Trailer Flooring Help!!!

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kellie1189

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Hi,

We have bought a old rice trailer and plan on replacing the floor.

My Husband is thinking of using 3mm - 4mm steel plate for the floor with rubber matting on top.

I was just wondering if any one had used this before?

Thank you
 
Never did get round to using it but I looked at steel treadplate from ebay, worked out expensive because of the size of the panels -I would have had to buy a lot. But they have the "treads" to stop stuff slipping around.
 
What size horses will you be travelling? 3-4mm of steel between my horses and the road would be a no-no for me, rubber matting or not. The horse pee on it will corrode it quickly as well.

I refloored my old Rice with double layer tongue and groove, treated to resist rot. Bottom layer front to back and top layer side to side. It gave a really nice ride.

I've now sold it and bought a lorry which I has professionally refloored with aluminium planks with a layer of rubber. It was almost £900 but I felt well worth it for peace of mind :)
 
I used 21mm gorilla board with 3mm aluminium treadplate on top and rubber matting. You would need more members welded into place to stop the steel from flexing I'd have thought.
 
You must not use steel plate as the galvanic action caused by the trailers chassis and the steel you use for the flooring will cause it to corrode. Even if you are going to use aluminium instead of steel the chassis needs to have a coating applied to it to prevent any galvanic action. Your safest solution would be to use wood accepting that it will require regular maintenance and that eventually it will need to be replaced again.
 
OWLIE185 said:
You must not use steel plate as the galvanic action caused by the trailers chassis and the steel you use for the flooring will cause it to corrode. Even if you are going to use aluminium instead of steel the chassis needs to have a coating applied to it to prevent any galvanic action. Your safest solution would be to use wood accepting that it will require regular maintenance and that eventually it will need to be replaced again.
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If you want to do a good job, use oak floorboards like they did in the original rice trailers, many of which lasted 30-40 years with the original floor. Don't put rubber on top, and have drainage holes to ensure it can dry out. Wood lasts a surprsingly long time if it's kept dry (e.g. oak framed barns over 500 years old), and gives you plenty of warning before it gives up the ghost - which is more than can be said for aluminium.
 
we have replaced fooring on our trailers with marine ply, with rubber matting on top. make sure you dry out after every trip and lift the mats often.
 
No, not a good idea. Pennyturner has the right idea, oak is good, or a high grade ply, well varnished and accept you'll have to change it every two years or sor.

Alloy planking might work but is north of £400, and will need isolating from the steel with a rubber strip to stop bi-metallic corrosion.
 
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