Wooden floor protector

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Catkison
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Wooden floor protector

Post by Catkison » Sun Nov 08, 2009 1:20 pm

I was going though Robert Notman's "Military Maintenance for MB/GPW Jeeps 1941-45" and came across a reference in the back about a wooden floor protector for the trailers. It has a hard to see picture so I'm wondering if anyone has added something like this to their trailer to protect the bed? I'm wanting to cover up a well beaten bed and thought this was a good way to do it.


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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by gerrykan » Sun Nov 08, 2009 2:31 pm

So was this the origin of the bed-liner?
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Nov 08, 2009 2:36 pm

Home Depot has plenty of plywood. :wink:
There is always the possibility someone will come up with a fibreglas overlay.
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by gerrykan » Sun Nov 08, 2009 3:12 pm

Ben Dover wrote:Home Depot has plenty of plywood. :wink:
There is always the possibility someone will come up with a fibreglas overlay.
I think Catkison was looking for a period correct military expedient, not some 'Bubba' backwoods remedy. :roll:
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:09 pm

There was a period expedient submitted to Sgt Half Mast in one of the WWII editions of "Army Motors" and it involved using scrap wood, it was not a kit. Not sure which edition it is in, I can't find my indexes. I guess you could call it Bubba as it is not anything regulation.
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Chuck Lutz » Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:23 pm

I have a piece of low-pile grey industrial type carpet in my trailer so stuff does not slide around. Others have used the perforated rubber matting that restaurants use in there. Neither is period correct but work pretty good.
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Joe Gopan » Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:19 am

A few of Rob L's excellent Ammunition boxes will do a good job of hiding a 1/4 Ton Trailer floor. :wink:
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Rml1708 » Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:12 am

I read that in Half mast section of Robert's book as well. I was going to make a palette type thing using 1x1 or 2x2 boards. Every other slot on the floor with ends front and rear. Just enough to keep stuff off the floor. Right now I have a wooden palette in the trailer. I just wanted something lighter and that didn't take up as much space as this trailer will always haul something to and from our local events.

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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Catkison » Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:55 am

Thanks for all the input. I was looking for the WWII design and will probably follow Robert's concept. I just wasn't sure the spacing of the slats or the orientation of the boards but I think this will work.

Then I'll get some of Rob's ammo boxes to go on top. :D

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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Chuck Lutz » Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:54 pm

The key to carrying stuff in the trailer is to secure it so it does not roll around like a BB in a boxcar. This is why so many have a bowed-out front or rear panel in them....braking and acceleration will cause whatever is in there to slide forwards and backwards unless it is secured...or unless the surface is no SLIPPERY.

I think if you want to put a structure in there to protect that wavey, dented, rust-pitted floor and don't have a plan to secure "stuff" (ammo crated or footlockers, etc.) from banging around, you will end up with damage you can see to the pristine, beautiful nice looking front/rear panels....maybe some non-skid on the surface of that pallet or some tie-downs incorporated into the design that lets some ropes be stored down under the framework and pulled up to secure any object you put in there.....

Rubber matting from a restaurant with BIG perforations will keep rust from eating the floor and stuff from sliding....and if you throw a few of your buddies in there at the next meet, when you ride around the campsite they won't develope "Trailer Butt"....
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by JB » Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:44 pm

Wouldn't the placement of wood or especially rubber promote condensation build up on the floor beds :?: maybe that would be something we in the high humidity zones would worry about.
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by B8B » Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:19 pm

Similar to Jason, I was concerned about wood or solid rubber mats causing humidity buildup, which would accelerate the rust on the rusty bed of my M100. But after getting that rust all over my gear when I take it in the field, I wanted something to protect both the gear and the weak trailer flooring.
M100 Trailer Before sm.jpg
M100 Trailer Before sm.jpg (52.58 KiB) Viewed 1453 times

Here's what I found (at COSTCO, no less!): 10-packs of 1ft x 1ft "Deck Tile" by Natco Home Fashions. It comes in squares tiles of semi-rigid recycled black rubber designed for balconies, decks, and patios, but seems strong enough to handle loads and protect the trailer bed.
Rubber Deck Tile Squares sm.jpg
Rubber Deck Tile Squares sm.jpg (50.36 KiB) Viewed 1453 times

The top of the tiles have ventilating slits, and the bottom of the tiles are basically a raised grid with drainage channels, so water should drain and evaporate well.
Rubber Deck Tile Squares 2 sm.jpg
Rubber Deck Tile Squares 2 sm.jpg (52.12 KiB) Viewed 1453 times

As it turns out, the roughly 3ft x 6ft bed of the M100 holds 18 of these tiles almost perfectly (I bought two 10-packs, so there are 2 tiles left as spares). All I had to do was snap the tiles into each other, then trim the small tabs off the end of the final row, and I now have a removable, durable, rubber bed liner that shouldn't trap water against the trailer floor. The tile edges are tight against the front and rear panels, and there's about 2 inches uncovered on each side. (M416 owners may want to buy more tiles since their floor is 3in wider.)
M100 with Rubber Deck Tile Bed Liner - Overhead View sm.jpg
M100 with Rubber Deck Tile Bed Liner - Overhead View sm.jpg (57.08 KiB) Viewed 1452 times
At $20 per 10-pack, these tiles seem to be a good, economical option for protecting the floor of your military trailer, and they can be easily removed to return it to its GI appearance.
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by JB » Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:17 pm

The rubber tiles are a great idea. 8)
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by artificer » Sat Mar 10, 2018 12:51 am

An extension of what has been done by soldiers & the military since WW1 [& probably well before]. They are called duck boards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckboards
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Re: Wooden floor protector

Post by Marty, SoCal » Sat Mar 10, 2018 6:46 am

I have a black rubber pickup truck bed liner in my M-100, trimmed to fit. It came from a used truck when I was still working at the dealer, we routinely removed them and threw them out unless they were perfect, so the cost was free!
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