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Trailer mats

justmartha
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Nov 15, 2005, 12:31 PM

Post #1 of 9 (1051 views)
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Trailer mats	Can't Post

I detest the mats in my trailer (old CM combo trailer). I'd like to replace them with something that is a bit more cushy and a lot less slippery. Any recommendations out there for replacement mats?

Thanks

Martha in NM
http://www.valverdemorgans.com

JimHess
Silver Member

Nov 15, 2005, 3:49 PM

Post #2 of 9 (1048 views)
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Re: [justmartha] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

The mats that came in our trailer are 3/4" or 1" thick, and they weigh a ton. They have sort of a waffle pattern on top and ribbed bottom. We bought stall mats at our feed store that are the same thing, and they came 4' X 6'. I think they were 45-50 dollars each, a few years ago. Our trailer is 6' wide and the mats were cut and fitted in tight. Even though the trailer floor is aluminum, the manual said to remove the mats yearly to clean. I think it's mostly to clean the urine. We maintain a level of sawdust on top of the mats for extra cushioning and absorbtion, and since the mats are so heavy I skipped a couple years. I pulled out the mats this summer and lo and behold, a few pinholes coming in the aluminum floor from corrosion. I had them welded up, and promised myself to be more dilligent in the future. Here's a tip on handling the heavy mats; take two "c" clamps, regular, or what I prefer, the vise-grip type, clamp them on one edge and you can drag the mat around. It gives you something to grip on, one for each hand.

-Jim

(This post was edited by JimHess on Nov 15, 2005, 3:54 PM)

Cottonhawk
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Nov 16, 2005, 2:11 AM

Post #3 of 9 (1032 views)
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Re: [justmartha] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

My trailer has a material called "WERM" and it stands for "We Eliminate Rotton Mates". The floor is completely sealed and only needs to be hosed out. It IMO is an excellent floor for horse trailers. Following is some of the mfg descriptions..... "......WERM is a virgin rubber material that is mixed with a binder, and poured in place and trawled onto the trailer floor, much like finished concrete. It dries to 5/8" thick, and is impervious to liquids and completely seals the trailer floor. No more removing mats to clean the trailer. It has a non-slip surface and horses can't paw through the material.....presents a solution to an age old problem: the rubber stock trailer mat. This flooring system permanently adheres to your aluminum, steel or wood trailer floor. A special flexible mixture that includes extremely durable virgin rubber, it is completely waterproof and will not crack, separate or "crawl" with extensive use like ordinary rubber mats. Simply hose it out and you're done. No heavy, filthy mats to drag in and out, no water trapped against the floor. Perhaps most importantly, WERM provides a stable, comfortable surface for your horses to stand on while in transport. Its cushioned layer blocks out much more road noise than traditional mats....."

Cotton

justmartha
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Nov 16, 2005, 9:35 AM

Post #4 of 9 (1024 views)
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Re: [Cottonhawk] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hmmmm - the WERM stuff sounds interesting, but I would think that some drain holes would be a good thing. Otherwise, you are almost committed to using some kind of absorbent padding like sawdust or chips on top, aren't you? How would you replace it if you needed to?

Martha in NM
http://www.valverdemorgans.com

Cottonhawk
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Nov 16, 2005, 10:02 AM

Post #5 of 9 (1020 views)
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Re: [justmartha] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

We do use shavings on top of the WERM floor for absobent and added comfort. The WERM flooring is sort of like the truck bed liner but much thicker. It does not absorb any of the moisture and can be hosed out easily. Our trailer has solid Aluminum floor. With this kind of flooring it's almost trouble free and very little work to keep it clean. We've had our trailer for almost four years now with quite a bit of use and there is no reason to replace or taking it out. It is like a new kind of flooring system composed of two layers of material Aluminum on the bottom and the WERM on top. In case for some reason it need repairing, the WERM material comes in a can and you can just pour some on top of the area needing repair, smooth out, let dry and you're done.

Cotton

JimHess
Silver Member

Nov 16, 2005, 1:00 PM

Post #6 of 9 (1014 views)
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Re: [Cottonhawk] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

Cotton, that poured rubber flooring sounds interesting. Did your trailer come with it, or did you put it in? Is it something you could do yourself, or does it need to be profesionally applied? I have wondered about having the spray-in bedliner material put on the floor for moisture and corrosion resistance, then putting the mats back in, but it sounds like this stuff kills two birds with one stone. I think this might be something to add to my list of equipment for the next trailer. Thanks for telling about it.

-Jim

Cottonhawk
Member

Nov 16, 2005, 7:02 PM

Post #7 of 9 (1008 views)
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Re: [JimHess] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

Jim,
If you like to keep your trailer floor clean and in good shape all the time with little work, this system will do it.
"Did your trailer come with it, or did you put it in?"
The WERM was just introduced to the market in 2002 when we bought our trailer from 4 Star. WERM was on the option list and we had to pay extra for it factory installed. I believe that the acceptance level was so high among 4 Star trailer owners they made it a standard item in all the new trailers after 2002.
"Is it something you could do yourself, or does it need to be profesionally applied?"
I think that with proper tool, one can apply it easily. The material is somewhat thick tar like in the container. The floor needs to be properly prepared and cleaned. You can pour the material onto the floor sort like cement and then trawled smooth. Let it set for few hours and it dried to become a permenant tough floor system.
"I have wondered about having the spray-in bedliner material put on the floor for moisture and corrosion resistance, then putting the mats back in, but it sounds like this stuff kills two birds with one stone."
Yes, this will do it!
Go to this web site to check it out.....http://sofdek.com/

Cotton

JimHess
Silver Member

Nov 18, 2005, 7:24 AM

Post #8 of 9 (989 views)
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Re: [Cottonhawk] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

Cotton, I checked out the website for the rubber floor stuff and it sounds good. When I was telling my wife, she reminded me of something that gave me pause - when I inspected the floor with the mats out I found a couple of hairline cracks where the floor meets the wall, and had them welded. Our trailer is 11 years old, and over the years I've always been on the alert for cracks and had them attended to. It's just something to be aware of and watch for with aluminum trailers. As much of a hassle as it was to pull the mats out, at least I was able to see what was going on down there. Who knows, maybe the bonding action of the poured rubber would lessen the tendency to crack.

-Jim

Cottonhawk
Member

Nov 18, 2005, 4:12 PM

Post #9 of 9 (982 views)
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Re: [JimHess] Trailer mats [In reply to]	Can't Post

"....maybe the bonding action of the poured rubber would lessen the....."
The poured rubber should definitely strenthen the Aluminum floor, IMO.

Cotton

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