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Member
Posts: 39
Location: Glenford, Oh | Hi, When looking at used trailers with aluminum floors, how can you tell if it is getting weak or ruined from urine? What does it look like? Thanks. |
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Veteran
Posts: 264
Location: Sumas Washington | Some types of aluminum will erode easily from urine. Pull the mats back and check the corners. You will see pitting and obvious thinning spots. It is actually more important to get under the trailer and check where the aluminum floor meets the beams. Use a flashlight and a small screwdriver to poke a bit in the dirty areas. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Ottawa, Illinois 61350 | The first signs of degradation of an aluminum floor will be spots of white chalky dust. If the condition is not taken care of, these chalky spots will turn to a grey pasty material, and than the pin holes start. This is a sign that your floor is starting to deteriorate more all the time. When we get a trailer traded in with a floor like this, we usually acid wash it thoroughly, flushing it with a lot of water. We than let it dry well; than spray an undercoating material over it. We than overlay the floor with sheet alumnum, adhere it to the original floor, than spray the new sheeting also. We than have a floor that should outlast the trailer. |
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Member
Posts: 39
Location: Glenford, Oh | Thank you. I have heard this can be an issue but did not know what to look for. |
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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Boyd, MN 56218 | I will add to shat jim bob said. Make sure to check under your mats often. If the aluminum has started to corrode you should have it repaired and then a rhino lining sprayed over the mats. Yep- over the mats. Then you will only need to shovel the manure out and hose the mats when you want to.The cost of this was not to bad. (MN) |
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Regular
Posts: 51
Location: VA | Several people have commented on protecting aluminum floors by spraying Rhino/Linex over rubber mats. How would this procedure compare to replacing rubber mats with WERM flooring? Rhino would be less expensive, but would it hold up as long as WERM? I'm wondering about the spray over cracking at the mats' seams and at the side walls as horses and the trailer flexing take effect over years. Does anyone have a long term experience with spraying over mats, say 3+ years, as to its durability to prevent urine penetration under the mats? |
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 Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah | Logan Coach uses Aluminum planks sprayed Vortex ( There brand of Spray in Liner) It holds up very well, But they do include rubber mats for cushioning and I guess to protect the Spray in Liner from the horses steel shoes. My trailer is a 2006 and if I pull the mats the floor looks like new. The Logan method uses 6" wide aluminum planks with a 1/4" gap between the planks so any urine drains out. So it is really easy to rinse out 2-3 times a year. |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
 
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | quote... Several people have commented on protecting aluminum floors by spraying Rhino/Linex over rubber mats That's the first I've ever heard of spraying truck bed liner over top of mats.... That just ain't going to work... Even if you were to use it on the floor, you will still need to cover it with the mats to keep shoes and or hooves from scraping it off, plus that bed liner offers little to no cushion to the horse... I got trailers with bare aluminum and mats, wood with mats and aluminum with W.E.R.M.. The WERM floor gets my vote hands down. |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | A shod horse can tear up a bed liner material, both the professional two part hot applied, as well as the single part cold applications. The mats are installed over the liner, which should be first applied to the metal flooring. They protect the liner from the hooves. A properly applied liner will protect the flooring from moisture and air, both of which are necessary for corrosion. Applying the bed liner material over the mats, can cause it to fail from flexing and cracking, allowing moisture and urine to penetrate its surface. Once moisture is trapped, corrosion can occur quickly. |
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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Boyd, MN 56218 | In my experience---My rhino lined trailer bed was sealed up and over the sides of the trailer walls about 6". This was done professionally and looks perfect still. I carry a 1400# fully shod gelding and there is not so much as a scratch on this product. Others have used the same product for years with the same experience. I understood the installer to say that the product has a degree of flexibility to allow for the movement of the horse and the mats.Herzog Trailer Sales of Brook Park, MN installed this. They are very nice people and answer all questions. 1-866-437-9647.I have been told that my new trailer will not need the rhino lining because Elite uses marine grade aluminum for the floors and it is able to stand up to urine. Anybody know anything about that?BTW That massive shod gelding of mine is a Peeing Fool. So not only did he pee every time he entered the trailer, he stood in it with those shoes on. Still not a scratch on the rhino.However- I would not do this job myself with the pain on bed liners sold for home use.Jean |
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aluminum trailer floors
