bitemark46

I picked up a car trailor and I want to diamond plate the deck but don't know how thick to get and dont' know where it's sold. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks. -Mark

ImportLuv

What kind: aluminum, stainless, or mild steel?

You probably want 1/8" (14 gauge...i think)
I have a list of suppliers at my office.
Call up McNichols in tampa...
http://www.mcnichols.com/
Also call Tampa Steel, Infra metals.
But stay away from Alro, they charge too much.

Young,Fablous,&Broke

Thank God it's for the trailor. For a second I thought the rice-bug bit cha.

Chuck 98 RT/10

+1 on the 1/8 inch. I used 1/4 for my ramps and it's overkill and waaaay too heavy.

ImportLuv

1/4 on ramps? OMG...yeah its an overkill.
For ramps, you should go with expanded metal. Its lighter than diamond and grippier.
For car trailer decking, Id personally would use 2"x6" wood planks. It's lighter, thus lighter trailer, thus less fuel to haul.

CrypticApathy

have you thought about rhinolinning?

the anti-rice

I got some from a place off of 60 and Orient. Its been awhile and I can remember the name of it. Check www.tbo.com and look in the yellow pages or something.

bitemark46

Cool Thanks guys. Well here's my problem. The trailor I have doesn't have a full deck but it has the kind at uhaul where it has the opening in the middle. BUT there is about a 2" wide guard rail that goes around the outside and inside of the both sides. Kinda like a a curb in a drive through if that makes sense. I'm worried that the thickness of the plating may be too thin and driving my 3k lb car over it will bend it. But I like the wood idea. It would be light and cheaper. But with the diamond plating I could stuff the ramps between the plating and the orginal drive on surface. -Mark

senor honda

Wood bolted to the two ramps drive on surface will add some strength in the areas where your 3k car will be pressing down. You might not need diamond plating, unless it's for looks.
Some of those transporters were used for hauling U-haul trailers/several at a time.
If you knew the weight of those trailers, it would tell you if you need to strengthen
the drive on surface at all.
I know someone else who did a u-haul conversion; plenty of space for tool boxes,
air compressor, etc.
For ramps up to the drive on surface, they used some aluminum ramps "donated" from what truckers call a "mobile parking lot", but later converted to wood drive-on ramps.-Bob

bitemark46

Well I don't think I described it correct. Take the letter 'H' and currently the drive on surface would be the center section with 2 curbs so to speak. But what I want to do is bridge the top of each side by puting plating from one curb to the other which basically would cover the old drive on surface to give me more surface to drive on. Make sense? So would 1/8" be thick enough? Thanks. -Mark