Bale trailer flooring

[Willy2007]

Hi all,
We are wanting to re do our flooring on our bale trailer as the existing steel has rusted through and wanted your thoughts on either using steel or wood. We are thinking wood using 1 inch boards and screwing them straight to the cross members with self tappers. If you think wood what self tappers would you recommend.
Thanks in advance
Will

 

[JD6920s]

I put a floor on an old artic trailer that the boards had all rotted out on, I used some second hand pvc coated box profile and tek screwed it straight to the cross members and it’s been grand, ideal for straw, I’ll get a pic tomorrow if I remember.

 

[Willy2007]

Yeah that would be great thanks

 

[Shavings man]

Tek screws.

 

[JD6920s]

Hi all,
We are wanting to re do our flooring on our bale trailer as the existing steel has rusted through and wanted your thoughts on either using steel or wood. We are thinking wood using 1 inch boards and screwing them straight to the cross members with self tappers. If you think wood what self tappers would you recommend.
Thanks in advance
Will

 

[Andrew]

If you want it to last years Keruing planks are best with these style fixings.

https://www.accu.co.uk/self-drillin...aaQoe3PQ1WBqC9aeckl6a6mtEOgG8JRhoCA5kQAvD_BwE

 

[john63]

How about using weldmesh? We had a bale trailer like that and it worked a treat, no water collecting anywhere and it gave a bit of a rougher surface to retain the bales.

 

[Optimus]

We use wooden floors on all our straw trailers.either 5x2 or 6x2 can't remember.an leave a gap between each board.just tek scew them on.one will of been done nearly 20 years.still going strong.

 

[AJR75]

I've used 21 mm buffalo type boarding (same type but thicker than the ifor trailer flooring) on a couple of trailers, sourced from a local lorry body builder. Was sceptical about how well it would last but no complaints so far. I think @Chuckie used similar type flooring on a trailer that he made several years ago possibly?

 

[Sharpy]

I did a bale trailer floor in decking, wee gap between planks, works just fine. Mostly chopped silage bales.

 

[Chuckie]

I've used 21 mm buffalo type boarding (same type but thicker than the ifor trailer flooring) on a couple of trailers, sourced from a local lorry body builder. Was sceptical about how well it would last but no complaints so far. I think @Chuckie used similar type flooring on a trailer that he made several years ago possibly?

Well remembered!

10 years old now, still almost perfect condition and does stand outside most of the time. It needs to be a good make of board though, I know someone that used some cheap copy stuff and it was lifting around the edges in a few months.

 

[AJR75]

I was just skimming back through that thread! Did you ever get around to building any more trailers?

 

[Chuckie]

I was just skimming back through that thread! Did you ever get around to building any more trailers?

Not yet...

I do have most of the bits though, just need more time

 

[Daddy Pig]

I've used Timco timber to steel with good results, self drilling and self tapping so very quick and easy to use. They have wings that bore a slightly larger hole through the wood so it gets pulled down tight to the steel

 

[Horn&corn]

If you want it to last years Keruing planks are best with these style fixings.

https://www.accu.co.uk/self-drillin...aaQoe3PQ1WBqC9aeckl6a6mtEOgG8JRhoCA5kQAvD_BwE

Sorry old thread! Did the stainless tec screws cause any problems in the mild steel chassis and would 60mm screw be long enough to hold 2” timber?

 

[steveR]

We use wooden floors on all our straw trailers.either 5x2 or 6x2 can't remember.an leave a gap between each board.just tek scew them on.one will of been done nearly 20 years.still going strong.

Same here.

My neighbour had a new floor put on his Marshall bale trailer. The bloke doing the work put 1" planks on. Totally unfit for purpose as the timber is broken and cracked inside 3 years.

 

[Andrew]

Sorry old thread! Did the stainless tec screws cause any problems in the mild steel chassis and would 60mm screw be long enough to hold 2” timber?

Not had any problems yet. I would have thought you’d need 70mm at least

 

[sjt01]

Sorry old thread! Did the stainless tec screws cause any problems in the mild steel chassis and would 60mm screw be long enough to hold 2” timber?

Stainless steel Tek screws are not very sharp for drilling, you may well need to drill a pilot hole first.

 

[MrNoo]

We never had floors, we just used 1 1/2" sq box section steels every foot or so across the bed. Fine for carrying seed bags/fert and bales.

 

[AJR75]

Stainless steel Tek screws are not very sharp for drilling, you may well need to drill a pilot hole first.

Definitely this and possibly countersink your timber first as well. The heads have an annoying habit of snapping off when the going gets tough.