Gene, some guys like the steel floors. But to me they are SLICK. Just water can make them a handful to stand on. And anti freeze or oil makes them down right dangerous. They can be so slick that the vehicle will only spin trying to pull itself on if you hit the ramps a little too slow.
Wood does have to be replaced, but we have always gotten 10 or 12 years out of our decks. And our trailers set outside year round.
Just my
.
Good wood can last a long time. We bought a trailer with rotten deck in 1988, installed just enough new wood to support car.
just replace 2 of the boards in 2019, trailer parked outside the whole time. I prefer leaf springs, at least you can inspect them and replace worn or broken parts.
With torsion axles you replace the whole thing.
Also long ramps are your friend, especially if car or headers are very low, or trailer doesn't have dove-tail.
A winch is great if loading by yourself, or on a manual equipped car, but can be added later.
