# Renovating an old Ifor Williams trailer.



## Clava

So, having won it I now had to get it home :shock: having never towed before!! Fortunately my lovely neighbour came with me and gave me my first lesson in towing. her best advice was to drive as if riding a dressage test and make sure you ride the corners and do not let the horse fall in on them. We collected it when it was pouring with rain (as it always is these days) and it was ok, I felt like I would be able to do this.
The basic list of work needed is pretty long and includes - new floor, new side light, straighten mud guards, straight warning triangles, sort out failing bodywork near wheels where it is going soft (slightly), re-paint, remove top rooflight and make watertight (water pours in there and has probably caused all the rotting issues), repair trim to ramps. It will of course also need a complete professional service before I use it.


----------



## Clava

Some more photos taken once I had a chance to poke about at the floor, in some places it crumbled away in my hands.




Internal light wiring needs repair


and here is the leaking rooflight which is a very poor design and in new models they have removed it.


----------



## Maple

I'm sure once you get it fixed up it'll look great!

You'll be fine driving the box, I'm grand once going forward/turning but still struggle badly with reversing! I'd only take the horses out max 6 times a year so don't get much practice. My non-horsey husband uses the driving as his "helping" at the shows.


----------



## Clava

Maple said:


> I'm sure once you get it fixed up it'll look great!
> 
> You'll be fine driving the box, I'm grand once going forward/turning but still struggle badly with reversing! I'd only take the horses out max 6 times a year so don't get much practice. My non-horsey husband uses the driving as his "helping" at the shows.


 
Thanks  I intend to practice in my field if it ever dries up! and I've had some very kind offers from riding club friends offering to help, one has a husband who is an instructor.


----------



## Clava

Well I 've just had delivered 4 x 970 x 300mm aluminium panels which I have had made up to go behind the mud guards as reinforcement to the vulnerable softer part of the outside panels.  My husband and I have been discussing the detailing of the internal rubber side panels and how to prevent muck getting behind them but allowing the existing wood panels to dry out. I need to order some angles to do this. 
I have also bought the flooring which is going to be 25mm hardwood ply and I have given this lots of coats of yacht varnish to seal it. I can't wait to get the floor in as it will feel like we are making some progress. 
Between downpours of rain I have managed to get some painting done.
The ramp is done (but you can't see it) and the side has had one coat of green on top of two undercoats. It will need probably another 3 coats of green for a good finish.

The old floor is out now and we really struggled to get the internal panels off as they were held on by about 20 rusted in nuts and bolts. Behind the panels it was starting to rot at the base of the wood panels, but on closer inspection these will be ok when allowed to dry out and with our proposed reinforcing...


----------



## Darrin

FYI you want gaps in your floors, that will allow moisture to pour out and helps dry it out too. Lack of the ability to escape is what causes the floors to rot out.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## jaydee

Well I do admire your courage in taking on a renovation project - be interesting to see how it progresses


----------



## Herosbud

I have totally rehabbed a two horse steel trailer and have changed my gooseneck dressing room in to a living quarters and enjoyed both projects. The floor issue kind of made me shudder because I have heard more than one horror story about floors giving out while traveling. 
Is the frame good under the bad floor or is it in need of reinforcing? You certainly would want to address that. One thing that I noticed is there is quite a bit of distance between the steel angles that hold the floor so the floor is going to have to support more weight between the struts.
I am not familiar with plywood floors in a horse trailer because I used pressure treated 1 1/2" lumber. Your damp climate is certainly going to be an issue there. Good luck, and I hope that you keep posting pictures as you progress.


----------



## Clava

Darrin said:


> FYI you want gaps in your floors, that will allow moisture to pour out and helps dry it out too. Lack of the ability to escape is what causes the floors to rot out.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 
The reason it has rotted is because the rooflight pours in water when it rains (and it has rained for 3 months!!), I actually think the floor we have just taken out was the original so 21 years old which is incredible, I can only think that the owner before the last one kept it in a dry store.

I always clean my lorry after use which works well and I think stopping the rain getting in will have to be enough. We thick rubber mats over the floor it is almost impossible to allow effective drainage holes.


----------



## Clava

Herosbud said:


> I have totally rehabbed a two horse steel trailer and have changed my gooseneck dressing room in to a living quarters and enjoyed both projects. The floor issue kind of made me shudder because I have heard more than one horror story about floors giving out while traveling.
> Is the frame good under the bad floor or is it in need of reinforcing? You certainly would want to address that. One thing that I noticed is there is quite a bit of distance between the steel angles that hold the floor so the floor is going to have to support more weight between the struts.
> I am not familiar with plywood floors in a horse trailer because I used pressure treated 1 1/2" lumber. Your damp climate is certainly going to be an issue there. Good luck, and I hope that you keep posting pictures as you progress.


The frame of the trailer is in good condition  , no corrosion (galvanised steel I think). We are putting an inch of hardwood ply in which is what the original floor was made of (and slightly thicker than my current lorry floor), 1 1/2 " would affect the weight of the trailer as it is designed as a reasonably lightweight one with a total Max gross weight 2340 kg 

(Unlaiden weight 905.00 kg Weight capacity 1435 kg). I could have put an aluminium floor in but it would have been out of my budget at the moment (can do it later). The floor has been coated in two coats of yacht varnish and I will apply possible a couple more coats before it goes in.

I am very, very thorough about checking the floor of my lorry and have the same fears as you. One of the reasons the previous floor failed was because there is a small design fault in that there is a tiny gap between the rubber side panel and the floor which allows muck to get pushed behind the rubber which is then not seen and can rot both the wall and the floor edges, my husband and I have decided to install an upright angle to the base of the rubber to stop this happening.

Lots more photos to come


----------



## Clava

A day of sunshine today, at last! managed to get another top coat on and the undercoat on the otherside. I opened all the ramps to help the breeze dry out the wet area. Due to be dry again tomorrow so hoping to nearly finish a lot of the painting (but not all, and I'll need to tidy up all the bits where I should have taped it first ).


----------



## waresbear

That looks so tiny compared to the trailers here!


----------



## Clava

waresbear said:


> That looks so tiny compared to the trailers here!


 :lol: I think it is! But it is a standard size over here and for use for 2 horses up to 16.2hh. (I will be using it for my 14.1 haffy and sometimes a small pony). I suspect that the bigger ones in this range you will also think look tiny. Not many cars over here can tow more than 3.5 tons.


----------



## PrivatePilot

On a side note, here's a simple yet effective tip for those who have problems learning to back up a trailer - put ONE hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and then turn your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go. Unless you're backing around a REALLY tight corner never take your hand off the wheel - this will help you avoid oversteering which is the biggest mistake that most people make when learning to back up. Go slowly and make small (never large) corrections.

When learning the one hand method forces you to make small adjustments while removing the "brain overload" that some people struggle with.

As a 20+ year commercial driver I sometimes joke that I drive more miles backwards than some people drive forwards every day, but I have taught a lot of people the art of backing trailers over the years and this is one of my tried and true methods that works. That, and practice...practice, practice - take the trailer to a quiet parking lot and practice backing in and out of spots, around poles, etc etc.


----------



## Clava

PrivatePilot said:


> On a side note, here's a simple yet effective tip for those who have problems learning to back up a trailer - put ONE hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and then turn your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go. Unless you're backing around a REALLY tight corner never take your hand off the wheel - this will help you avoid oversteering which is the biggest mistake that most people make when learning to back up. Go slowly and make small (never large) corrections.
> 
> When learning the one hand method forces you to make small adjustments while removing the "brain overload" that some people struggle with.
> 
> As a 20+ year commercial driver I sometimes joke that I drive more miles backwards than some people drive forwards every day, but I have taught a lot of people the art of backing trailers over the years and this is one of my tried and true methods that works. That, and practice...practice, practice - take the trailer to a quiet parking lot and practice backing in and out of spots, around poles, etc etc.


 
That sounds like a great tip thank you. I do intend to practice a lot, but for this I will really need my field to dry out as it is currently a quagmire. I'm going to ask a farmer friend if I can practice in his large yard, but I don't want to get in anyone's way.


----------



## 4horses

How much were the aluminum panels?

The guy who is fixing my trailer called me today and told me the walls are rusted out in places and I will need to either replace the walls or get a large piece of metal paneling put in.

I was lucky as the floor and ceiling are in good shape. I have a feeling whoever owned it before me, left the windows open and let the walls get rained in on, as they are solid rust on the inside, only it is worse where the walls are closest to the floor. 

Strange to have more rust on the inside than the outside!


----------



## Clava

4horses said:


> How much were the aluminum panels?
> 
> The guy who is fixing my trailer called me today and told me the walls are rusted out in places and I will need to either replace the walls or get a large piece of metal paneling put in.
> 
> I was lucky as the floor and ceiling are in good shape. I have a feeling whoever owned it before me, left the windows open and let the walls get rained in on, as they are solid rust on the inside, only it is worse where the walls are closest to the floor.
> 
> Strange to have more rust on the inside than the outside!


 The sides of the trailer (now painted green) are ply wood with a very smooth finish, the aluminium panels I am putting are just to protect the wood behind the wheels so are quite small (300mm x 970mm) and cost £52 for all 4.

I have now decided to replace the internal hard black plastic lining panels with 6mm plywood which may sound crazy but I am alarmed at how the plastic traps the moisture in so the main panels can never dry if they get wet, untreated ply to the inside will allow some drying even if they become sacrificial in the end. Lying in bed thinking about the trailer this morning I have also decided that I will replace the large panels next year (now I know how it all fits together and that they are only made of ply which is compressed glued sheets of wood).


----------



## michaelvanessa

*ifor williams trailer.*

hiya you can get plug and play lightsfor your trailer thay have the warning triangle incorparated in them also with the marker lights i repositioned them in the middle bar of the body.
i got mine off a frend for 1200 he wanted 1000 but i gave him the extra 200.
the rear light were playing up so i resorted to buying new ones as on the trailer.
also new marker lights as well.
if you go to b+q you can get a small length of aliminum and cut in to small squares and drill a hole in the centure and have a bolt comeing out and slot them in to the intearer roof track.
then you can fit flouresent lights above the horses.
my floor is quite sound and thats a wooden one to but the sides are a llttle soft in places but thats ok.
its a sound trailer and has been a work horse we moved a feild shelter with it lol i have pictures of it pokeing out.
i have put pink decales on it and my barn owner uses it and i have made it a pool trailer for the yard.
i also perchased an equitrec as well and did it up as well.
look for michael vanessa scrole 2 you will find my trailers there.
if you need any help please ask.
also the small hub caps come off and there is a castle nut and a split pin and that removes the hub to check the brakes lineings.
also you could do a brake test drag slightley with the hand brake appyed.
with the lights you get an auxillary socket for the internal lights and side markers.
the light clusters have indercators stop and tail and foglights in the cluster.
michael.


----------



## michaelvanessa

*trailer floor*

the options are plywood and tarit as it will protect it underneath and on the sides and above and fit with rubber matting.
or the extra option insert an aliminum floor pan in first to protect the ply from surface water.
my ply lasted 12 years in my old transit it was called fareastern a very hard ply and had it on the ramps and the floor we did a compleat rebuild of my transit and it did many many miles great times.


----------

