Posted 2005-05-06 11:35 PM (#24815) Subject: aluminum floor does not drain
Member
Posts: 7
Location: St. Louis, MO
I have a 4-Star aluminum trailer but when the floor gets wet from the horses it does not drain. Underneath is wet and messy. I am not happy with that and have to pull the mats out and let it air dry. Should it have some holes drilled in to the floor so that urine can drain out of there? This is the only thing that I do not like about this 4-Star. I would have preferred a wood floor.
How do other people deal with this?? Any ideas are welcome.
Posted 2005-05-07 8:03 AM (#24817 - in reply to #24815) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by nancymu5 on 2005-05-06 11:35 PM
I have a 4-Star aluminum trailer but when the floor gets wet from the horses it does not drain. Underneath is wet and messy. I am not happy with that and have to pull the mats out and let it air dry. Should it have some holes drilled in to the floor so that urine can drain out of there? This is the only thing that I do not like about this 4-Star. I would have preferred a wood floor.
How do other people deal with this?? Any ideas are welcome.
My 4-Star DOES have drains at each corner, although they're quite small.
They are 3 holes, each about 3/16 inch diameter arranged in a triangle.
The places that were NOT draining were in front of the wheel wells (8ft wide trailer, the wheel arches are INSIDE the trailer) when the floor was sloping to the back. I added the same 3 hole drain pattern in front of each wheel well and that solved it. It is possible that your drains are blocked, I make sure mine are free every time I take the mats out.
BTW, the less feed you allow to drop the cleaner the floor stays under the mats and the clearer your drains stay. This is ONE of the reasons I'm going to feed "trays" instead of hay nets.
If you drill I suggest you only add a few small holes, try to locate them at the lowest point, which might be on one side according to where you park while you wash the trailer out. Check underneath to make sure you won't hit wiring or brake lines.
Posted 2005-05-07 8:33 AM (#24818 - in reply to #24817) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
Member
Posts: 7
Location: St. Louis, MO
So maybe some more drain holes could be added. I could take it to a trailer repair place for that. I just don't want to change the integrity of the floor strength but I need to do something so that the liquid has a place to go. I had thought alumimum flooring would be good but I really think wood is better since it has small places for drainage.
Posted 2005-05-07 9:32 AM (#24819 - in reply to #24818) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by nancymu5 on 2005-05-07 8:33 AM
So maybe some more drain holes could be added. I could take it to a trailer repair place for that. I just don't want to change the integrity of the floor strength but I need to do something so that the liquid has a place to go. I had thought alumimum flooring would be good but I really think wood is better since it has small places for drainage.
Without devolving into the wood vs alumin (rumber, werm,etc.) floor discussion - AGAIN; you have the floor that you have in the trailer that you have.
A small number of small holes in appropriate places will not significantly affect the floor's integrity. There are a few options open to you;
1) You could complain back to the place you bought it from and have them "do the right thing", which might mean getting in touch with 4-Star for a suggestion/recommendation on what to do about it.
2) You could DIY as I did, aluminum being fairly "soft" is easy to drill.
3) You could contact 4-Star yourself directly, which may be a good option if you bought the trailer from a private party. They are VERY GOOD at supporting customers directly, i.e. they don't just tell you to contact an authorised dealer/repair center.
I don't know how slowly your trailer is draining, or how much you're flooding it when washing it out. I have a hose broom that I wash/brush with as water flows from it. I put a LOT of water into a trailer and the rubber mats tend to float around (-: This means that it DOESN'T drain instantaneously and I don't expect it to. Driving around would probably slosh the water out quicker, but mine is usually pretty dry by the time I've emptied the muck buckets, put the forks and shovels away, rolled the hose up and done all the other little tasks.
I'm not usually in a big hurry for a totally dry floor anyway, I almost never use the trailer again the same day after I wash it out. Washing out is an end of trip thing, there is at least an overnight drying time.
Posted 2005-05-08 12:23 AM (#24841 - in reply to #24815) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
Member
Posts: 7
Location: St. Louis, MO
I am brand new to this whole forum so am not referring back to any previous floor discussions. I do know that the floor I have is my floor.
I did order this 4 star from a dealer in 2004 so I will talk to them and see what ideas they have. I checked my trailer and there are two holes on each side of the trailer back near the ramp.
Posted 2005-05-08 10:51 AM (#24847 - in reply to #24815) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
New User
Posts: 1
Location: Wilsonville, Oregon
Hi Nancy
Question do you haul your horses on mats with shavings or pellets??
Most trailers with Aluminum floors will only have wholes in the rear corners. I have both 4stars and sundowner trailers that I haul with. It is very inportant that you understand that under most case with a aluminum deck you will get wetness under the mat. To help prevent I run woodshavings. I pull my mats 1 per year to clean and let dry.
Posted 2005-05-08 10:38 PM (#24865 - in reply to #24847) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
Member
Posts: 7
Location: St. Louis, MO
I am definately going to put more shavings in the trailer over the mats to help absorb and see if that doesn't help the wetness problem. I really like this 4-Star trailer very much.
Thank you for all the replies and ideas--very helpful.
Posted 2005-05-09 1:19 AM (#24867 - in reply to #24865) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Hi, Nancy welcome to the form. I solved this problem by using 2" inch wide duct tape to tape all the seams of my mats. That way it all stays on top so the shaving can do their job. just have to retape everytime I take them up to wash out from under, but it makes that job alot easier.
Posted 2005-05-10 8:07 PM (#24958 - in reply to #24867) Subject: RE: aluminum floor does not drain
Member
Posts: 7
Location: St. Louis, MO
Yes I did get my trailer from Parkland down in Farmington. It is a good trailer other than figuring out this wet floor. I will do the duct tape on there too. i just have one mare who thinks the trailer is her stall or something. She just pees alot in there. Guess it must feel like home. But that does make for a big mess so will try duct tape and shavings.
aluminum floor does not drain
