Shopping a used Double D with RUMBER floors… Are they safe? I have read aluminum floors rust in some models… any insight would be helpful.
I’m a little confused.
Rumber flooring is manufactured from recycled rubber and plastics and formed into “boards”. They are more flexible than wood flooring, however, and thus need more cross-bracing to support where the horse stands. It’s marketed with this idea that it removes the need for rubber matting, but I don’t find that to be true at all and no trailer dealer I’ve been to recommends it. It can get extremely slippery when wet and can be worn smooth by a horse that paws.
It is not aluminum flooring. I would never, ever buy a trailer with an aluminum floor. Aluminum skin, sure.
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Does it have a rumber floor or an aluminum floor?
Rumber are boards made out of recycled plastic/rubber that are an alternative to wood. They are generally very low maintainance.
Solid piece aluminum floors can degrade due to urine soaking or not being kept clean. The corroded areas can weaken and become brittle.
As with any used trailer, a good flashlight and crawling around underneath is always a good idea.
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Thank you Abbie and Aleuronx. I thought Rumber was pressure treated pine and recycled rubber, good to know it plastic composite. In your opinions who puts out the safest trailer…? I am looking for 3 horse GN LQ. I don’t want to buy new. I have tall OTTBs so the bigger the back door the better.
IME Measure your longest horse nose to tail standing relaxed then measure the actual trailer divider - see if there is enough usable stall length - a lot of slants are too short in usable stall length / you might use a double stall for a single large horse
On the Double D - would depend on the year / who built it and what you could get it for compared to others on the market that are used comps
R
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I have rumber floors in my trailer and I’ve been quite happy with it - it’s nice not having to lift mats! I do put shavings on it.
As for safety, I don’t think there are really safety considerations between brands (mine is not DD) - just make sure a used trailer has been well-maintained, the trailer is an appropriate size for the horse(s), and that you have a suitable, well-maintained tow vehicle.
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I have Rumber floors in my 2004 trailer (Hawk) and have never had a problem with them. I never put shavings on top of them, and never had problems with horses slipping.
I currently own two trailers with aluminum floors that have been well maintained, and have no safety issues with either. The oldest is a 1999 stock trailer, and the newest is a 2006 LQ trailer. Both are well built trailers structurally, and the floors are fine if taken care of as recommended by the manufacturer.
Aluminum will not rust. It can corrode when not cleaned properly, but it will not rust.
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What cutter99 said, aluminum corrodes instead of rusting. It takes a lot of neglect for a good aluminum floor to corrode enough to be compromised. I’ve had nothing but aluminum floors in my trailers going twenty years or more. Taken care of, they last forever and hold their resale value. Current trailer has WERM flooring (rubberized coating) over aluminum - love it! Have heard nothing but good things about rumbar flooring but no experience with DD trailers.
Aluminum floors do not rust.
G.
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I have a 2006 Hawk trailer with a Rumber floor and it’s wonderful - I’ve had zero issues. I do use shavings to protect it from manure/urine and I hose it out after every use. It’s so nice not to have to struggle with heavy mats,
I have a 2011 3 horse slant Merhow with LQ. I have an 18hh horse that fits just fine. The back stall is good for him and all my other horses fit in any of the other stalls with no problem. I really like the hardware in the horse area. There’s no sharp edges to the dividers. Nothing for a blanket to get caught on and everything is spring loaded on the dividers so they’re easy to shut and you don’t have to mess with pins etc. It hauls solidly. The back door is a 60:40 door, so it’s plenty wide for getting in and out. The horses all seem to like the trailer. Two of our four horses will jump right on.
If we didn’t have the Merhow, I’d probably go with a 4-star. They have the no mess spray coated floor that you can just hose out. I hauled my trainer’s 4 horse head to head and it was solid as well. The 4-stars are very popular in our area.
