An avid biker, Jim Whorton of La Mirada, California has spent years motorcycling through Orange and Los Angeles counties.as well as the scenic beauty of Ocotillo Wells, a haven for off-road vehicles looking to explore 130 squares miles of desert, dunes, sand bowls and springs.
“It’s a wonderful place to camp or ride,” said Whorton. “Sometimes It’s just me and my family. Other times there could be up to 20 people in our group. There’s few things more enjoyable or relaxing than a day on the trails in one of the state’s most beautiful parks.”
To further complement his passion and facilitate the needs of fellow riders, Whorton recently purchased an 8’ x 18’ utility trailer to accommodate the storage and transport of up five “dirt toys” including his Kawasaki side-by-side and KX 450 motorcycles.
“The problem was that the quality of the trailer bed just wasn’t the greatest,” explained Whorton. “It looked like the original Douglas fir lumber had been sitting in the sun for years. In addition to looking worn and dry, the machine bolts weren’t even screwed down in a uniform way. I’m a concrete carpenter by trade and this bed was certainly not well made.”
As a result, Whorton reached out to several local suppliers, but couldn’t find the trailer decking that would best meet his long-term needs. That’s when he learned about TrailerDecking.com, a supplier of tropical hardwood decking and durable flooring for automotive applications.
In addition to a full complement of screws, drill bits, countersink bits and TORX heads, Whorton purchased the company’s 6/4 x 8 Full Sawn Rough Genuine Apitong/Keruing deck boards and Apitong Oil Exterior Marine Grade Wood Stain to totally refinish his new utility trailer’s decking.
One of South East Asia’s most popular exotic hardwood species, Keuring or Genuine Apitong has been commonly used for truck trailers since the 1960s due to its superior strength to weight ratio. In addition, TrailerDecking.com’s Apitong Oil was specifically-designed to enhance the durability and beauty of exterior wood products used in heavy duty automotive and industrial applications. Developed with a proprietary blend of Tung oil, UV blockers, fungicide, and trans-oxide pigments, Apitong Oil’s water-resistant, acid-resistant formula is ideal for extending the usable service life of wood products, while protecting against water damage, fungi and harmful UV rays.
Once all the material was specified with the aid of TrailerDecking.com, Whorton and his son-in-law removed the original decking and caulked the old deck screw holes to prevent their rusting. The Apitong decking was then cut and fit into the trailer with some of the boards held in place with heavy duty c-clamps, ratchet straps and 16D Duplex Nails to ensure the proper 1/8” to 3/16” spacing. After their removal, the decking was fastened with countersunk deck screws, lightly sanded to provide a fine, smooth surface and then finished with a single coat of the Apitong Oil.
“We were looking for something that would wear well and look great ride after ride,” added Whorton. “The two-and-one-half days we spent on the trailer was well worth it Now we can place all of our toys and hardware on the rig knowing everything is structurally sound. The durability of the Apitong decking and oil met all of our goals. We could not have made a better investment. It was certainly worth every penny.”
For more information, visit www.trailerdecking.com.