Any Cheval Liberte Trailer Owners With Dangerous Floor?

We have just spoken to Mr Cheval Uk he has been told about incompetant french fitters that we now have even bigger problem with trailer now with more holes in than my sieve . So he is aware if he trys to say he is un aware . Need email adress of young man from h and h need to talk to him again
 
Got my handy daddy to take a proper look at trailer in daylight this weekend.

We also have a saggy curtain due to the holes for the partition being too close together. Our partition has been bent to make it fit in the holes.

The holes in the floor & therefore partition are further back than they were, meaning it is pushing on the back ramp when it is closed and has already dented the rubber.

The best bit is, I phoned Robinsons this morning to report the problems and say I'm not accepting the floor, and I was told a way around the problem of not being able to move the partition: if I take the back of the partition out of the hole first and move it to the right, I will then be able to move the front over to the left. Great, I said, if the trailer is empty but what about when my horse is on the right hand side of the trailer?!!! He told me to move the horse forward a bit. Anyone who has been in the trailer with a horse will realise how stupid this is!!! These trailers are supposed to take up to 17h, this is getting ridiculous!

All I want is a safe trailer with a partition one person can move on their own as before.

Was told that every other trailer is fine and it's just me moaning, but clearly there is at least one other person unhappy with the cheval bodge job!!!

As far as I can see, the only way to solve this is to drill more holes in the floor and put the partition in the right place, but then I'll have a floor with loads of extra holes which is obviously weaker and more susceptable to rust.

Just don't know what to do now :-(
 
same problem as us the front plate is 5ml further back . The French fitters have hammered the front bar back to fit . We phoned and email Cheval uk this morning so they are aware if they move it forward we will have 10 holes in our new ali floor . Keep fighting and keep in touch . I have emailed horse and hound today think an update story on saga of botch and cover ups needs to be done . NOT FINISHED WITH CHEVAL LIBERTE YET !!!! Gill
 
I'm going to pick mine up from Agrimark in Bury St Edmunds at the weekend (couldn't go this weekend as was away). My floor wasn't in too bad a state (just damp along the back) but they replaced it anyway, and I paid the extra for an aluminium one. I have taken the partition out of mine, so there is no way of me knowing when I go to pick it up, whether the partition will fit. Although, mine is a 2003XL (big red jobby) in which the partition only affixes to the floor in one place. If it's in the wrong place though, the link from there to the ceiling will be askew. Hmmm. Can't believe what a mess CL have made of all of this, ridiculous.

Oh, and Arwel stopped replying to my emails, after initially being very helpful and saying he would find me somewhere good for me to take my trailer to, he then went silent and wouldn't tell me where I needed to take it. Thankfully I read on here about others going to Agrimark, so I took it there (at a huge diesel cost and half a day of annual leave from work!).

That 3.5t lorry I've been hankering after seems all the more attractive...
 
This really is ridiculous!

Agrimark were saying something about the cheval fitters bringing french floors with them, maybe the front unload is on the other side on the french models or something?

Robinsons have tried to fob me off by saying that this is the new design, but it clearly isn't as it doesn't work!

This is all a complete nightmare!

Robinsons told me that all the others that had been done fine and it's just me moaning, it would be interesting to find out who these others are and if they are really happy!
 
Thank goodness I didn't take mine to Agrimark..! Sounds like you've all had a nightmare! It was obviously fate that the gearbox went in my towcar ;-)

Hopefully next time the fitters come, they'll have sorted out the problems with fitting the floor

BeckyD - I'd be really interested to hear how they managed with yours as mine is a 2003XL too..
 
JasperJoe said:
Thank goodness I didn't take mine to Agrimark..! Sounds like you've all had a nightmare! It was obviously fate that the gearbox went in my towcar ;-)

Hopefully next time the fitters come, they'll have sorted out the problems with fitting the floor

BeckyD - I'd be really interested to hear how they managed with yours as mine is a 2003XL too..
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I'll just add that Agrimark have been fab through all this as far as I have seen. It's the French/Polish fitters that are at fault - and to be fair, they've only fitted what they've given, so I'd say it's CL's fault for giving them the wrong floors to fit.

I'm trying every trick in the book :p to persuade my OH to come with me to collect the trailer, so he can help me lift in the partition when we get back and then I can check out whether it fits correctly or not. I'll post an update in here after I've tried it. Although I don't use the partition, when I come to sell the trailer I'm guessing that others WILL want to use the partition, so I need to get this sorted now really.
 
I'm not blaming Agrimark at all - like you, all of my dealings with them have been brilliant.. All of my anger is entirely directed towards the idiots in Wales. They're spectacularly inept, and during my entire phone call with Arwel the other day, he never once voluntarily apologised. Even when I pushed him for one it wasn't a proper apology. Bloody idiots.
 
Agrimark are just as much to blame as wales, they are in on the cover up.
If they know the new floors dont fit then why are they letting them carry on?
 
Thank goodness I didn't take mine to Agrimark..!
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To be fair, all this mess has nothing to do with Agrimark, the french / polish fitters were just using their premises (and some of their equipment as some of the stuff they brought with them didn't work!).

As far as I'm aware Agrimark didn't realise the partition problem until Gillallen went to get her trailer, by which time the cheval van had gone.

Also, I have been told that the french / polish fitters were doing one particular trailer with a new wooden floor but didn't have one long enough so tried to patch up a 1 foot gap at the back with wood from OLD floors that had been taken out!!!! In this case Agrimark stepped in and told them no!

I would have been much more happy for agrimark to fir the floor for me rather than french / polish!


I am now pressing for another new floor, because to fix ours it will need new holes drilling in it to position the partition correctly, and I wanted a new floor, not a sieve! My trailer is supposed to have a payload of something like 1300kg, the floor needs to be 100% sound to support this!

And breathe..........
 
Sorry - just to be clear I'll edit my message, but I didn't mean that I was glad I didn't take my trailer to Agrimark because they're a bad company or anything - I meant I was glad that I chose to postpone the work full stop.. Hopefully they'll do a better job with the next batch. Although that doesn't help anyone who's had a bodge job already.

Ok - for some reason I can't edit the earlier post, but hopefully the above makes it clear!
 
Princess P said:
To be fair, all this mess has nothing to do with Agrimark, the french / polish fitters were just using their premises (and some of their equipment as some of the stuff they brought with them didn't work!).

As far as I'm aware Agrimark didn't realise the partition problem until Gillallen went to get her trailer, by which time the cheval van had gone.

Also, I have been told that the french / polish fitters were doing one particular trailer with a new wooden floor but didn't have one long enough so tried to patch up a 1 foot gap at the back with wood from OLD floors that had been taken out!!!! In this case Agrimark stepped in and told them no!

I would have been much more happy for agrimark to fir the floor for me rather than french / polish!


I am now pressing for another new floor, because to fix ours it will need new holes drilling in it to position the partition correctly, and I wanted a new floor, not a sieve! My trailer is supposed to have a payload of something like 1300kg, the floor needs to be 100% sound to support this!

And breathe..........
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We are on the phone twice a day at the moment to get this sorted with Wales also emailing france . New floors are needed to replace botch job done by French - polish fitters , We have also been told about taking wood of old floor because other one was to short . Chris Winchester is backing us all the way now waiting to hear from him need to ask about rights on new floor surely this is a new chapter starting with a new floor that is only just over a week old now with 7 holes at the front of it through bad fitting . Gill
 
my trailer went to Agrimark for a new floor fitted by french/polish.
the trailer was a front unload and the new floor they fitted was fine so they have fitted them before and know how to do it!
 
They made the dam things front and rear unload so they know how to fit them . They thought we where stupid and once we have gone back across the channel they carnt get us . Ok chapter 2 we have a bent partition which will wear matting out ( not my fault ) .Floor that new partition wont fit in ( not my fault ) = New floor and new partition CHEVAL UK FAULT . But they dont think this is right . Mr horse and hound have emailed you can you please phone . Feel a day off work coming next week to see a solicitor .
 
And still no recall on UK trailers (apart from Robinsons). Want to know why the French had a recall ages ago but same didn't happen here. I'm still waiting to hear backfrom Mr CL UK last I heard was over 2 weeks ago.

To all those with a badly fitted new ali floor then get in touch with Consumer Direct as it sounds like what they fitted (and charged you for) isn't of satisfactory standard and you need to reject it. This is just a fiasco. Come on H&H why are you not reporting on our plight?
 
Emailed H and H again last night will do the same again to night . Waiting to hear from solicitor about our plight . Been told today cheval france will make a desision on wednesday about botched alli floors . Gill
 
Been told today cheval france will make a desision on wednesday about botched alli floors . Gill
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Great customer service! It's not like we're stuck at home because our trailers aren't safe to use or anything! Well and truly peed off about all this now!:mad:
 
Returned from a loverly day out SJ with my daughter with trailer with new ali floor bent partition done by CL french polish fitters . First time out with 2 on board cleaned it out to find that RUBBER MATTING has come away from floor which is no wonder because because floor is so flexable and creaking as you walk on it . When will this saga end . Not going out in it again untill I get it checked by an independant as i dont trust what CL say anymore . On a good note saw a CL at show with plywood floor told him and showed him pics , he was not aware of the problems so will be making calls and getting his checked , told him not to settle for jump test look under matting . Mr CHEVAL UK will be getting a call today ..... Have also had another lady get in contact with me from my Face book group same problems same fight . Gill
 
I collected my 2003XL with replacement aluminium floor on Saturday. I haven't been able to test the partition in it, but visually it looks like it will fit. The new CL trailers all seem to have the same style partition as I have, so hopefully my new floor and partition will match. My only concern about the aluminium, is how bouncy it is at the front - it isn't resting on anything between the breast bars and the front of the trailer, so as you walk across it, the aluminium planks bounce and roll. I'm not quite sure what horses will make of that :confused: The back doesn't have the same problem as it has several struts that it sits on.

Has anyone else got the same problem? Should I be worried?
 
I spoke to another trailer dealer this morning (not Cheval ) asked if an aluminium floor should be bouncy the guy laughed and said NO it should feel solid under foot.
 
Hi Guys,
As a CL box owner I have been following this thread with interest. I have also had a poor response from CL with respect to my concerns that I have raised with them. So I have now spoken directly to the Trading Standards Officer in Wales who is dealing with CL. Following our discussion they have asked me to send them a copy of all my correspondence with CL. In addition they were very interested to hear about this thread and asked me to send them the link to it. I hope this will help Trading Standards to get CL to do the right thing.
 
I was told on good authority that CL in Wales have already had a visit from trading standards and they didn't do anything. It will be interesting to see if they change their minds and help us.
 
Yep- they had a visit in 2010 when it happened to me, again they did nothing, maybe trading standards man and Arwel are buddies, i cant see how else he is getting away with it!
 
Hi Guys,
I believe that any box that was made near or between these dates should be recalled and a new floor fitted for safety. We all know how near impossible it is to inspect the floor correctly and how costly it is to do. To help TS we need to get owners to ask CL to replace the floor.When they refuse contact TS (Have CL address to hand).Ask for a TS officer to contact you (especially if you call Consumer Direct).When the officers calls you tell them that this is a know problem and that a TS Officer in Wales is dealing with this and ask them to pass your complaint on. The more complaints the Welsh office gets the easier it is for them to act and issue a Recall Notice to CL. For those with "replaced" floor problems again get a TS officer to contact you and get them to pass your complaint to the Welsh officer.***H&H IF YOU ARE READING THIS PLEASE G.O.B***
 
Eagle

PM me if you prefer but it appears you are sitting where I was a couple of weeks ago with a trailer made in the danger period where you have no idea whether the floor is sound or not and no way of telling.

I argued with CL about this, that I could not use the trailer as I was concerned about the floor and that I could not sell it as it was worthless without a new floor. He even had the cheek to suggest I trade it in for a new one!!

I had mine checked out at an independant trailer servicing place who confirmed that the rubber seal had failed and that the wood was soaked and starting to rot. Having seen what they did the rubber just lifted up at the back and sides where the glue had come unstuck from the wet wood (CL Wales said this would damage the rubber but it didn't at all because the rubber was already unstuck!)
 
shellonabeach

As I have pointed out to CL (as have many others ) you need to destroy the matting (incurring cost!!!) to get to the floor,and even if you do that you will not be able to tell if you have a treated floor or not.TS have agreed with me that this is not acceptable hence their request for further information from me including my own engineering knowledge.Also this type of product problem is covered by General Product Safety Regulation 2005 (my professional knowledge) which is the reg that requires people like CL to deal with known problems before they get to a dangerous situation.(not just to fix just when broken).Also the regulation applies to second hand goods.A good examples of this is the Car industry on voluntary recalls.
It is now a point of principle that I am fighting for hence why I have spent the time locating the officer who is dealing with this. To be fair to them they only have limited knowledge and rely on people like us to fill in some of the detail.
 
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