Good day folks. I performed a search. However, due to my choice of search words or phrases, I did not come up with much.
I am about to replace wood flooring on a utility trailer and an equipment trailer. From personal experience and from what I have read here, I understand that White Oak (Q.Alba) is good for the floors.
I have a good deal of post oak (Quercus stellata) and sand post oak (Quercus margarettae) that is easily acquired and close to my mill. What say you about utilizing post oak for trailer floors?
Thanks, DanL
Woodland mills HM126, Stationary
white oak is rot resistant, but may be hard, and crack. Some here like cottonwood as the fibers crush under metal dozer tracks and swell back up with moisture. cover with oil such as linseed or used motor oil for down and dirty equipment trailers.
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Old Uncle Jerry.
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18-foot 2 x 10s for dozer trailer. CW.
Thanks
@doc henderson.
We do not have much cottonwood here and there is none on my property. A couple of local heavy equipment guys prefer white oak (Quercus alba) on their trailer floors for the durability. It seems that other woods available to them require more frequent replacement (i.e. downtime).
I am thinking that Post oak (Q. stellata), is typically only available through local mills. It is even tougher than White oak (Q. alba) and more rot resistant. My grandfather installed post oak heartwood fence posts in 1911 and several are still standing in that fence.
I was hoping someone here might have experience utilizing post oak for trailer floors and could share their experience.
I can get white oak and a couple of other good trailer floor species from my property but am considering the post oak as an alterative.
Thanks again, Dan
White oak would be my go to wood for trailer decking or bridge decking. But it is abundant here and of sufficient size to make lots of 1.5x8 or 2x8 and wider decking.
I think the white oak is great. the softer wood may last longer for very heavy steel tracked equipment as it gives rather than crack and split. Utility trailer for sure, and what type and weight of equipment will be on the bigger trailers?
These are my trailers and will only be carrying rubber tired zero turn and 60-70 HP tractor type machines with their 3-point and/or front-end equipment.
Post oak will work fine in place of Q.alba. Only difference might be the grade of the boards that you would get from white oak logs compared to grade from post oak logs. But the grade of the boards put on your trailer will be a decision you can make when selecting them.
Do you plan to saw the post oak logs yourself?
Post Oak should work fine. As Beenthere stated, select the best grade boards.
If you want a good preservative, soak your trailer decking in either used hydraulic fluid or used automatic transmission fluid. It's a great preservative.