Thread: Replace box-trailer floor with aluminium checkerplate?

Gents,
I have a 10y.o. steel 7' x 4'6" box-trailer with a rusted floor. Is it feasible to replace the floor with aluminium checkerplate? If so, what thickness please?

I read elsewhere on this forum that you can use Sikaflex with rivets or tek screws to secure the floor to the subframe. Would this be OK for my purposes?

Any advice appreciated.

No. Unless you are very, very careful with how you put it together, the aluminium will be just waiting for galvanic corrosion to set in. Just use some checkerplate steel in an easy-to-replace way. Or possibly some of the Coreten weathering steel, as it's rust is self stabilising.

Interesting to see what thickness one can buy corten in, and of course pricing.

How would one pick if steel merchant is actually selling one corten over a sheet of standard mild?

Locally, I can get a sheet of 2.5 x 1200 x 2400 coreten for just over $200; 2.1mm checkerplate for $160 or hot rolled 3mm for $200.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Just use some checkerplate steel in an easy-to-replace way.

Thanks. Would pop rivets be suitable? I reckon I would want checkerplate for grip and to protect the rivet heads being damaged by a shovel. Given the trailer is about 1350 x 2100, a single 2400x1200 sheet isn't going to do it. Two sheets is going to leave a lot of wastage. Does checkerplate come wider than 1200?

Welding would be my first option, followed by some tek screws. Chat to your local metal place, they may be able to cut and MIG the new steel in for you.

OK, I have a mate who has a MIG and is very handy with it too. He also has a plasma cutter.

Originally Posted by jack620

Thanks. Would pop rivets be suitable? I reckon I would want checkerplate for grip and to protect the rivet heads being damaged by a shovel. Given the trailer is about 1350 x 2100, a single 2400x1200 sheet isn't going to do it. Two sheets is going to leave a lot of wastage. Does checkerplate come wider than 1200?

Place I get steel from does 1800 x ? sheets but you pay for them. If you don't really need a single sheet I'd be inclined to get two with a single seam and choose the sheets to minimise wastage.

http://www.midaliasteel.com/products/floor-plate/

As for the aluminium..I wouldn't.

If you are concerned about corrosion.....there is no problem with steel as long as it is painted properly and looked after moderately well....the vast majority of trailers are not prepared or painted very well at all...hence the rust evry easily.

now back to this trailer.

how is it constructed.

Is it a frame & sheet trailer, with an actual frame around the out side or is it a folded sheet construction trailer with only a minimal frame.

If it is a frame traler the replacement should be fairly straight forward.

It is very veray easy to build or modify a trailer so it becomes so heavy it is neither use nor ornament.

putting 3mm sheet steel in a light trailer will add a lot of weight very fast and add unnecessay cost.

better to look considerably lighter.....1.8 or 2mm I recon would be sufficient.

as to methods of fixing...forget pop rivets.....particularly aluminium rivets.....they will either corrode or sheer off in fairly short order.

If you can not or do not want to weld, the best option I think is drill tip wafer head screws.

I put a trailer deck dowm with these over 30 years ago.....it is still down good and firm.

cheers

Go galvanised steel sheet. Im going to use sikaflex to hold the sheet down.

Aluminium needs to be the same weight approx for same strength in theory