#17
Does anyone have any experience with a flat-deck wooden trailer, as in one you'd put a canoe on and haul behind a pickup truck? I just made wooden running boards for my pickup truck, and am about to weld up two more steel trailers for boats. This got me curious about the possibility of fabricating a wooden, flat-deck trailer instead of using steel. I saw one of the members referred to his wooden trailer in a post about cleaning a deck, but said individual is not set up to accept PM's. Thanks for any info. John
I do, therefor I am.
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#18
I have a utility trailer with a wood deck.  It is a simple steel frame with a 6/4 treated lumber deck.  I purchased it in 1987.  It was stored inside for 8 years, but outside the rest of the time.
I tried not believing.  That did not work, so now I just believe
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#19
If it's really just for canoes, I think the easiest and least expensive way to go is to just purchase one of the smallest trailers (40"x48") and give it a longer tongue. By the time you buy an axle kit, springs, and wheels you'd already be at about the purchase price. If you want to use wood for the tongue, I'd suggest ash. However; I would use steel tubing that fits over the existing tongue to make it longer and put the cut off piece with the coupler back in the front with the safety chains, and landing gear still attached. Logistics aside, it's about an hour project. I'd rather spend my Saturday out on the lake than building a trailer to get my boat there.
Sign at N.E. Vocational School Cabinetmaking Shop 1976, "Free knowledge given daily... Bring your own container"
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#20
(03-16-2019, 10:34 PM)MstrCarpenter Wrote: If it's really just for canoes, I think the easiest and least expensive way to go is to just purchase one of the smallest trailers (40"x48") and give it a longer tongue.

That’s what I would do, and I’d strip out all the leaves from the spring packs except for the longest, of course.

I made a motorcycle trailer out of a pop-up camper trailer once, but that was light gauge box tubing.  It was a bit of a mess, with most welds cracked, but I just shortened it and repaired the welds and added fenders and it worked well for me for many years.  I used to haul my Kawasaki 1000 LTD back and forth to college on it. With my brown AMC Gremlin with wood paneling.  
Big Grin
Tom

“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
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#21
(03-16-2019, 12:33 AM)jklingel Wrote: Does anyone have any experience with a flat-deck wooden trailer, as in one you'd put a canoe on and haul behind a pickup truck? I just made wooden running boards for my pickup truck, and am about to weld up two more steel trailers for boats. This got me curious about the possibility of fabricating a wooden, flat-deck trailer instead of using steel. I saw one of the members referred to his wooden trailer in a post about cleaning a deck, but said individual is not set up to accept PM's. Thanks for any info. John

I would really wonder if your local DOT would allow a wooded trailer on the highways. I know I would not want to be behind or alongside one.
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#22
On my utility trailer, the 3/4" pressure treated plywood is structural . The frame is 2" angle, but the main frame strength comes from the plywood sides. It started life as a home built rental in 1958. I've had it since '78. It was rebuilt a few years back. Morgan sports cars had wooden frames.
A man of foolish pursuits
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#23
(03-16-2019, 12:33 AM)jklingel Wrote: Does anyone have any experience with a flat-deck wooden trailer, as in one you'd put a canoe on and haul behind a pickup truck? I just made wooden running boards for my pickup truck, and am about to weld up two more steel trailers for boats. This got me curious about the possibility of fabricating a wooden, flat-deck trailer instead of using steel. I saw one of the members referred to his wooden trailer in a post about cleaning a deck, but said individual is not set up to accept PM's. Thanks for any info. John

I have made several wooden trailers , 2 for farm work and another for a neighbor to haul what ever. I get a couple of front wheel axles and tires from a salvage yard. I made the lighter trailer box for my neighbor with a frame of 2x8's and 2x8's for the deck. 4 U-Bolts on each axle to the frame connect the trailer box to the wheel assembly.  The tongue was made from 2x6 steel channel. Neighbor added brake and tail lights to his trailer. My own trailers never left the farm so lights not necessary. 
Lumber was cut from my wood lot so the major cost was for wheel axle assembly.  You could get away with a single axle if a canoe is the only weight on the trailer. Probably could lift the tongue without a trailer jack if the wheels were close to center.
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#24
It will all depend on DOT certification and my guess is that will differ in different parts of the country.  I've been reading up on canoe and kayak trailers recently and it seems there is a lot of variability in what it takes between states.
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#25
All professional wood deck builders use pressure treated lumber for the posts and framing, and they have to follow the guidelines set by the code. For your decking and railings you might use pressure treated wood or a synthetic material made out of wood flour composite or plastic cellulose.
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#26
I would just spend a couple hundred for a used boat trailer on craigslist or facebook marketplace.
My .02
Karl




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Wooden trailer??


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