# Replacing a Trailer Floor



## Chevaux

We've replaced the floor on our old trailer. It's not that hard to do and took about 8 hours to do which included coating, cutting and placing. We went with 'raw' lumber (same size as the old boards; can't remember the price but it was very reasonable) and treated them with Thomson's water sealant (on all six sides) before installing. I suspect when you pull the old floor out, you will see a channel where the boards can slip into. Most of the boards will slide easily in the channel until you get to the last one or two - at that point, what we did to help them slide in was cut a bit of the corner off to create a bit more wiggle room (remember to treat the cut with water sealant). Also, it's not necessary for the boards to be absolutely snug - a bit of gap between them helps with drainage and allows for a little swelling.

P.S. The hardest part of the job, in our trailer, was lining up a couple of screw holes where the wood was screwed to the frame in a couple of places in the centre of the trailer - I assume that had something to do with creating stability in the floor.


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## horselovinguy

I would suggest using pressure treated lumber... the best saturation grade you can find.
Horse urine is very caustic to start with so eats through many paint on substances. Many times PT {pressure treated} lumber is cheaper than regular lumber it seems lately.

When you lay the floor, a {10 penny nail} large nail is placed _between_ the boards in top, middle and bottom for a even spacing...it does indeed help to allow urine to drain out, boards to not warp and heave and for the floor to dry out properly after a through cleaning. 

If you have mats remember to lift them/flip them so the underside of them and the floor underneath can dry and breathe...makes it last longer and should hopefully stop some of the mold growth from damp...

When you have the floor removed do check all those cross-members and floor supports for breaking welds or rusted pieces...deal with them as it is also the life of your trailer and horses safety. 
I would probably do a simple DIY rust-proofing paint job while all is exposed...would be simple and not expensive at this time and give extra peace of mind to know all underneath is in good condition and now protected too.

Good luck with your project.


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## Vintage465

So apparently the trailers you are referring to didn't have a wall over the floor that needs be removed?

V465


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## Chevaux

Vintage465 said:


> So apparently the trailers you are referring to didn't have a wall over the floor that needs be removed?
> 
> V465


I suppose technically the wall does sit over the floor - it rests on the top of the channel but does not interfere with replacing the floor boards. The channel I am referring to is metal (obviously) and u-shaped and shaped such that it lets a 2x6 (or 2x8; 2x4) board fit between the top of the 'u' and the bottom of the 'u'. I actually have two trailers by different companies and they both use that design for the floor - so I'm assuming that is the industry standard for horse trailer frames. I am somewhat familiar with Logan and I can't imagine they would use a different set up. Do you think you will have to remove the walls?


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## Vintage465

Well, just went out and took a look with a flash light. Since the wall between the tack room and the stalls for the horses is right on top of the floor and the 2x8's run the entire length of the trailer, one would have to remove all the screws holding the 2x8's down and slide the wood out the back of the trailer. I would have to pry them up (bout an 1-1/2") to clear the rear threshold and try and pull them back. Actually now that I think about it, there is a overlayment of flakeboard and carpet on the 2x8's in the tack room. When I pull up the flakewood and carpet, that will leave a half inch or so between the wall and the 2x8's and I could likely hack, cut and slide the old 2x8's out then the only fighting would be sliding the new ones in......maybe that the way!

V465


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## Chevaux

Yeah, I can see what you're saying. So now I'm wondering if it's possible to put the boards in the short way (ie side to side rather than front to back)? If that is possible, does it make the job easier or more complicated? That, by the way, is the way the floor boards go in both my trailers.


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## horselovinguy

Chevaux said:


> Yeah, I can see what you're saying. So now I'm wondering if it's possible to put the boards in the short way (ie side to side rather than front to back)? If that is possible, does it make the job easier or more complicated? That, by the way, is the way the floor boards go in both my trailers.



This would only be possible if the trailer floor cross-members were placed originally to allow this. 
Otherwise the boards may have no supports under them and to think of a horses weight standing on a 2"x8" with no steel beam underneath would scare the **** out of me....talk about a fall-through opportunity.:shock:
The concentrated weight of a horse on 4 hooves... a lot of pressure in a small, small area.

Be careful in what you decide when "re-building".

_jmo..._


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## Chevaux

horselovinguy said:


> This would only be possible if the trailer floor cross-members were placed originally to allow this.
> Otherwise the boards may have no supports under them and to think of a horses weight standing on a 2"x8" with no steel beam underneath would scare the **** out of me....talk about a fall-through opportunity.:shock:
> The concentrated weight of a horse on 4 hooves... a lot of pressure in a small, small area.
> 
> Be careful in what you decide when "re-building".
> 
> _jmo..._


 Vintage, don't suppose you could post photos? It would shed more light on the matters at hand.


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## Vintage465

So we have the floor all the way out. We are going to hand pick the pressure treated Douglas Fir (not Hemlock Fir). I ordered all new stainless bolts to screw everything down. We washed buffed and painted all the rails and while we are at it i will run wiring for some new out door lights for late night pack ups after the race! Need to pack the wheel bearings too!

V465


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## Chevaux

This is starting to sound like a picture worthy project (hint).


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## Vintage465

Well, posting pic's aren't where I shine, but let me see if I can get educated in the next couple days!

V465


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## gunslinger

Have you considered using Cypress?


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## Corporal

We had to replace the floor in our last trailer. It was wooden, the trailer was a 4-horse stock and only 3 years old!!! The floor boards were rotting, so we had no choice.
A friend helped us do this in our suburban back yard. He pried up the metal lips on both side and removed all of the boards. We bought pressure treated wood and Thomson wet sealed the heck out of them, even after we put them in the trailer. You might consider looking into this product, instead:
Superhydrophobic What? How Rust-Oleum NeverWet Works | Water Repellants | LiveScience
It is literally hydrophobic. If I was repainting my trailer floor I'd use it bc I lay rubber mats down for friction and that is what my horses stand on. They sell it at Home Depot and other stores.


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