Hey everyone with rumber flooring, I need your input.  I've been researching rumber through all the old posts on this site, and have not come across this issue.

I spoke with a trailer dealer the other day who told me they will never carry trailers with rumber flooring because they think it gets too hot and isn't good for the horses legs.  The salesperson said it transmits heat from the roadway up through the bottom of the trailer more than wood or aluminum do.  

What do you think?  Anyone out there notice this?  I've read pretty much nothing but rave reviews for rumber, so this surprised me.  Would love to get your thoughts on this, especially those of you who live in warmer climates.

Thanks!! 

Ditto on everyone else's remarks.  I have a '97 2H aluminum frame trailer with the rumber floor and bought it new.  The floor has been fantastic.  No wear, no heavy mats to pull out, just sweep, rinse, and you're done.  I've never noticed any heat issues with the floor.

I live in South Fla and it gets very hot and humid here.  The trailer has thick fiberglass composite walls and is much cooler than steel or aluminum.    If you walk in my trailer and another trailer side by side, mine is always much cooler inside. 

I'd find another dealer after that statement, because that one is a snake oil salesman.

As stated above. Metals such as aluminum have a MUCH faster heat transfer than rubber. Rumber is made from recycled tires.

Yes black asphalt asorbs the sun and gets hotter than I like to walk on barefoot. Does it get hot enough to be a discomfort to your horse's hooves.  Have you ever seen your horses trying to get off the pavement in the summer because it was too hot to walk on? I have seen many an occassion where my horses intentionally walk on the asphalt rather than stumble through the vegatation along the edge of a road. Apparently it is not so hot as to bother them. I doubt that heat would intensify enough to make the floor of a trailer as hot as the road surface itself. Especailly with a 60 mph wind blowing past the trailer as it moves. With the air motion, I doubt the trailer floor gets any hotter than the ambient air temps.

I've had rumber in my trailers since 2000, It has performed flawlessly. I've towed across Southern Utah in summer when the temps hit 105*. Never noticed any problem with a hot floor or my horses feet.

Hi I have no personal experience with the rumbar flooring.  But I do know a trainer at a local show barn that hauls her clients horses to either Arizona or Canada once a year for shows (from Virginia) She had a steel 6or 7h LQ trailer (I'll assume w/ wood floors)  She sold that and bought a 7h DR DreamCoach with the rumbar floors.  She claims that with the new trailer on the long hauls, her horses travel better, their legs do not stock up and that they recover from the trip quicker.  She is a big fan of rumbar floors.

Now as to the heat transfer from the roads.  I do think of the road in the summer as a frying pan.   It does reflect heat up, but I think that most of the heat on a trailer comes from above, from the sun.  I'll admit that I have never felt the floor of various trailers on a hot summer day.   I have felt the outside of a steel, non-insulated, dark green trailer in the sun.  It was hot to the touch.  And the horses insde were stifling hot and covered with sweat.  Same day, different trailer, white in color outside and in, insulated up the wall and fiberglass roof and the horses were cool and comfortable.  No sweat on them.

That guy who told you rumbar is hot is full of prunes!!!

I live in the high desert of California, it frequently is 110 degrees in summer, and we LOVE our rumbar flooring!!  I have a Classic Westerner trailer, and the only thing I need to do to maintain our flooring is to wash with the hose after a trip, and I use the pressure washer about evry 5th or 6th time to fully wash the walls and floor. ( yeah, I am a bit of a neat freak)  My Arabians stand quietly on the floor, and ride fine, as it does not get slippery like metal or painted flooring. It is also a LOT QUIETER than metal flooring, so loading and all is easier.

Thats my 2C's....Steve