Horse trailer rebuild

This is a two horse hauling trailer with a tack room about to be rebuilt fully.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

It has major rust issues, rotten wood floor and worn out paint.

Want to see Horse Trailer Brakes and wiring repaired? Click this link.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

First thing we do is wash it. It was filthy. It had fungus growing all over it from being stored for years under trees.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

This customer bought the trailer at a incredible bargain. They considered buying a very young trailer but they are quite expensive.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

They hauled it to me for inspection before they bought it. They wanted to know what would it cost to rebuild it like new. After my full inspection, I informed them of the rebuild cost.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

They were pleased to learn we could fully rebuild at about $2,500 LESS than it would cost them to buy a young trailer in almost new shape. They saved a lot of money buying a bargain trailer and rebuilding it to new shape.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Just a good washing made it look so much better.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The sides were easy, but we still have to reach up onto the roof and wash it to.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The wooden floors were rotten and soon a horses leg would go through it. So time for a new floor. The first floor was not made with pressure treated wood so it didn't last.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

All the metal rails had the extensive rust sanded off already. There's no point in just painting over rust because it would just come back.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

There's many ways to deal with rust. If its easy to get to as in this case, sanding it off is economical.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

You can see the bottom frame is rusted through. It will need patches welded over those holes to keep the future water out of the metal frame tubes.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

And the new metal patches welded on to this horse trailer frame, will add much new strength to the frame. Although strength wise, this frame was in pretty good condition to start with.

But hey, if our process of keeping water out will add more strength, then lets do it.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The bolts holding down the old wood have rusted into their nuts and will not come out. We will have to cut the whole floor up in pieces to get it out. This is very common. More normal than not.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

And we cant rust proof the lower frame properly until we can get to ALL of it. Now we can.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Yah it needed some work, but fixing it is frequently cheaper than buying new. It really depends on what your starting with.

Sometimes new is less expensive than repairing junk with no potential.Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The super thick rust we sand away to see if the steel underneath it is still good or not. That tells us how we are going to repair it.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The tack room had much floor rot also.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Its about a 100 degrees out and there's no breeze in the horse trailer being rebuilt. So we manufacture our own wind to.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The roof was filthier than the sides as they caught the brunt of the tree drippings that fed the fungus, mold and mildew stains.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Below? See that seem? The factory caulk has failed and the roof is leaking allowing rain to get in and help the floor rot.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

It took a mix of scrubbing and high pressure power washing to get the roof clean for its new paint job.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Poor dude. It was a 100 degrees with about 98 percent humidity.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

You can see the missing sealant between the roof panel seams. We will definitely fix that before it gets its new paint job.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

I don't know if I will do any more full paint jobs. Its so labor intensive to do it right since we don't cut corners.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

We don't want to crack the fiberglass roof panels so we don't stand on them directly. Our planks takes the load off the panels and spreads it out across the framework instead.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Bringing the welder in to weld patches on the frame of this horse trailer rebuild.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Before we weld a patch on, we don't want to lock water inside the frame, so we use a torch to dry out the frame and then the patch goes on.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

To keep water out of the walls, all edges and seams are freshly caulked/sealed on this horse trailer rebuild.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

It took hours to pull the old failing caulk out of the seams. But if we didn't, then the new wouldn't be any good as putting on new over junk is a waste of time.

Same as we don't paint over dirt.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

That white stuff we are putting on the frame is a special rubber type compound. We put it on the worst areas so the steel no longer has access to the environment, oxygen or moisture.

Then we will paint over it for further protection and appearances sake.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

This is only the first coat so some rust still bleeds through. But once it dries no rust will bleed through the second coat.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

This rubber compound has a twenty year lifespan whereas paint only has a ten year effective life span.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The tack room got a new floor and every joint and seam is filled and covered with our robber compound for extra protection. It also fill gaps for creating seamless surfaces.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The entire underside of the horse trailer frame is being coated with our rust stopping rubber compound. Then painted.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

It goes on real thick, and then when dry, it gets a second coat. When completed, the steel cant rust because water cant get to it. Its much more durable than just paint.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

We are not aiming to coat the wood, but just the rusty steel.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

We put it on so thick, he spreads it with a putty knife, then smooth's and spreads it with a brush to work it in every nook, corner and cranny gap.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Fresh new paint. So tedious and time consuming, but oh so beautiful.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Poor dude. No mercy for the wicked. Get to work, we must have quality.

That's Ben. Say hi Ben. He's my buddy.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

You cant see it yet, but the whole interior roof is now painted white. You can tell by the over spray.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Now the bottom half of the interior is painted black.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

We ran all new wiring. That's our tester making sure all the wiring functions flawlessly before we put the new  wooden floor down.

Once the floor is down, the wiring on the frame will not be so easy to get to again.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Below: You can see a little overspray at the floor wall edge. I have a girl that is so good at fine detail work, when she is done I cant find a single flaw anywhere.

Ben is great, but he is a brute, a train that cant be stopped. But Ben is not for the fine picky dainty details like Marion is. Marion is slow, but perfect. Her and Ben see things differently.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

New rims/wheels cost around a $100 each plus remounting tires another $25. Do you buy new wheels for $125 or paint them for $50?

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

They  will look new for another five years, and  look good for ten. Then it will be time to paint again.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Hey, Marion came and went. Can you tell? You do know thats the tack room, right?

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Those are the inside of the tires, the side that goes in towards the trailer. That's not the side that sticks out and will be seen.

Would you wash the dirt off the insides of the tires? Its pointless. But stopping the rust does have lasting value.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

The floor that came out was NOT pressure treated. The floor going back in is.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Now we have to drill them and put in galvanized bolts.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Originally there was not a door seal at the top to keep water out. A factory flaw. So rain entered the tack room and destroyed the floor. So I built a drip edge so roof water cant enter the top of the door.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Now you see Marion.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Detail time.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

She's abnormal. She does not sweat in 100 degree heat. She doesn't even seem to notice.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

We taped up the lack lines, but some white paint managed to get behind our tape. So a little touch up on the black and all is perfect.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Well, so much for making great progress. Now its break time.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Maybe its take the rest of the day off time.

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

 

Horse Trailer Rebuild

Horse Trailer Rebuild end.

Now its party time.

Want to see Horse Trailer Brakes and wiring repaired? Click this link.

Remember, I work by appointment only, so be sure to call. 904-638-8338 Call me, 7 Am to 9 Pm, any day of the week




 

 


credit cards acceptedFreedom Celebration Gif