Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Enclosed car trailer floor semi OT
Mike L
I have a 24 foot car trailer I am going to use to haul my car around. What I am wondering is, what can I put on the plywood floor that will hold up to this kind of use. Also what prep should I do. It is pretty much new with only tire marks on the floor now from a test fit.
Epoxy paint, water based, garage floor paint or something else?
Thanks
Mike
hold up?
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
"will hold up to this kind of use". Check the floor of the next truck hauling a bulldozer. bare wood. Holds up just fine and that is with track cleats. What is a tire going to do to a wood floor? I presume you used subfloor plywood that has waterproof glue? Anything or nothing will be just fine. But if you insist, oil based porch floor enamel.
Re: hold up?
Mike L
I bought this new from United Trailer. I figured it would make it easier to sweep out and make it look good to boot.
preserving good looks
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
Had you asked how to make it look good I would suggest oil based porch floor enamel. I use it on my trailer decks that are exposed to the elements, rock, firewood and other cargo.
However, it takes days to fully harden at summer temperatures.
Thanks I will see if I can find some.
Poly paint is tough stuff
Kneale Brownson
And it'll shine so much you'll have a slippery top unless you put some form of grit into it. I've taken the slipperiness out by adding ground up sea shells to the paint. Messy but effective.
Re: Enclosed car trailer floor semi OT
TomD
Is the underside of of the ply exposed to the weather? If you paint the top, and the underside gets wet, that is not so good for the plywood. The paint will stop it from drying out, or it will possibly bubble off. It is pretty wet around here, but obviously not a problem everywhere.
Ideal thing might be some kind of track for the the car to run up on, or maybe they have some kind of decal.
Quick check and what I found were matts, probably for horses, and grip strips, but not something to line the area the tires roll up on.
Re: Enclosed car trailer floor semi OT
Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio
Consider using the plastic "RaceDeck®" floor covering. It comes in many different configurations and colors, and makes a very nice looking and extremely durable floor. It's designed for garage floors. I've had one of their 'gridded' styles for over ten years, and it still looks like new.
About $3.00 per square foot, so not exactly cheap, though.
I thought about that
Mike L
The problem is I don’t want to add a lot of weight. I have a month before the weather will allow me to paint, also I am on the road again for that long again.
Happy Easter