Hi all!  Hubby just bought a 1996 Sooner 4 horse.  We were shopping new, But this one came up for sale in the family, and Hubby likes the older Sooners made in OK>

I just pulled all the Mats and hosed it out... No real pitting.. So that is a good sign!  Hubby does Spray in Bedliners on the side (He Rebuilds International Trucks as a hobby)  and he asked me if I wanted him to etch and spray the floor.  I dont know.... Obviously having a sealed floor would preserve the aluminum from damage in the future... Any insight?

AS for the time being, now that it is rinsed off... I had been told that a box of Baking Soda is a good thing to put down under the mats... Yes?

Onto the outside of the trailer.. It has never been acid washed.... And of course Id love to have it shiny and pretty.. Is the Truck Wash the best thing to do ?  What about some of the Horse trailer products?   Any adverse effects of using the Acid wash... I was told it sometimes reacts with the Magnesium Chloride they use on the roads here in COlorado and can pit your trailer?

The tires are in pretty bad shape.. Not  wear wise.. but dry rot.... SO we are looking at replacing all of them.. and obviously repacking bearings at that time... Hubby wants to take a look at the breaks on the trailer.. He was unsure if there is a problem with the breaks or if the wiring wasnt a good connection (he had to use an adaptor) but he had to have his controller turned way high.... Any secrets to these trailer brakes?

Hubby also wants to start rplacing some of the hardware on the trailer... Not sure why... Butis there a good supplier of these items?

These folks may have some of the replacement parts you're looking...  http://www.horsetraileraccessorystore.com/trailermats.htm

http://www.easternmarine.com/em_store/horse_trailer_parts/

Gard posted a good thread recently on how to prepare an aluminum floor for Rhino or bedliner application You might do a search.I'm not sure what it was named.he has experience at this kind of thing and the thread was quiet detailed.

On the acid washing,having detailed my vehicles and horse trailers myself for some time,I can address this.I personally do not want to use commercial truck acid washes on my horse trailer.I bought an older 1995 Sooner  all aluminum (No white skin) 2H Bp that I was so proud of.I purchased and used a product called Aluminum wash by Streakmaster.He advertises on this website,and you might want to take a look at it.It really did a good job.However,from some of the streaks and etching where the trailer had been previously exposed to acid wash that had been allowed to run DOWN from the top (wash from the bottom up obviously) I had to use some aluminum polish such as Blue Magic and a soft cloth to buff that out.On a big trailer like yours,I'd say forget it.It won't look like brand new,but,it will look 100% better if you follow the directions.

I don't know about the suppliers listed, but for replacement floor mats, we've always used the big, heavy thick mats sold at Tractor Supply Co. They are about $40 and I think 4x6 or 4x8.

Can't help you with the rest. Sorry.

Congrats on the new to you trailer.

Don't apply any coating to the trailer floor until the oxidation is neutralized and the aluminum is cleaned and acid etched. Muriatic acid works well.

A dedicated trailer plug that matches your truck will work much better than an adapter. It may be a partial source of weak brakes.

There are many good brands of tires, two to not use would include Carlisle and Firestone steelex.

Hope you enjoy your "new" trailer

Gard

Recently there were some postings by trailer owners, who had problems with the Rhino liner that was applied to their aluminum trailer floors. A couple of owners described a bubbling and lifting of the liner in spots.

I have never had an update on why it happened. The owners were to have the Rhino folks remove the affected areas, and try to learn why the problem happened.

I suspect that the metal was not properly prepared prior to the installation of the liner. Simply cleaning the floor is not an adequate preparation. I have used another material, and after several years of usage, it remains like new.

Until this problem is explained, I would not want to coat the trailer floor with Rhino Liner and have it fail. Removing the coating is very difficult.

BOL  Gard

Hubby had said we would need to have the floor "etched" before spraying it.. He also said that some of the roll in products may actually be a better choice here as they are more "rubbery" and may offer a thicker seal.

He plans on hard wiring it to a 7 wire from the 6 wire this weekend.. but used the adaptor to get it from Oklahoma to COlorado!

Hubby had said we would need to have the floor "etched" before spraying it.. He also said that some of the roll in products may actually be a better choice here as they are more "rubbery" and may offer a thicker seal.

He plans on hard wiring it to a 7 wire from the 6 wire this weekend.. but used the adaptor to get it from Oklahoma to COlorado!

Gard.. Do you happen to know WHAT the product name was that has worked for you?

Thank you for all the good info so far!

The product I used was "Dupli color" bed liner. It's a vinyl polymer product that is similar to the "Herciliner" bed liner that I have not used.

It's been installed in my Sidekick trailer for several years, and last year I applied it to our Exiss. Both of these trailers have an aluminum floor of a plank design. We use mats over it, and at the end of the year it looks like new. 

I also applied it to the steel dump bed on my Kubota RTV, that we use for hauling manure, stone, sand and any material that fits into the bed. In two years of rough usage, it has not yet failed, nor has it allowed any rust in the bed area.

BOL Gard

Thank you all for the good info here!  Life experinces are an important  factor as I look at the options.....

Its all scrubbed out inside, I need to put the mats back in.... And am going to load it up with Baking soda.....

We wont be doing anything with the floor coating until summer..... as Colorado is not real condusive to correct curing of these products!

Baking Soda is Alkaline, so it will help neutralize any acids that may come in contact.

Logan Coach install a product they call Vortex Rubber Coating inside the horse area, and under the gooseneck area of their trailers.  It looks just like Rhino Liner. It has held up well on my trailer Which has aluminum floor planks covered with the sprayed on rubber.