I found a distributor in Denmark that will ship Brenderup Replacement floors to the US. I feel like I’ve just found the Holy Grail.
His name is Claus and he’s with a Brenderup Dealership in Denmark. His e-mail address is claus@hjoernely.dk.
I will be forwarding on this information to Traveled Lane Trailers in Maryland and see if they might be able to work out wholesale and large lot shipping on the floors for their waiting list. Price for the floors is about $1,150 before shipping.
Here is the response from Traveled Lane:
Thank you for the information. We will pass this along to the Brenderup parts importer to see if he can/will coordinate this with some of his parts supplies. To be honest, seeing the $1,132 cost before shipping and duties, I suspect that these floors could easily cost the better part of $2000 before installation, but the parts importer may be in a better position to determine the added costs.
We had hoped that the Fautras floor would work (and we still believe it could), but we have not received any technical support for adapting it to the Brenderup chassis. The Brenderup chassis is similar in many ways to the Fautras chassis, but there are enough differences that we are hesitant to install the Fautras floor without technical support from the floor panel supplier.
Regards,
Jon Morlock
I will update as I receive any new information.
Well if you decide to ship 'em over, be sure to take a COTH poll first. Maybe a few of us could split shipping?
My 2000 B’up would easily live another 10 years if I replaced the floor, so even at that price, I might be interested. I’m also investigating having the chassis reinforced + refloored with marine plywood.
What are the existing floors made from? Is it a ply, or some magical polymer?
I don’t get why somebody could not source a specialist plywood and a CNC cutter and make near exact copies.
Shipping them half way round the world one at a time is bound to cost a fortune.
Brenderup fabricates their own 1" Baltic Birch Hardwood Floors in one piece sheets. They are 7’1" wide by 11’4" long for most trailers. I have tried to source a 8’x12’ 1" sheet of birch or any other hardwood/marine grade lumber and I have been told by several lumberyards and custom hardwood wholesalers that such a beast does not exist and they know of no fabricators in North America that could laminate something that large. The largest 1" hardwood ply I was able to find were 4’x10’ sheets.
I have a 1994 Royal TC with the original floor. I’d gladly pay $2000 for a floor that will last me 20 years. That’s $100 per year investment. I’m hoping with the waiting list of 20+ people that Traveled Lane has for Brenderup Floors that we’ll be able to work something out.
Too bad I didn’t win the powerball or I’d be working with Thule to reopen the distribution lines to America. The newest Brenderup models look quite spiffy.
I’m sure you’ve looked harder than me, but it does seem like it’s hard or impossible to find.
A quick google shows very long is possible, but nobody in America seems to go wider than 5’. I thought plywood was as American as apple pie. I wonder why you can get big single sheets in Australia, Asia and Europe but not here.
[QUOTE=tangledweb;6902746]
I’m sure you’ve looked harder than me, but it does seem like it’s hard or impossible to find.
A quick google shows very long is possible, but nobody in America seems to go wider than 5’. I thought plywood was as American as apple pie. I wonder why you can get big single sheets in Australia, Asia and Europe but not here.[/QUOTE]
Yes. I’ve called several custom lumber yards and they have all said they have never seen or heard of a sheet that large. The second best alternative to the one piece floor would be two 4’x12’ 1" marine grade sections biscuited and glued together with a single reinforcement bar welded from front to back center on the trailer. Then, bolt along the sides and on the middle reinforcement bar. But even this is something I haven’t been able to source.
The third option is three sheets of 4’x8’ 1" marine grade biscuited and glued together on the long edge with two reinforcement bars welded across the floor of the trailer where the seams are. Bolt on the edges and along both sides of the seams. This would be the cheapest option by far as 1" marine grade ply is going for $70 per sheet.
The downside of trying to fabricate the floor from multiple sheets of ply is possible separation and subsequent rot at the seams and flexing of the trailer working those seams apart. The floor would not be as solid as a one piece.
Snowflake, you have indeed found the Holy Grail for Brenderup owners in the US. Thanks for the effort. While I don’t own a Brenderup anymore (needed to haul more than 2 horses at a time), it was a great trailer for me for 12 years. Fortunately I replaced the floor in it before the parts became an issue. And I agree, getting the correct floor is cheap given how long they last when cared for properly.
[QUOTE=IronwoodFarm;6903492]
…getting the correct floor is cheap given how long they last when cared for properly.[/QUOTE]
How long do you think a properly cared for floor could last?
What should a person look for in a B-up floor to determine if it is/isn’t in good shape?
My Prestige is 16 yrs old and the original floor is still in good condition, according to the people who just did the annual inspection and maintenance on it. The trick for a long lasting floor is to keep the rubber mats off the floor and allow air circulation when not in use. The B-up dealer in WI told me that when I first got my trailer, used, 10 yrs ago, and sold me some wooden pieces he built that I put on the floor with the mats rolled on top of them when trailer is not in use.
Maybe some of you Brenderup owners can help me: I’m going to look at a used 2-horse that I found on Craigslist that the owner describes a “functional but ugly and in need of some repairs to the lights”. He/she isn’t the best about giving detailed email replies, so I think I’m just going to go look at it.
What are the critical things I should check that will be the most difficult/expensive to repair?
[QUOTE=BK6756;7016767]
Maybe some of you Brenderup owners can help me: I’m going to look at a used 2-horse that I found on Craigslist that the owner describes a “functional but ugly and in need of some repairs to the lights”. He/she isn’t the best about giving detailed email replies, so I think I’m just going to go look at it.
What are the critical things I should check that will be the most difficult/expensive to repair?[/QUOTE]
Check the floor, and depending on the age, the sidewalls. On the older trailers - 1996 and earlier IIRC - have wooden side walls. These can rot. The biggest issue is sourcing specialty parts. They are just not available in the US anymore. Most things can be fixed with standard parts, including the lights, but if you run up against something that requires OEM, you’re up the creek without a paddle unless you have some European contacts and are willing to bleed money to have them shipped.
Floor question
Snowflake, et.al.,
If a large enough piece of lumber (baltic birch to be exact) meeting the size and thickness spec could be sourced here in the States, is there availability to the pattern for the floor so that a fabricator could cut what is needed? And does the wood need to be treated in some special way?
You should absolutely be using treated wood products for this application; marine grade would be typical because of both the road and “horse by-product” environment. I’ve not seen BB in the US that is treated, however…but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Jim in PA,
Sorry for not being more specific; if the wood is 1" birch as mentioned in post#5, I wanted to know if it had to be coated or painted with anything prior to be used as a replacement floor Brenderup floor. I guess marine grade would already be treated somehow, but what if it’s just Baltic birch hardwood/plywood? And I’m talking about being treated before some sort of rubberized protective coating is applied (like on the current floor).
(I think I’m saying this awkwardly)
The issue with most available BB plywood is that it’s designed for “interior” use and will not hold up well in the conditions that being a trailer floor would be subjected to. Plywood destined for exterior use uses different glue for the lamination, for example. Some exterior product is also treated. Marine is treated even more. Interior ply in “moist” conditions will deteriorate and delaminate in a disappointingly short time period. Birch as a wood species is fine, but how the sheet goods are manufactured is critical toward the use. White Oak (not red oak!) is also naturally resistant to weather and moisture and with the right glues could be a suitable solution. I’ve never seen how a Brenderup frame is situated so it’s hard for me to brainstorm on creative ideas around floor replacement…
Does this same source have other parts as well or only floors?
[QUOTE=mgmiller;7086198]
Does this same source have other parts as well or only floors?[/QUOTE]
Yes. They do have access to other parts. What are you looking for in particular?
[QUOTE=Snowflake;6902639]
I have a 1994 Royal TC with the original floor. I’d gladly pay $2000 for a floor that will last me 20 years. That’s $100 per year investment.
The newest Brenderup models look quite spiffy.[/QUOTE]
Repeating myself is getting old, but here goes: You can get a Rumber floor put in your B’up for WAY less than $2000 and it will last for 20 years. Had mine done last year.
Wow, I thought they stopped making any B’ups once Thule took over, had no idea they were still being made. How did you see new ones? A Google search is showing me sites from before they were discontinued here.
Edited to add: I just found the uk website for B’up and there are NO horse trailers on it.
2 questions:
what is a rumber floor?
i am having issues with some blistering (and softening) of my ramp on the outer lower area near the hinge of my solo…does anyone know what the ramp consists of?
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