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Trailer Ramp Repair


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It has come time to replace the surface on the rear ramp on my enclosed trailer. It has 3/4" 7 ply plywood on it now. Is there anything new out there that is better for this use? I know there is some formed plastic decking materials in board form but I do not know of any sheet goods like that.

I am thinking of better waterproofing and load capabilities in particular. As the wood on my ramp was damaged before I got the trailer it has now broken/collapsed in one area. The previous owner used to drag broken dirt track cars up the ramp with the winch and tore up the plywood pretty good.

Any ideas out there? Thanks,

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My older trailer has a steel angle iron framework for the perimeter and a pair of steel angle iron braces for strength - there is marine-grade plywood supported by the angle iron. When I re-do this ramp, I'll overlay with sheet aluminum like the surface of my newer trailer's ramp.

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Thanks Marty but that would make the ramp worth more than the trailer. I checked on marine grade- $100/sheet here, need 2 sheets. 8' x 8' aluminum would cost how much? You know my trailer is about 20 YO but doing OK. I think it will be 3/4 plywood with a coat of epoxy or something.

Regards,

Bill

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Billi,

Mike and Bob are right - for your purposes it will be just fine...

I should probably do that for my older trailer

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OK, you guys are right and that is what I am almost done doing. It took a couple of lumber yards to find decent one-side good CDX, it is usually pretty junky with splits, knots, etc around here. I am now waiting for paint to dry as I can only do one coat each night with work. I should assemble things tomorrow night as I put the second coat on the top side of the pieces a little while ago. I am even going to buy a hinge and now have a flap with the leftover of the second piece!

Actually I asked about other materials out of curiosity mostly. Being involved in new product design I am always looking at new materials and applications for them. The crowd here is pretty hands-on and creative with solutions so it is fun to poll the audience on occasion and see what my trolling brings up.

Thanks to all for jumping in!

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, now I have a nice new clean painted floor and ramp in the trailer! Since it is so nice and clean I should try to keep it that way. Where can I get either the absorbing mat or the big cookie sheet to center under the car? And is one preferable to the other in the long run?

Thanks for the help,

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I use the box that our flat screen tv came in as a drip tray in the garage. Slit it long ways and put the shiny side down and now you have 2 drip trays.

You could staple it to the trailer floor.

Mike in Colorado

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I went to a cheapy home improvement place and bought cheap vinyl covering to put on the floor of the trailer. I picked a large checkered pattern that helps lineup the car when I load. I then bought a package of the incontinent pads at the drug store like is used under bed ridden patients, they are around 36"X40", and lay it in the proper place in the trailer and duct tape the corners. I replace it about once a year.

I used house paint on the ramp and sprinkled sandblasting sand on it while it was wet, it has held up pretty well so far.

PS: Anyone that has owned a Crosley knows they are incontinent. Figured I better say it before someone else did :D

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Thank you Larry for the info. I found the same size pan online at Walmart and elswhere for about half NAPA's price. I may use 2 or 3 of them under the front (2) and rear (1) of the cars put in 44" sideways. The carbs on the '12 and '13 tend to leak/overflow if I forget to shut them off and a pan would be better tha a soaked up pad or cardboard with gas.

Jim, you may be onto a whole new product line here! "Car-pends" for our favorite senior citizen autos. Just figure out a way to hang them easily off the frame and never leak drop! Might look funny if following down the road...... ;)

Thanks,

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We worked on a '55 Jaguar where a previous owner had fashioned a sheet metal tray to hold a depends under the rear main seal of the car. I never knew British cars leaked oil.....even I can't type that with a straight face!

I don't care who you are, THAT'S FUNNY !!!!

Maybe they learned to "mark their territory" from Harley Davidson.

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