Replacing low loader wooden bed.

[Half Pint]

The wooden bed on the low loader needs renewing. The old rotten bed is made of 2" X 9" boards that run from front to top of beaver tail. What is the best type of timber to use?
Cheers.

 

[A1an]

How deep are your pockets?

If money isn't a constraint then I'd be looking at a hardwood like Iroko, Oak or Keruing. Very hard and durable timber. Good if its being used for tracked machinery.

The cheaper option would be one of the softer woods like European Larch or Douglas Fir. The Douglas would require pressure treating.

I don't know what would work out cheaper in the long term.

*EDIT*
If you go the Larch route make sure it European or Siberian, not Japanese, it wont stand the test of time. I had some Jap stuff milled ten years ago for decking a road bridge over our river, I'm going to need to replace some of the deck already.

 

[trev7530]

As above!

 

[Half Pint]

Thank you @A1an and @trev7530 we will have to get some quotes, the hard wood might be the better route as it does carry a tracked 360 as part of it uses.

 

[Forever Fendt]

Thank you @A1an and @trev7530 we will have to get some quotes, the hard wood might be the better route as it does carry a tracked 360 as part of it uses.

I always chuck 4 sheets of old ply on the floor when putting 13 toner on our low loader it saves the floor but mainly as the side rails are level with the timber deck and it stops it sliding

 

[Land Rover]

Railway sleepers ?

 

[joe soapy]

Did ours with 6mm sheet, then bolted plastic stockboard on top

 

[mogman]

Did ours with 6mm sheet, then bolted plastic stockboard on top

That sounds slippery to me keruing is the only thing I use on my low loader

 

[joe soapy]

steel is slippery, thats what the stock board is for

 

[A1an]

Thank you @A1an and @trev7530 we will have to get some quotes, the hard wood might be the better route as it does carry a tracked 360 as part of it uses.

Get your hands on two lengths of conveyer belt and lay them on the deck under the tracks.

 

[tinman]

Thank you @A1an and @trev7530 we will have to get some quotes, the hard wood might be the better route as it does carry a tracked 360 as part of it uses.

personally id never fit a hard wearing timber to a low loader, the harder the timber the slippier the deck ill get.

ive replaced a few low loader floors and all i use now is imported c24 ( important bit's, imported & c24 ) 9x2 or 8x2 depending.
it ill come smoother than home grown rubbish and the c24 is clean timber, hard but not too hard.
Dont go treating the top of it when your done either, underneath if you like to try and get some longevity out of it round the wheel arch area but not on top.
imported timber used to be an off the shelf job here but now i have to order it in if i need it as not many carry the imported timber any more, really good merchants still do tho and they mightnt be the biggest ones either.

i have the same in my low loader here, i put a new floor in it about 6 or 7 yrs ago and its as good today as the day it went in apart from the usual small stone divots that you acquire.
and it spends the majority of its life under the big roof.
of course its up to you but its what i found to be the best for the floor of a loader.

 

[YELROM]

@tinman why would you not treat the timber boards?

 

[tinman]

id be afraid of it raising the slippy meter.
i have a kane here and its not too high, some low loaders id see youd want to say mass before youd go up it.
that aside its just a personal choice, the floor for me at least has good longevity even not treating it and its outside, if a man had one in a shed it id last for ages.
they tend to go round the wheel areas first so thats why i said about a lick of it there.

could be a notion as quick yelrom..