[AT] trailer deck

[szabelski at wildblue.net]

Andy,

Go with the treated boards or rough sawn oak, or better elm. Exterior plywood will delaminate over time. Even marine grade plywood, which uses water proof glue and is designed for outside use, has to be sealed to prevent delamination. 

If you can find somebody who has rough sawn elm that is your best bet. Elm will take a beating due to the way the grain twists and turns. If you’ve ever tried to split elm, you know how difficult it is to split. I’ve buried a lot of wedges trying to split it. There is a fellow I know of who has a contract with several local communities. When he cuts down an elm, he saws it into 1 & 2 inch thick board and sells it to trucking companies to line the bottom of their trailers. They can dump huge pieces of concrete into their trailers without worrying about busting out the bottoms of the trailers.

Carl


----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Glines <andyglines at hotmail.com>
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Sent: Wed, 13 May 2020 13:59:16 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [AT] trailer deck

I am salvaging the frame from an old pop-up camper to use for utility trailer.  The deck will be about 6' X 11'.  I can use 3/4" treated plywood or 1X6 treated boards for about the same cost.  Which one will do a better job?