Ifor Williams side panel Replacement - Fibreglass?

[A.R.B]

Hi,

My back panels on an Ifor Williams 505 trailer need replacing, age has caused the back panel to start weakening and has bowed. I was looking into replacement panels but the cost and wait time from an Ifor Williams dealer is really off putting using the same from them again. I was at my brother's work the other day, he is an engineer and one of his projects at the moment and he had a block (length of a side panel and 60cm wide) of fibreglass made and in a specific colour as they put the colour in when mixing. It's solid and strong. It got me thinking has anyone ever replaced the panels of an ifor William with another material or using material not from them?

What did you use and how did you do it!?

 

[Suechoccy]

Try a different trailer dealer. The panels are made from a composite marine-ply type of material. I had my side panels and both ramps replaced at Bardwell Trailers in Oundle, Northants, side panels one year, ramps the following year.

From memory the side panels were £150 each, and ramps I think £90 and £70, and fitting them was about £100 each.

Many years previously OH and I had removed a side panel when it rotted out at back bottom corner, turned it upside down and back to front so the rotten bit was at top front corner, then refitted it. It was an awkward job as you kind of have to dismantle the trailer bit by bit and more than you think to get the panel out and the new one in. So paying dealer to do it a few years later when we had side panels replaced was well worth paying the dealer to do it, all beautifully finished with waterproof sealant round the edges too.

Keeps your trailer safe and roadworthy.

 

[A.R.B]

Try a different trailer dealer. The panels are made from a composite marine-ply type of material. I had my side panels and both ramps replaced at Bardwell Trailers in Oundle, Northants, side panels one year, ramps the following year.

From memory the side panels were £150 each, and ramps I think £90 and £70, and fitting them was about £100 each.

Many years previously OH and I had removed a side panel when it rotted out at back bottom corner, turned it upside down and back to front so the rotten bit was at top front corner, then refitted it. It was an awkward job as you kind of have to dismantle the trailer bit by bit and more than you think to get the panel out and the new one in. So paying dealer to do it a few years later when we had side panels replaced was well worth paying the dealer to do it, all beautifully finished with waterproof sealant round the edges too.

Keeps your trailer safe and roadworthy.

Thank you!

I am in Ireland and struggling to find a dealer in the area. My OH is a mechanic and tester and has been doing the maintenance on the box (begrudgingly and not really wanting to).

Unfortunately, I am finding it hard to get someone with a good reputation within a reasonable distance (which isn't close over an hour away is the closest person to work with trailers). Friends have gone to various and had silly issues like the jockey wheel which the box was specifically in to be fixed not fixed on the collection, couldn't even hitch up and the tyres even needed inflating at another place as they hadn't move it since it arrived for months and said it was ready and again it wasn't as it was getting the framework sprayed and it wasn't touched . My friends don't even know where I should go with it now!

The outer side of my box is black is this a covering on the marine ply or a seperate material? Just as I know of a timber yard that stocks it I can ask but just wondering what the black material is called?

Thank you very much for your help

 

[Suechoccy]

The black material is a coating on the actual material that forms the wall. It's a sort of marine-ply composite type material. If you remove the linings on the inside, you'll eventually come to the backside of it. I don't know what it's called but it's strong stuff to withstand hooves kicking it, and weight of a horse walking (ramps).

You can buy the panels and have them delivered for fitting them yourself. If OH is a mechanic and tester then like my OH he's going to be practical and have tools. Or you can have them ordered into the dealer and collect them from the dealer (in your trailer!) to fit at home yourself too.

If OH does it, from memory we removed all the inner linings, undid bolts that pass through the boards from the iron hoop framework of the trailer, removed centre partition pole of trailer, and then found we needed to remove some rivets from the roof as well in order to get enough "give" to be able to lift, slide and ease the old panel out of its grooves, and then lift/slide/ease the replacement panel down into the grooves.

Use plenty of waterproof outdoor sealant when fitting the new panels around all their edges. You will need a rivet gun and riveter to re-revit the roof.

 

[A.R.B]

The black material is a coating on the actual material that forms the wall. It's a sort of marine-ply composite type material. If you remove the linings on the inside, you'll eventually come to the backside of it. I don't know what it's called but it's strong stuff to withstand hooves kicking it, and weight of a horse walking (ramps).

You can buy the panels and have them delivered for fitting them yourself. If OH is a mechanic and tester then like my OH he's going to be practical and have tools. Or you can have them ordered into the dealer and collect them from the dealer (in your trailer!) to fit at home yourself too.

If OH does it, from memory we removed all the inner linings, undid bolts that pass through the boards from the iron hoop framework of the trailer, removed centre partition pole of trailer, and then found we needed to remove some rivets from the roof as well in order to get enough "give" to be able to lift, slide and ease the old panel out of its grooves, and then lift/slide/ease the replacement panel down into the grooves.

Use plenty of waterproof outdoor sealant when fitting the new panels around all their edges. You will need a rivet gun and riveter to re-revit the roof.

Thank you. I will try the timber yard as we deal with them at work and might get a better price than the Ifor Willam panels. Thanks again the OH and his handy friend's have something to look forward to after lock down

 

[Leo Walker]

I've never done an Ifor but I've ripped a couple of other models apart and rebuilt them and cant imagine its a v very difficult job. Fibre glass would work so long as it was one sheet, but I'd be more inclined to go for wood. Marine ply would work so long as all the cut edges were sealed and then you could paint it to match. Phenolic ply would potentially be better but only comes with a brown covering and you cant paint over it.

 

[Juno Composites]

I've never done an Ifor but I've ripped a couple of other models apart and rebuilt them and cant imagine its a v very difficult job. Fibre glass would work so long as it was one sheet, but I'd be more inclined to go for wood. Marine ply would work so long as all the cut edges were sealed and then you could paint it to match. Phenolic ply would potentially be better but only comes with a brown covering and you cant paint over it.

Would you not consider a fully glass fibre /foam core sandwich panel. Will never rot or rust and you can paint it whatever colour you like. What size and thickness is the panel you need to replace?