My utility trailer is one of the best bang for your buck type of purchases I have ever made. The deck wood floor has lasted over 10 years of abuse and outdoor storage. As a result of a life outside, one of the fenders has recently rusted and broken off. I took this opportunity to give her a new lease on life by replacing the deck along with the fenders.
Demo:
- She has lived her whole life outside, as a result most of the wood had rotted and much of the hardware was rusted together.
- I was able to use a pry bar and mallet to remove most of the rotted boards and a cut off wheel and grinder for the nuts and bolts.
- If I were to do this again, I would have used my grinder to cut the heads off of the bolts from the beginning. This would have been a less labor intensive approach and would have saved me much time.
- Amazon link for the plastic fenders I purchased, great price and easy to install.
Deck
- Starting at one end, I would bolt the board flush to one side and use a clamp to pull the curve out of the wood to bolt into at the top, repeating the process until completed.
- I worked my way from either side into the center board which I then ripped and routed for a snug fit.
Trailer jack wheel:
- By drilling a large hole in the plastic wheel of the trailer jack, this enabled me to use a hitch pin to prevent the wheel from rolling. This is a fast and easy alternative to wheel chocks, which work well for me.
Dry time:
- I will plan to leave the trailer out in the sun for the boards to dry thoroughly before sealing.
- I hope this is helpful, if you are thinking of a project like this and you have any questions or would like to bounce any ideas off of me, please let me know.
Perspective is key 