Trailer deck and side options: wood, steel, mesh and rail
The deck and the sides are the two things people pick fastest on an open trailer, and they are the two that change most about what it can do. Both decisions cost you payload, and neither one changes the weight rating on the frame. That surprises people.
This page lays out both choices on trailers we actually stock, with the manufacturer's published option list and the weight of each version. The spec sheets are linked at the bottom so you can check every number. If you have not set your weight target yet, read GVWR and payload first, then come back here.
Wood deck or steel deck
Nolan Manufacturing builds its 7x16 7K car hauler both ways. Their published spec lists the deck as "Metal (Wood Available)," and everything else on the trailer stays the same: 7,000 lb GVWR, two 3,500 lb braked axles, ST205/75R15 8-ply tires, a 2-5/16 inch ball coupler, and a 2-foot dovetail with slide-out ramps.
Here are the two versions, both 2026 models, both delivered the same day.
| 7x16 car hauler, 7K | Wood deck | Steel deck |
|---|---|---|
| GVWR | 7,000 lb | 7,000 lb |
| Axles | (2) 3,500 lb braked | (2) 3,500 lb braked |
| Tires | ST205/75R15 | ST205/75R15 |
| Coupler | 2-5/16 in ball | 2-5/16 in ball |
| Empty weight | 1,620 lb | 1,920 lb |
| Payload | 5,380 lb | 5,080 lb |
The steel deck costs 300 pounds of payload. The rating on the frame does not move, so that 300 pounds comes straight out of what you are allowed to put on the trailer.
What each one gives you
- Wood. Lighter, so you haul more. When a board gets gouged, split or worn through, you unbolt that board and put a new one in. You do not have to touch the rest of the deck, and our parts counter stocks deck boards.
- Steel. Nothing to rot and no boards to replace. A diamond plate deck sweeps clean and takes a chain hook or a jack stand without denting in. It is the deck to pick if the trailer lives outside and gets used hard.
If you are near the top of your payload on a regular basis, take the wood and keep the 300 pounds. If the trailer is going to sit out in the weather for years and you would rather never think about the floor again, take the steel. Both versions show up in our car hauler inventory through the year.
Sides on an open trailer
The same thing happens with sides. Nolan's published option list for the 6x14 7K landscape trailer is 12-inch tubed railings as standard, with 1-foot and 2-foot mesh available.
Here are both versions, again identical everywhere else.
| 6x14 landscape, 7K | 12 in top rail | 24 in mesh sides |
|---|---|---|
| GVWR | 7,000 lb | 7,000 lb |
| Axles | (2) 3,500 lb braked | (2) 3,500 lb braked |
| Deck | 72 in x 14 ft | 72 in x 14 ft |
| Empty weight | 1,550 lb | 1,900 lb |
| Payload | 5,450 lb | 5,100 lb |
The mesh costs 350 pounds of payload. Same trailer, same rating, 350 pounds less that you are allowed to load.
What each one gives you
- Mesh sides. Loose material stays on the trailer. Leaves, mulch, brush, bagged material and scrap do not blow off or work their way over the edge. Mesh also keeps a mower from walking off the side while you are strapping it down.
- Open top rail. Lighter, and you can load from anywhere along the deck. Slide a pallet on from the side, drop lumber over the rail, or set something on with a forklift without lifting it over a two-foot wall. There is also less on the trailer to bend.
Crews hauling debris and loose material almost always want mesh. Anyone loading long or awkward things from the side is happier with the rail. You can compare both in our landscape and utility inventory. If what you are loading is a machine rather than material, look at equipment trailers instead, where the deck rating matters more than the sides.
The one thing neither choice changes
Your GVWR does not move. A steel deck does not make the trailer stronger, and mesh sides do not let you carry more. In both pairs above, the axles, the frame rating and the number stamped on the compliance label are identical between the two versions. The only number that moves is the empty weight, and every pound of that comes out of your payload.
This is worth saying plainly because the opposite is what most people assume. Heavier-looking trailer, heavier-duty trailer. Not here. The heavier version of the same trailer hauls less.
Quick reference
| If this is your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| You run close to your weight limit | Wood deck, open rail |
| The trailer lives outside year round | Steel deck |
| You haul leaves, mulch, brush or scrap | Mesh sides |
| You side-load with a forklift or by hand | Open top rail |
| You want to fix damage one board at a time | Wood deck |
| You are hauling a car or a machine and nothing loose | Either deck, no sides needed |
How to check this on any trailer
- Read the GVWR off the federal compliance label on the driver's side of the trailer. That is the ceiling, and it is the same on both versions of the same model.
- Ask for the empty weight of the exact unit, not the model line. Options move it.
- Subtract. GVWR minus empty weight is what you are allowed to load, and it is the only payload number that means anything.
- Then pick the deck and the sides, knowing what each one costs you.
While you are at the label, check the tires too. Load range sets your cold pressure, and it is printed on the sidewall rather than worked out from the wheel. Our tire pressure and lug nut torque guide walks through both. If you are still deciding on size, trailer length and measurements covers how the numbers in a model name are read.
Come look at both
Put your hands on a wood deck and a steel deck the same afternoon. We keep both on the lot, and we will pull the weight sheet on any trailer on the yard so you can do the subtraction before you buy.
Thomasville: (336) 276-0329
Winston-Salem: (336) 499-9888
Rather type than talk? Send us your load and we will tell you what deck and sides to run.
Related guides
- Understanding trailer GVWR and payload, the numbers this whole page depends on.
- Trailer length and measurements, how to read a model number and what actually fits.
- Trailer tire pressure and lug nut torque, set from the sidewall, not the wheel.
- Trailer FAQ, the questions we field most often.
- Trailer service, for deck board replacement and everything else after the sale.
Sources
- Nolan Manufacturing, 7x16 7K Car Hauler published specification, deck listed as "Metal (Wood Available)".
- Nolan Manufacturing, 6x14 7K Landscape published specification, sides listed as 12" tubed railings with "1' & 2' Mesh Available".
- Empty weight and GVWR figures are read off the individual unit records for the four trailers pictured above.