DIY Offroad trailer Build - decking options????

[BuckRugged]

What are ya'lls thoughts for decking? 14 gauge steel is INSANELY expensive now. I have 3/4 plywood already cut for it. I plan to put a 30 gallon tank inside along with 2 105ah batteries. So need deck to be beefy.
Would plywood (rinolined underneath) stand up? Trailer will be garage kept so only see the weather when it's used.
Just having a hard time dropping $250 on a piece of steel 4x6 :L(

 

[ricoisme26]

3/4" OSB plywood sure is used for a lot of floors in homes, I think its sturdier than you give it credit for. Your trailer looks too small to have people inside and appears to have plenty of framing underneath the flooring. I think from a weight holding stand point plywood will do you just fine. Can't speak to how it will hold up vs solid metal, probably has more to do with how you take care of it than what it's made of.

 

[BuckRugged]

3/4" OSB plywood sure is used for a lot of floors in homes, I think its sturdier than you give it credit for. Your trailer looks too small to have people inside and appears to have plenty of framing underneath the flooring. I think from a weight holding stand point plywood will do you just fine. Can't speak to how it will hold up vs solid metal, probably has more to do with how you take care of it than what it's made of.

Yeah it's only going to be for transporting gear. An RTT evidentially will be on top. I think your right that 3/4 plywood might do the trick as long as I weatherproof it properly.

 

[opp1]

obs sure is used for a lot of floors in homes, when was the last time you seen the house go off road. maybe you should do a little bit of research on that ******** board. heavy doesn't have that much structural strength and can swell when it get wet. Any trailer that is coming to the shop with a rotted-out floor normally they have ******* board

 

[ricoisme26]

obs sure is used for a lot of floors in homes, when was the last time you seen the house go off road. maybe you should do a little bit of research on that ******** board. heavy doesn't have that much structural strength and can swell when it get wet. Any trailer that is coming to the shop with a rotted-out floor normally they have ******* board

I thought I made it clear that my comment was in regards to the strength of obs plywood and not its longevity in the application. I did share my own opinion that most stuff that rots out isn't properly cared for.

To BuckRugged, a comment on design if you do choose to use obs, I assume you will be laying it flat on top of the frame cross members? the area between the board and the top of the frame seems like an area that dirt, muck, and most importantly water could sit and cause issues. even if using metal for the floor I see the same possibility. Would probably be a good idea to try and seal it up pretty good OR leave space so that the area can breathe and you can clean out any debris post trip.

 

[Roam.Wild]

Mine is full pine plywood, sealed and painted. Holding up great after 12 months and about 3000 miles later

 

[Teardropper]

OSB will swell with moisture and never recover. I might suggest 3/4" CDX plywood that is saturated with two or three coats of thinned oil-based polyurethane. Fortunately, that stuff is back down to $40 a sheet.

Yes, OSB is used in the building industry of course, but code specifies where it is used and how it is protected from moisture.

 

[vtsoundman]

Use MDO plywood...or go find a good marine plywood. ACX is very prone to warpage and rot if not completely sealed.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[BuckRugged]

I thought I made it clear that my comment was in regards to the strength of obs plywood and not its longevity in the application. I did share my own opinion that most stuff that rots out isn't properly cared for.

To BuckRugged, a comment on design if you do choose to use obs, I assume you will be laying it flat on top of the frame cross members? the area between the board and the top of the frame seems like an area that dirt, muck, and most importantly water could sit and cause issues. even if using metal for the floor I see the same possibility. Would probably be a good idea to try and seal it up pretty good OR leave space so that the area can breathe and you can clean out any debris post trip.

I was thinking an undercoating or bedliner like "Raptor" or "Rhinoliner" for underneath. Install plywood, tilt trailer back and spray the hell out of it. Get in all those nooks and crannies.

 

[billiebob]

OSB is a structural panel needing full protection from weather including all edges, OSB is only better than plywood because it has no voids. Any "glued wood" product needs frequent recoating. Simple to do but still needing to be done. I prefer regular paint over Rhino liner which is intended for metal. And I prefer a solid wood, ie lumber plank floor.

Sealing the bottom only traps moisture entering from above, far better to plan for a "flow" of moisture rather than trapping it.

My trailer, the OSB BOX is OSB on the exterior but fully glued and screwed and I sand/recoat the stain every year. The floor is raw 2x8 planks, 15 years old and weathered, checked and shrunk but still solid. Check out a semi trailer flat deck, likely raw lumber and often over 20 years old without ever being painted, just raw lumber exposed to the weather top and bottom. We often over think the process.

OSB is a great building material, very easy to machine, simple and cheap. Paint it BEFORE screwing it down on both sides and all edges. If you need a joint, buy T&G flooring OSB.... glue the groove and hammer it tight..

 

[vintageracer]

Look at JM Huber "Advantech" sub-floor material. It's an engineered wood product for sub-flooring in homes that I have used for floor replacement in Airstream, Avion and Argosy trailers. I have had a piece of Advantech in a barrel full of water for over a year with no change in the board. It's available at you local Home Depot/Lowes.

It's worth a look!

 

[gatorgrizz27]

Lots of not great info in here.

#1 the OP never mentioned OSB, someone else brought it up, don’t consider it.

#2 marine plywood isn’t actually “rot resistant”. It uses waterproof glue and has no voids for strength, but Okoume (and Meranti to a lesser extent) will rot if not properly sealed (fiberglass and epoxy.)

#3 any plywood not fiberglassed will eventually “check”. It doesn’t really affect its strength or rot resistance if it is properly sealed, but will take on a cracked appearance.

#4 I have a trailer that I put a sheet of 3/4” pressure treated plywood on back in 2011, and coated one time with Rustoleum oil based paint. It has sat outside year round in FL weather and is still solid, though it has checked.

There’s also no real reason to use 3/4” other than it does help prevent warping. This plywood is a good choice for a finished look as it doesn’t have knots and is actually smooth and flat as opposed to sheathing. It uses waterproof glue and we have built outdoor cabinets with it sealed with marine spar varnish, and then painted with Sherwin Williams Pro Industrial Multisurface Acrylic paint.

Cabinet Grade Plywood Panel (Common: 23/32 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.; Actual: 0.688 in. x 48 in. x 96 in.)-1077486 - The Home Depot

Made from pruned, plantation-grown Radiata pine logs for fewer knots and consistent appearance. For flatness and stability, these panels are laid up on composed cores using exterior PF resin. Manufactured

www.homedepot.com

Another option would be something like a 5mm luann panel covered with a very thin aluminum skin like they use on enclosed trailers. The skin will dent and puncture easily because it is on the outside of the frame with no backing panel, if you had the wood directly behind it impact resistance would be much better.