Trailer floor lumber

[shortlogger]

Does anyone know if hickory makes good flooring for a trailer? I'm needing to saw some wood for my cattle trailer floor and I've got two big hickories down from a storm but I'm not sure how it will hold up over time . I'm assuming it will work good .

[shortlogger]

My other option is water oak,  I'm Pulling some nice ones out from around the river. 

[WH_Conley]

I saw Hickory for equipment trailer floors. It lasts good as long as the mud is kicked off it. Staying wet will shorten the life span drastically. Don't expect you will be able t keep it very dry with Cattle.

[Sixacresand]

I plan to mill some white oak for my trailer.  I hope to let it dry some and then apply burnt motor oil.   

[shortlogger]

It does more setting around than it hauls cattle , just a load here and there but there will always be ran on it .
I have a bunch of old oil I thought I might brush onto it when I'm done .

[pineywoods]

sixteen ft tandem axle trailers are very popular here. They come form the factories with 2X6 treated pine floors. Good for maybe 2 years if left outside. I saw a lot of replacement floors. My choice is post oak, followed by white oak. Red oak just don't last as long, and water oak ain't much better than pine. Soaking with oil/diesel mix helps..

[Magicman]

Sadly the Hickory will not last much longer.  It will seemingly last forever if covered but has little resistance to rot if exposed to the weather.  I would dry them as much as possible and then give all sides of the boards a good treating before installing them.

[Rural]

I have used hardwood (Maple / even Cherry) for decking on trailers and porch decks figuring it would last longer that softwoods but have not been impressed with how long it lasts even if "treated". On the other hand my pine (treated) siding is just fine after 15 years (little different application I know). Given the way some Butternut logs that I had no use for and left lay have stood up over that time I would use that if it had more mechanical strenth.
Next time I redo the trailer bed I am going to use 2" pine and, as previously mentioned , spray it with used motor oil ...... something I now do with any wood in a wet situation and which seems to help.
Hardwood / softwood....what is best for decking?

[WH_Conley]

That was what I said to Magicman. He informed me that was what on the trailer at the time and had been for 13 years. He poured motor oil on when new and made sure all mud was scraped off. The main use was to haul a D6 Cat. Never was parked inside. Give the customer what he wants. I still use White Oak myself.

[Magicman]

Yup, we are all saying the same thing but sometimes you just gotta dance with what you have.  Like Rural stated above, I too once decked a trailer with Cherry.   

[shortlogger]

The only reason I was looking to use the water oak or hickory was because I had so much of it down . I have plenty of good post oak around the house so I may just go ahead and cut one or two of them for the trailer floor. I guess I will make lots of firewood out of the water oak and probably just burn the hickory.

[Randy88]

I prefer elm myself, brush on used motor oil on all sides before laying the deck, bolt it on good and every few years, reapply waste oil on top of the deck.     

Bur oak is my next choice, slobber on the waste oil on all sides, maybe more than one coating before installing the boards.   

I've seen it done a few times on livestock trailers, take your first choice of lumber, and treat with waste oil, lay that layer, then use your second choice and treat that with oil as well and lay that kind the other direction and screw it down to the first layer, then let it soak in a while and spread lime on the floor so its not slippery.      Some claim the decks last longer, I've never done this myself so can't say one way or another.