Help ! New floor needed for Rice trailer - advice needed

[Bowden]

Hi, I need to replace my rice trailer floor as it has rotten right through.

I have been told that Marine ply is the best thing by ifor Williams, but when looking on the H&H forums it seems that it is not the best thing from experience! It seems that Buffalo boards/ply is better for the job.

Has anyone had a metal floor put in a rice trailer as when discussing this with Ifor Williams they say I can't get one as as its a rice trailer.

I would like to have two layers to the floor, but don't know what to do for the best. I don't want to pay through the nose for it, but I want to get the best thing for the safety of my horse. I have been quoted £800 plus for a ply foor with fitting which seems a bit steep! Does anyone know anyone near to Oxford that can help me!

Thanks

 

[rockysmum]

They were designed to have tongue and groove floor boards front to back with hardwood planks running side to side on top.

While its OK to replace the hardwood planks, the underboards should stay the same. They are part of the strength of the trailer and the gaps between the metal supports are too great to use ply. If you really want to use ply you need to get plenty of extra metal supports welded to the frame.

I always used boards first, then thin ply, then rubber matting. Never had any trouble and I lifted the ply every year to check its condition and the underboards.

Oh and I used to get good indoor second hand floor boards from the recycled timber place. Thin ply on top. Whole thing never cost more than about £150. I did the work myself though.

 

[marmalade76]

I think it's best to replace the floor with similar to the original as thet is what it was designed to have. OH has just replaced the floor in my Sinclair, it's original floor was ply so that is what we have relaced it with, ply but better quality ply than the original (we were advised by the ply wearhouse to use a ply meant for flatbed machinery trailers).

£800 sounds an awful lot for a ply floor (my ply cost £120 and a friend of the OH helped him fit it and charged £150), but I wouldn't be surprised if a hardwood floor cost that much.

 

[paulineh]

We have just had a new floor in our Richardson trailer (Part of Rice) The floor we have had put in is a heavy duty plastic one that will last a life time.

We have had it done locally. Not cheap but will last and had been done by a professtional.