Any Cheval Liberte Trailer Owners With Dangerous Floor?

Eagle said:
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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Ah I'm with you and this is exactly the problem CL are refusing to do anything (bar tell you where to take your trailer for a visual inspection / jump test) unless you can prove the floor is defective.
 
I would be really interested to see if anyone who has had their floor replaced has actually had it done to a safe and satisfactory standard!

I'm so cross about this, I specifically asked Robinsons before the floor was replaced if the Polish fitters would do it properly, and was told it would all be fine. However they messed it up and I still don't have a safe trailer to use! 3 Whole months now we have been stuck without a trailer!
 
of to see solicitor next monday to see if we have enough for a case on the grounds of negligance . The safest part of our new floor is behind the ridge that has appeared along the back width of the the trailer the front creacks and you can see floor move . Going to jump on a Ifor floor tomorrow to see if it moves .also going to look underneath to see if they are planks of Ali or solid piece . Arranging to get indipent opinion on saftey of trailer . The next time it will be out is Nov 5th stating bonfire . gill
 
shellonabeach said:
Ah I'm with you and this is exactly the problem CL are refusing to do anything (bar tell you where to take your trailer for a visual inspection / jump test) unless you can prove the floor is defective.
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In my professional experience (again)their so call inspection advice is totally flawed,their record keeping and quality control is flawed and their floors are flawed!!!! Their is clearly enough evidence and lack of control to show that the only sensible way to avoid serious injury/damage is a total recall and floor replacement program (done by local experts!!). They might be able to fob off an officer with limited technical knowledge with talk of an international hit... oops sorry.... fix team armed with big hammers and wrong types of floors, but some of us are more in the know then they give us credit for!
JTLUK the officer who I spoke too who is now armed with my advice/data after a very long phone call and is making a return trip to CL and will be giving me feedback.
 
Have started a face book group
Cheval Liberte "Dangerous Floors " Group
there are more people there with floor problems
Also uploaded video showing the movement in new Ali floor that we paid for on my own page Gill Allen .
 
Eagle said:
In my professional experience (again)their so call inspection advice is totally flawed,their record keeping and quality control is flawed and their floors are flawed!!!! Their is clearly enough evidence and lack of control to show that the only sensible way to avoid serious injury/damage is a total recall and floor replacement program (done by local experts!!). They might be able to fob off an officer with limited technical knowledge with talk of an international hit... oops sorry.... fix team armed with big hammers and wrong types of floors, but some of us are more in the know then they give us credit for!
JTLUK the officer who I spoke too who is now armed with my advice/data after a very long phone call and is making a return trip to CL and will be giving me feedback.
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Hi Eagle TS Officer I have dealt with wanted to take the matter up with CL agent in Derbyshire where I purchased trailer from so not sure if my complaint got through to Wales. PM me if you need the guys name at TS to collate with your info.
Out of interest I was advised that they could reuse the matting when they took out my plywood floor which my horse had nearly fallen through. The thing about the CL trailers was they sold them on their light weight figures so you can imagine extra support struts being left off the design to keep weight levels down.
 
FPErin said:
Hi Eagle TS Officer I have dealt with wanted to take the matter up with CL agent in Derbyshire where I purchased trailer from so not sure if my complaint got through to Wales. PM me if you need the guys name at TS to collate with your info.
Out of interest I was advised that they could reuse the matting when they took out my plywood floor which my horse had nearly fallen through. The thing about the CL trailers was they sold them on their light weight figures so you can imagine extra support struts being left off the design to keep weight levels down.
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Hi,
As you originally purchased the box from the dealer(and as he was still in business) the sales of goods act would of applied to your faulty floor and hence the TSO would have approach the agent first.The regulation that I have mentioned applies to products irrespective if you have bought them direct or second hand and could of be used by your TSO if the dealer was no longer in business.Once I hear back from the Welsh TSO I may need you to forward the information to her.Many Thanks.
 
Right what do I need to do to escalate this? Can anyone tell me an "idiot's guide" as to who I need to report this to? I have given Agrimark the heads' up that the aluminium floors bounce and roll.
 
BeckyD said:
Right what do I need to do to escalate this? Can anyone tell me an "idiot's guide" as to who I need to report this to? I have given Agrimark the heads' up that the aluminium floors bounce and roll.
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Did you buy this box from Argrimark? If so if you are unhappy with the new floor immediately raise it with them. TS would expect you to do this as a matter of course.Ask them should the floor move in this way.See if they can they show you a box with a factory fitted ali floor that you can compare.(Has anyone out there every seen a box with a factory fitted ali floor?????Should it move???Please let us know).Once you can establish that the floor should not move then insist that they fix the problem.If they refuse to do this then you can proceed to the next stage(TSO/LEGAL).
 
Eagle said:
Did you buy this box from Argrimark? If so if you are unhappy with the new floor immediately raise it with them. TS would expect you to do this as a matter of course.Ask them should the floor move in this way.See if they can they show you a box with a factory fitted ali floor that you can compare.(Has anyone out there every seen a box with a factory fitted ali floor?????Should it move???Please let us know).Once you can establish that the floor should not move then insist that they fix the problem.If they refuse to do this then you can proceed to the next stage(TSO/LEGAL).
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What if I didn't buy it from Agrimark? The dealer I bought it from has gone bust. Agrimark have just serviced and overseen the floor.

My friend has an Ifor with aluminium floor and that doesn't bounce. I tried it on Saturday.
 
Tacking trailer for an independant assessment tomorrow . First person I phoned said he didnt want to get involved . Stood in a 6yr old Ifor today what a differance no bounce . Still no reply from H and H reporter ..... Gill
 
Just a not about plywood because it does seem to have a bad reputation.

I replaced our trailer floor with some ply wood and there is no way a horse will fall through it. It is absolutely solid because it is 21mm and of a suitable grade.

Plywood comes in different grades. If you buy interior stuff and leave it outside (or even somewhere with damp air) it will warp and delaminate. On the other hand I could show you plywood which has been outside here for 20 or 30 years and is still the same as when it was bought.

The glue needs to be water proof and optionally the wood could be treated but it is the glue that is really important. Marine ply is used or making boats.

So plywood is not all bad.
 
Just an quick update.Had a chat with the Welsh TSO on Friday they are waiting for CL to return their call. I was told that my complaint was one of very few that have been passed on to them!!So it would seem that either no else is complaining or are not asking for their complaint to be passed on as I earlier post. Also it could be that as said before on this thread owners have simple replaced their floors themselves? If they have they would have a case to possible seek the recovery of their costs. In simple words few complaints will limit the actions that the TS can take.Maybe H&H can raise this again and ask owners to contact them hint hint.
 
Eagle said:
Just an quick update.Had a chat with the Welsh TSO on Friday they are waiting for CL to return their call. I was told that my complaint was one of very few that have been passed on to them!!So it would seem that either no else is complaining or are not asking for their complaint to be passed on as I earlier post. Also it could be that as said before on this thread owners have simple replaced their floors themselves? If they have they would have a case to possible seek the recovery of their costs. In simple words few complaints will limit the actions that the TS can take.Maybe H&H can raise this again and ask owners to contact them hint hint.
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I did replace my own floor last year after my mare went through it. Was told there was no recall and it was a one off so thought it was just bad luck at the time. I have complained to TS a few months ago when prob was highlighted in H&H re Robinsons trailers. The prob is that the TSO said he'd take it up with the local dealer who sold me the trailer not CL Wales so there are prob lots of differnt TSOs dealing with the same probs but aren't aware of other cases. I'll PM name of TSO dealing with my complaint so you can pass it on to your contact.
 
Has anyone taken theirs back to Agrimark to have the bouncy floors fixed? Agrimark rang me last Monday to say the Polish chaps would be out on Wednesday last week putting the bouncy floors right. I haven't been able to get my trailer there yet due to work. Interested if anyone had had theirs fixed and whether the fix works?
 
Bump.....

Has anyone had their floors done yet? I'm very anxious to see what happens with out partition, which they bent totally out of shape to fit in the holes that were in the wrong place on the floor.

Nervous and just have a bad feeling that they are going to mess it up again......
 
Having checked my 2003 at the weekend, I found a large split with very soft wood above just where the rear hooves of the pony's stand.

The serial number is: SY920040007DE1069069 and was purchased in June 2007.

I am in communication with both Wales and France but have yet to receive a response.

I believe that: 1. these trailers should be replaced as they are not fit for purpose
2. it is totally unacceptable that these trailers were not recalled with such a fundamental safety issue
 
I believe that too. But good luck convincing CL UK of it;-)

My floor got replaced with aluminium last week. I'm still in "negotiations" about paying for it. I believe that I shouldn't have to - that all they've done by putting an aluminium floor in is restore the resale value of my trailer to what it was prior to this debacle. But we shall see..
 
How's everyone getting on?
Which of you have had floors replaced recently and are now satisfied with CL's action on this matter? Are those who had new ali floors fitted which were bouncy or drilled in the incorrect places had their floors sorted? I'm still awaiting a response from France CL (via CL UK). For those who haven't read earlier posts my mare started to go through the plywood floor of our Sept 2007 trailer. We paid out for a new floor a year ago as at that time CL weren't acknowledging there was a serious prob (or any prob for that matter). I've been waiting now around 2 months for action from France and am starting to get a little impatient.
Has any one had positive action from CL France recently or is eveyone else still in limbo???
 
Well after waiting ages for Cheval Liberte (Arwel) to contact me as he was supposed to, to discuss my trampoline-like bouncy aluminium floor, I have today given up and called them. Arwel is away until tomorrow afternoon, but the chap on the end of the phone has arranged for me to take my trailer in (again) to Agrimark/Anglia Trailers to get it fixed. He reckons it's only a half hour fix (hmmmmmmm) but because I am out of annual leave, I have to take it this Saturday and collect it the following Saturday (despite it being a 3.5hr-4hr round trip!!!).

I shall update further in due course...

Anyone else had any joy fixing the bouncy floor? Anything I should watch out for?
 
I'm still awaiting to hear what CL UK/France are going to do regards my horse falling through trailer floor last year and me paying to replace the floor as at that point CL weren't admitting there was a problem. Have given CL until New Year to tell me what's happening so guess I now look to take matters further.
Has anyone actually received a refund or compensation for an accident or damage to trailer? PM me if that's preferable.
Think CL are hoping we'll all go away. I certainly won't let the matter drop and will be looking to persue through legal channels if I don't hear anything this week.
 
I have had to withdraw from the Medium Freestyle Regional Final today at Addington as when I did my trailer check this morning prior to loading I found a hole in the floor on the right hand side. The rubber matting had split over this and when pulled back there was daylight all through. I had used the trailer on Friday when it had all been sound with no signs of any problems when I loaded my horse, but unloaded in the dark so not seen any problem until today. I was shocked to see the plywood, it is just falling apart and would not be fit for the purpose of transporting horses. I will be contacting the dealership I purchased it from on Monday, but I would say to anyone with one of these trailers with the plywood floor to get it replaced because mine had shown absolutely no signs of any problems before now. If I had had any further to travel on my way home on Friday I feel sure I would no longer have my horse.
 
hi i have just bought a 2003xl yr 2006 ???
this seems to b very good my horse likes it n it tows a dream..what is the yr of when the floors were bad???
it has a full service histroy n i bought it from a company who deals with cheval alot the floor has just been re-sealed as the matting had a tiny air bubble in it..
all info greatfull:))
 
Hi jojane

It's the 2007 particularly that had substandard plywood floors fitted. Obviously goes without saying to check any trailer floor before you load your horse for a journey whatever make of trailer.
 
I just wanted to add my piece. I have a 2007 cheval trailer it was bought second hand with no guarantees and I checked my floors every time I used it. I found the floor had given way a month ago and found the national contact was absolutely diabolical.

However I had bought my original trailer from JSW trailers Northallerton and contacted them. I couldn't have asked for a better reception. I took the trailer down and as usual Cheval in France didn't turn up when expected though JSW made sure all was in place for when they did turn up the following week.

Not only was the floor replaced the trailer was given a thorough check over and they replaced an internal light, that hadn't worked since I bought the trailer, completely free of charge.

So regardless of where you live I wouldn't waste my time travelling anywhere else and speak to JSW. Absolutely can't fault them. And yes I still check my trailer every time I travel just as I would with any trailer.
 
I also had a new floor in my 2006 trailer this May, from my local dealership. The head office of CL in this country were absolutely appalling, they never responded to my calls and emails about my rotten floor in what is a pretty new and lightly used trailer.

My trailer is in good nick now, but rest assured when it comes to be replaced I will not be buying with CL - their customer service is dreadful! The dealers I have spoken to have been great though.
 
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