Rumber trailer flooring?

[alter_trailer]

Well I finally got a new trailer! It’s a Hawk 2H BP with the Rumber flooring. So far the flooring is great – good traction, horses like it. It’s slightly more difficult to sweep, but it can be hosed.

A friend of mine is now insisting that I need to get regular rubber mats to put over the Rumber, because it gets slippery when it’s wet. I do know that urine doesn’t drip through it, so I use some shavings too. Part of the reason I got Rumber in the first place is that I have bad shoulders and cannot lift rubber trailer mats; I have to have someone help me.

Right? Wrong? What are your opinions on Rumber flooring?

By the way – I am very pleased with this Hawk trailer! It cost a little more than I wanted to pay but it’s roomy and light-filled and very easy to hook up. Horses so far are quite relaxed in it.

[Bluey]

We have rumber floor, it is not slick and don’t need any mats.

[akor]

Love mine! And, I don’t use mats

I’ve had mine for 5 years and love the rumbar floors! No issues with horses, I’ve hauled short - up to 40 minutes frequently and one long x country haul.

[Tom_King]

You do NOT need mats. You just said goodbye to mats. Feel free to hose or pressure wash. I wouldn’t have anything else.

[grinanride]

If you have a shod horse that paws use a mat on top
Risa

[ryansgirl]

@Tom King;4177716

You do NOT need mats. You just said goodbye to mats. Feel free to hose or pressure wash. I wouldn’t have anything else.

Just like Tom King said… i totally agree!

From the Hawk website (http://www.hawktrailers.com/why.asp):

With the Rumber floor, there is no need for floor mats because this 1 1/2" thick material has a traction surface. It provides horses with a footing that will reduce stress on their legs and joints. Plus, with a Rumber floor, you will never have to remove floor mats again.

I’ve never heard a bad thing about Rumber flooring and if I do get another trailer - it will have that flooring :).

[EventerOP]

I have a 2H hawk bp with the rumber floor. I love it! I went to pick my cousins horse up from college (12 hour drive) so when I got home I just washed it out. I love the fact that you can wash it and hose it.
I dont have mats and wouldnt see why you would need them, I put some shavings down and everything is fine! The horses seem to really like it to!

[Dapple_Dawn_Farm]

About 3 weeks ago, my horse slipped and fell in the trailer. It was raining that day and I had just loaded him in…I hadn’t even gotten in the truck to drive off and he went down. I called the manufacturer (Adam Trailers) and he said I needed to have rubber mats on top of the rumber floor…FWIW

[Foxtrot_s]

The manufacturers need to be told of these incidents so they can perhaps improve the design by making it more pimply, or something. Mats are so heavy and add to the load.

[Gestalt]

My trailer has the stuff called Rhino-liner on the floor and walls, it came with mats too. What is ‘Rumber’?

[AC1]

I have a Hawk with a modified ramp(read my big boys destroyed the old one)that has Rumber on it. I too have found it is extremely slippery when wet…and it has completely ruined one of my guys hauling ability after he slipped and fell while practicing one day when it was damp. I am thinking I need a mat to throw over it when I load and unload…but what a HUGE PITA!..

I am glad to see this thread…personally I would be very upset to have it for the whole floor and have to mat over it. I never will have the stuff again.

[Janet]

i have a hawk with Rumber flooring. I have had it since 2004, and have had no traction problems. Music would regularly fall down behind with mats in the old trailer, and she rides completely securely with the Rumber floor, wet or dry. When they pee, the urine DOES run out.

But I am no sure if my RAMP is Rumber. If it is, it has a very different textrue form the floor.

[grinanride]

AC - for a ramp it would be best to get a piece of the very textured rubber mat and screw it in on top of your Rumber to prevent slipping -
Risa

[Sithly]

[QUOTE=AC;4181872]
I have a Hawk with a modified ramp(read my big boys destroyed the old one)that has Rumber on it. I too have found it is extremely slippery when wet…and it has completely ruined one of my guys hauling ability after he slipped and fell while practicing one day when it was damp. I am thinking I need a mat to throw over it when I load and unload…but what a HUGE PITA!..

I am glad to see this thread…personally I would be very upset to have it for the whole floor and have to mat over it. I never will have the stuff again.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for posting this. I’m redoing my ramp, and I did consider Rumber since I thought it might hold up better and flex less (ramp is wooden boards with a steel backing now). This is good to know. Sorta defeats the purpose of Rumber if you have to put mats over it anyway.

[ESG]

Rumber is WONDERFUL! Both I and my spouse had Shelby trailers (wish they hadn’t quit making them :sigh: ) with rumber flooring. His was a four horse slant, mine a two horse bumper pull. Never had issues with horses slipping, shod or unshod, even when the rumber was urine soaked. In fact, the only portion of the floor that ever needed work was the steel angle iron across the back that held the rumber planks in place. I bought the trailer new in 1996, and sold it in 2002, and the rumber was still perfect. Damn, but I miss Shelby trailers!

[AC1]

Thanks Risa…I had thought of that-but even with adding extra springs I can barely lift the thing !? Any more weight and I will need to wear a diaper or install an electric lift!

I cannot believe how slippery it gets? I really cannot believe people do not have more problems with it?

[ESG]

IF you need more traction on the ramp, consider cocoa mats instead. Light, no need to screw them down, and they take care of any slippage problems very nicely.

[SCF01]

I just ordered a new trailer and decided against the rumber. I’ve never had a problem with a wood floor in the past and I didn’t think the rumber was worth the extra money. The wood floor on my trailer actually has a longer warranty than the rumber. JMO.

[eventersmom]

We have a 2 horse Trail-Et with Rumber flooring and our unshod mare slipped and almost fell the first time she got in. It wasn’t raining but the grass was wet and I assume wet hooves caused the slip. We put shavings down and now have no problems with traction.

I would hate to add a mat because of the weight and maintenance issues.

[alter_trailer]

For people whose horses have slipped: did you have shavings in the trailer? So far the info I am getting says that shavings are necessary.

The flooring issue is of concern because my friend owns one of the horses I sometimes trailer. The horse did go down in a trailer many years ago and he claims it was the Rumber flooring that caused it. He is pushing me hard to get mats.

The trailer does not have rumber on the ramp, but some sort of textured mat. I agree that Rumber would be way too heavy for a ramp.