Rotten wood on flatbed utility trailer...Best way to fix?

[fortunate1]

16 foot tandem axle, rated at 7000# total load (incl. ~1100# trailer wt. )

Some of the original wood is soft, so I want to replace it. But both ends of the 2 x 10's seem to be covered by welded channel - not bolted down.

How do you go about securing the new wood? Do I need to cut & re-weld the channel to fit in the last piece? Never had to do this before, so excuse the "newbie" question.

 

[Rams-n-Hogs]

16 foot tandem axle, rated at 7000# total load (incl. ~1100# trailer wt. )

Some of the original wood is soft, so I want to replace it. But both ends of the 2 x 10's seem to be covered by welded channel - not bolted down.

How do you go about securing the new wood? Do I need to cut & re-weld the channel to fit in the last piece? Never had to do this before, so excuse the "newbie" question.

When I did my 20 ft about 10 years ago, I cut out the old pieces, and once the new pieces started getting tight, I bowed them in the middle. Might be a little harder on a 16 ft trailer. I was able to do it without any cutting and rewelding. It's not real easy, though.

 

[R C Cola]

Floor repair

You have it right, cut a notch out large enough to remove the largest board and slide them out one at a time. Then just reweld the peice bck in the slot like the big boys do it. Or for a permanant cure, if the wood is still pretty good you can get diamond plate and cover the entire floor one time with 1/4 or 5/16 depending on the strength needed if weight is not a problem.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I special ordered one of my 16' flat bed utility trailers with a treated wood floor. Also, I had them leave off the rear angle so I could slide things off the rear without it hanging up on the angle and the wood floor replacement would be easier. The treated yellow pine 2"x 6" boards are secured with 3/8" carriage bolts at the rear. The trailer manufacturers don't like to do this since drilling the holes takes more time than laying down a piece of angle and welding it in a few places.





BTW, this trailer is about 15 years old, has been outside all those years, and the wood floor shows no sign of rotting.



Bill

 

[fortunate1]

Thanks for the replies. Guess I need to get some PT wood and cut some steel channel!

Next, let's discuss trailer tires and brake controllers!:-laf

 

[testraub]

Rather then PT wood, why not try TREX. Should last a lot longer.

 

[p-Bar]

Rather then PT wood, why not try TREX. Should last a lot longer.

The problem with TREX is there is no structural integrity to it. Unless you have alot of steel supporting it ,at least every 16".
All the flat bed truck manufacturers use a wood called Apiton not sure of the spelling. Your hardwood lumber yard can get it for you. Leave plenty of spacing for swelling

 

[bighammer]

I've seen some Trex that has not outlasted pressure treated lumber. Maybe it's improved since then, but I would stick with wood.

 

[BFoughty]

Yep that method works on 16' trailers also. I put a new floor in my dad's trailer... never hauled anything with it and then he had it stolen. They got a good trailer for sure.

 

[PToombs]

Apitong! All the new Talbert trailers we get have it. Sure is tough stuff! $



You could cut the boards, slide them in to each end. Then bolt a 2 or 3" wide strap over the seam in the middle or where the cut is.

 

[JKinney]

Here in Maine, I buy rough cut hemlock, directly from a mill, I keep the deck coated with engine oil.

 

[Simplysmn]

what we did to a buddies trailer was cut the back angle piece off take all the old wood off remove screws that hold it down ,Primer and paint both sides then lay the new 2x10's in place screw em back down with new screws then reweld angle iron back in place Easy As Pie