Calling all carpenters amongst us!

[JeffM]

I'm looking for opinions about something I was thinking of doing - well no so much what I was thinking of doing but HOW.

I want to put sides on a small 5X8 utility trailer. The iron framed sides are aprox. only 10 inches high which doesn't give me much support to work with but I thought if I used 3 pieces of exterior plywood cut to fit and about 36" high and connected the three pieces together at the 'corners' with 36" tall metal braces I'd have a start... it would only be the front and two sides by the way and would be painted.

After those sides were joined together I'd attach the trailer rail to the bottom part of the plywood sides with U-Bolts around the vertical support rails. I'm not too worried about it going anywhere 'cause the weight of the plywood would keep it mostly in place, but my main question is this - will the plywood warp quickly and easily do you think with no frame?

I can't really picture any kind of frame that will really lend that much support to the sides without warping themselves... the only other thing I thought about was welding on vertical support pieces in place to attach the plywood to but really didn't want the project to become that involved.

Anyways any thoughts would be appreciated.

[clclawn]

the plywood will warp and fast. i used the stuff you would put on a deck. been there for 3 years and still looks good.

[LLee]

Theres a trailor down the rode from me that size and it has the steel mesh up the sides just like on your ramp. Probably had it welded on and it looks good because it all matches. No wind resistance or weather damage for quite a few years I would imagine.

[knowltondata]

I'm betting he has that trailer from Home Depot, it doesn't have a mesh ramp... it has curved front corners

[JeffM]

Actually I picked this little trailer up at Lowe's... it is open rail and a mesh floor with mesh drop gate... it works great for what I use it for but would really like to put some sort of sides on it and was already hesitant about the plywood even before posting... thus the need for other ideas.

[Bulldog26]

I'm looking for opinions about something I was thinking of doing - well no so much what I was thinking of doing but HOW.

I want to put sides on a small 5X8 utility trailer. The iron framed sides are aprox. only 10 inches high which doesn't give me much support to work with but I thought if I used 3 pieces of exterior plywood cut to fit and about 36" high and connected the three pieces together at the 'corners' with 36" tall metal braces I'd have a start... it would only be the front and two sides by the way and would be painted.

After those sides were joined together I'd attach the trailer rail to the bottom part of the plywood sides with U-Bolts around the vertical support rails. I'm not too worried about it going anywhere 'cause the weight of the plywood would keep it mostly in place, but my main question is this - will the plywood warp quickly and easily do you think with no frame?

I can't really picture any kind of frame that will really lend that much support to the sides without warping themselves... the only other thing I thought about was welding on vertical support pieces in place to attach the plywood to but really didn't want the project to become that involved.

Anyways any thoughts would be appreciated.

Yes the plywood would warp!!!!! I have found the best way to add sides to a trailer like this is to use decking boards. You would build a wall by stacking them on end and put two 2x4's verticel to tie them together. The do as you said and tie them together at the corners. This will also look much more prof. than the plywood.

[JeffM]

Thanks for the suggestions I appreciate it... I think I'll go with the decking boards as suggested. I thought plywood might be a bad idea - that's why I asked! Thanks again.