Trailers with solid metal deck/platform

[wackyhacky76]

Hello..newbie in CA here with first time build. I am considering a used trailer as a basis for my benroy build and it has a complete deck made of diamond plate & painted on it already. I was thinking this would be a good way to go but wondering about the fact that diamond plate isn't a 100% flat surface. Therefore how to assure the plywood bolted to this deck could be sealed properly to avoid moisture getting in between the plywood & the deck or if I really had to be concerned at all. Anyone have experience with building off an existing metal deck like that?

[steve cowan]

Does the floor sit on top of the trailer frame or inside the rails? A picture would help to explain.Maybe you can use the metal floor as is and attach the sides to the trailer frame.If you must have a plywood floor what i would do is slightly elevate it with some spacer material to keep it ventilated against moisture building up underneath.

[wackyhacky76]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the floor & frame rails of the trailer all sit flush with each other. A picture of the trailer I am considering is below. I have seen a couple folks that had custom trailers built as the basis of their build in aluminum with a flat deck of alum sheeting and they just bolted plywood right down on that flat metal deck sealed with butyl tape, but since diamond plate could leave tiny gaps between metal and plywood where moisture could seep, that's why I was concerned of how you could protect from that because otherwise this trailer looks like a great platform for the build.

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