Now we pretty much use it only for hauling fertilizer tanks that are strapped down. The amount of penetration is determined by the qualities of the species and the treating process. I'm shopping for a car hauler/trailer and trying to figure out eactly what I want. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Stunk for a good while, but it went away. I've seen a number of the commercial builders offer trailers with wood decks. Would Recommend a Wood Floor, It WILL have a Much Lower Level of items trying to move; Compared to a Steel Floor!. They put in something called Shark grip that gives you plenty of traction. I've had both and actually prefer metal. Another NATM member, Blackwood Lumber, offers a decking product that falls between the lumber and rubber categories, making use of both. The following types of flooring options meet the necessary requirements but serve different needs and are offered at different price points. I live in Colorado so it dries out but doesn't rot. Wish I had one for local tracks vs. the enclosed. Aluminum decking is a desirable option for trailers because it is lightweight. I had a 18' metal dovetail steel trailer with no side rails and it was nice. The purlin is place with nominal 1/4" between purlins. Original owner. Depending on the application an aluminum deck trailer is used in, the deck may be slippery in adverse weather conditions if no additional changes to the deck are made. Traits such as durability and dependability have long made steel decking a popular choice in trailer manufacturing. People wanted both for all the same reasons here. This leaves it more vulnerable to rot and decay. Images provided by Logan Sartain of Blackwood Lumber displaying some common trailer flooring options, as well as illustrating some common trailer floor damage. Had both, Will never own a metal deck again. Ponder that metal deck under the hot sun Just replace it with 2x6 boards, but get a 5 gallon bucket of Thompson water seal (for decks) and a mop, it takes me about 10 min to stick a coat on my 16 foot utility trailer and it's good as new. I will haul heavy awkward loads a lot and I am afraid of it cracking the boards all the time. Being made of rubber instead of lumber means these products require additional trailer frame and cross bracing when replacing lumber decking. Scratches in the paint must be touched up or they will begin to oxidize. If I had it to do over again, I'd go steel. John Deere 790, 300 loader w Ken's Bolt on Hooks & Piranha tooth bar, grapple, back blade, box blade, Bush Hog mower, couple of red tractors, hay equipment, various old stuff some red, one orange, some I don't remember. I am looking at several 18 ft car haulers for towing my toys and cannot decide between a wood or steel floor. Come join the discussion about towing, PTOs, reviews, attachments, modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Check out the load trail trailers that Rigsbee auto parts has in knightdale. In the trailer industry, oak decking is referred to as rough oak for a reason. ive had both and like wood alot better. If your not going to be hauling skidloaders or any other type of machinery then it might be ok. JavaScript is disabled. I love it for hauling seed and scooting pallets, I have both, the steel is nice for sliding things on and off from sides. It was easy to maneuver things to tie down but I have had a small utility trailer with a wooden deck for over 10 years and its still in great shape and has a lot more traction. It can get slick if wet or loading alot but that is usually pretty easliy cured by throwing some sand on it. "He did find out quickly that he loved doing it, but hated teaching it. The 4" purlin is 1.5" thick so it will fit as a replacement for a trailer that was built with a wood floor. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Well, forgive me for being unknowing, but how much weight difference are we talking about? I have neighbors that would get pissed with all the chains and noise if I had a metal deck!!! - ManglerYJ, Wood Quietier tie downs, lighter, can be replaced easier, Cheaper in most cases. I have an open-center Kaufman with diamond plate steel on both sides. Rust not only has a negative aesthetic look, if not addressed it will weaken the structural integrity of the trailer. The greater the depth of penetration, the less likely it is that the protected boundary of pressure-treated wood will be breached. LOKT takes the guesswork out of trailer decking, consistently providing quality boards. 87 Samurai, well about 1/2 the frame and 1/2 the body, the rest in pieces scattered around my garage. The tradeoff for these non-lumber materials is weight and stability. "Get it line-xed. When it gets wet and if you have something that you have to drive up on there it is slicker than crap. The SPIB grading specifications were developed for the building and construction industry and are meant to grade lumber on its strength when used vertically. With Blackwood, the structural integrity of the board is maintained, and traction and durability are added through the rubber infusion. The labor costs associated with repairing steel trailers are often more expensive than similar repairs on aluminum trailers because steel trailers must additionally be repainted after repairs in order to prevent rust. Steel floors are slicker than owl poop too(walking or rubber tired equipment) Steel floors are much heavier and are usually warped or wavy even when new. For a light trailer like an 18' car hauler I like a steel floor. Cost will also be an issue with steel, so for me its wood decks everytime. For those wanting to get more life and use out of their trailer deck, there are a few premium upgrade options. Knots create weak points in the board while wane gives rounded edges instead of flat surfaces and sharp corners. This system gives lumber a grade with number one being the best and number four being the worst. IE: will rain make the steel floor any more slippery than a wood floor (for securing objects) while trailering in wet or winter conditions? No green grass here, with snow forecasted off and on for the next week plus. It would appear that buying number one or number two would provide higher quality, more useful trailer decking, but that is not always the case. The rubber infusion also helps protect the board from heavy impact and the suns UV rays. The customers intended use, price point, and durability factors all come into play when deciding which flooring material to use for a specific trailer build. Have you thought about aluminum?I have fitted ally to mine,a lot lighter. Aluminum trailers tend to be more expensive than steel trailers. NATM members such as Shelby Trailer Flooring and Rumber are both decking products made primarily of rubber, not lumber. Treated lumber has an extremely high moisture content when new. I use the trailer for alot more than just the jeep. We have mostly ponderosa pine here. For more information about Blackwood Lumber, visit www.BlackwoodLumber.com or call (903) 705-6982. ). This makes it easier to find usable boards. This may sound simple enough, but there are many flooring options on the market and decisions in this area can be more complicated than originally anticipated for trailer manufacturers. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Not only is aluminum corrosion and rust resistant, many trailer towers find aluminum trailers easier to pull because they are weigh less, which also translates into better fuel economy. Wood gets really slippery to foot traffic when wet.. Congrats on the trailer.. A forum community dedicated to John Deere tractor owners and enthusiasts. If you have skinnies on the front of your car, they can go through old boards if you're not careful. it really is bad if loading on a side hill. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Wood seems to be a better choice for my needs. My first instinct is go with steel however I recently loaded a buddies steel decked trailer with his implements and they slid everywhere. The deck is a diamond pattern so does offer some traction. A 200 pound ponderosa log can be super tough to work with. Blackwood Classic keeps the exposed lumber strips for those that like the classic look. It was extremely slick. JavaScript is disabled. (You must log in or sign up to reply here. I'm trying to figure out if I want a steel deck or wood deck. Having diamond plate or hot rolled sheet over a wood deck will give you a little cushion against shock loads (droping heavy objects). I have done this several times. I will probably have a shop reinforce the fenders so that we can haul round bales of hay on it occasionally and not worry about smashing them. Oily leaking scrap yard motors also make a steel deck deadly slippery. Another vote for wood deck. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo, 99 & up 7.3L Power Stroke Engine & Drivetrain, 99 & up Upgrades and Aftermarket - 7.3L Engine, 7.3L IDI Diesels (Not Powerstrokes) 1988-1993, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Bruce. What do you guys use and whats your opinion? But, a steel deck coated with truck bed liner (a friend has one) works great and eliminates the slipping issues. I'm sure plenty of you guys have a car hauler of some type, whether it is a trailer or truck. The cell structure of SYP that allows it to absorb treatment so well also allows it to warp and twist if not properly dried after treating. Wood is good for no noise! Aspen/Poplar or even Douglas Fir decking is fucking dirt cheap comapared to sheets of steel. I have a wood deck 18ft trailer that gets treated with Thompsons water sealer once a year, and the wood is holding up great. Is that a V65 sitting there next to your Camaro? Almost like ice. It has a wood floor that I painted with an industrial floor paint that I got at Sherwin Williams. Little pricer than others its size with a wood or expanded metal, but the savings on weight alone sold me. This will haul my 2025R and any attachments I want just fine. Thanks for all the replies. than lodgepole too. JavaScript is disabled. I ordered my current trailer special and had them put the cross members 12" spacing instead of there standard 16". Not sure if it was just cheap wood from the manufacturer or because I have to keep my trailer outside as to why it rotted so fast. A forum community dedicated to all Ford Diesel owners and enthusiasts. But that's not a big advantage, as I don't get my ATV that muddy. If you keep the steel painted and clean it should last as long as the rest of the trailer. At suggestion of a friend I put 3/4" plywood over my wood decked trailer, has worked out well for me. Anything we put in it will slide right out with the hydraulic lift. This would help them from sliding around so much. It's all split and stacked. After looking at trailers for months I decided to pull the trigger today. Aluminum is typically not as dense and strong as steel, causing some experts to argue aluminum trailers cannot withstand the stress of trailering as well as steel trailers. laid them out and painted them several times in the hot sun with a mixture of old motor oil and kerosene. It is nice that you don't have to worry about paint but it is noisy when moving chains and slick as ice when wet or muddy. Otherwise they wanted to slide all over the place. Our wood floor trailers hold up good with just a coat of linseed oil every few years this is the same way we care for the flat bed semi trailers at work. Will last forever too, espicially since I undercoated it when it was new. Home, Trucks, Trailers & Recreational Vehicles, The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo, Medium Frame Compact Utility Tractors (MCUT), Large Frame Compact Utility Tractors (LCUT), VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. I love my diamond plate and IMO it's better that wood. 2022 TractorByNet.com | TractorByNet is a registered trademark of IMC Digital Universe, Inc. Other trademarks on this page are the property of their respective owners. Years ago I also had a car trailer with a wood deck and a dove tail. Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by CayoRV, May 21, 2011. Boy I am surprised. AT4X versions of the GMC Sierra and Canyon. Blackwood Lumber offers three products: Blackwood Classic, Blackwood Pro, and the recently released Blackwood Max-Trac. I'd go with the steel deck if the price is the same, maybe Line-X it if you are not going to be hauling alot of stuff that would scrape the liner off. 04 Ram 1500 qc KPD60 AAM11.5 4.88's bilstein 9300s. Loud, Slippery as hell even with a coating on it. Unlike SYP, oak is typically cut with a band saw rather than a planer. I also had a short debate with myself about the deck but was concerned about the slipperiness and scratching if I slid loaded pallets or implements across it. NEW RIDE: 2011 SRW F350 Crew Cab / Black / <1000 miles:lol: -- Front light Bar with 4x HID lights (2x 4" and 2x 7"), smoke bug deflector, chrome fender trim, and chrome window visors. Strapping down vehicles on a steel deck trailer in the summer isnt fun to say the least. The steel is about $250 more. http://www.rumber.com/boards/flatbedtrailer.html. Privacy Policy. 2017 3038E; RC2048, 4' Box Blade, Forks, 5' Rear Blade, 2017 Z920M. They both are enclosed but are used daily. The wood in my utility trailer rotted out in three years so I am on my second set of boards as of last summer. It depends on the intended useage of the trailer. Cat is taking some time off for testing. i spent more than that on wood. I need a used Winters shift for a standard pattern TH400, its for the wifes drag week effort. Was raining when I went by the trailer dealer and the metal just seemed too slick. I had a tilt bed trailer with steel deck for a skidsteer in the rain or snow completely unusable. Im set on an 18ft with dovetail. Get the steel for sure. I bought that car trailer new because it was a good price but I guess when you don't care about your welding, you can sell it cheap! Douglas fir is desirable because it contain many attributes not found in SYP. I have a wood deck and just replaced the wood with treated 2x10s for about $80. 97 Jeep Wrangler with some goodies, 06 F-350 Cc Lariet six0h IDP Tunes 180mm Injectors EGR welded ARP studs MBRP 4inch exhaust, 79 f-250 4x4 sled puller 472 big block:flipoff2: My trailer is 100% aluminum, the deck being some kind of extruded aluminum channel like stuff, and I have a big old beach towel for laying on when I need to strap things down in the desert or whatever. Rough oak is less uniform in shape than SYP or Douglas fir. The surface of Blackwood Pro is fully covered by the durable rubber. I have two trailers with steel floors. But wood is much safer IMO. KISS. Been looking at getting a decent new dual axle trailer. It will rot out at some point but sealing it will make it last a long time. Come join the discussion about PowerStrokes, performance, modifications, troubleshooting, towing capacity, maintenance, and more! LOKTs specifications are tailored for the trailer industry to provide stronger, longer lasting boards and less downfall. The non-lumber products both have their pros and cons as well. You are using an out of date browser. This is what we do on lift gates and it holds up fairly good being used every day. Floors shall not be permeated with oil or other substances likely to cause injury to persons using the floor as a traction surface. Plus the wood is less expensive. I was wondering if there is a preference, pros or cons, of having a wood deck or a metal deck. Steel is very, very slick for loading and hauling. I now it requires a bit more structer under it to keep it up but you'd only have too put it on once. Steel deck is good for stake body trucks or dump trailers that you want stuff to slide out of. Its 10 years old, has had a ton of different things in it from numerous yards of road base, dozens of trips to the local landfill with you name it in it, dirt, rock, as well as many cords of both split, rounds and log length wood in it. It takes a beating but has held up extremely well. Location: 910-Miles from the armpit of the west. Simply install as you would a wood floor, set the spacing, and weld the purlins to the cross-members. A forum community dedicated to drag racing drivers and enthusiasts. The trailer alone is just over 3,000 pounds. Is steel worth it or am I overthinking the replacing boards? that being said i still perfer wood just like i said die to all the noice metal makes. OR, as mentioned above, paint with sand in it seems to work really well, and would be very cheap. What do you guys think, what would you prefer on a utility trailer, a wooden floor or one with that expanded metal diamond shaped stuff? 3025e, D160 loader, Artillian Grapple, Forks, Hoe Bucket, Frontier Land Plane, Rotomec PDH300, Redline Systems 54 inch rock bucket, Heavy Hitch. It is used primarily to haul a tractor with implements, so not a light load at all. I do not like steel. Apparently, as with every grade level, there are those who sign up for a class and have no interest/ability to learn." Blackwood Max-Trac has raised, arrow-shaped cleats for maximum traction. The availability of oak is not as prevalent in North America as SYP. LOKTs features include minimal knots and wane, and precise moisture levels to minimize warping. Tymar intake, BTS @240,000 miles. As I knew when it dried, it was going to shrink. It is cooler, lighter, and easier to replace. Here are my next questions. The PT will be a bit slippery until it weathers a season or 2, but much better than steel. I'm building a 6x14 tilt bed as we speak, and it will get a PT wood deck. Spend the money now on a steel deck or you will spend the money a few years from now replacing the wood deck..but then you are still left with a wood deck. I think it was a poor welding job but I was not too enamored with the wood deck surrounded by a metal frame either. traded the headache rack for four stake pockets, opted up to the 9,990lb GVWR, bumped up to the LED lighting, removable fenders and a steel floor option. Best of both worlds and keeps the trailer lighter than a full wood deck. tire chains and metal decks < tire chains and wood decks, '97 f450; 24v cummins, zf5, 19.5s, no stickers, no smoke, no stacks, no bullshit. Got great deal on it and couldnt be happier. I would also go with the wood deck, things dont slide and easier to add tie downs and replace as it ages.