trailer screwed

[Toy2]

Okay here it goes, my 16' Top Hat trailer wood floor rotted out??? I was walking on it and towards the end fall right through it....WTF??? trailer is only 3 years old??? They used white pine????? Anyway 12 hours later a new floor is done!!!!!

[jkilov]

Moisture + sunshine kills wood real fast.

Do you keep the trailer outside overnight ?

White pine !?

[Toy2]

Yes it stays outside, what gets me is the manufacture knows the crap is going to rot and make it a pain to redo. The hardest part was cutting the welds and trying to remove the front plate to allow me to install the new ones, plus the screws they used were rusting, and both ends of trailer under the boards was heavy with rust. So I had to grind that stuff off and apply a rust converter, then painted the areas before the first boards went on.
Tools used:
Skilsaw
Sawzall with wood and metal blades
Grinder with cut off and grinder wheels.
Sledge
Dremal with cut off
Hammer
Crow bar.

Plus had to rewire where I cut though the wires and I was careful.

[Summit L & D]

This isn't the best way to do this, but it worked.

I have a 14' landscape flatbed - BigTex. And just like you the floor rotted out and had to be replaced. I didn't have anything to cut the plate at the front of the trailer off, so instead I took a sledge hammer to the remaining boards and broke them out pretty easily. Then I proceeded to bend (with the sledge) about a 1' section on the far front left side up. Slid all the new boards in, screwed it down and beat the front plate back down....no welding, no grinding.

[Toy2]

Not sure why they just don't have a piece of angle iron bolted at the front, this way you just unscrew it and replace the whole thing.

I know I had 10' of good wood to use, but instead had to cut it out in sections to remove it??????

I just dumped it this morning, I intend to put used motor oil on the wood to avoid it rotting again.

[2k1yzfr1]

Did you buy the trailer from Guthrie?

[MHM]

use treated lumber and be done with it. Cut the bolts, cut one end of the old boards and remove. Then cut the new boards to length, insert one end bow the center up and insert the other end may need a second set of hands replace the bolts.

[Merlin300]

I just recently replaced a floor in a 16ft. I cut a 6x6 the length of the top of the floor. (Appox. 18") I stood the 6x6 on end in the area of the front tire. Put first piece of wood in the rail at the front of the trailer. I then bent the wood over the 6x6 and held it near the rear rail, where the wood slips in. Had a helper who took a sledge and hit the 6x6, knocking it out of the way. The 2x6 pops right in.

Hopefully this helps. I took us 15 minutes total from start to finish. No cutting or welding. Second trailer I have done like this.

[Toy2]

Yes it came from Guthrie, my Top Hat stickers started fading really bad, I e-mailed TopHat, a few days later had some brand new stickers. So I'm happy with them. It looks like they weld the frames, then floor them and then paint??? So no paint under the floor, just rust...

Not trusting the pressured treated, my deck was built last year using pressure treated, now when it rains I notice one board sucks up a ton of water, I tried Thompsons, that was a joke. I might end up using a toner of some sort to protect it.

I used the skil saw to cut away a section at a time, then came back and broke the screws off, cut the bottoms with the cut off wheel. I think I need to figure a way to avoid water getting into the sides, maybe a 45 cut piece of treated on top of the wood already there to keep water out of the rails.

[SNAPPER MAN]

I put artificial choice deck wood in my trailer and it was a very wise decision. Its the first and last trailer floor it will ever have.

[Toy2]

Here are some pictures, front bar that I had trouble with, plus new stickers, etc...

[The Captain]

What's the best way to treat the boards? Waterseal or old motor oil. I'm putting new boards down this week and would sure like them to last.

[Toy2]

I have put two coats of used motor oil on it, the wood shrank pretty bad which pissed me off cause of the gaps.....but use motor oil, its free if used and works the same..

[GravelyGuy]

Toy2, your trailer looks just like mine. Out of curiosity, do you remember what you paid for the trailer when new? They're expensive up here.

[Toy2]

$1400.00.......long story, but I bought it from a LCO that had it 4 months........he made the mistake of telling me what he paid for it......the dealer screwed up on the price...called him and tried to get him to return it or pay the full amount....his papers matched the trailer....so he told them they would have to pay him for his time to return or something like that....they sucked it up as a loss...my gain....great trailer..

[GravelyGuy]

$1400.00.......long story, but I bought it from a LCO that had it 4 months........he made the mistake of telling me what he paid for it......the dealer screwed up on the price...called him and tried to get him to return it or pay the full amount....his papers matched the trailer....so he told them they would have to pay him for his time to return or something like that....they sucked it up as a loss...my gain....great trailer..

Yeah, good deal. I paid like $2500 or so for mine after tax. I think they said it was on sale too lol.

The sides are perfect for hauling mulch and soil, but you can still reach over the side easily to get stuff.

[Chris B.]

Dp you have a picture of the floor after you applied motor oil? How big are the gaps now?

[Mike33]

My first trailer lasted long time, backing bobcat 185 up on and rear end fell thru boards. Talk about scare the crap out of you. We replaced all the boards and i added a few more cross brases. lasted 2 years and had some more to break. I don't know the answer of what to use.
Mike

[wanabe]

This is why I ordered mine with a diamond plate steel floor in it, along with extra crossmembers. Nothing bothers me more than rebuilding something that is not very old. But at least you now have a place for all your used oil!

[Toy2]

I will need to take a picture of it and post, I just oiled it again 2 weeks ago, plus I will make sure it shows the the freckin gaps....LOL.

Yes it is a nice tralier, I let someone borrow it to move some furniture, he told me to name the price and he would buy it on the spot.....I think he liked the look of the LEDs I installed...looks good at night...

[DUSTYCEDAR]

I LEFT my trailer for the loader sitting and the ants ate the back corner out of 2 inch oak now i have another project

[Chris B.]

Pictures of the gaps yet?

[Toy2]

Not yet, will post tomorrow evening.....gives me time to get good pictures....sorry for the wait..

[Chris B.]

Hate to be a bother, but did you get the pictures?

[Toy2]

Hope these help...

[Chris B.]

Those arent so bad, I thought they were gonna be terrible. (the gaps)

LOL, I had some 20'' wires about 7 years ago!

[topsites]

It don't make no sense, I've seen what you speak of on other people's trailers.

Mine's a Carson trailer, they cost a pretty penny new as I paid just over $1,500
for my single axle 6x12 but my boards don't look near the worse after 7 years.

[TXNSLighting]

Hope these help...

Interesting wheels...

[Toy2]

Thinking of putting spoke wheels on the trailer, give it a differant look........LOL


What got me was how tight the floor, about 3 weeks, then when it started drying out and gaps appeared, well was alittle po'd.......oil should get some more life out of the wood...

Just kidding about the wheels on the trailer...:usflag:

[mountainlake]

If you want a deck that will last find a local sawmill and have them saw up some white oak. That should last at least 20 years and is way stronger than treated. Don't use red oak, it won't last as long. Steve