poppy6
New User
Good luck if you do decide to speak to CL UK the man who's in charge there is a complete idiot who talks round in circles and says nothing helpful - I spoke to him this morning.
Any Cheval Liberte Trailer Owners With Dangerous Floor?
- Thread starter Passtheshampoo
- Start date
Good luck if you do decide to speak to CL UK the man who's in charge there is a complete idiot who talks round in circles and says nothing helpful - I spoke to him this morning.
scarymare
Well-Known Member
I'm really surprised Trading Standards haven't jumped on this one. They were awesome when somebody put up my menage lights with stolen telegraph poles and they were outstanding when my friend's employees were busy trading on her behalf for their own pockets. Even if you get in touch with the local office they should help.... unless there have been too many cut-backs
Orchardbeck
Well-Known Member
If anyone, god forbid, had a nasty episode with one of these trailers giving way on the motorway, then it becomes a rather different story, and one of public interest - if it were a wagon, drivers and operators can get in to serious trouble with the law for driving a defective vehicle, especially if it is the cause of an incident. Cheval Liberte seem to be putting horse owners in a very difficult position here.
Is there any merit in getting in touch with VOSA or a body like that to back up your case with the manufacturer?
poppy6
New User
I do believe the pleading ignorance by CL dealers is an act, they know full well what's going on here - and abroad ref the sub standard floors. The guy I spoke to earlier asked what sort of 4x4 my friend drives and was she sure it's legal instead of answering the questions I wanted answers to
clait
Well-Known Member
Come on Horse and Hound, its about time you took up this story, or will you only want to know when a horse is killed?
miscat
Active Member
It was a great idea to collect data on the trailers but we don't know what the serial numbers mean. I would say what we need is manufacture date for trailers that are shown to have a problem. If we can say that there are trailers that have a problem that were made say 1 year apart then chances are it is not a small number of trailers and this info is a further argument for anothe body pursuing it.
miscat
Active Member
Maybe. There are lots of possibilities and lots of us. Pursue what you think my help. I've made clear to the French that bad publicity will continue, in English mind.
clait
Well-Known Member
I think there might be two problems with these trailers, mine was not rotten the floor was made of composite wood not ply wood-am i right?
miscat
Active Member
For comparison ours was definately a plywood floor but on the underside is a thinn fibre glass layer. You can tell it's fibre glass because you can see the long fibres criss crossing in a random matter. But the main impression is that is is plywood. Is yours different to this.
I notice that CL are still selling wooden floors....
http://www.cheval-liberte.co.uk/products_trailers_1000_series.htm
Look down to the details, under floor.
clait
Well-Known Member
my floor was not ply wood but the stuff you would put on a shed roof, i had no way of telling this till she went through the floor as it is sealed with fiberglass and rubber on top.
ElvisandTilly
Well-Known Member
All of you ought to drive your trailers to CL UK and park up and protest until something is done. Inviting the press, tv and Horse magazines to come too, getting as much publicity as you can. There must be many more CL trailers out there that the owners don't read H&H or come onto the forum that have a dodgy wooden floor. A convoy of CL trailers down the motorway! 
OldNag
Wasting my time successfully....
Been following this with interest - it's quite shocking and I hope you all get the company to take it seriously, very soon.
Anyone had any joy with Trading Standards yet?... my experience has also been good with them. If everyone reports to their local one and let them know they are aware of many other owners with similiar problems ... I think what happens in cases like these is that one TS Office (probably the one looking after the area where the company is based) takes the lead and coordinates the action.
Anyone had any joy with Trading Standards yet?... my experience has also been good with them. If everyone reports to their local one and let them know they are aware of many other owners with similiar problems ... I think what happens in cases like these is that one TS Office (probably the one looking after the area where the company is based) takes the lead and coordinates the action.
LaurenM
Well-Known Member
I just want to stress the importance of checking floors in every box. I know of one which was strengthened and then sold on - new owners horse went through the floor within months of it being strengthened 
wonkey_donkey
Well-Known Member
Mine is back from Anglian Trailers and they have said my floor is 100% so they won't be replacing it or doing anything else. In fact I had it fully serviced while it was there (2 hour drive for me) and it needed loads of parts so ended up costing me £410 !!
They have written on the invoice that the floor has been checked and is safe so that's it for me :-(
I would have been happy to pay for an ali floor at cost price for my own peace of mind but they wouldn't agree to that either.
My floor better be safe cos if one of my horses fall's throught the floor I will sue the arse off them :-(
Not happy ;-(
They have written on the invoice that the floor has been checked and is safe so that's it for me :-(
I would have been happy to pay for an ali floor at cost price for my own peace of mind but they wouldn't agree to that either.
My floor better be safe cos if one of my horses fall's throught the floor I will sue the arse off them :-(
Not happy ;-(
shellonabeach
Well-Known Member
CL main dealer website has a warning regarding trailers purchased from March 2007 to March 2008 and advises people to have the floor checked by a CL stockist.
wytsend
Well-Known Member
The industry standard for plywood floors for most manufacturers was 18mm thick.. well able to stand the weight of a horse.
The lightweight trailiers such as CL & Requisite were fitted with 12mm.....!!!!!
No wonder they didn't have the strength.
Also as somebody else mentioned, the steel framing was reduced to save weight.
In my opinion all trailer should be fitted with ali floors either as replacements or standard (which they mostly are now)
It is possible to check floors underneath with the use of a knife to see if any of the wood has softened at the edges.... this is where most problems occur.
The lightweight trailiers such as CL & Requisite were fitted with 12mm.....!!!!!
No wonder they didn't have the strength.
Also as somebody else mentioned, the steel framing was reduced to save weight.
In my opinion all trailer should be fitted with ali floors either as replacements or standard (which they mostly are now)
It is possible to check floors underneath with the use of a knife to see if any of the wood has softened at the edges.... this is where most problems occur.
Passtheshampoo
Well-Known Member
Ok guys
Going to try to add photo of my trailer floor. This is a 1003XL Manufactured Sept 07.
The floor gave way at the back left hand edge. It looked at the time as though the floor couldn't hold the weight of my RID and had slipped off the back frame work as it dipped under horse's hoof. The floor had seemed ok before we set out, it's right where I stand to remove, load and replace breech bar so I should have felt it going before we set off and again when we unloaded at the show and reloaded to come home.
Going to try to add photo of my trailer floor. This is a 1003XL Manufactured Sept 07.
The floor gave way at the back left hand edge. It looked at the time as though the floor couldn't hold the weight of my RID and had slipped off the back frame work as it dipped under horse's hoof. The floor had seemed ok before we set out, it's right where I stand to remove, load and replace breech bar so I should have felt it going before we set off and again when we unloaded at the show and reloaded to come home. 
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shellonabeach
Well-Known Member
Problem is checking the wood is not possible without removing the rubber top sealed to it as it has rubber sealed ontop and fibreglass underneath!
Passtheshampoo
Well-Known Member
Sorry I meant to add have measured my damaged plywood floor and it's 18mm thick. I personally don't think my floor was rotten with damp I just think it wasn't the right stuff for the job. You can see on my photos where the red line goes around the edge of the floor where it sat on the framework. In my mind I believe the floor sagged due to being unable to withstand weight of a horses hoof and didn't have the intergrity or support to hold it up onto the back frame.
JasperJoe
New User
I bought my 2003XL trailer in 2007. It's been used a LOT since, and has always towed brilliantly.
However, I've had problems with CL UK since the day I bought it... The idiots that work in HQ in Wales are the most obtuse people I've had the misfortune to deal with ever, so I'm not surprised that noone's had a good answer from them!
I am surprised that WonkeyDonkey didn't get a new floor though - when I called Anglian Trailers when I first heard of problems I was told that CL were replacing all floors whether they had problems or not....
If there's anything I can do to help the "cause" just yell!
However, I've had problems with CL UK since the day I bought it... The idiots that work in HQ in Wales are the most obtuse people I've had the misfortune to deal with ever, so I'm not surprised that noone's had a good answer from them!
I am surprised that WonkeyDonkey didn't get a new floor though - when I called Anglian Trailers when I first heard of problems I was told that CL were replacing all floors whether they had problems or not....
If there's anything I can do to help the "cause" just yell!
clait
Well-Known Member
So Cheval have been using wood that isnt fit for a horse trailer for years.
Maybe another horse mag will run a proper story after horse and hounds could only manage weak few lines?
Maybe another horse mag will run a proper story after horse and hounds could only manage weak few lines?
miscat
Active Member
Sorry I meant to add have measured my damaged plywood floor and it's 18mm thick. I personally don't think my floor was rotten with damp I just think it wasn't the right stuff for the job. You can see on my photos where the red line goes around the edge of the floor where it sat on the framework. In my mind I believe the floor sagged due to being unable to withstand weight of a horses hoof and didn't have the intergrity or support to hold it up onto the back frame.
But your floor has delaminated, which means the glue has stopped working, probably because of water when it wasn't meant for wet conditions. It looks the same as mine. Indoor plywood stays strong so long as it's dry but the glue fails when it gets wet.
gillallen
Well-Known Member
I have been confirmed as having a DEFECTIVE FLOOR one more trip and it might have been my ponies last . We paid in full straight away in good faith thinking I was buying a safe CL trailer . OMG was I wrong . And what is worse is CL would like us all to carry on driving around in them . ROBINSONS recalled the FRENCH recalled so why didnt CL uk...And now they think its fair to put another plywood floor free of charge . I would trust a sheet of Anrex toilet paper more than that . We have won our fight to get it noiced now Horse and Hound you done Mr Awell views now do mine . You have my number . Trying to find out if CL will give me for my trailer you say they hold there price well give me one . Its 3yrs old one carefull lady owner lightly used .
clait
Well-Known Member
Yes, come on Horse and Hound do this story, you are welcome to come and see my CB fetlock.
Was doing working hunter but cant show my horse now.
THANKS CHEVAL!
Was doing working hunter but cant show my horse now.
THANKS CHEVAL!
wonkey_donkey
Well-Known Member
The first guy I spoke to at Anglian Trailers told me that too when I initially rang weeks ago but Anglian have now back-peddled and said they will only be replacing dangerous looking floors and then only with like -for-like wood.
I wanted to speak to the manager when I brought my trailer in by appointment (and he knew I wanted to speak to him) but surprise, surprised he was out of the office when I turned up!
Totally wiping their hands I'm afraid :-(
Passtheshampoo
Well-Known Member
So CL admitted in H&H last week that there was a small number of defective trailer floors out there but didn't say what they were doing to get those trailers back in to have new floors. They haven't contacted me or any of the other people who have posted on this thread so what action are they taking to prevent another accident??
Come on H&H let's have our side of the story printed. The facts are plain for all to see. CL have eventually acknowledged there is a safety issue after media involvement but haven't contacted those trailer owners concerned. Surely there must be a reason why. Is it really a small number of trailers involved or all CL trailers with plywood floors? CL have taken well earned money off customers to provide safe horse transport. They need to put right this horrible situation at their expense NOW.
clait
Well-Known Member
I do think its all cheval trailers with wood floors-dont know how they are getting away with not recalling these trailers, what is the point of trading standards?
Has anybody had feedback from them?
Has anybody had feedback from them?
Cuffey
Well-Known Member
Can enough of you get your heads together and write to Watchdog?
Particularly the lady who can no longer show her horse
Even if H&H pick up your story it may still not reach the Happy Hackers/Endurance /Showing people etc
Particularly the lady who can no longer show her horse
Even if H&H pick up your story it may still not reach the Happy Hackers/Endurance /Showing people etc
gillallen
Well-Known Member
Cheval Uk are refusing to answer emails so googled Watchdog BBC and have left them a description of our fight . Please all of you do the same . Bigger guns are needed
gillallen
Well-Known Member
Done an email to Watchdog last night .. Doing email to H and H tonight to put our side across as they have done CHEVAL UK version . I had to hire trailer to take my daughter to dressage yesterday as my floor is condemed . Told as many people as i could about CHEVAL hpoe they go away and tell a few more . Just watching at a show today as car'nt afford to hire again today , but will be telling our story again POWER TO THE PEOPLE .. Gill