Wood deck vs Steel diamond plate?

This is really a personal preference and there are pro's and con's of each.

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Steel Diamond Plate Deck

Pro's

• Extremely durable when proper gauge ( thickness ) and cross members spacing ( min 16" oc ) are utilized to prevent warping or cupping.

• Weather proof when properly finished and maintained.

• Looks cool.

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Con's

• Significant weight increase. Steel is much heavier than wood. One 4x8' sheet of 1/8" thick Steel Diamond Plate weighs about 200 lbs, this can result in a 20ft trailer weighing as much as 800 lbs more than a wood deck, which decreases net carrying capacity by that same amount.   

• Increased cost vs wood.

• Surface is not as "grippy" as wood and things will tend to slide around if not very tightly and securely fastened down. Very slippery when wet.

• Replacement if ever damaged requires cutting, grinding, welding and refinishing. A major job.

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Wood Deck

Pro's

• Lightweight.

• Less expensive than steel.

• Much more surface grip to keep loads from shifting.

• More versatile with the ability to temporarily fasten wood runners, chocks , blocks or stops, using simple wood screws and a screw gun when hauling odd items.

• Wood is sacrificial and easily replaced on our trailers. We do not weld in the wood on our trailers like many other manufacturers do. Our trailers are design to make the wood easy to remove and replace for roughly a few hundred bucks and some screws at the nearest Home Depot or lumber yard, giving you a completely new deck with minimal effort and cost. All our wood decks are capped at both ends and securely fastened with coated deck screws to minimize warping.  

• When properly maintained with a quality wood protector that contains UV protection applied to the surface once a year, wood can last for many years.

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Con's

• It's wood. It shrinks, cracks and fades.