Thread: Building a Ute Tray - help please.

I have a 130 with alloy tray. The tray was originally on a 110 before so a little tired at 17 years young.
I put my two spares between the cab and the tray. Just slide the tray to the rear a bit and build a little platform across the chassis rails on which to sit the spares (bent my platform up out of 2mm gal). Each spare sits in its own little right angle, angle iron frame with a swing over arm and chain to provide security. The spares are loaded into there little holders from either side.
Keeps the tray nice and empty.
Because the tray was of a 110 it only just hangs over the end of the chassis even with the two spares behind the cab.
Hard to visualise eh!
No time until next week but if I can work out how to do it, I will post a photo.

couple of ideas. mount your spares standing up north-south in tray right behind driver/passengers head. lose some usable space but you did mention visability, and 2, if you are going to put a tie rail around the tray, incorporate one across the back as well and make the gap to your tray big enough to stick your boot in to climb up.

paul

A few points.

1. Watch the weight! it is far too easy to end up with a very heavy tray, which may be unbreakable, but that is all you can say for it. Properly designed, a steel tray can be just as light as an aluminium one, but steel rusts!

2. If planning to galvanise it, this needs to be considered at all stages of design and construction - no pockets to trap metal, no closed spaces, no flat to flat joins (these are rust traps anyway!), planned lifting points, all holes drilled before galvanising etc.

3. I would not use wooden decking - sure, it is easier on the feet, things don't slide etc, but in Australia's climate, with humidity varying so much and for long periods (I have seen it here between 2% and 99%) wood contracts and expands, comes loose, warps, rots, encourages rust of fastenings and frames, is damaged by stones more than metal, and will usually be heavier than a metal deck of the same strength.

4. Have a look at (and photograph details of) every ute and truck tray you can find.

5. Build in as many lockers as you can, but make sure they are, as far as possible, water and dust proof, have hatches that are secure, lockable and won't catch on anything.

6. Use wedge locks on the sides and tailgate - they stop rattles. Fitting removable pillars in the rear corners can make it so you can lower either side or back without opening the other.

Just my ideas

John

This is my project 110 that I left enough space behind the cab for two spares. Obviously the tray is shorter. You can see pavers stacked on the spare tyre platform.
The tray is from a series 3 off a wrecker. Cost snaff all.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

A few points.


3. I would not use wooden decking - sure, it is easier on the feet, things don't slide etc, but in Australia's climate, with humidity varying so much and for long periods (I have seen it here between 2% and 99%) wood contracts and expands, comes loose, warps, rots, encourages rust of fastenings and frames, is damaged by stones more than metal, and will usually be heavier than a metal deck of the same strength.

Just my ideas

John

The above comments by JDNSW about wooden decking on trays undoubtedly apply to some which are inadequately built for the job, especially using timber that is not durable enough. They certainly do not apply to mine - on a farm vehicle. Am sure a metal deck of sensible weight on mine would have lots of small dents in it. Some types of timber can often handle shock loads better than metal.

Wooden deck trays are well worth considering, but appropriate design is important. Note one common bad design of trays, especially in trailers with both wooden and metal floors is having the edges of the floor contained in angle iron facing upwards, which is often an important part of the frame giving structural strength. Water gets between layers of material and it cannot dry quickly so rusts rapidly.

Mick

Originally Posted by mox

The above comments by JDNSW about wooden decking on trays undoubtedly apply to some which are inadequately built for the job, especially using timber that is not durable enough. They certainly do not apply to mine - on a farm vehicle. Am sure a metal deck of sensible weight on mine would have lots of small dents in it. Some types of timber can often handle shock loads better than metal.

Wooden deck trays are well worth considering, but appropriate design is important. Note one common bad design of trays, especially in trailers with both wooden and metal floors is having the edges of the floor contained in angle iron facing upwards, which is often an important part of the frame giving structural strength. Water gets between layers of material and it cannot dry quickly so rusts rapidly.

Mick

Perhaps you can be more specific about how it should be done. Certainly there are good and bad examples of all types of construction, but I have yet to see a wooden tray deck that I would regard as long lasting.

One point very much in the favour of wood though, is that they are a lot quieter than anything else. Metal decks can be coated with a sheet of rubber or similar, but quite apart from the problem of making sure it stays there, this acts as a water trap to encourage corrosion.

John

Following on from the above post by JDNSW: A few details about the tray on my Defender 130 with 8 inch extended cab. Wooden decking in a bolt together largely galvanised steel frame - except the pieces that bolt to the chassis have been welded to the two lengthways bearers. Have long been intending to make improved bolt on ones, partly so tray can be moved back to store spare wheels similar to description in an earlier post here.

Don't know who made it. Apparently on vehicle when original owner collected it from Melbourne City Land Rover. Also has Queensland Transport compliance plate for extended cab.

The wood is some sort of hardwood tongue and groove, which seems tough and hard wearing. Have painted it a couple of times with linseed oil. Boards about 85mm wide by 22mm thick. 6 pressed steel joists 3mm thick under them. Top and bottom horizontal dimensions 30 mm and vertical 50mm high. Sort of z shape but c probably would be as good. Possibly most importantly is what holds the deck to them as nothing has ever come loose. Tek screws or whatever. Phillips countersunk heads. One though every board into every joist.

Side edges of tray have been folded from steel and have rope rails underneath and hinge pins for the fold down sides. The tops of them are like upside down square u's about an inch wide, an inch higher than the tiimber deck. Piece across the back is sort of square c shape and covers back of boards.

Note boards are not supported underneath around the edges. Having them, or even worse, a steel sheet floor supported by angle iron facing upwards is a common very bad practice in trailer construction. It traps water, or maybe more corrosive material as in the case of what the average dairy cocky trailer with stock crate carries. (ie Taurus excretus and liquid that is not necessarily weak!)

I have never done any significant damage to the wooden deck on this tray from use largely as a farm vehicle. Am sure a steel or especially an aluminium one given the same treatment would be looking much worse by now. The only repairs have been straightening light steel sides a couple of times and getting rid of a bend in the steel piece across the rear caused by something very heavy catching as it was dragged off.

Mick