I have a friend that was telling me he would give me a deal on an unused trailer he has but it will have to wait until spring because it is parked about 100 yards out in a lot that is currently about 5 feet deep in snow. He said all is good on it because he went through it before it was parked, but he knew it wasn't going to be used much so did nothing to the deck and a some boards will need replaced and deck sealed. Also we have a 5th wheel trailer at work that needs a couple boards replaced and deck sealed and can be worked on any time but it has to be done outside. What do you have for ideas to replace them with and to treat with. Do you go treated lumber, wait for it to dry, then seal-do you go treated and seal immediately-do you go SPF and seal right away-do you pay through the nose and get oak decking and seal-what sealant do you use, commercial water seal or make a homemade mix of either diesel/oil or diesel/oil base paint-what is the lowest temperature you would trust applying the sealant without it causing issues?
Either green treated lumber or some sort of rough sawn hardwood. I have never treated any of mine. As long as they aren’t left with wood chips or dirt inside them the boards last quite awhile. 10-15 years at least on green treated before a board or 2 will break at a knot
We use rough sawed oak on our lowboys/hay racks & they last 35years +. I use an old broom & put old motor/hydraulic oil on mine.
Our flat bed trailer had treated lum6 on it, got it in 2007. Finally had to replace it in June '20. It hauled logs/scrap iron/equipment...don't remember ever putting anything on it If you really want it to last, get some white oak boards, sawn in the winter, put them on the trailer, wait until july/August when it's hot, and put several coats of diesel/used oil blend on it, a few days between coats. We did a trailer like that, floor lasted probably 25 yrs or more.
Usually equipment trailers for heavy stuff they use oak boards that are not treated. Smaller stuff even into gooseneck size are usually pressure treated pine.
Do you want it functional? Or capable of lasting.? use green treated if you want functional. use apitong if you want it to last. Brazilian Apitong 5" Shiplap Trailer Decking
Here I was thinking put treated down and haul vehicles and equipment on it, it will eventually covered in oil and fluids
Most of the commercial trailers are apitong wood. for weight to strength, good reason it’s on semi and commercial trailers.
Most treated wood these days sucks and even fluid soaked will rot. I put diesel/oil on my first trailer deck it was treated as well. That deck lasted + years before 60% of the boards had rot in them and I replaced them all. That was 08 when I bought it. We were still pretty early on in the replacement chemical for CCA and there were many competing formulations. Nothing lasts like the CCA stuff. Even that stuff that wasn't ground rated lasts laying on the ground.
Do not use pressure treated lumber, use hardwood. treated lumber will create a galvanic type corrosion. https://www.ussteel.com/documents/4...9-adaa-6e0a-de38-b552944f7a56?t=1604458476292
