Rotting metal floor in horse muck trailer

[Spydertractor]

Hi all, I am looking for some help with the best way to replace a metal floor on a tractor trailer that is used to dispose of horse manure. As is usual in these situations, the muck is loaded daily onto the trailer but as we only have two horses it may take a couple of months or more before it is emptied so there is a continuous pool of effluent that seems to rot the exposed metal parts of the trailer quickly and effectively.
Has anyone any experience of alternative materials for the floor and sides? Wood? Stainless steel? Plastic??
Any suggestions gratefully received!
Best wishes

 

[Gee Ray]

I would simply replace the floor with whatever material you’re comfortable working in. Metal if that’s your cuppa tea or wood if that is your strong point. I would then obtain some plastic 55 gallon drums and cut them in half. Attach some rope loops to make up Muck buckets that are easy to slide to the end of the trailer to dump.

Storing the trailer undercover, or with the tongue elevated to prevent water from pooling in the trailer, would help to preserve the floor.

 

[hosspuller]

I have horses too. Assumed a dump trailer vs a spreader. For any trailer longevity, the muck has to be separated from metal or wood. A liquid tight coating of epoxy paint would serve well. Any damage to the coating renders it useless... As in no shovels to contact the coating.

 

[Spydertractor]

Thanks guys, your responses are very helpful.

 

[BigBlue1]

I'd say you'd have to use either some good stainless steel or a type of plastic to avoid corrosion in that situation. Since that much stainless is probably extremely expensive perhaps look into converting the flooring to PVC sheeting. Something like this:

1/2 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. White PVC Sheet Panel 190360 - The Home Depot

PVC Sheet panel is made from an extremely versatile thermoplastic. It has good chemical and stress-cracking resistance, sound insulation, heat insulation and noise absorption and heat preservation and

www.homedepot.com

No idea if the PVC has the structural strength for what you're loading... Just offering an idea.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Our horses I pile muck from stalls and paddock area down off of an embankment. When I want to move it I load-move-wash off trailer. I'm thinking otherwise storing all the manure in anything would rot or cause corrosion...fresh wet manure & ammonia urine. Ideal would be a concrete manure pit.
Why not pile it up somewhere outside then load & haul it off as needed?

 

[bigtiller]

Our horses I pile muck from stalls and paddock area down off of an embankment. When I want to move it I load-move-wash off trailer. I'm thinking otherwise storing all the manure in anything would rot or cause corrosion...fresh wet manure & ammonia urine. Ideal would be a concrete manure pit.
Why not pile it up somewhere outside then load & haul it off as needed?

That's what my neighbor does. He has an old Deere 2210 garden tractor with a loader. Hauls a bucket load out back a ways and dumps it. His pile now, after several years is about 4' high and at least 50' long.

 

[BigBlue1]

That's what my neighbor does. He has an old Deere 2210 garden tractor with a loader. Hauls a bucket load out back a ways and dumps it. His pile now, after several years is about 4' high and at least 50' long.

That's what my neighbor with 5 horses does. His pile grows faster than that. That stuff makes some great compost eventually! But it comes with a lot of weed seeds.

 

[Spydertractor]

Thanks for these suggestions. Unfortunately I don’t have a front end bucket so I have no way of getting the stuff on to the trailer other than a wheelbarrow so I would rather load it as it comes out the stable but I get that that is far from ideal.
I think I might try some chequer-plate alloy (reduced slipping) on top of the existing metal floor (that is mostly still intact) with a layer of bitumen between to try to stop further deterioration of the old metal floor.
Does that sound bonkers?

 

[Spydertractor]

Might add some epoxy paint on top for good measure.