There have been many requests for information on the construction of trailer stud walls. OEM equipment is often expensive, and with some older trailers, not always available. To retrofit some installations requires welding, which is often beyond the skills of most trailer owners.

There are two materials that can be utilized for the DIYer to fabricate his own wall, with only basic tools being necessary for their installation.

The first is a rubber trailer mat. Many "stall" mats only come in 4' x 6' sizes which are too short. You will need at least an 8' length, which usually can be ordered from the same suppliers that furnish the shorter variants. Anyone who sells trailers, will have suppliers for the longer lengths, as 7' and 8' trailer widths are common. If you live in an industrialized area, rubber belting can be obtained in many lengths and widths, if you're lucky, used as surplus.

The second is plywood. Plywood in 3/4" thickness is available in many grades and pricing from $20 - $45 a sheet. You can get some grades that are rough or sanded, have few plies or many. Generally you will want a sanded sheet with many plies. It's not necessary to purchase cabinet grade Birch plywood nor do you need pressure treated materials.

The tools you need are an electric drill and a 1/4" bit, pliers, screwdriver, wrenches and depending on the material, a saw or utility knife. If you choose plywood, an electric sander will be valuable.

An Exiss 7' wide trailer stud wall measures 93" long, 27" high, 2" thick and sits proud of the floor mat by 1 3/4". It doesn't matter if you have a slant wall or straight load trailer, the dimensions will vary but the installation is similar.

The first thing you have to do is cut the material to size. If it is rubber, a common utility knife with a sharp blade works well. There are various power tools and blades that will make the job faster, but nothing is less expensive or more versatile than a good knife.

If you have preferred plywood, you will need a saw to finalize the size. The edges of plywood are rough, particularly after cutting. The corners are sharp and will hurt if you are poked by one of them. To ease the corners, a soup or tuna can makes an ideal template for a corner radius. Mark and cut these quarter circles on each of the corners. After the panel is sized, each of the two edges on the circumference of the plywood, will need to be eased. They can be sanded, if you're doing it by hand, be careful not to jamb a laminate splinter into your hand. Leather gloves will help. If you have a router, a small rounding bit with a bearing, will make quick work of the project. If you wish, the plywood can now be painted flat black to match the mats in your trailer. Extra coats on the edges will ensure the longest life span of the wood.

To hang the panels onto the bottom of the divider, stainless straps can be used. These are found at RV suppliers for supporting black and gray water tanks, or automotive suppliers for gas tank installations. In all, you will need about four feet of strapping. A fabrication shop could easily make four, one foot stainless straps of any width you need; 1 1/2" wide would be ideal.

Allowing an edge distance of a couple of inches from the top and ends, cut horizontal slots into the rubber or plywood. Four work well, one a few inches from each top corner, and dividing the length into thirds, two more evenly placed over the panel's length. The slot only has to be the thickness of the metal, and its length will be little more than the width of the strap. On the rubber, the knife will work, on the wood the width of a saw blade is perfect, whether it's a keyhole or a jig saw.

You will have to bend the straps into a three sided "U" shape. In the middle of the 1' straps mark the center, and then add two more marks, 3/8" from the center, one on each side, with a total of 3/4" between them. If you have needle nose or duckbill pliers, bend the straps into a "U" shape with a 3/4" flat. Regular pliers of many styles will also work.

Insert the straps through the four slots with the open ends up. Slide the wall under the divider and lift it against the bottom. Place a length of wood 3/4" wide as a spacer between the two walls. You will need this spacing between the two walls to allow for some individual flexibility. Pieces of wood on the floor will help hold it up into place. Center the wall under the divider's length and measuring at least 3/4" of an inch from each straps' end, centered within its width, place a mark where the straps and divider can be drilled. You will need an area on the divider that is strong, capable of being drilled and will support the bolts and stud's wall weight.

 Lower the wall, center punch the marked spots and drill a 1/4" hole through the divider at each location and a hole through each strap end at the marks. Cut off the straps ends, if they are longer than one inch past the hole. Sand the edges of the metal to remove any rough spots or sharp corners.

From a big box or well equipped hardware store, purchase four 1/4" x 28 x 3" or 10 x 32 x 3" bolts with a round head design. The 3" length may vary depending on your divider's construction. For a proper length, add 1" to your divider's thickness. You will need four self locking nuts and eight fender washers. Place the divider back into place omitting the 3/4" shim (s). Using a #1 phillips screwdriver, align the strap holes on each side of the divider, with the drilled divider holes. The screwdriver can also take the weight of the wall if the flooring shims are not accurate. Insert the bolt with a fender washer under its head, from the side the horse will occupy, through the first strap, the divider, and through the second strap. Add a fender washer and self locking nut. Tighten to the nut is snug but doesn't crush the divider. If the bolts are too long and extend well past the nut, they can be cut or ground flush to the nut. The ends must be smooth with no rough edges.

When all four bolts are installed, remove the floor shims and you're done. This installation may not pacify those who need an easily removable divider. Once it's installed, it would take about five minutes to remove or replace it. It works well, hangs centered under the divider, has a limited but flexible lateral movement and is very durable. By not touching the floor, it can be moved over bedding and will not become saturated with feces or urine. The cost is about $50, depending on the materials you choose and their availability. Either wall material looks good and will protect the contents of the adjacent stall.

BOL  Gard