My utility trailer is wood and has lasted over 10 years now. JavaScript is disabled. Tougher than expanded metal but prone to rot and splinters for little kids that like to play on them. You posted on my post a minute ago but I'll respond here. The surface of Blackwood Pro is fully covered by the durable rubber. Wood is lighter and cheaper but I don't want to replace boards if we haul an awkward load. I ordered my current trailer special and had them put the cross members 12" spacing instead of there standard 16". i got all the steel for my trailer for 100 bucks or less. Nice, low maintenance, but does have some drawbacks. Come join the discussion about towing, PTOs, reviews, attachments, modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! The balancing act to load equipment was terrible. Can break but usually not a big issue if the cross members are. The steel is about $250 more. Those aluminum trailers are really nice. 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. One drawback to this method is you have the wood underneith the steel, holding moisture, consequently eventually deterioriating both materials. Steel is much more slippery/harder to keep loads from moving. For an anti skid surface put down a coat of paint then cover with black coal slag (any place that has sand blasting supplies will have it) after that dries you can put anouther coat of paint on top to help it stick. Well today was the day! When hauling some things it is nice to be able to screw chock blocks down to the wood floor to keep something from moving even if is tied down. Best of both worlds and keeps the trailer lighter than a full wood deck. Privacy Policy. Having diamond plate or hot rolled sheet over a wood deck will give you a little cushion against shock loads (droping heavy objects). Come join the discussion about trail reports, builds, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, fabrication, drivetrain, and more! A forum community dedicated to all Ford Diesel owners and enthusiasts. Not sure if it would be a good choice, it does weight a bit more that lumber does. Here are my next questions. You are using an out of date browser. In the open-top and livestock trailer industries, the most common decking options are southern yellow pine (treated and untreated), rough oak and Douglas fir. They offer a wooden deck and a steel deck. I have owned a tilt deck steel bed car/open trailer and currently own a wood deck utility trailer. At suggestion of a friend I put 3/4" plywood over my wood decked trailer, has worked out well for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. He has re-treated the deck a few times over the years, and it holds up fine. Im set on an 18ft with dovetail. Unlike SYP, oak is typically cut with a band saw rather than a planer. This system gives lumber a grade with number one being the best and number four being the worst. The amount of penetration is determined by the qualities of the species and the treating process. Rust not only has a negative aesthetic look, if not addressed it will weaken the structural integrity of the trailer. Ive got a 6'x10' aluminum trailer that i highly recommend. Steel is always the better bet but with a caveat. A steel deck trailer usually weighs about the same as a wood floor unit, or within 50lbs on a 20' trailer. 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. Wish I had one for local tracks vs. the enclosed. the only thing i see wrong with that trailer is it only has brakes on a single axle.. That's a good point Justin, on the sitting/climbing. Is the grass still green there, or was a summer pic? It is widely available in North America as it is grown 35 percent faster than it is being cut which also makes SYP the most affordable decking product listed in this article. JavaScript is disabled. I live in Colorado so it dries out but doesn't rot. Otherwise they wanted to slide all over the place. These dense rubber products also weigh significantly more than lumber decking which decreases the cargo capacity of the trailer assuming all other features of the trailer remained the same. I love Lodgepole, this picture was from August of 2019. Blackwood is manufactured using treated southern yellow pine (SYP) and industrial grade rubber. i spent more than that on wood. This will haul my 2025R and any attachments I want just fine. Blackwood Classic keeps the exposed lumber strips for those that like the classic look. I know of a wooden decked trailer that has had the same deck for 30 plus years. Come join the discussion about racing, builds, pro mods, hot rods, events, turbos, nitrous, superchargers, and more! It has a bi-fold ramp which we've found to be pretty handy. Check out the load trail trailers that Rigsbee auto parts has in knightdale. I had a tilt bed trailer with steel deck for a skidsteer in the rain or snow completely unusable. 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. Oak is one of the only decking materials recommended for use with tracked equipment such as skid steer loaders and excavators. I prefer the wood floor. If your not going to be hauling skidloaders or any other type of machinery then it might be ok. with Valair Ceramic/Kevlar, manual hubs, 3.73's, 5.5" lift w/285 Dayton Timberlines, 2" DRW Spacers. I've experienced how slippery steel decks can get when wet and covered in mud from my buggy. The wood is definately lighter and save a bunch on gas. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. IE: will rain make the steel floor any more slippery than a wood floor (for securing objects) while trailering in wet or winter conditions? The PT will be a bit slippery until it weathers a season or 2, but much better than steel. I also generally like a wood decked flat bed better than steel. I have a tilt deck trailer with a steel deck. These factors make Douglas fir a more-costly decking option. 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. 99 F350 XLT 4x4, Crew Cab, 19.5s, Cummins 12V powered, with a few mods, SBC DD clutch. The properties making oak strong also make it dense and heavy, and the cell structure of oak does not allow for optimal chemical penetration and retention. THANKS for your Support! The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo, http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508537, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. How do they hold up to chucking big logs and tools and such into them? Probably a little slicker when wet, but I have never had an issue with it. I think it was a poor welding job but I was not too enamored with the wood deck surrounded by a metal frame either. Now we pretty much use it only for hauling fertilizer tanks that are strapped down. 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. I now it requires a bit more structer under it to keep it up but you'd only have too put it on once. They both are enclosed but are used daily. i climb on the trailer quite a bit and my friends like to sit on the sides. I had a wood tilt deck tilt trailer before this one and had the same problem with the zero turn when it was wet as well. For those wanting to get more life and use out of their trailer deck, there are a few premium upgrade options. Images provided by Logan Sartain of Blackwood Lumber displaying some common trailer flooring options, as well as illustrating some common trailer floor damage. On wood floor u can also nail/screw down boards for cribbing if you haul awkward shaped items. I have two trailers with steel floors. Any Fab that does not fit into another Forum, http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cnner/?start=20, http://www.offroadfabnet.com/forums/read.php?t=925, Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1. It gets as big around as a truck. You are using an out of date browser. 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. Looks better and lasts longer then wood IMO. I like metal decks for pallets or anything you may have to slide, for equipment it's not as good because it can be very slippery when wet or dirty. 1996 CC F350XLT SRW auto, 4.10, 2WD. 2017 3038E; RC2048, 4' Box Blade, Forks, 5' Rear Blade, 2017 Z920M. 274,000 miles. i would say you could build a steel deck lighter but it would depend on alot of diffrent factors. Plus the wood is less expensive. Rough oak is less uniform in shape than SYP or Douglas fir. The tradeoff for these non-lumber materials is weight and stability. Yep!!! No broken welds, no rust and still strong as ever. Weve used it more than we thought we ever would. I like to go 12" centers with the steel deck. Looks like you got some nice lodge pole there my friend! Thanks for all the replys. Penetration is the depth to which preservative chemicals are forced into the wood and is an indication of the amount of protection provided. It gets really slick quick. After looking at trailers for months I decided to pull the trigger today. Wood seems to be a better choice for my needs. I just had a new all aluminum trailer built this past Fall. I utilized 2x8 and 2x10 treated lumber as decking between the wheel troughs. This would help them from sliding around so much. Steel decked trailers are heavier, so you can put less of a load on them and still stay within their rated capacity. Wood is good for no noise! Thanks for all the replies. My new goose is wood too, don't see any of them in all steel, there may be something to that. I don't use the diamond plate, I use 4" purlin. 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. I was wondering if there is a preference, pros or cons, of having a wood deck or a metal deck. Anything we put in it will slide right out with the hydraulic lift. 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. It is super heavy though. We set his rear blade down and the trailer was not on level ground and it almost slid off the other side. Cat is taking some time off for testing. metal decks can be very loud and noisy. When I bought my 7K 18' carhauler I went with wood, for one main reason. I took some extra time fitting it, utilizing a plane to trim it for a tight fit. The lighter weight of the trailer itself often translates to a higher cargo capacity on a trailer with an aluminum deck. Our wood deck on our trailer that is about 8 years old shows no sign of needing repair or replacement. Not all trailer flooring and installation techniques serve the same purpose, nor do they last the same amount of time. It allows water to drain. The problem with what they offer is the wood is not pressure treated (PT). The purlin is place with nominal 1/4" between purlins. With Blackwood, the structural integrity of the board is maintained, and traction and durability are added through the rubber infusion. Has any one tryed using Trex, the recycled rubber board thats being used alot now for decks. As I knew when it dried, it was going to shrink. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Would Recommend a Wood Floor, It WILL have a Much Lower Level of items trying to move; Compared to a Steel Floor!. Common wear and tear and damage on a trailer deck. http://www.rumber.com/boards/flatbedtrailer.html. LOKT takes the guesswork out of trailer decking, consistently providing quality boards. laid them out and painted them several times in the hot sun with a mixture of old motor oil and kerosene. They put in something called Shark grip that gives you plenty of traction. Ah, noise is another! Like they have said it depends what you haul. Wood is easier to replace, but will also inevitably rot out. There are some negative aspects of aluminum trailer decking. Steel is the only way to go if you can and plan on keeping it for more than a couple years. This leaves it more vulnerable to rot and decay. View of the deck of a trailer utilizing Blackwood Lumber. Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by CayoRV, May 21, 2011. Blackwood Lumber in an agricultural application. For more information about Blackwood Lumber, visit www.BlackwoodLumber.com or call (903) 705-6982. The greater the depth of penetration, the less likely it is that the protected boundary of pressure-treated wood will be breached. Untreated SYP does not have this benefit. But I would never again own a steel deck that wasnt a dump trailer. If you keep the steel painted and clean it should last as long as the rest of the trailer. Long travel, Off Road .250 wall, Hi-performance, Pull truck, Drag race'n Bullet proof shafts! Rubber does not rot like lumber does, so it can last longer without treating or coating, and it offers better surface traction than typical lumber decking. The frame of it cracked at the dove tail joint the first time I tried to load my Chevelle onto the trailer. The trailer was rated at 7500lbs so it should have held a 3800 Chevelle without issue. Horizontal use, such as trailer decking, requires different specifications. Wood is pretty easy to slide stuff on too, the stability should come from the position and placement of your straps or chains. Gives me the traction of diamond plate where the tires go and the wood underneath for working on things. So my questions are A wood deck is for hauling equipment as far as I'm concerned. What do you guys use and whats your opinion? Cost will also be an issue with steel, so for me its wood decks everytime. I remember when he built the trailer. I need a used Winters shift for a standard pattern TH400, its for the wifes drag week effort. Last pretty well if not abused and kept out of weather or treated with something to prolong life. "Get it line-xed. If taken care of will last forever. As I knew when it dried, it was going to shrink. Another NATM member, Blackwood Lumber, offers a decking product that falls between the lumber and rubber categories, making use of both. than lodgepole too. The standard is provided below, but to oversimplify the statute in the CFR, a trailer floor needs to be well constructed with no holes, tight enough to minimize the ability of gases and fire to permeate it, provide some traction, and kept reasonably clean by the trailer owner. I've seen a number of the commercial builders offer trailers with wood decks. - ManglerYJ, Wood Quietier tie downs, lighter, can be replaced easier, Cheaper in most cases. If I had a better source I would go with rough cut 2" oak if you are going to abuse the crap out of it. 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. But, a steel deck coated with truck bed liner (a friend has one) works great and eliminates the slipping issues. 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. 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? Plus it has a nicer texture". I would also go with the wood deck, things dont slide and easier to add tie downs and replace as it ages. I took some extra time fitting it, utilizing a plane to trim it for a tight fit. Douglas fir is desirable because it contain many attributes not found in SYP. i have wood.. i park in under a awning and its probly 4 years old i have no complaints so far. It can get slick if wet or loading alot but that is usually pretty easliy cured by throwing some sand on it. 18ft wood deck with 5 inch frame. It is cooler, lighter, and easier to replace. I have a big tandem axle steel trailer with a wood floor. I don't believe it's to hard or expensive to add brakes to the other axle if needed. I went with wood because I figured that if I had to lay on the deck to strap down the Jeep, wood wouldn't be as hot on a 90 degree day as black steel. Its so easy to CSS. The problem with what they offer is the wood is not pressure treated (PT). I'm sure plenty of you guys have a car hauler of some type, whether it is a trailer or truck. Getting ready to make the investment and I'm interested in your input. I did the same with my last trailer and it lasted over 10 years. Kinda scary. Aspen/Poplar or even Douglas Fir decking is fucking dirt cheap comapared to sheets of steel. When attaching a steel sheet deck, you only need to stich weld the sheets to the framework. Almost like ice. KISS. Mine has 2 layers of 3/4" concrete form plywood screwed to every cross member. 88 ford ranger with SAS and turbo charged. Overhead view of a trailer with common wear and tear and damage. You can replace a piece of wood alot easier then a whole metal deck. Another issue with Douglas fir is sourcing as it grows much slower than SYP and longer length boards are more difficult to source. Loud, Slippery as hell even with a coating on it. If it was strictly for cars/ jeeps, then maybe I would have went steel, but I use it for anything that comes up, from furniture to scrap metal, and the paint on a steel deck would get beat to hell, it was bad enough cleaning up the main frame from scrap scratches. Southern yellow pine (SYP) may be the most frequently used wood trailer decking material. Think of it as an extra layer of security in the tiedown process. The wood in my utility trailer rotted out in three years so I am on my second set of boards as of last summer. 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. It depends on the intended useage of the trailer. Boy I am surprised. another thing i was thinking of is i have to hang off the side and strap the front of the car down.. yous have that piece of steel right in your side. 3025e, D160 loader, Artillian Grapple, Forks, Hoe Bucket, Frontier Land Plane, Rotomec PDH300, Redline Systems 54 inch rock bucket, Heavy Hitch. Treated wood is good, but with laws these days, it's really not enough. Are there any real pros or cons to consider when hauling a vehicle on a steel floor? This makes it easier to find usable boards. At least 2 screws per board, maybe 8. WAY MORE than just Drive Shafts, We are your Drive Train Headquarters! For a light trailer like an 18' car hauler I like a steel floor. I recommend wood deck. it really is bad if loading on a side hill. OR, as mentioned above, paint with sand in it seems to work really well, and would be very cheap. The 4" purlin is 1.5" thick so it will fit as a replacement for a trailer that was built with a wood floor. I am looking at a new trailer, and have reached a dilemma over the deck material. LOKTs features include minimal knots and wane, and precise moisture levels to minimize warping. I built a multi-purpose trailer 27 years ago for hauling motorcycles (it has three wheel troughs that run the length of it), the then garden tractor, and general purpose. The only steel is the axle, everything else it aluminum. Always consult equipment operator's manual and follow safety instructions before operating or servicing any tractor or equipment, or attempting any task. We also sell Spicer, Corbeau, PSC, Advanced Adaptors, ORI STRUTS, Currie, PRP, Crow, SOLID, RCV Performance, Mud Pro and more. 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. that being said i still perfer wood just like i said die to all the noice metal makes. I have a wood deck 18ft trailer that gets treated with Thompsons water sealer once a year, and the wood is holding up great. We have one trailer with an aluminum tread plate floor and dove tail. It has a wood floor that I painted with an industrial floor paint that I got at Sherwin Williams. 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 drop something sharp and heavy on steel it will dent and or go through the floor, Wood will take more of than kind of abuse. A forum community dedicated to custom off-road vehicle owners and enthusiasts. I decked the open center with pressure treated 2x12s soon after I bought it. The legal requirement for trailer flooring in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is not a difficult standard to meet. The SPIB grading specifications were developed for the building and construction industry and are meant to grade lumber on its strength when used vertically. The trailer alone is just over 3,000 pounds. Blackwood Lumber flooring providing enhanced traction. However, without an expensive process called insizing in which the wood is prepared for preservative treatments, Douglas fir does not absorb treatment well. (You must log in or sign up to reply here. Douglas fir is a more stable fiber, which leads to less warping than SYP. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. City/County Ordinances & State/Federal Laws Run Amok, The Task Force (55-59 Chevy Truck owners), Pasagetdowndena or Stinkerdener take your pick, (You must log in or sign up to reply here. LOKTs specifications are tailored for the trailer industry to provide stronger, longer lasting boards and less downfall. 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. I have a trailer with the common 2x6 or 2x8 floor, I rarely clean the floor but I have blown bark off with a leaf blower. Also the weight factor. I've never had a wood floor trailer but have heard good and bad. Apparently, as with every grade level, there are those who sign up for a class and have no interest/ability to learn." Was hauling the skidsteer with tracks this summer, one chain front and back, and it very nearly shifted off the side on one of them entering a field. I coat it about every 3 or so years. The downsides to SYP include its common defects such as knots, wane and warping. The direct wording of the flooring statute reads: 49 CFR 393.84 Floors - The flooring in all motor vehicles shall be substantially constructed, free of unnecessary holes and openings, and shall be maintained so as to minimize the entrance of fumes, exhaust gases, or fire. "He did find out quickly that he loved doing it, but hated teaching it. Little pricer than others its size with a wood or expanded metal, but the savings on weight alone sold me. A 200 pound ponderosa log can be super tough to work with. I've had both and actually prefer metal. It takes a beating but has held up extremely well. I do not like steel. In just a few months the wood looks terrible. If the steel has been galvanized, inspections for rust are not required as often. NATM members such as Shelby Trailer Flooring and Rumber are both decking products made primarily of rubber, not lumber. I would not want to go back to the steel because of the weight only. Sell them every day equipped just like this for $4074.