Trailer Bed Question

[fornesto]

I am building off of an existing snowbear trailer. Currently, the trailer bed has 1/4" plywood on the two sides, with a corrugated steel center section. Ideally, I would like to fasten 1/2" plywood directly to the wood sections and frame and go from there. However, I do not want to create little pockets in the corrugated steel center section. The channels are about 1/2" deep and 1" wide. If I totally "seal" off the channels on either end, I am creating pockets which will inevitably collect water and rot. If I leave them open, they will collect water, but be able to drain. Option 3 is to stip the existing wood and corrugated steel and start from the frame, which is more work. Any thoughts?

Here is a graphic of profile of the bed.

Wheel |-------uuuuuuuuu--------| Wheel

[TomS]

I have a Snowbear trailer that I use as a general purpose utility trailer. Although, I have no intention of using it to buld my TD. I crawled under it yesterday to examine the frame to help figure out how to design my TD frame.

The corregated sheetmetal center section is is tack-welded to the cross members. If you flip the trailer over so that it is upside down, you should be able to access those tack welds and cut the sheetmetal away from the frame. You can remove the 1/4"plywood and attach your wood frame directly to the Snowbear's frame.

[fornesto]

I did some super measuring last night and have deduced the following. The existing plywood is 5/8" (not 1/4"). It sits on a frame about 1" below the side frame. The side frame is constructed of 2" x 3" box steel, with 49" between the sides and the 2" side facing up. There are 1"x1" steel cross members which support the wood-steel-wood deck. There are a variety of steel accessories welded onto the outside of the side frames, which supported the old side gates and light assemblies. On the front and rear of the side frame, there are two "ledges" that stick out from the bottom of the frame about 1".

THE PLAN
I will grind off all the accessories, except the ledges, and set the 5' x 10' 1/2" plywood sidewalls on the ledges, and bolt them through the side frames every 24". I will screw 1" x 1" x 49" hardwood into the crossmembers to bring them flush with the side frames, then lay the 1/2" x 53" x 10' plywood across the top of the side rails and over the 1"x1" hardwood crossmembers, fastening as I go.

BTW: How do you upload pics?

[Big Guy with a Little Guy]

Here's a simple solution: if the corrugations run front to back, as illustrated in your awesome drawing, just attach a suitably sized "mudflap" in front of the corrugations. Leave the back end open. This will prevent road spray from getting in the front, and will allow any that does get in to drain out the back. Air flow will help keep it dry.