I helped rebuild a bunch of trailers with my old boss who was a retired Navy seabee carpenter, his trick for preserving wood was to lay the boards out on the driveway and go over them with a blowtorch until they start getting tan and a little charred then while still hot spray them down with linseed oil out of a pump sprayer, he would do a coat on each side like this. He said the boards would last 30+ years on ocean front property with salt splash etc as long as you hit them with more linseed once a decade or so.

Nice work sir. In the last 40 years, I have re-decked a few dozen trailers... 7 were mine, but many friend's trailers got the same treatment. If this helps, I have found that treated lumber fails just as fast as cheap wet fir, and has a nasty surface, so don't spend extra on it. The key is sealing, as you mentioned. Once installed and dried/shrunk, boiled linseed oil has proven to be the best sealant, at lease in my experience, especially down here in Arizona where the summer sun likes to destroy everything. The best results are to roll it on with cheap paint rollers, let it soak in, and repeat. It takes about a half hour for each coat to soak in on a warm day, and the first time will require 4-5 coats. Once it stops soaking in, you're done... just wipe off any wet spots and enjoy. It dries clean and is not oily like diesel or motor oil. If you follow this process every spring, it will only need 1-2 coats, and the lumber will give you at least 20 years of splinter free service. If you can get the underside done too, even better. Anyway, I hope this helps someone. Thanks for the great video.

@Derf1313

5 ай бұрын

BLO is old school, lol. But its better than what the government VOC rules have left us! I tend to thin with some mineral spirits, it soaks in farther & tends to leave a slight glaze on the surface.

@DieselArcher

4 ай бұрын

I 100% agree, the last treated re-deck on my tri-axle only lasted 7 years (Menards lumber). This time I used untreated lumber with oil seal. I also left 1/8” gaps for drainage and to allow future oil treats to get between the boards. 2 years now and it still looks great.

@MSTRnBTCto-the-moon

4 ай бұрын

Back in the day before people got all sensitive... We use to use a paint roller and used motor oil. After every oil change the trailers got a quick treatment.

@matthewpeterson3329

4 ай бұрын

@jerrycherini1708 Yes, people are too sensitive. Aside from that, the problem with using used motor oil is that it continues to transfer to shoes and tires for a long time, and that gets tracked into the truck carpet and shop floor. For heavy equipment, it's a totally legit option, but I wouldn't use it for a utility trailer that doubles as a patio when camping or a place the kids play or sleep at night. My two cents.

@MSTRnBTCto-the-moon

4 ай бұрын

correct, it was used for heavy equipment trailer and derby car trailer.@@matthewpeterson3329

Getting ready to Re board my 10 footer. Timing for me is perfect. The Wedge in the center is a great tip. 😎

You had some good tips. I have done this before and it can be aggravating. I finally switched to a steel deck because Treated wood is not as good as it used to be.

Nice work on the trailer. Looks really good!

Nice work Matt, enjoyed watching you work and the simplicity of the way you done it. I recently redone my trailer but I used plate steel for the dove tail to cut cost. The steel I had laying around on the farm.

Matt, thanks for putting a great video together. All your tips and tricks worked great.

Great video and the timing is just perfect for me. I have a small 6x12 that I have had for 20 years that I am going to modify a bit. The boards "aren't bad", but they are getting replaced anyways. This video has just saved this 65 year old old guy a bunch of headaches. With my current health status it'll take a little while to get done, thing is with your instruction it will go smoother. Thank you. Has anyone matched or beat Matt's reverse driving time down the hill yet?

this is the best trailer video

Very nicely done Matt! Thank you for sharing

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Very good video. Now I know what I have to do to replace the wood on my car trailer. Very useful information

Good job and well done!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

THANKS FOR THE VIDEO

We just bow the boards and slip the ends under the tabs Since all the treated wood comes wet, if you’re not in a hurry you can block/wedge all the boards in and wait for it to dry and shrink before screwing down and inserting last board. If you put them in wet and tight and live in a dry climate you’ll end up with 3/4” gaps when they dry out

@gordbaker896

4 ай бұрын

So True. Watertight on installation, daylight next day.

@TBJK07Jeep

4 ай бұрын

I did the same thing with my damn near same trailer 4 years ago. Took maybe 3 hours to replace mine.

@timothyboone5003

2 ай бұрын

Those 3/4 inch gaps will allow debris and water to easily pass through preventing any pooling of water and result in longer lasting deck boards.

@randyengle7691

Ай бұрын

We live in a desert so drainage and pooling aren’t that big a deal here (aka at all). Broom off the debris and we’re set😁

I like your spare tire holders. I did something similar with my trailer.

Nice vid. Thanks bro

For those that don't want to weld or cannot, you can actually fit the boards into 1 side, use wedges and weight to bend them, effectively shortening them, then slip them under the the steel on the other side. popping out the wedges is satisfying AF.

@MrMrsregor

5 ай бұрын

yea, i always that this was the normal way of doing it. but i guess that won't for for the small dovetail portion

good job look good

ah "Follow You From Beforehand" ....... ya ok then is that like: Leading from the tail-end? GREAT VIDEO!

Glad I have a steel deck! But good video!!

Just got a new car trailer doesn’t need a deck yet but thanks for the tips! I’ve decked smaller utility trailers but this is my first car trailer

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

You bet!

You wouldn't believe how many decks I've seen built by "professional" builders that don't know about the crowns.... I actually say Frowns down because it looks like a smiley face. lol

Way to stick with it like your quality of work 👌

Great video! Need to do the same to my car hauling trailer. Scott/The Bulletproof Garage

Great video as alway. Any chance you would share or tell me where to look to see better pictures of how the RTT is mounted on the trailer? Planning to put mine on the trailer also and looking at a couple different strategies.

Hint: 2X dimensional lumber is typically stocked in the lengths that the boards can be used for floor joists under the building code. Wider boards are stocked in longer lengths. And the deck will be more rot resistant if you use pressure treated wood. But pressure treated wood, can cause the steel to rust. The solution is a product called slick tape, which is a polyethylene tape with an adhesive on one side. you put the slick tape on the top of your metal crossmembers, to isolate them from the pressure treated wood. The cross members on either side of the tires on the vehicle you are going to carry, need to get screwed down solid. And you might want to leave a gap between the wood runners, just like a deck. The wood will expand and contract with humidity changes. If the planks are solid against each other, they can buckle up and break the screws.

@tchrishoward

4 ай бұрын

Yes on leaving gaps. I cringed when he pounded that last board in.

Very NICE Job Matt. I don't consider myself crazy (it's more from my "CDO" yes I meant "OCD" but "OCD" isn't in order do you see my dilemma) but I would have wanted the last board to fit tight myself knowing that as the wood dries out your going to have spaces develop in between the planks.

I had no idea about the crowns - great tip!! Also, what's with the video cover shot?

Great tutorial video On trailer deck replacement Matt. Couple of questions. Like fence boards, there’s a small gap between the boards. Why is there No spacing between the boards. Secondly, the board looked in good condition. Could you have repurposed all of the wood ? Great video!🤙😎

Everything you said was right on the money, with the exception, where you cut off the old bolts, you should coat it with some paint. I did my old trailer, with one exception, the same way you did. The exception was, I drilled holes all the way through and used carriage bolts and nylocks. But every thng else was the same, wait, no, I didn't cut all the baords, I used a crow bar and ripped the the boards off, the reason why(and your way is easier) I wanted to save as may of the boards that were not rotted, because I wanted to, and did, make some shelves in an out building. One thing I will always remember about it, was, it took 3 drill bits( I did hit some of the old screws) and 100 bolts and 100 nylock, and 100 flat washers! LOL. And, I am a fan of the motor oil, with a little diesel or kerosene (just to thin it up a bit) and yes, you have to wait till it dries good, and isn't all that easy since most trailers sit out and get rained on a lot. but, jacking u the tongue and layering some cheap tarps and weighting them down seem to help a lot. One tip for those wanting to use used motor oil, paint it on, let it absorb, keep doing that until it won't take any more, then, wipe off all the excess. At first, it'll be slick when it gets wet, but that goes away after some time. And repeat the process every 3 years or so.

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

ouch that seems like a lot of work to get under there and add nylock nots, but good tips, thanks!

I have the same trailer type. I used copper sulfate on all the ends and where I drilled but before screwing them down I put butyl joyce tape on the cross members that keeps the treated boards from reacting to the metal. When Done I painted the entire bed with the copper sulfate.

You could have run a metal strip up the center and drilled it for lights, this way if you ever needed to work on a rig you have up lighting.

Nice work, how much more would it have been to top it with diamond plate steel? I have a 16 foot trailer with a wood deck. One of the guys at the scrap yard dropped a heavy piece of scrap metal and took out three boards about 18 inches from the end of my trailer...thanks dude. I ended up flipping the boards tip to tail and adding a steel plate on the front over the broken boards. That was 20 years ago. Thompson water seal with a paint roller works for a quick job...just dip the roller in the pail and go.

Good video. I'm thinking the thumbnail was click bait.

Linseed oil works great on these decks. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

Same to you!

Greetings BleepinJeep, hope you, your families, friends and fans. Wish everyone has a wonderful Christmas, take care, be safe, and have a wonderful life!

R is for Rumber! 18+ years on the deck and it still is in good shape..

Great video! What kind of wood did you use for the trailer deck? Douglas fir (pine) or oak?

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

just pine

@jeffb1375

5 ай бұрын

@@bleepinjeep thanks for that info. I need to replace my vehicle trailer wood decking, it came with oak and I was not sure if pine or pressure treated pine would be sturdy enough. Have you had any issues using pine?

Who’s here after watching Erik’s video?

Nice job Matt, great tip on the crown! Most would forget or knot know that 👍 PS- is that thumbnail AI?

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

for now, A/B testing 3 different options... new YT feature

@JonnyDIY

5 ай бұрын

@@bleepinjeep ohh awesome I dont think they unlocked that feature on my channel yet. Thats a great idea. Ill have to check computer see if different than studio app

@markhowes126

4 ай бұрын

Except he is wrong. Out side edges of board will bend toward the side nearest where the bark was. I know I did it wrong for years. So you want the smile upside down if that makes sense.

Did those new screws go into the crossbeams? What type of screw? Thx…Bill

The first time I did this, I was tempted to leave a gap in the boards. Glad I didn't. They shrink up pretty fast.

What type of screws did you use? Did you pre-drill a hole in the angle iron?

Грамотный подход, к простым вещам! Красавчик!

Early on this one

Can we discuss the thumbnail? 😂

Hello, and thanks for the video. But wouldn't you want to seal the boards BEFORE you install the boards? That way you can easily seal both sides and edges? Good video though.

Never use Thompson's Waterseal. I have had to use it on decks, and outside stairs. It needs redone every few months, as it does not hold up.

matt, is there anything you can't do ? holy crap !!

If you use your trailer frequently and really work it: 2x4 or 2x6 on outside then 2 two channel irons each side ( not perlin...) depending on what you do with it (I haul automotive, ag and.construction equipment... HEAVY) where your wheels usually burden the deck. You will need to notch the channel iron to sit flush with your deck. Fill in the middle with wood. I have 4 trailers fitted with channel iron, works great! Currently channel iron runs about $100.00/20' money well spent. I leave about 1/4 " between each for drainage.

I was told by my local Home Depo to not use pressure treated lumber on any metal surface. The chemicals and arsenic in it will react with the steel and cause carossionand rot. The best, softwood is hemlock that is rot resistent. May only be avalible at a local sawmill. Of course hardwood is better but heavier. I used dimensinal pine boards and coated them with Home Depo Deckover paint, when dry is as hard as a rock. It is holding up longer than pressure treated lumber

Having no idea what I'm talking about, would it be better to weld metal plates on top? Im guessing the cost would be far more though.

I got a friend with a sawmill.. I only put screws in the middle of the trailer an sprayed it with a mixture of Diesel and used motor oil both sides before i screwed it all down.

I use a bottle jack to push the boards out from the center to screw them down. The gaps will open up over time.

What is the story behind thumbnail?

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

Trying some AI A/B testing on the new how-to thumbnails. YT now allows 3 images and the audience actually chooses which one will remain.

@MacsSpecialitiesMotorsports

5 ай бұрын

@@bleepinjeep Nice and interesting, I hope that figure works for the viewer and your channel! Thanks for the info!

Sure hope that treater is wet, if not, first good rain (or winter) will probably shear some of the side welds, lol! (Had a client decades ago who laid their own hardwood in some bedrooms. He didn't leave a gap at the walls, first unheated winter it pushed the walls half way off the foundation...). We normally leave a slight gap between boards when we build decks... But, at least yours will be better than most.

Hey Matt, sorry to say you got the wood grain/cupping thing backwards

@DarKMatter.1

5 ай бұрын

Yeah I’ve always heard bark side down = crown and bark side up = cup. Idk. That’s the way I’ve heard it my whole life which is backwards from the way Matt did it. I’ve got pictures of boards crowning and cupping in this same way too.

@talon0863

5 ай бұрын

If you look at the end of the boards on a deck then you will know for certain.@@DarKMatter.1

Should use raptor liner and cover the wood

Could you Haul all your gear on a 16 foot trailer? I have an XJ and I don't have a very big yard .

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

ya you could put an XJ on one, 16 foot would be my minimum though. 18 or 20 ft gives you more room for weight distribution to get that perfect sweet spot.

@donhappel9566

5 ай бұрын

Biggest trailer mistake I see isn't length, but axles. Most car haulers that size will have 3500 lb axles meaning a max load of 7000 including the trailer itself. A built rig will likley be over 5000 + your gear + the weight of the trailer at say 2000 lbs.... REAL easy to go over-weight. Sure the trailer might survive but anything happens and your insurance will tell you to go pound sand. Same if a cop wants to give you crap. My Discovery and 18' trailer come in at 8500 lbs - you wouldn't think it's that much but stuff adds up a lot more than you expect. Hence I have 5200lb axles under it.

@aaronb7990

5 ай бұрын

16ft Fits my TJ and my friends 700cc Quad sideway or 2xkids 80cc quads.

Used engine oil is the best, honestly, and it's free.

We call that a Beaver tail, a Dove tail is a totally different thing. You didn't look to have painted where you ground the old screws out, but overall a really nice job Matt.

@bp4887

5 ай бұрын

My trailer has a 4" drop rear like his 2" and I am friends with the owner of the company that builds my brand of trailer and they also call it a Dove tail

@H4rleyBoy

5 ай бұрын

@@bp4887 Not my fault you name stuff wrong over there is it? a beavers tail slopes down hence the correct name a dove slopes up, just search for beaver tail trucks or trailers kzread.info/dash/bejne/f5x-07ibabq_ZNY.html

How is it with your boards that tight together? I was told the gaps in the wood were for the trailer to flex.

@MrDeleoco

5 ай бұрын

Wood will shrink as it dries💡🤔

@RaneyOneTwenty

5 ай бұрын

@@MrDeleoco Yeah it could. I ask because when I picked up my trailer from the manufacture I asked why the boards all had about a 1/8" gap in between. They said it was to help the trailer flex and if they make them tight like Matt did then as the trailer flexes the wood pops and sounds like a gun shot. I'm no expert but makes sense to me.

@kevinjohnston1957

5 ай бұрын

The gag is to allow the wood to dry out. Two pieces of wood in contact will rot. Look at any home deck.

@MrDeleoco

5 ай бұрын

@@RaneyOneTwenty I can believe what you're saying is correct. He did jam them together 🤔. I've noticed that the boards on my trailer have shrunk to a point where the gaps are a little bit wider than when I purchased. But I can agree, that if he takes it out and does a loading twist flexing the bed, something may give way and pop. 💣 But for the manufacturer it saves time on custom fitting with reasonable margin.

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

there will be gaps once the PT wood dries out, its very wet still. see comment above!

Paint?

I see the application is still up on the site, you guys still reviewing private videos? Id love to polish my primiere pro skills and submit a few videos. I post every week rn.

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

Never hurts to try

@BlackAndBlueGarage

5 ай бұрын

@@bleepinjeep I'll put some things together. Happy belated birthday BTW

84 Lumber carries 20 ft treated lumber in stock.

I would think you could bend those boards into place without cutting the rear center piece.

You need a fireplace or burn barrel. Good j. Thank you 😊

That center board will probably fit if you could let the boards set layed out in place for a few days and they will dry out and shrink quite a bit.

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

aint got no time for that

@kellyhines5170

5 ай бұрын

@@bleepinjeep Yeah if you got time. who has that these days.

I bought my first trailer in 1986. There were no screws, the angle irons held them in and it was noisy as hell. When I re decked it I pried the boards out and put then in the same way, using a 2x to bend the boards and then slipped out he wedge. The last one was tough but it went. I'm getting ready to deck one this spring and it is screwed, but no dove tail and this time I will take the angle off the end because it's bent and I want re design and hinge the ramps better. Since the treated lumber dries out can anyone think of a problem using yellow pine and staining it with used oil? Besides fire! 😬🤪

Using green treated lumber is good, but it will SHRINK! Especially if you get it from Menards.

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

yes it will, thats why I put it together with no gaps. Shouldnt be a problem for a car trailer though, its not a masterpiece after all.

Forgot to add. Sure would be nice if trailer makers would space the cross members 16" instead of 2' ! They just don't realize so much weight is being supported most of the time by one board,in the position that the board is doing it's job in the weakest position that it's at it's weakest(laying flat). And, add to that, even more pressure is being added to the weight, when a vehicle is tied down, making it extra weight/force on the board(s).IMO just a cost saving ploy.

👌✌👍☕cz

What is the tool setup on the front of your trailer at the end of the video?

Screw party. 😂😂😂

don't you know if you bend your boards in the middle you don't have to cut any metal

I’ve done my trailers more than once, I only watched this because of the hot chick thumbnail.😊

Self tapping torx head bolts are far superior to Phillips head. Note i said self tapping not self drilling. Drill hole then screw in bolt.

SCREW PARTY? HUH? HEE HEE HEE

KZread educated! A tree pulls important growth stuff from the ground up through the wood to the farthest reaches of the tree. As such it primarily a bunch of straws that takes what is down below to up top. Water causes these straws or lack their of contract. Wood workers either deal with it in their design or ask for a controlled environment. Your trailer is not a controlled environment. So, that wood wood will attempt to swell and contract as the weather dictates. Metal is stronger than wood, so you are safe unless the wood outnumbers the metal. But where does swelling wood go it can't go anywhere? (I don't have an answer but something to think about). Also, wouldn't replaceable carriage bolts make more sense for the next time?

@Skyecyn1

24 күн бұрын

The wood is already swelled when purchased because the lumber is wet. It will dry and leave gaps.

I would have left a eight inch gap between each board where rain would not stand

@Skyecyn1

24 күн бұрын

The wood is wet, it will dry and leave some gaps.

@randytidmore8021

24 күн бұрын

@@Skyecyn1 If the wood is wet you're absolutely correct

Do not use wood for a trailer deck. Use galv hat channel covered by plastic deck boards.

Bark Side Down = Crown, Bark Side Up = Cup... you have it opposite.

Am I the only one waiting to see who the lady in the thumbnail was? I thought there might be a new addition to the crew...

like in the picture looks like your wife did a good job jk lol

Had to put on my glasses buddy. I swear in the thumb nail were a long brown haired woman with torn jeans.

You are wrong on how those boards will, the way you did it the outside edge of the boards absorb more eater and bow up and cup.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Remember everyone the real reason for Christmas. Jesus Christ 🙏✝️💪

Chainsaw works faster.

Clickbaited me hard

OR contact a local lumber mill and get some hardwood, that shit softwood from the box store can stay in the store. DO NO "wedge" the board together like this. ALWAYS leave a gap between each board because wood expands and contracts every season. WEDGING like this was pop the screws when the cup because of being "edged " so tightly togethers..

Your boards are too tight, when they expand they will be more likely to buckle. I gap mine withe a 6 penny nail so the rain doesn't sit on top of the wood

@bubba28904

5 ай бұрын

When that pressure treated wood dries out it'll end up with 1/4 gaps or more.

@chrischapman7452

5 ай бұрын

What he said lol

@NismoXero

5 ай бұрын

Yeah. That wood is soaking wet. It will have gaps when it dries.

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

ya they are very wet still, they will shrink a lot once the weather dries em a bit. I did that on a deck once with spacers inbetween only to have huge gaps once the wet wood dried out.

You’re incorrect about “crown”. As the wood dries, the growth rings want to straighten, and not curve more. So, you want the growth rings to look like a smile and not a frown.

@bleepinjeep

5 ай бұрын

never heard that one before, Ive always seen it the other way around for strength. seems like after a quick search and the internet is divided on the topic as well.

@DarKMatter.1

5 ай бұрын

@@bleepinjeepI’ve never done it the way you did either Matt. I’ve always heard bark side down = crown. Bark side up = cup. Idk tho. Everyone says different things about it. I’ve done quite a few decks and it’s been fine so far. Never a trailer deck tho.

Should have left gaps between the boards. It lets water drain instead of rotting the wood.

@Skyecyn1

24 күн бұрын

The wood is wet, it will dry and leave some gaps.

If that trailer gets rained on its going to explode! There will be a pile of steel laying in the driveway when that treated lumber swells up! Lol

@Skyecyn1

24 күн бұрын

The wood is wet, it will dry and leave some gaps. Treated lumber comes wet when you purchase it, not sure if you have ever bought or worked with it before but it will be just fine.

@danieldunham9978

24 күн бұрын

@Skyecyn1 it can go both ways its not soaked when you buy it it has usually been under roof. Anyway i was being funny you didnt see the lol at the end???

Where has Jeremy been? And also, are you using click bait photos now? Who is the babe?

I’m tripping right there was a hot chick right?

Who's the chick in the thumbnail picture???

I've been doing this for 40 years also alos I guess i must be dumb because I don't see the problem. Are you a later generation that doesn't have common sense.? That was some of the training, on how to acquire the knowledge to acquire common sense

Not that big of a deal, take some off, put some on. Simple.