Trailer floor... how would I know if it was 'safe??'

[showaddy1]

I have an older Rice - I have travelled friends ponies (now that I have mastered reversing!) but still havent built up the courage of putting my girl on it. At a guess she weighs about 650 - 700kgs, without putting her on the box I cannot weigh her!
Its the floor I worry about, It looks fine, and its covered with rubber matting, but how could I be sure she wont go through the bottom.
Feel free to give me a slap for being neurotic

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

I dont know! My friends horse recently went through the trailer floor of her trailer. She said it seemed fine and they had the trailer from new.

I dont know how you would check the floors but will watch with interest

 

[mandwhy]

You'll probably need to look underneath, but I wouldn't trust myself and would probably just pay someone to check it!

 

[showaddy1]

Hubby is a carpenter... well was, and keeps telling me that pound for pound wood is stronger than steel... blah blah. The idea of my girl doing a flinstone impression scares the crap out of me, and I too have a friend whose horse went through the bottom!

 

[Shadow the Reindeer]

If you're worried get it checked, I'd sooner know for sure than put my beloved horse at risk.

 

[CobsGalore]

I wonder this too. We always check the floor for creaking, rotting etc and jump up and down in it, but how do you know it's safe? What would a professional 'trailer person' be checking for??

 

[hayinamanger]

An older box which still has the original floor would be very suspect. I would take out the rubber matting, get a sharp pen knife and poke the point of the knife into the floor at various points. If the floor is sound, the knife will not go in beyond the point. If the blade goes into or through the wood, then it's rotten.

Any doubts, get it professionally checked, as it's never worth the risk.

 

[Shadow the Reindeer]

I've no idea what the procedure is regarding safety checks on trailers (never owned one), hence why if I was to purchase one, i'd want to know if it's up to the job it's been bought for.

 

[showaddy1]

Well I was meant to muster up the motivation to repaint the outside this weekend so it makes sense to strip out the rubber matting. You never know, hubby may offer to put in a new floor to put my mind at ease - stranger things have happened!

 

[Emma86]

I waited once while my trailer was serviced and to check the floor he checked it from underneath. Being slightly neurotic about wooden floors in trailers I asked him to lift the rubber matting and check the whole thing, which he happily did.

I would get it professionally checked but make a point of asking them to lift the matting and checking under that too as I am not sure if that is always done.

 

[dixie]

I always get mine serviced every year and ensure they check the floor at my horse like to bang like mad on the last 1/2 mile towards home and it takes quite a beating.

 

[skint1]

My YM used to check my old Rice for me, being a paranoid android that I am,
he put it up on a ramp and looked at the underneath, he lifted all the mats and stabbed all round the floor with a knife AND he hit it at various points with a big lump hammer but I was always a worry for me. When I get my next trailer I think I will get a much newer one, maybe with an aluminium floor.

 

[LouandBee]

Get uunderneath and have a good look at it, poke it with a screw driver to see if there is any rot, particularly around the edges where the floor sits on the steel.

I would also pull up the rubber mats and look at it from the top.

I personally would not be taking out my friends ponies if I hadn't checked the floor.

If it's wood I also wouldn't be happy with anything less than 2 layers and I replace and treat mine every 2 years for peace of mind....really not worth the risk.

 

[wench]

You will happily put other people's horses in it but not your own???

 

[Twinkley Lights]

I always get mine serviced every year and ensure they check the floor at my horse like to bang like mad on the last 1/2 mile towards home and it takes quite a beating.

I will be doing this too and this concern is why I opted for a fully reconditioned second hand trailer from a dealer as I know everything has been checked.

 

[OWLIE185]

The best way to check the floor is to go underneath the trailer and push a screwdriver in to the wood. If it penetrates the wood then it needs replacing. Also do it from the upper surface as well and don't forget the ramp.
The other thing to check are the tyres and also ensure that they are proper trailer tyres which need to be inflated to 60 - 80 pounds per square inch.
I am afraid that aluminium floors rot as well especially if there is no membrane between the steel supports and the aluminium. (The urine causes a galvanic action between the steel supports and aluminium and the aluminium rots)

 

[skint1]

Oh no really? Which do you think is better/lasts longer? (sorry to hijack thread)
Do they generally have this membrane? I was thinking of an Ifor 510

 

[nic85]

I bought an old Richardson Treble ( Right money, right time) And did it up last year.

This was the floor when we started

The floor half way through

And the floor with a second skin of Exterior Ply, both layer have been treated with wood preserver

And finished

We did the underside too, all the metal framework was stripped back and primed and painted. It is stored with the rubber mats up.

 

[micramadam]

I had total panic over mine when I read about the problems with Cheval Liberte trailers from 2007. Bought mine from Robinsons in 2007 and have been postively anal about checking the floor every time we use it. Have had up to 3 adults jumping up and down in at at one point. it's just recently been serviced and asked them to do a thorough check on the floor. No problems. Phew! Will be making sure that I have it serviced regularly but will still test the floor everytime before we use it. Also it is cleaned out after every journey so nothing wet is left in. Just in case

 

[showaddy1]

Well just been out to farm, lifted matting... All completely solid and dry except for a very small area infront of the jockey door. I suspect the seal has gone on the roof and its running down the wall.
I shall ask hubby to investigate further when he get home.
When you refurbished your floor nic, what size were the planks under the ply? Are they two inch or three thick?
As for driving other ppls ponies, it is a very close friend, but I admit that I didn't think about it. I have now.

 

[nic85]

Well just been out to farm, lifted matting... All completely solid and dry except for a very small area infront of the jockey door. I suspect the seal has gone on the roof and its running down the wall.
I shall ask hubby to investigate further when he get home.
When you refurbished your floor nic, what size were the planks under the ply? Are they two inch or three thick?
As for driving other ppls ponies, it is a very close friend, but I admit that I didn't think about it. I have now.

Off the top of my head I honestly can't remember! Ill ask hubby, he should know....I hope!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I prefer wood only because I think it is easier to test it eg the screwdriver and also to add extra layers eg marine ply at right angles to the existing floor. But don't forget to account for the extra weight in calculating what horses trailer can take if doing this.

 

[TommisMum]

I'll Pm you my OHs details as he is a bit of a trailer anorack!

 

[Louby]

I actually prefer wood. I looked at a horsebox with an ali floor, got underneath and was shocked to see holes in it, where it had corroded. This was a professional well known coachbuilt horsebox in immaculate condition, and not that old, so they both need maintenance and both can deteriorate.
I knew a horse that threw itself to the floor in a new Ifor with ali floor but was fine in the owners older one which had a wood floor. They put wood over the ali and the horse travelled fine. She did research and found that a few horses didnt like the play in the floor.

Sorry just reread ops thread title and it isnt asking this

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

To check the floor you must lift the rubber matting as this will hide any problems. Once up check all over the floor paying particular attention to the edges as this is where they tend to go first. Have a good bodge around with a sharp screwdriver. Then go underneath & do a similar check. If you find that there is a double floor I believe you need to have an even closer check of the floor. I have known people just drop a new floor on top of the old floor & all this does is sandwich in the wet rotton floor & as this decays it will affect the stability of the 'new floor' layed on top of it.

If you have to remove the entire floor then take the opportunity to clean off the chassis & give is a good coal of hammerite in the places you will not be able to access after the new floor is fitted.

Finally don't use plywoof of any kind, Marine or otherwise, it is not a good material for doing tyhe job. You can buy rot proof sheet material which will do the job once & for all & will never have to be replaced.

 

[showaddy1]

Thank you for your advice - researching rot proof sheeting! Its got two layers of planks, one front to back, one the other way.