Horse Trailer Repair/Fab Question

[Beaudacious22]

Has anyone replaced the plywood on the interior walls of their horse trailer? Either by themselves or had a professional do it?

I have an '01 Kingston 2 horse aluminum w/steel frame trailer that has plywood on the interior walls in the horse area with a thin sheet of steel over the wood (which I’m not crazy about). When I purchased the trailer used the steel sheet on the passenger horse side had become damaged and rusted a bit and allowed some water to get into the plywood underneath which is causing a soft spot in that area. I hardly ever haul two horses so usually there is no horse on that side but I would like to get it fixed. Ideally I would like to remove the steel and have the plywood replaced then put a mat where the steel was if possible.

The metal sheet itself seems like it might be difficult to remove and I have a feeling the plywood would be as well so I’m thinking it would probably be best to have a pro deal with it.

Has anyone had this done? What did it cost? Or if you did it yourself how difficult was it (have a very handy DH and friends to help)?

[IFG]

I don’t think that my Kingston has the wood (it is 1990), but it was completely rebuilt. If you find a good horse trailer repair place, it is worth having it done.

[IFG]

Forgot to add, they peeled back the aluminum skin and replaced the entire back frame. That extensive work was about $2,000.

[Foxglove]

Because your DH is handy, I’d approach this in stages. First, find the finest, most expensive, top dollar trailer repair shop --one with a great reputation! Ideally, one that specializes in horse trailers --might not be in your area, but where I live, there are such places (Elkhart, IN) since we are the trailer capitol of the world (seriously! Bison, Lakota, Hoosier, Merhow and most ALL horse trailer interiors are built within 10 miles of my place).

Anyway --find the super-dooper best trailer place. Take yourself and a list of what you want done and your trailer --go at a non-busy time, like Monday, about 10 AM. You could even make an appointment with “someone” to estimate trailer repairs. Have a written list of what you want done. Let the trailer expert look at your trailer. Ask what he/she thinks should be done --sometimes these experts will find something you hadn’t seen —listen. Ask what that will cost (probably way more than you want to spend). Then say, I don’t have that much right now, but what would it cost to just fix this side-wall? Still too much? Ask, what would be involved if you just took off the metal and wood --do you think someone with skill and a good set of tools could replace the wood sides and have the trailer safe? Then ask for a price on just removing the metal . . .if it’s in your budget, arrange for it. If not, go to another trailer repair place. If at the second one, you get about the same estimate, or if both tell you it’s too difficult for an non-professional --(usually for me it’s anything electric or that involves welding --anything else, I’ll tackle) --then you’ll know what it’s going to cost.

There are a couple of facebook groups that might help you --Horse Trailer Conversions II and Bumper Pull Conversions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/912876135499961/.

Regardless of what you decide to do, have an expert check out your work before you haul your horse – I badly injured my own horse by not counter sinking a screw deeply enough --I thought “flush” was ok --but it really did neet to be couner sunk —a deep cut --healed well, but my fault entirely.