, as well as other hardwoods. They lasted forever. Back then, the underside of the body was painted with a heavy weight oil to protect it from the enviorment and the salt. The top side was untreated, so it would be safe to walk on. The boards were about 3" thick, and held down with carriage bolts, with the ends of the bolts deformed with a hammer after the nut was tightened, to keep it from backing off.

 

[mcfarmall]

Replace it with rough sawn white oak. "Treated" lumber is junk unless it's treated with creosote.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I've built a lot of trailers in the past 3 decades, and still have one with the original PT deckboards, in fine shape. They're OLD lumber( 30 yr+-) NOT new ones. 'they' don't make good lumber out of trees anymore,even so called #1 grade is maybe old '#3' at best. that's the first problem.
2nd is install and maintenance. You MUST treat the ends and any cuts with 3-4 coats of preservative AND be sure there's a gap between the boards ! ANY 'standing ' water will eventually rot a board.
3rd. clean the trailer top and bottom !,keep deck tilted,in the sun and wind. If it's dirty and under trees, moisture invites mold and bugs and rot......

 

[Thunder chicken]

Replace it with rough sawn white oak. "Treated" lumber is junk unless it's treated with creosote.

I agree with the rough sawn lumber. We cut a bunch of Tamarack (Larch) for a fellow who was using it for heavy equipment float trailers. I’ve also heard (surprisingly) that Poplar once dried makes a tough trailer plank. Plus, you’d be supporting a local Sawyer not the scam artists making up the retail lumber mafia

 

[jimh406]

I don’t know what your environment is like. Around here wood lasts a long time, but it is dry here. According to my trailer builder, most trailer boards are installed too tightly and have a tendency to never dry out. He does like to stain boards though similar to a residential deck.

 

[BAP]

Do you keep the deck clean? Dirt left on the boards will make them not last long. My trailer was built 30 years ago with pressure treat lumber and it is still original boards. Environment is pretty harsh here.

 

[old and tired]

That life in the south!!!! I've replace my deck 3 times since 2005... Just look at our forests, a tree falls and you can watch the tree disappear over time. We just replaced a deck on our work trailer that sits mainly under a 3 sided shed.

If you don't like doing that buy marine grade pressure treated wood for the deck.

 

[Motion]

Be reminded that all treated wood is not the same. I fortunately live around New Orleans and can readily get marine grade (.8 and 2.5 CCA) treated lumber ( rough and smooth), I use it for everything house sills, bulkheads, wood racks, trailers, wall plates, etc.

 

[PaulR]

5 years? <shrug> seems pretty good to me, but I live in New England.
Tried Messmers UV Plus on my deck I installed a year or two ago, seems to be working quite well.

 

[Donystoy]

The original spruce boards lasted about six years on my trailer before they started to rot on the ends. I replaced them with pressure treated and they have already lasted longer than the originals and are as good as when I installed them. Not long after I installed them they dried out and shrunk enough to leave about 1/8" between them which is good and allows them to shed water. I have 3/8" plywood sheets that I temporarily lay over them if I am hauling fine material.

 

[dirtydeed]

Wow. Hard to believe that you guys aren't getting more life out of your deck boards. I'm going on 16 years with my originals (oak). I stained them once (after about 7 years), and treated them to a healthy coat of used motor oil just last year. I'm planning on doing the used motor oil from now on maybe every other year.

I do make sure that there aren't any leaves or pine needles left on it over winter.

 

[old and tired]

...Leaves or pine needles left on it over winter.

That's what killed mine, it was parked under oaks.

 

[Steve Neul]

I bought a new 20’ trailer less than 5 years ago. I’m disappointed that I now have multiple rotted boards that must be replaced. The trailer lives outside in the weather but so does my deck at my house. I even put a few gallons of Linseed oil on it twice. Maybe I’m being unreasonable that I have to replace 30% of the boards on my occasional use trailer.

You would be better off treating the wood with tung oil than linseed oil however what would be better is if the trailer was decked with ground contact pressure treated wood. I've got one I put pressure treated wood on about 12 years ago and with the exception of a few oil leaks from equipment haven't treated it with anything.

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

@Old_Paint may have some scratched deck boards to donate...

 

[Old_Paint]

@Old_Paint may have some scratched deck boards to donate...

Believe it or not, I do have a sense of humor, and that was funny.

 

[Kurtee]

apitong is what you need if you can find it and afford it. Best wood flatbed floor out there. Comes from the Malaysian rain forest. The stands of it in this country were depleted a long time ago. The suppliers store it as logs and cut dimension lumber to order. When working with it if you get a sliver it burns. Heavy and strong

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

Believe it or not, I do have a sense of humor, and that was funny.

Lol! I was hoping you’d take it that way!

 

[Russell King]

See this website for a good discussion on grades of pressure treated lumber

Pressure Treated Lumber | Treated Lumber | Pressure Treated Lumber Houston Texas, Galveston, Port Arthur | Texas | Louisiana | Costa Rica | Gulf Coast Lumber

Gulf Coast Lumber sells #1 Grade Southern Yellow Pine pressure treated lumber at remarkable prices. From dimensional lumber to custom rough cut, we have the treated wood products for your project.

www.gclhouston.com

I know that the pressure treatment leaves the wood very wet and you can buy kiln dried after treatment (KDAT) but I have no idea what grades of KDAT are available.

Since you are in Alabama there are probably more local suppliers to your area with similar products.

 

[cliffboyer]

Have a 1997 utility trailer that has the original CCA treated yellow pine deck. Coat it every year with used motor oil. Boards are worn with cracks, but no rot.

I disagree with comment made about salt deteriorating wood. Certainly the metal fastenings can corrode, which in turn will damage the surrounding wood. Think they call that iron sickness.