Ohio Steel 5x8 Utility Trailer

Is it going to be stored outside in the weather? How mean to the sides are you going to be?

 

I've always heard to use marine grade plywood from the local marina. I've never done it but I've got a 4x8 trailer that needs a new deck soon. I put the last piece of treated plywood on it from whatever box store and its ROTTED OUT in about 10 years. It was stored outside and not always cleaned out.

 

Better check the price, you might decided against it...I did!

 

I haven't but figured about $100 for some 3/4. What was it when you checked and date?

 

It was $75 20 years ago

 

$129 at Menards

 

That's probably a decent price these days...bet the local lumber yard is $150+

 

Hmm, that marine panel at Menards says it's not treated against rot n decay...so what the heck is marine about it?!
The plywood I priced years back was marine grade, and they said it would hold up even better than treated...hmm.

 

Thanks guys. The trailer will be stored outside. I’m looking at doing 18” tall sides that will sit 6” above the steel rail. For thickness, I’m leaning towards 3/4” for rigidity.

 

You could prob do 1/2" below the rail and reinforce it with 5/4 or 6/4 above the rail. Just plywood above the rail would make me nervous.

 

10 years is pretty good. Marine plywood is pricey and not necessary. Save that for boats. Like Brenny said, use oil based paint.

I have to replace the floor board on my 4x8 trailer this summer. It's got a soft spot. All that he heavy aZz locust I've hauled probably have helped.

 

Now that i really think about it, that piece has probably been on there for almost 16 years but it's been soft for several now. If that's not half bad then maybe I'll do the same but take care of it better this time around. Maybe some kinda sealer now and again.

 

Made some progress lately.

I sealed the deck boards; top and bottom with some sealer from the big box store. Used a brush to seal the gaps between the boards. I’ll probably seal this yearly just to be safe. The deck is in good shape, just a few surface cracks from being outdoors.



Pulled the HD stickers off the fenders. A heat gun and a plastic scraper made quick work of them.


You have to look closely…I used some Goo-Gone and a plastic scraper to remove the adhesive that was left behind. Top area is clean; bottom not yet.


All set! Used some degreaser to make sure the surface was clean. Even hit it with a little rubbing compound to try to even out the color a bit.


Next up:
Pull the hubs and check the bearings.
Replace the chrome center hub cover on the “driver’s side” wheel.
Reach out to buzz-saw for some assistance on fixing/welding the pipe jack mount.

 

Go to a marine store and buy a flip down wheel Jack a lot easier on small trailer

 

Yes sir , can I help you.

 

Thank you! I’ll definitely reach out!

 

Great advice! That’s crossed my mind.

 

Replaced the hub cover on one of the wheels. How the one that was on there was biffed up like that is beyond me.


Other side cleaned up well with a little Quick Detailer and some 0000 steel wool:



Pulled the hubs and things didn’t look too bad. Someone was in there recently and hit the zerks with some grease. I’m going to order new seals and fully repack all the bearings just to be safe.


Took a tree down today and did the first haul. It performed well! Tows nicely behind the Ridgeline and doesn’t move around much over bumps; even when empty.

 

More progress! Ordered some OEM Dexter hub seals along with some aftermarket hub caps. The hub bearings were all in good shape and well greased. But repacked them with some good bearing grease just to be safe. The seals were definitely original as they were in there pretty good. I took pictures of the bearing numbers while I had them cleaned up. It’ll be good to have that info for future reference.



These screws worked excellent on a few deck boards that were loose. Drilling a 1/8th pilot through the board and then the metal made the install really easy. Found these screws at the local big box store.


Picked up a 1500lb swing jack and a hand winch at Harbor Freight. That jack works much better. I’ll still seek some assistance from buzz_saw as the pipe jack mount has a crack in the weld and is bent a bit.



Ready to hit the road!


Great day to load a sled! Rainy and in the 40’s. But we got the job done. That hand winch worked well. However, my u-bolt mount is proving to only be a temporary solution. For this to work correctly, I’m going to need to fab up some type of mounting plate. Oh, and using the 1/2” cordless impact to wind the winch vs the hand crank was a huge timesaver.



Loaded up and ready to head back to the flatlands. The trailer towed very well on the highway empty. Looking forward to testing it out with some weight on it for the return trip.

 

A quick stop for some groceries on the way home. The trailer tows awesome with some weight in it. And the first long loaded tow with the Ridge; did great as well. 250 miles this weekend and I’m really happy with the trailer.