# Fixing up old trailer



## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

Last year I purchased an old (late 70s) straight load 2 horse trailer. It had been well maintained and was in use when I bought it. It had recently had the floor and wiring redone, but needed a little more work. Since then it has been sitting in my field for a year, and I finally ordered the new suspension shackles and bolts that it needed and hauled it to my mechanic. He is going to check everything over again and make a few modifications I wanted. But he is an auto mechanic, and knows nothing about horse trailers, really. What are some key points he should be checking? How can I be sure the floor is strong enough? The supports underneath are rusty but solid, and it seems to be just surface rust, there is still a lot of metal there. The floor is 1" plywood. I have never had a horse trailer before so don't really know what to tell him. I want to be sure it is safe and secure, so any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

Also, is 1" plywood a suitable floor or are planks better? Hubby says plywood is stronger.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Floor supports need to be checked for rust through and integrity same as your mechanic would check the frame on a car...also all welds that hold and at the cross-member locations.
Axles, wiring underneath is not damaged or compromised from sitting in a field where grass, moisture can do a lot of damage to undercarriages of vehicles.
A floor of plywood...1" thick would of been a special order. Any under 1" I would be concerned with it being strong enough. I'm not sure I would want my horse on a 1" thick plywood floor regardless.
_Remember a horses weight is concentrated where the feet are not spread out over the entire floor area...most horse trailers have planks of 2" thick usually 8" wide._ 
There is also a drainage issue for you with a solid floor. 
Urine will _not_ have a way to drain between the planks as trailers are made to have happen... same goes for manure...pretty caustic and wet sitting on that wood floor..._{planks are spaced a nail width apart for drainage, maybe drilling some holes in the floor would help some with this but you run the risk of weakening the floor too with it only being 1" thick to start with}_
Check all the floor edges for weakness and wood sponginess not only by stand and bounce on it but a screwdrivers poke test... you want to know and fix those weak spots before putting your horse inside and he go through the floor.
Make sure all hinges are working freely, doors, window tracks are sliding correctly and if jalousie window in the front it opens and closes easily, screens if the trailer has them not torn.
Wiring inside the trailer is safely secured to the wall maybe in conduit or plastic pipe to keep it safer from the horse and corrosion.
Brakes and the entire braking system in good working order.
Tires are *trailer tires*, _not_ car/truck tires. They _are_ made differently and safety is your biggest concern here!
Your hitch works correctly, safety chains are in good condition, emergency brake cord activates if it is on the trailer...the hitch is not rusted and welds are good, strong and safe...
Lighting, interior and exterior all work correctly with no cracked light covers.
If your trailer is a ramp make sure the ramp assist springs are safely in place and adjusted for ease and safety in using the ramp.
Butt chains/bars have good securement snaps or pins. The slot on the wall is secure, no jagged edges to catch the horse as he walks in or out.

Above all else, remember once you are satisfied your trailer is safe and ready for use... HAVE FUN!!


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## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

So if I take out the plywood and replace it with 2X8 planks, do I run them lengthwise or across the stalls? Some of the hinges, etc need work or replacement but we are addressing those. The tires are good and there is a spare, but good point about the wiring. When they re-wired it they just secured it with snap ties, but plastic pipng would be a good idea and will also look better. I will do that. It has a ramp but I don't know what ramp assist springs are. Obviously it has none. The ramp is extremely heavy and takes two people (or at least a very strong person) to close. The hitch and safety chains are good. I will show this list to the mechanic, and any other people's suggestions. This is great because he is starting work on it today.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The greatest amount of rust occurs where the wood meets the steel because the wood holds the moisture. Bearings needs to be checked. When you park the trailer, put down a plastic tarp or several old sheets of plywood to keep the grass down and to allow breezes to blow thro underneath. Mats should be hung on the divider to allow air between the planks. As for direction of the planks, look at the framing underneath. Talk to an experience person at the lumber yard to get the best wood for this. Some woods have a shorter fiber and are more brittle than long fiber wood which is more flexible.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

You would be running your planks the opposite direction of the cross-members.
I would suggest looking at various trailer manufacturer sites for specifications on how far apart those supports are placed... some manufacturers leave much to be desired in strength and then the majority will be pretty close to each other in building specs.

Your ramp if it is that heavy to lift probably had helper springs to ease the load.
If you have a garage door, the springs look sort of like what you have up in the air...same idea of the help to raise the weight of that door off of you.
On the side of the ramp you would see a tab with a hole in it... and again a tab with a hole in it on the back of the trailer next to the where the ramp closes shut.
Seriously, go look at some horse trailers by your barn or at a horse show...if they have a ramp they have something to help assist with how heavy it is to lift and secure that ramp.
Before you toss that plywood floor make sure your ramp has a strong ramp floor... then make sure there is something on that ramp the is good for traction as you load... rubber mat is common but I have seen other things used that worked ...
Save and reuse what you can... projects like these have a way of getting expensive quick.

Good luck and enjoy your project.
:wink:


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## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

I will look into the ramp springs, thanks so much! The ramp itself is done with planks, no idea why they did that and then used plywood for the floor, but I suspected that was what made it so heavy. Also, is there a reason to use 2X8 boards rather than 2X6? I ask because I already have a pile of 2X6's leftover from another job.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Not totally sure why 8" over 6"... it might have to do with putting the boards down without having to cut one lengthwise to fit...
My one thought is though how wide is a horses hoof? More than 6"... might have something to do with the weight distribution thing. 

Makes no sense why they used planks on the ramp and plywood for the floor... 
I'm not positive but I think they use plywood for the ramp on some manufacturers trailers...again take a peek at one that is parked someplace.
You can learn a lot about what you like, more importantly what you dislike in trailers by looking at many brands and options people pick and choose.


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## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

I think the ramp is still the original boards. They are still in good shape so they didn't bother replacing it. But now I have big concerns about the floor. I definitely want to do it over. Hubby is suggesting we just add planks over the plywood, but that will lessen the headroom and I also want to take the plywood out so I can have a REALLY good look underneath.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

You really don't want to put planks over the plywood. That will add weight, lessen the headroom AND trap the urine in two layers of wood. Not good. Planks only are best, IMO.


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## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

You're right, I thought that too. trailer is on hold for a bit now as colt just came up lame though.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

2 x 6 or 2 x 8 makes no difference. Check what fits better width ways.


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## aofarrell2 (Sep 4, 2013)

horselovinguy said:


> Floor supports need to be checked for rust through and integrity same as your mechanic would check the frame on a car...also all welds that hold and at the cross-member locations.
> Axles, wiring underneath is not damaged or compromised from sitting in a field where grass, moisture can do a lot of damage to undercarriages of vehicles.
> A floor of plywood...1" thick would of been a special order. Any under 1" I would be concerned with it being strong enough. I'm not sure I would want my horse on a 1" thick plywood floor regardless.
> _Remember a horses weight is concentrated where the feet are not spread out over the entire floor area...most horse trailers have planks of 2" thick usually 8" wide._
> ...


You don't want trailer tires on a trailer. you want light duty passenger vehicle tires, they will last longer and ride just as good, and you'll have less flat tires, just make sure they are the same size and are what we call "highway" tread tires. I've worked on trailers and vehicles for years, so trust me... They are not dangerous to have vehicle tires in place of trailer tires. I've been doing it for years, and have had less problems than with trailer tires. They just have to be the right size for your rim.

Make sure your hitch is easy to latch/unlatch, make sure you have BOTH safety chains, make sure all the lights work, and trailer brakes (if equipped
) work properly.


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## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

I know nothing about tires but will have him check them. This is starting to look like a bigger project than I originally thought, since I have already decided to replace the floor.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

aofarrell2 said:


> You don't want trailer tires on a trailer. you want light duty passenger vehicle tires, they will last longer and ride just as good, and you'll have less flat tires, just make sure they are the same size and are what we call "highway" tread tires. I've worked on trailers and vehicles for years, so trust me... They are not dangerous to have vehicle tires in place of trailer tires. I've been doing it for years, and have had less problems than with trailer tires. They just have to be the right size for your rim.
> 
> Make sure your hitch is easy to latch/unlatch, make sure you have BOTH safety chains, make sure all the lights work, and trailer brakes (if equipped
> ) work properly.



Sorry... I don't trust you nor your judgement about using proper tires for the intended application.
Passenger tires are made for passenger vehicles...that is not a trailer!!

Trailer tires are made for & with a different use and intended application. They are made with a proper sidewall construction that is not the same as used on a passenger car tire nor a truck tire.

Proper tire inflation makes for a quality ride.... as does a radial tire or bias ply tire. 

_Katie...please... ask a professional horse trailer dealer what tire should be on your horse trailer. _
The poster {aofarrell2} may not have had an issue, the word is YET...

_I promise you...there is a difference and trailer tires should be used on a trailer. _ 
If they need to be replaced do it right. 
They do not cost much more than other tires and will not tear apart as is common when you put the wrong tire on a trailer and have a blow-out and or catastrophic failure.

As for the other comments about hitch, lights, safety chains and brakes... agreed!!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Katie.... 
I dug out some informative articles about the differences of tires and why it is so important to do the right tire. 
Also remember that you are moving live cargo {horses} and that also can make a huge difference than say a camping trailer or boat.

Truck tires are nearly the same price as a dedicated trailer tire.

Here are the links:
_
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=219_

and another...

_http://www.taskmasterproducts.com/acatalog/whybuytrailertires.pdf_

Please read the article, then make a informed educated decision.

_Today, although many companies were having their trailer tires manufactured overseas it has now been reversed and they are being again made here in the USA, Canada._ 

Please think carefully about the information you receive from these articles and use it to make the most informed decision about the trailer tires when you need to replace them...

Please, for you and for the horses you tow, be safe on the road.


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## rscott771 (Jan 5, 2014)

I could not disagree more (respectably) with the gentlemen that says passenger tires are safe to use with a trailer. There's a reason why they make "ST" (or special trailer) tires - they are made for completely different applications and ST tires are designed specifically for the job of towing a trailer. Read this, it may help.

Trailer Tires - HitchAnything.com


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

It's a misnomer that passenger vehicle tires cannot be used for trailers. In many ways they are superior to trailer tires - PLENTY (I mean tens or hundreds of THOUSANDS) of people in the RV crowd have switched to using LT (light Truck) tires on their travel trailers. I had LT's on my last 5'th wheel travel trailer. Trailers have travelled millions of miles on them and the results are almost universally better. Go read over at rv.net if you want plenty of proof.

The problem with ST trailer tires is that increasingly, almost all of them are JUNK. They are made in China and the quality isn't there. They come with the assumption that a lot of trailers travel only a few miles every year - a lot of RV'ers rarely tow more than hour from home. They are built to within a hair of their ratings. There are often quality issues that don't appear until they fail.

They are also notorious for blowing up. You only need to search the term "chinese ST trailer tire bomb" for some very enlightening reading. Spend some time over at rv.net and you'll soon read about all the RV'ers who went to the LT tires years ago and have never looked back.

You CAN buy good quality ST tires, but they cost about the same as LT's, are harder to find (vs easy to find LT's), and aren't that much different in the end. In the end, LT's are the preferred option for many now. The only thing you need to make sure is that they are rated properly - you may have to buy a higher rating (higher ply count) LT tire to achieve a proper weight carrying capacity - this is essential, and really, no different vs buying an ST tire.

As for having a non-trailer-savvy mechanic looking at the trailer, it shouldn't be a problem - trailers are simple. Reiterate that you are most concerned about structural integrity and safety with him and that you can't (or won't) take any risks if ANYTHING doesn't look right. It's not rocket science and anyone that can identify a bearing from a light bulb should be able to identify any problem areas.


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## aofarrell2 (Sep 4, 2013)

PrivatePilot said:


> It's a misnomer that passenger vehicle tires cannot be used for trailers. In many ways they are superior to trailer tires - PLENTY (I mean tens or hundreds of THOUSANDS) of people in the RV crowd have switched to using LT (light Truck) tires on their travel trailers. I had LT's on my last 5'th wheel travel trailer. Trailers have travelled millions of miles on them and the results are almost universally better. Go read over at rv.net if you want plenty of proof.
> 
> The problem with ST trailer tires is that increasingly, almost all of them are JUNK. They are made in China and the quality isn't there. They come with the assumption that a lot of trailers travel only a few miles every year - a lot of RV'ers rarely tow more than hour from home. They are built to within a hair of their ratings. There are often quality issues that don't appear until they fail.
> 
> ...



This guy says it all.

And may I ask, why do TIRE manufacturers STATE on the application charts that a LT tire can be used in place of a ST tire? It goes without saying that you shouldn't use a P style tire.


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## rmax (May 10, 2012)

You don't want trailer tires on a trailer. you want light duty passenger vehicle tires, they will last longer and ride just as good, 

Big difference between passenger tires and light truck tires,by the sounds of this trailer it may be hard to find LT tires of proper size. Sidewall flex in 'P' tires make them unusable.


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