Box Trailer Refurb - What material ?

[smclaren]

Hi Legends

I am giving my old 8 x 6 box trailer (steel frame, ply body) an overhaul.

Keen to get thoughts on what to replace the ply panels & floor with ?

Steel or Aluminium .... flat plate or checker plate ... and how thick ?

Any help is greatly appreciated

Steve

[shaungonemad]

Aluminium will last longer and be lighter but it will be dearer. I would say checker plate for the floor. I have an 8x6 tandem with 3mm checker plate for the floor and sides. Bit of an over kill really.


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[scottar]

Hard one with box trailers. Really depends what they get used for and how they are looked after. As Shaun mentioned, ally is probably the most long living but only if it's heavy enough and you don't make a habit of carting bloody great rocks around. Steel is the toughest and probably best bang for buck but leave crap in the trailer in the rain and rust sets in pretty quick.

[tunaticer]

Go for 3mm alloy floor and 2mm alloy sides...I prefer not to use checker plate because it is far easier to get things out on flat plate.

[Cox76y]

I used Form ply for the floor in mine. Very durable.

[Dignity]

I guess it also comes down to your budget. Low end is use form ply, but even that can be pricey these days, I agree with not using checker plate because it is a PIA when it comes to shifting soil etc.

[EdBerg]

I used 2.5mm Galv steel sheet on my 8x5 floor and sides and only had to replace the floor in it once and that was because I kept leaving concrete gravel mix and chicken manure in mine for quite a while longer than I should have and that chewed off the galvanizing, seeing as I leave mine continuously exposed to the elements outside, I have only once replaced the floor in mine in about 14 years. As Dignity and Tunaticer have mentioned. Checker plate is a P.I.T.A trying to slide things off it compared to a nice flat sheet. On mine the sides are made separate from the floor and whilst they do get a little bit of surface rust on them, I just give the sides a lick of paint and so far have not had to replace them yet in 14 years, probably good for another 10 years at least.

[Scott Ashe]

just saw this post now, and I agree with the others when replacing your floor definately use a flat sheet. Checker Plate is a real pain when shoveling etc.

Cheers