Enclosed Trailer Wall Reinforcement for Installing Erickson E-Track

Question:

Thanks for the help... I have a 14 ft enclosed triton v-nose that I would like to attach the e-rack system to the walls. The walls do not have ply wood. What would you recommend to secure the e-rack to the walls. If I hang an 8 ft piece horizontally it appears to only hit 4 of the aluminum studs which I don’t believe is enough but I guess I would have 8 self tappers in the rack. Do you suggest maybe hanging a piece of plywood or at least a small piece along the width of the wall studs or at least running one vertically up each aluminum stud then securing in the e-rack... thanks guys

asked by: David R

Helpful Expert Reply:

To install an 8-foot length of Erickson E-Track # E19135 inside your enclosed trailer I do recommend first mounting some plywood to your interior wall studs.

A piece of plywood that is larger than the E-Track's 5-1/8-inch width will spread the load across more of the trailer structure. For instance if you first installed a 1 x 8-foot piece of plywood across the studs that would allow more fasteners to be used than with the E-Track rail alone. Then you could mount the E-Track to the plywood (and through it to the wall studs too, of course).

E-Tracks need at least 1 fastener per linear foot on each side of the track, but of course more can be used and will only increase the strength of the installation. Since the 8-foot track is rated for a 2000-lb safe working load, you will get the most out of the tracks by using the sturdiest possible installation method.

If you are looking for any E-Track fittings or accessories you can refer to the page I linked for you where you can see items like Erickson E-Track Strap with Ratchet # EM59136 and E-Track Strap with Cam Lock Buckle # EM59152.

expert reply by: Adam R