Trash Trailer Bed Overlay?

[Ironhorse]

Have a 3/4 ton '72 bed/frame combo I turned into a trash, compost, firewood, gravel/ whatever fits hauling trailer. Has all lights working, tail, stop, turn, side marker, has a step bumper, tail gate, 235/85/16 radials, (older, but hold air fine) and a spare mounted to the front panel on a platform across the frame. Good combo for my needs as a junk hauling trail except the bed is REALLY in bad shape. Typical rust out at inner fender corners, near the tail gate corners and a few places in between, LOL. Not really looking to replace the bed with a better condition right now.

Question for anyone who wants to respond.

Has anyone ever over laid a bed such as that using corrugated roofing tin, either laid in and bolted in several spots or perhaps just laid in and sealed at the edges and seams with some sort of sealer/adhesive? Low rent fix I know but tired of fighting all the holes in the bed and it's only a trash hauler. Have a good sized pile of used corrugated tin already on hand to use. Just not sure if it would work well enough to spend the time doing the over lay.

Any comments or suggestions for such a project?

[Ol Blue K20]

I don't think the tin would have enough strength. Maybe some heavy marine plywood would work.

[Ironhorse]

Dale, thanks for the response, I may not have made my posting very clear. The bed floor is still there, just has lots of flaking rust and several holes in it, can haul trash but would not work well for gravel or even worse for sand. Thinking the tin over laid on the bed floor metal would have enough backing strength to support loaded items. Maybe some one else has tried this for a short term fix?

[67ChevyRedneck]

I grew up in the rust belt. The old standard was to cut a piece of diamond plate to fill the whole floor and spot weld it in, seen it done a bunch of times. However, nowadays, that might be an $$$ option?

[truckster]

The biggest problem I can see if you're planning to haul sand and gravel is that the grooves are going to make it hard to shovel stuff out.

Otherwise, I'd say go for it. It's free and you're not going to lose anything.

[Ironhorse]

I agree, the grooves will be a pain with sand and gravel but mostly I use the trailer for hauling firewood and brush. Now and then use it to make a scrap iron run. Sand and gravel will be a bit of a pain with the grooves but then right now the holes in the floor covered with a piece of loose tin is a pain already.

Think I'm going to give it a shot, got nothing to lose. Tin I have, time I have being retired, $$ not so much as when I was working for a living. Just need to look for a sealant or adhesive for the sides of the box walls and groove overlays. Thinking maybe mobile home roofing sealant possibly. Will report back on this when see how it goes.

[LockDoc]

-
I don't see why the corrugated won't work. You can shovel it out down to the corrugations then sweep it out with a stiff broom like an old fashioned corn broom.....

LockDoc

[special-K]

The corrugated you buy at Lowe's and such cuts like butter with tin snips. Way easier to work with than 'good' corrugated tin roof. I think it would hold up fine laying on top of other floor. It's pretty cheap, too. I'd save the good roofing for on a building where it matters.

I didn't look at this thread before because I thought it was a bout trailer trash.

[71sierragrande]

I don't see the sealant holding up to heavy use and keeping junk from getting underneath it. I'd cut it to size and loose lay it in so you can remove it periodically to clean under it and then replace it.

[Boog]

Or trade some of that extra tin you have for a sheet of flat metal or plywood?

[special-K]

Find a square body bedliner.

[Ironhorse]

Using plywood or the square body bed liner would be my first choices for sure. Just have not been able to find either at a cost effective price for a trash trailer
and have the corrugated tin on hand. Some in better condition than others, plan on using the poorer condition sheets and save the better for roofing at some time if needed. Have quite a bit on hand of various lengths.

May also try just laying the tin in loose and matching the ridges and grooves to lay as flat as possible.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I ended up cutting up and tossing 2 bed liners because I couldn't find anyone that wanted them.

[Boog]

Better anchor that lightweight tin down if you use it or it can go airborn when empty.

[The Rocknrod]

These might work:
http://www.pros-pick.com/floor.html

[71sierragrande]

Originally Posted by Boog

Better anchor that lightweight tin down if you use it or it can go airborn when empty.

Could wedge it down with bar clamps very easily using the rails

[67ChevyRedneck]

A few carriage bolts through the floor would hold too,

Even sheet metal screws should work, if you put them down in the valley it shouldn't be an annoyance.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by Boog

Better anchor that lightweight tin down if you use it or it can go airborn when empty.

Yeah, good point there for sure. Thinking the carriage bolts or long deck screws into 1 x 4 backer boards under the bed to bite into. Carriage bolts or screws down in the valley should work best.

Like the bed liner idea, may start looking at craigslist for such.

[special-K]

Way back to the beginning question, the old corrugated fastened down would work well as an overlay floor. What I picture are holes in corners that would also require screwed down patches. Sounds like what any farmer would do to keep the trailer serving it's purpose. I just think an old bedliner, if you could stumble across one, would be the simplest and most effective way to go. They are more a 'please take this' thing than a 'think I'll sell this' thing. I bet a Wanted post would draw one out.

[KrazyRay]

Originally Posted by special-K

Find a square body bedliner.

Yes. The bedliner is the easiest solution and works great.

[Ironhorse]

Tim, good suggestion on the bed liner. Just made a posting for such on our local Craigslist. Thanks for suggesting that, had not thought about that but would work out the easiest for sure.