How do you clean out your trailer?

[Bobthecob15]

Just curious how people clean out their trailers after using? Do you use a particular product to clean the floors? Does everyone use bedding? I haven't been...

Ours has sealed mats so they can't be taken up for cleaning, I've just been taking out poop then using water to wash the matting.. but thinking maybe a good idea to use something like disinfectant but not sure which are rubber safe?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I just give my trailer a good sweep out after every use. I disinfect my stables monthly so I spray the trailer at the same time. I don't use bedding either in my trailer.

 

[lannerch]

I have just brought one of these, my trailer has never looked so clean https://www.facebook.com/BroomRaker

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

A friend has a hubbie who repairs agricultural trailers/horse trailers etc as part of his job, and he's always said that the very worst thing you can do with a trailer is to hose it down after use. Or worse-still powerwashing. This gets the water right into it and it will rot & rust things out apparently.

 

[Bobthecob15]

A friend has a hubbie who repairs agricultural trailers/horse trailers etc as part of his job, and he's always said that the very worst thing you can do with a trailer is to hose it down after use. Or worse-still powerwashing. This gets the water right into it and it will rot & rust things out apparently.

Hmm OK, not keen on leaving poo stains though after it's been swept out

 

[TheMule]

I always use bedding in the trailer- if they need a wee it's horrid for them to go in rubber mats

 

[Tiddlypom]

What is the flooring under the sealed mats?

Ifor started their 505/510 range with much fanfare re their easycare sealed mats over wooden floors. All was good until the trailers aged, the wood rotted away unseen under the mats, and horses died after falling through the trailer floors in transit . As I recall, Ifor did a recall and replaced these sealed floors/mats FOC with ali floors.

I have to say I was wary of the sealed mats from the start and it put me off them, so I bought a brand new Rice trailer with wooden floors and no mats instead. At least I could see and check for rot. Currently have an Ifor with a one piece lift up mat over an ali floor. I brush out and prop the mat up at the rear over a couple of bricks to air out. Owned for 17 years from new, original floor and mat still in grand condition.

Rubber matting when wet from poo/wee is very slippery, I always have a decent layer of shavings down on top.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Sweep it and hose it and clean with black fluid

 

[asmp]

Hmm OK, not keen on leaving poo stains though after it's been swept out

I bought a Bateson off a friend once who had kept it very clean - by power washing it down after use. Found out it had rotted the walls and ramps

 

[Red-1]

If it is just poo, I sweep clean and the reside dries.

If he as pee-ed I hose it off as that is kind of caustic. I only hose though, not power wash.

I avoid bedding with BH as that makes him pee. Instead, he has learned to pee on command, both ends of the journey. Once I am secure that he understands better where to pee, I will reinstate bedding for the rather squelchy grass poos!

ETA - for a well made, brand new, sealed floor, I feel confident for up to 10 years. After that I would lift the flooring however I had to and have a proper check.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I keep water out of mine as much as possible. Any muck on sides, there never is, I would just wipe off. It gets a through clean a couple of times a year but with minimal water!

 

[Sossigpoker]

I just sweep out my 505.
My Ifor dealer recommended that if stored outside like mine is , lift it to a slight angle with had jockeh wheel so any water getting in will drain out the back.
I've got the side windows slightly open at all times to ensure ventilation,.and when it's dry, I open the roof vent and the the too doors at the back.
Dealer also said that of you do wash yhe floor , do it on a,warm dry day , lift the mats at least a bit and lift it up with yhe jockey wheel.
I don't use bedding as I only do short local trips and so far my boy hasn't peed. Also the bedding will keep the wee in the trailer unless you clean it very thoroughly after every use.

 

[Honey08]

A friend has a hubbie who repairs agricultural trailers/horse trailers etc as part of his job, and he's always said that the very worst thing you can do with a trailer is to hose it down after use. Or worse-still powerwashing. This gets the water right into it and it will rot & rust things out apparently.

Can’t say I agree with him. If not you’re leaving pee and poop possibly on the floor, which is surely more likely to rot it than plain water.

We have a Ford at the bottom of our lane, we always used to drive it down theee, park it just out of the stream and Chuck buckets of water over the whole floor -swill everything out (if it ran anywhere it went into our own field). We’ve had this trailer (510 with metal floor) 20 years without any issues, although it was converted into a coffee box two years ago, so it doesn’t have pee issues anymore! We always parked it with a good slope to the floor, so any rain or water would always run out the back.

 

[Landcruiser]

Best thing I ever did was replace the heavy rubber mat in my Wessex Clubman with thick, light EVA mats which I cut to fit exactly. They are so easy to lift and you can stand them up and prop them against the walls or just take them out altogether. Being thick, I think they also absorb some of the vibration. When I had my wooden floor replaced about a year ago, I was dismayed to find the mats screwed down to the new ally floor ("You won't need to lift them now it's all aluminium.." ). Yes, until my horse does a wee in there, given that I sleep in there at competitions! First thing I did was remove all the fixings. I'd never have fixed matting, there's just too much potential for unseen horrors.

 

[BMA2]

Sweep not wash

Power washing drives water in places it shouldn't be

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I only sweep mine to remove poos. Lottie has only weed in it once, and after that I swilled it out with water and dilute floor cleaner, mainly to get rid of the smell. I do used bedding for ease of cleaning.

 

[Bobthecob15]

What is the flooring under the sealed mats?

Ifor started their 505/510 range with much fanfare re their easycare sealed mats over wooden floors. All was good until the trailers aged, the wood rotted away unseen under the mats, and horses died after falling through the trailer floors in transit . As I recall, Ifor did a recall and replaced these sealed floors/mats FOC with ali floors.

I have to say I was wary of the sealed mats from the start and it put me off them, so I bought a brand new Rice trailer with wooden floors and no mats instead. At least I could see and check for rot. Currently have an Ifor with a one piece lift up mat over an ali floor. I brush out and prop the mat up at the rear over a couple of bricks to air out. Owned for 17 years from new, original floor and mat still in grand condition.

Rubber matting when wet from poo/wee is very slippery, I always have a decent layer of shavings down on top.

Aluminium. It's a new cheval liberte

 

[Bobthecob15]

OK thank you, ours tends to just poo not wee so haven't bothered with bedding. I've been picking out poo, then just rinsing with water (from a bucket) over just the poo bit and sweeping out then letting dry. Don't power wash or hose it x