I’m looking for a used trailer under $5K and seeing a lot with wood floors. Is this something to be avoided? If they are properly maintained I’m not sure it would be an issue but have heard horror stories of horses falling through rotted ones on highways (not sure if that’s an old horseman’s tale or not) 
Any suggestions or advice is appreciated!
I would only have a wood floor covered with mats in a trailer I owned. Obviously you would check them out for rotting before purchase and replace it if necessary.
If I ever bought a trailer with a wood floor, I would have it replaced before I put my horse in it no matter how good it looks (unless the seller has proof it’s been very recently done). Good mats would be a must for me as well. I think wood is fine to use, just check it regularly and keep it clean so it doesn’t make the wood rot faster. Really, any trailer floor needs to be checked regularly, I’ve heard of aluminum floors falling out or a horse popping through without proper maintenance as well.
Wooden trailer floors were the norm before Aluminum trailers came on the market. Just like the electrical and braking system of a trailer, you monitor the wooden boards and replace when necessary. Ditto good mats to absorb a little shock and to reduce the horses from slipping.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;7624382]
I would only have a wood floor covered with mats in a trailer I owned. [/QUOTE]
This. (1) I will never put my horse on an aluminum floor - they pit and corrode invisibly. (2) They are easy to replace as needed and can be done yourself if you know what you’re done. (3) They are easy to inspect and know immediately if there are any issues.
Wood floors are, IMHO, the best and only floor choice for this Safety Nazi (and engineer’s kid) and her horses. There are some newer options such as Rumber or WERM but I have not yet had time to research them and can’t afford them anyway, so I’m just speaking wood vs. metal.
ETA – obviously, good mats over top, with grip.
Thanks everyone–super helpful!!
Much prefer wood floors to aluminum. Both require maintenance to keep safe. Wood doesn’t get as hot as aluminum, and IME, rides smoother than aluminum.
Horses have fallen through floors, I’ve seen it in person and we’ve had a news report posted here a while ago, a racehorse being transported near NYC. Both of those resulted in euth for the horse.
IMO, metal can rot out or rust out just as wood can, it’s the maintenance that is key and sometimes you can see wood going bad faster than you can detect metal with corrosion at a key point.
If the price is right plan to replace the floor.
A good, well-kept floor of any type is a good floor! As an above poster said, a wood floor replacement can be a DIY job whereas an aluminum floor is not.
Yeah, I’ve never had anything but wood with mats on it. I replaced the floors myself with pressure treated lumber. It’s been about ten years, and when I pull everything up and clean and look at it, they are still as good as new. I like that there are little spaces between the wood to drain. I would think aluminum holds water.
Maintenance is the key with anything. My first two trailers had rumber floors and I wish my current trailer had it. Rumber is thick planks of recycled rubber, so its very durable and easy to maintain. Both trailers came with 20 year warranties on the flooring. You won’t get 20 years out of a wood floor, but you might with aluminum if maintained and your horse doesn’t pee in the trailer. (mine doesn’t)
When I sold the 2nd trailer, after 9 years, the floor still looked brand new and I had hauled horses that pawed quite a bit.
So another question about used trailer pricing–do you see it fluctuating all over the place? I can’t seem to figure out if I’m getting a steal of a deal or burned and should just bite the bullet and buy new . . .
[QUOTE=bluejay13;7625571]
So another question about used trailer pricing–do you see it fluctuating all over the place? I can’t seem to figure out if I’m getting a steal of a deal or burned and should just bite the bullet and buy new . . .[/QUOTE]
Used trailer pricing is not like cars-- there’s no reference point. people can ask what they want to ask and how good a deal you get will depend on your timing and how specific you are with your wants.
Me, I couldn’t stomach paying almost $10,000 for a well kept trailer less than 10 years old (and not much less to even go back 20 years…) so I bought new with everything I wanted.
My current trailer has wood. It’s a 2008 Titan and I would never go back to aluminum floors after my last trailer needed the floor replaced. The woman I bought it from must have had geldings who peed in there and she never pulled the mats up to clean it (based on the location of the holes, obviously geldings and not mares). You could see through the holes, they were small, but having a 1,200 lb animal walking across that didn’t seem like a good idea.
My own fault as I didn’t think to pull the mats up and check the floor. As soon as I saw it I brought it in and had a whole new sheet of aluminum put in to the tune of $1,200. This was a tiny 2 horse BP straight load Featherlite, so I can’t imagine the cost for a big gooseneck.
With wood, it’s easy to tell if they need to be replaced and that’s easy (and a lot cheaper) to do than replacing the aluminum floor.
My mechanic (trucks and trailers) has a large business replacing aluminum floors due to moisture trapping. Wood floors do allow for air circulation and drying, but like every other poster has said, mats & regular care is key. I wouldn’t pass over a trailer I liked due to a wood floor.
Longevity of wood is going to depend on your climate. I bought a wood-floored 1993 Logan in 1999; whether the floor is original or not I don’t know, but I have the trailer inspected/serviced annually, and so far so good. Out here 50% humidity is high (outside the rainy season), so that probably accounts for it.
I do have mats on it and am not terribly careful about pulling them up and cleaning regularly, I admit –
My understanding from my Bo, who has had wood I. The past, is they are ok If you maintain them right. You have to take the mats out after every use so no moisture can get trapped under them.
[QUOTE=PoohLP;7627958]
My understanding from my Bo, who has had wood I. The past, is they are ok If you maintain them right. You have to take the mats out after every use so no moisture can get trapped under them.[/QUOTE]
I don’t see any more reason to remove mats EVERY TIME from a wood floor. If it’s for purposes of keeping moisture from being trapped underneath them, then by that argument you should be pulling the mats out of your aluminum-floor trailer every time, as well.
I just make sure that I put down sawdust in the usual pee spot for every trailer ride… My horse pees EVERY SINGLE TIME he’s in the trailer, but the pee is all contained in the sawdust, which I shovel out every time-- you can clearly see from the wet spots left on the mat that it hasn’t gotten as far as the seam between the mats, hence it hasn’t reached the wood.
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