If you have a tandem dual trailer the frame is quite likely to be 12-16" centers for cross members. Pine planks are common and are lighter than hardwood, lots of machines like skid steers are loaded on pine floors without any problems. If you think that it won't hold due to larger spacing of crossmembers tongue and groove pine properly dried and wedged in makes the deck an integral unit. Boiled linseed oil or a similar preservative will make it last if coated yearly and on both sides to seal out moisture. If access to better wood for the right price is available use it but hardwoods are heavier and cost more. Larger distance between crossmembers allows high concentration of weight to break the deck lumber easier on machines with smaller diameter tires as the lumber at certain points is totally supporting the weight. The only time our pine floors get broken is when machines are hauled sitting on the lumber only not placed on the crossmembers or when something is dropped on it like backhoe buckets teeth first.PK

 

Try a hardwood suplier... You should be able to get oak or maple pretty cheap. Maple is plentiful, and so is oak, plus fewer and fewer people are wanting oak woodwork anymore. Thankfully.

 

Waay too expensive as are composites. It shouldn't cost more than $200 to do the job!

 

Don't get it from a store goto a sawmill you will save lots of money and you'll actually get 2" wood and not the 1.5" you get at the lumber stores, if you can't find a sawmill just fall in behind a log truck he's bound to end up at one

 

As I suggested earlier, non-dimensional lumber. We cut our own to fit.

 

I believe thats the same as I was saying but if you notice what I quoted, he said he was checking at home depot, you can't get that there

 

We use maple hearts they last a looooooong time.And very durable.

 

For a wood trailer floor exposed to the elements, first choice is white-oak.

Beware of red-oak, or any oak other than white oak, as they will rot in less than a year.

A good alternative is to go to a big truck/trailer junk-yard and get the removable aluminum decking out of a triple-deck stock trailer.

Hickory, any pine, beech, etc. will not stand up to weather.

Contrary to popular belief, and the belief is quite popular, engine oils attack the lignium in wood and actually shorten it's life.

Buy rough-sawn white-oak at a mill, but plane it on both sides and square the edges to better shed moisture.

 

Any suggestions on what to treat the wood with? Is ATF really a good treatment? I'm more concerned with UV damage than water. Sorry, I'm not trying to steal the thread....

Thanks,
Travis

 

Ironwood works really well and in 1" thick demensions has the same capacity as 2x fir or pine. down side is its heavy

T&G decking helps keepthings alot straighter. Last trailer i redecked is going on year #6 iback in montana. and still is looking great I used 2x6 T&G Fir and larch decking . i soaked and covered each piece in a 3"x7" tub of sun frog decking treatment for 24-36 hours then left it in the shed to dry till all the other pieces were done. After all the pieces were done i coated the top 1/2 in a urethane (some left over basketball court stuff i had) and sprinkled large sand and (small) walnut particles they sank into the wet urethane and have provide a fair amount of traction.

hard part is when you put your deck screws in if you do em from the top side youll have to seal them and or they will be the first spot where rot will begin. but if you seal them if you have to remove a piece or tighten things up its a real bear.

A thought

 

I've used pine and oak, but I beleive the best for a heavy duty trailer deck is rough cut Cottonwood, nominaly cut to a true two inches.
As it ages, it doesnt warp, and it becomes hard enough that I have seen folks burn up 1/2" drills trying to make a pilot hole to nail through it. Its a very common in-expensive wood, but a real PITA to work with, so it isnt used that often.
If you use Cottonwood, it realy makes a diff to get it green and let it dry in place. Otherwise you'll burn up a good circular saw trying to cut it.

 

I agree with the white oak but only get one side planed just to make it uniform. Install it rough side up. Planed lumber on a wet trailer floor is very slippery.

I work at a saw mill and we make alot of trailer floor boards.

 

That I would have to see to believe. Either they're using the lowest quality drills known to man or the bits are dull. I drill through steel plate all the time and have never burned up a drill even with no oil at high speed.

 

White Oak is by far the best of the oaks and my first choice.

A saw mill is the place to buy it, way cheaper than Lowes or Home Depot.

Best treatment: Antifreeze. Just save it when you change out you vehicles, then use a hand sprayer to apply. It kills the little micro bugs that eat out the wood cells, allowing water to enter the wood, making it great for more micro bugs, more damage (rot) and on and on.

Just be sure to keep pets away from any standing liquid.

Good luck, RJR

 

Goes to show that you can still learn something once in a while.

Good point on the little bitty bugs. They are the real enemy.