MTFCA Forum

I have purchased a brand spankin' new EZ-Hauler all-aluminum 7'x14' enclosed cargo trailer for hauling Model Ts around.
Since it is new, before I get gas and oil dripped on it, I would like to put some sort of protective covering on the floor and ramp.
Maybe like a spray/brush on pickup bed liner, or maybe the epoxy type of garage floor finished with the little speckles? I dunno, I need some advice here.

What have you enclosed trailer guys done in the past? What products would you recommend, and what products would you avoid?

Thanks,

: ^ )

Keith

Keith

Sherwin-Williams makes a grey porch paint which is tough as nails, which I put on my floor.

In the rain, you can slip and be seriously hurt on the ramp. I double coated my ramp with truck bed liner that contained bits of something (ground rubber?), and you just can't slip on it. Cars drive up the ramp in wet weather without scooting around, either. Best decision I ever made after nearly crashing to the ground on a friend's trailer ramp.

Porch paint, cardboard and a couple of drip pans. That will help keep the floor clean. Easily replaced as needed.

Hey Keith! Since you have a brand new trailer and a lot of time on your hands how about picking up a car in Minnesota for me! The Sherwin Williams paint sounds like a good idea. Congrats on your new trailer.

Benjamin Moore sells an oil base porch and deck enamel that we have found holds up extremely well on several sets of well traveled wooden stairs.
If you are worried about slipping on the ramp, mix some beach sand in the paint or ground walnut shells, depending on how rough you want the surface.

Our Haulmark has indoor-outdoor carpet on the ramp and that seems to hold up well.
A few short pieces of etrack mounted on the walls about 18" off the floor is handy for ratchet strapping things like your spare tire, gas can etc.

The metal drip pan is what we have in our trailer.

Another idea will be coating the wood with 2K Epoxy Resin. Such Epoxy is usually sold for coating garage floors, in several colors. Don't use 1K coatings, they can be sensitive to solvents (gas, but also oil)!

As slipping was mentioned: If you really want to do, strew a fine layer of quartz sand (as used in pool sand filters) in decent amount on the freshly applied Epoxy on the ramp, when it slightly starts gelling. Use a kitchen sieve or similar for better control. After Epoxy has hardened, remove excess material. If it doesn't look nice, you may apply a very thin second coat of Epoxy afterwards, so the grain is still there, but color is the same as everywhere. (Use sand with slightly bigger grain in this case, i.e. 1.0 mm, so it is rough enough afterwards.) But I'd avoid sand in the middle to have there a smooth surface (can be better wiped if you pull in a very incontinent car).

I used grey 2K-Epoxy on my garage floor. It is absolutely resistant against oil and gives a hard surface. My Lizzy looses a few drops of oil a week, all I have to do is wipe them away from time to time with an old cloth or cleaning paper. There is absolutely nothing remaining then on the floor.

Rainer

^^^^^^^ This works out the best ^^^^^^^

I had this put down on my enclosed
car hauler trailer when Mark replaced
my wood floors

Then I used Harbor Freight moving blankets
under every vehicle I transported.

Whatever oils or coolant got past the blankets
was easily cleaned up


FJ

Truck spray on bed liner works great. Raptor coating is the brand I use. Leaves you with a textured finish, can be tinted any color. Darryl

Dan

thank you

I really think it was Benjamin Moore porch paint now that you mention it...not Sherwin Williams

Got to thinking about doing something to the underside wood. Started looking into many of the suggestions above. First was to look to see if they could be applied to a wood surface. Then price per per square foot likely would eliminate many. What ever you choose to use check product reviews.
Simple is usually the best solution

Keep in mind that this decision is final. If you applied once something else than Epoxy, you lost the Epoxy option forever (it will not bind to the wood any more).

I think that 2K Epoxy Garage Floor Sealant has low cost on square foot and gives the optimum result, otherwise nobody would take it for an entire garage.floor.


In point of sealing/protecting the underside of the wood... Be careful. If you totally seal it on top (what I'd recommend) and bottom (what I'd not recommend), there is no way for humidity to get out (if it came somewhere in). So you should also seal the sides of the wood. Let Epoxy soak into the gap between floor and walls untilo it drips down on bottom and repeat that a few times before coating the entire floor (so you can access all edges.

Use something still allowing diffusion of water on the underside (making the wood hydrophobic but not sealing it to 100%). You could use (penetrating) oil for example. it soaks in a few millimeters and decently hardens over time. If you fresh it up from time to time, it will perfectly work.

Keith T. - When I bought my Interstate enclosed car hauler trailer from TrailersPlus in Olympia, WA,. I got a "killer deal" on a Line-X bedliner floor as the trailer dealer had a half-price arrangement on new trailer sales with the local Line-X outfit. I am very happy with the Line-X floor, as it is black, textured, impervious to gasoline, oil, etc. and very, VERY tough and durable.

All that to say, check with the dealer where you bought the trailer and see what they might be able to do for you. FWIW,....harold

....Rainer H,...good advice ref ven tilation, however, my Interstate enclosed trailer has front and rear (high & low) weatherproof vents on both sides and ends, and also the standard square crank-open roof vents, which I normally leaver just barely "cracked" open for added ventilation. Trailer is on it's 3rd year now and never any trouble with humidity, mold, mildew, etc, etc,.....FWIW

Oil is a great wood preservative. If my T occasionally puts a drip of oil on my trailer floor, it is helping rather then hurting things. No offense to any who commented on this thread, but I am living for the day when worrying about my trailer floor reaches #1 on my priority list.

Before you put any coating on …

Crawl under your trailer to make sure that
the screws that were put in from above
actually hit the crossmembers.

You might want to put a few more screws in
and make sure the ones that were installed are tight.


FJ

Rustoleum makes or made a kit to do a garage floor or a basement floor in gray or tan. I did my basement with it about 16 years ago and my trailer floor with it about 15 years ago. Both are holding up quite well.

This is the stuff.