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Horse Trailer Renovation

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    I'm going to put up a grand total when it's finished, but to date including the actual box it's over a grand and a bit, hopefully it'll be equal to a box twice the value of the rebuild, and I'm not charging for labour;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭talullah


    This is brilliant...we just bought an old Rice Europa aswel and are in the middle of trying to renovate it. This will be a great help as there is pretty much nothing out there to help. :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    If you want any pics of anything for reference just ask! Oh and good luck;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 3 Neverlearn


    Glad I found this, just bought a Rice trailer cheap as a 'project'. (New floor being the main thing!) Some great tips here, will post mine as I go along. Have done one before about 20 years ago, a Rice Farmer I believe. It must have been twenty when I got it! Had to sell it earlier this year to pay for colic surgery. It was a large and heavy beast but pretty indestructable. This one is slightly younger! Wish me luck!


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    Ok, number one recomendation, do your restoration in a barn!!! On the plus side, I'm getting used to rain trickling down my neck as I work on the trailer. In a burst of activity I've filled the gaps between the floorboards (in ships it's called caulking) put the rear ramp back together, although the rubber mats I'd been expecting never came :( so it looks like I'll have to buy the rubber, I'm going to call Westwood trailers, as despite them being the only real place to get horse trailer stuff in Ireland their prices are ok, so fingers crossed! The central partition has been shortend by about an inch and re-welded (by me, another new skill I've learnt whilst doing this:) ), the bottom plate screwed down and the holes where the old partition went filled with nuts and bolts. So at least when I'm inside the trailer, I'm dry, the quest continues, in the meantime thank goodness my livery yard has an indoor arena:D


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3 Neverlearn


    Thanks Helibelli, don't have a barn dry enough unfortunately, but have been cracking on in the drive, luckily the weather has been good! After having removed the floor (fantastic wood, a sort of purple colour inside, destined for my fire this winter - once it's dried out) we have exposed a few areas of the frame that require attention. Luckily I know a mechanic who is going to weld it for me, one side around the axle area needs a rebuild I think. I certainly admire your having a go at welding! I was tempted and may have a go at some of the smaller bits.

    WD40 has become my best friend. Had a bit of an issue when the tow hitch got stuck on my tow ball. I had visions of driving everywhere with a skeleton trailer on the back! A bit of thumping released it so I removed it and after digging out lots of old grease and soaking I'm hoping to be able to save it. It seems more robust that the newer ones. Another good product is something called - imaginatively - 'Repair metal for good' made by Unibond. I'm using it on the top front door lip and the end result is extremely solid. Oh and Kurust! I'm slapping it all over to be on the safe side.

    Having no partition I plan to make one. Have seen one I can copy, doesn't look that hard! ;) Going to tackle the wiring loom this weekend, get it ready for fitting after the welding is done (and the undersealing completed). I see you've used sheet metal on the sides, good idea! As is using the roofing material on the floor, my son is a roofer so that's handy!

    I'll try and put up some of my pics. Oh and we are having a problem with the spring on the rear ramp. It seems rusted and isn't moving as it should so if anyone has any tips on renovating one I'd be very grateful!

    Keep your pics coming Helibelli, I may need the inspiration!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3 Neverlearn


    Oh, just had another thought, where possible replace the bolts, particularly those holding the ramp fastenings. Many of mine just sheared off when they were being undone and others were rusting badly which was not obvious until I undid them. I'm replacing them with galvanized bolts which are specifically designed for outdoor use as they resist the weather and tannic acids in the wood.


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    Great stuff going on. Yes, replacing all the bolts that have been ground off with new stainless bolts is a must, in the back of my mind is the task of replacing stuff in the future and ease of removal. Meanwhile I've finished the rear ramp, albeit without rubber for now, work was being re-carpeted so I got given some of the old stuff (out of my bosses office!). It's the mega hard-waring type that will hopefully do a couple of seasons. the central partition has gone in (the one off done deal). I've re-done the padded bits in lovely black leather-look vinyl. The breech bars were cleaned up and brand new receivers bolted to the walls, I used eye bolts for this, so If the horse gets tangled in the bars (you know, front legs over the bar etc) a simple screw driver can undo the bolts form the out side and release the bar. It's actually looking like a horse box now, well at least on the inside:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    more pics :)
    DSCF0267.jpgDSCF0265.jpgDSCF0264.jpgDSCF0262.jpgDSCF0261.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭sweeney1971


    We have just got a 505 horse trailer with a steel floor in it, wants some work on it before putting the horse in but hubby will do that.

    Always make sure the floor is solid, lots of horror stories out there when horses have gone through the floor whilst in transit.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    absolutely , worst tale I heard recently was of an owner being stopped by a friendly motorist who saw a hoof sticking through the bottom of the floor! Thankfully no one was hurt!, I'd love to have put an aluminum floor in but the cost was eye watering.


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    Ok, the kids are back at school, so a week of good weather has finally been forecast, and I'm off all week! So I'm going to borrow a compressor and finally paint the box:D watch this space!!!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    So, great weather, spray gun bought, compressor borrowed.......before, during and after.:D
    DSCF0270.jpgDSCF0271.jpgDSCF0272.jpg;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    Well I'm gobsmacked!! With the paint dry and the weather turned, I started to put the lights and wheel arches on. All of a sudden there's almost nothing left to do. I waited until sunset to test the lights, and they all worked (well almost, the fog light hasn't got power so that'll be me doing a continuity test on my next day off). Even the light inside worked:D So only the wheels to refurbish (in black of course) and the breaks to set up and it's done.. Ah mobile, beach rides, competitions, clinics, the poor horse won't know what's hit him...if I can get him to load:P


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    It occurred to me that I've taken quite a few pictures, but didn't want to flood the board with them, so if you want to see more pics go to http://s1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg607/peter207/ :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    So checked the fog light, it's my car that's at fault!!!!:p


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    It's amazing that with the painting done the garage is nearly empty of trailer parts. I had to get someone to weld the new brake backing plate on the back left axle. So I've ordered a bloody big wheel clamp, I've got the serial number engraved onto the frame, TER registered (see http://www.ter-europe.org ), and a really clever thing that will, at the touch of a button ,show me where the trailer is with an accuracy of around five meters (I didn't show where this particular thing is welded but it's there ;) ), but any recommendations for insurance?


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    Well, I bought new tires (that cost a bit, but don't be cheap by putting normal car tires on your trailer, put reinforced ones on!), last few adjustments to the breaks (all explained on the avon ride web site, and with the handy leaflet that comes with all their products), and finally the two Rice Horse shoes, which were the first things I repainted a long, long time ago :D. DSCF0274_zps74af9f60.jpgDSCF0275_zps1f86de35.jpgDSCF0276_zps5e8e37ec.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,768 ✭✭✭Odelay


    Why did you choose the Rice Europa? you not an ifor fan like everyone else? (I'm not btw).


    Did you replace the damper on the tow hitch? I'd recomend doing this as it reduces the jerking while towing.


    Super job, looks like new and will function better than any box two years old.
    Well done!


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    I went for the Rice because of the aluminum sides which don't go all soggy when covered in wee (how many Ifor boxes have you seen with rotten walls?), On the test drive there was a little jerkyness, but it lessened off with a few practice 'harsh' stops. also getting the grease gun out and giving the hitch a refill helped.:)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭talullah


    That looks fabulous. :D Well done!! :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    One last thing, as Odelay said, replace the overrun damper, did that this week and by gosh what a difference it's made!! In the meantime we've been out competing, hacking, gone to clinics and even down the beach :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭notsobusy


    Hiya I was wondering where you sourced the rice parts? Our Rice trailer has just been trashed by a horse that I had in for a client and I am not happy with the job they did on 'fixing' it for me so want to go about doing it myself.


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    I got my spare wheel cover direct form Rice in the UK, tailer spares came from a variety a places, but the breaks and hitch and the like are all standard stuff and are sold by most trailer spares places (just google trailer spares) as for internal stuff and 'rice' specific things, go to the manufactures web site or better give them a ring, they're really nice and depending on the age of the box they might have the thing you're looking for on the shelf.


  • Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭helibelly


    I can't believe the last post was in 2013! It's now five years later and the trailer is still going strong. The paint needs re-doing to get it back to fresh, but the insides are still fine. But sadly it's time to sell it, thankfully because I now have a shiny Lorry to cart his equine nibs around in!!:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 193 ✭✭isaos


    helibelly wrote: »
    I can't believe the last post was in 2013! It's now five years later and the trailer is still going strong. The paint needs re-doing to get it back to fresh, but the insides are still fine. But sadly it's time to sell it, thankfully because I now have a shiny Lorry to cart his equine nibs around in!!:)

    Thanks for this post! I hadn't seen this thread before, and I need to do some repairs on my Rice box, so this is coming very handy!


  • Registered Users Posts: 442 ✭✭eastie17


    Excellent job, I only wish I had a tenth of your DIY skills.
    I just bought a transit horse van, old but mechanically in good nick. Tack room leaks like a bastard, theres caulking on the roof where the previous owner attempted to fix the leaks. I'll strip that off when attempting to fix it.
    As I said its a transit and the leak is in the luton area so its fiberglass I'll be trying to fix.
    Any recommendations for good waterproofing products to fix this and perhaps advice on finding all leaks? I recall from boats years ago that fiber glass can have hairline cracks in it that are hard to see.


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