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Post by jen1 on Jan 7, 2012 14:59:58 GMT 1
any good ? im thinking of buying a cheap put me on so 1 i can teach all of mine to travel well, with no risk of damaging a new trailer , plus i want a faultras so that going to take some saving,
im thinking the rice trailers are like old Trojans and are easy to repair , i know all the pits falls of wooden floors etc , we can replace them i think or isnt it that easy?
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Post by specialized on Jan 7, 2012 15:21:09 GMT 1
The older ones can be very heavy, so check towing weights.
I think floor replacement is fairly straightforward, but have not done it so can't be certain.
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Post by taklishim on Jan 7, 2012 15:34:44 GMT 1
we completely rebuilt one years ago. It was heavy. It was not a cheap exercise. I seem to remember lots of angle iron that had to be replaced on the sides/top. I think if you are going to do one you need to have a welder and workshop. There was welding needed on the chassis, I think the tyres had to be replaced also and parts on the brakes. We put a double floor in and had to retimber the ramps.
Certainly not a cheap exercise and if you are putting youngsters in it cannot be less than perfect from a safety point of view.
Not something I would want to repeat although it was interesting doing it. I would think it would only be cost effective if the labour was for free ie your own.
I'm sure it would be far cheaper to buy a trailer even if it wasn't the one you wanted, use it and then resell at a loss.
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Post by marsayy on Jan 7, 2012 16:00:39 GMT 1
I have a really old one approx 25yrs +, amazing, love it, very strong and robust chassis, they are built too last. They are a bit heavier so yes check your towing weight, I have towed a highland ID and a Smalll Clydesdale no problem but do tow with a Landy defender and quite slow, I have taken it on the dual carriageway but really kept my speed down.
The floor was fine but a little soft at the edges so for reassurance we put ply board over the top, took off the old half walls and replaced them. He had to grind down the partition pins to get it to fit then. New tails lights were £8 each from a caravan shop, I bought new PVC foam pads from on line £60 for two (Two were fine)screwed them on, a lick of paint inside and on the outside I painted it the same colour with Hamerite smooth did cost about £40 for the paint. He checked the brakes which were fine but we will replace them in the spring.and we have replaced the tyres which were £25 each but should last for ages. Bought new plastic mudguards £35 I think and drilled a hole for the mudguard lights which worked fine. The electrics were fine. Oh we did have to weld the top back door brackets on as they were rusted off.
The trailer cost me £550 4 years ago and we did it up last summer about another £250 maybe a bit more. Well worth the effort I say but it does still look a bit bashed but you don't worry if it gets bumped and we use it as an extra store in the winter.
I do look like a poor relative next to my pals equitrek but it's all I can afford and is actually much stronger, she paid nearly £8000 so it all depends what you want and if you mind what you look like.
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Post by Lulu on Jan 7, 2012 16:06:22 GMT 1
I have an old rice trailer too. It was my first trailer (husband bought it for me as a suprise) but now I use it as a store room for my heston bale of hay, and store it near my field. Plus the middle hinge of the ramp has rusted away so not really safe for horses anymore, but fine for hay in winter and garden rubbish removal in summer. Have second trailer now once I'd saved up for it (like you, started with old one to practise in then upgraded it)
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Post by barbararob on Jan 7, 2012 16:30:55 GMT 1
Jen
We have one, that needs a bit of doing up - it had a new floor in about 6 years ago, we haven't used it much as we have a newer trailer. It is currently a hutch for an oversized rabbit!!!!! don't ask.
It does need a new front ramp, the frame is there but the ply and outer skin are not.
Neil thinks it would be best loaded onto a trailer to travel, rather than travelling on the road in it's current state.
I can take some pics if you want.
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Post by rifruffian on Jan 7, 2012 16:41:08 GMT 1
Not recommended.
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madmare1
Grand Prix Poster
The Gruesome Twosome
Posts: 1,500
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Post by madmare1 on Jan 7, 2012 20:57:22 GMT 1
just got a Rice for Xmas (thanks to my hubby!!) and I would rather have one of those than a modern Ifor...don;t trust them as they are flimsy. Old Rices are built to last, and have the solid partition, not the flappy rubber bit on the bottom which quite a few horses don't like.
Emma xx
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Post by donnalex on Jan 7, 2012 21:23:46 GMT 1
We used to have the old Rice, the biggest one. It wagged like hell on the motorway ending up with up wagging till it flipped us right round so we were jack knifed in the middle lane of the M65 with us facing backwards. We had a 16hds and a 14hds and we were off hunting for the day - didnt need any big scary fences that day we already had our fix! Only after that did I convince the other half that it had to go. Never again. He bought it from brand new as well and looked after it with kid gloves. Get yourself an old Ifor if you are on a budget  |
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Post by megansmum on Jan 7, 2012 21:38:36 GMT 1
I had an old rice and put a new floor in' very heavy and my lad hated it it was so noisy' I had to travel with him' he just held on to my coat all the way' sold it in the end to someone for carting pigs to market'
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Post by jen1 on Jan 8, 2012 0:23:45 GMT 1
We used to have the old Rice, the biggest one. It wagged like hell on the motorway ending up with up wagging till it flipped us right round so we were jack knifed in the middle lane of the M65 with us facing backwards. We had a 16hds and a 14hds and we were off hunting for the day - didnt need any big scary fences that day we already had our fix! Only after that did I convince the other half that it had to go. Never again. He bought it from brand new as well and looked after it with kid gloves. Get yourself an old Ifor if you are on a budget i dont like em, plus we would be maybe using it for the ickle moo cows, were you driving your truck? |
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Post by jen1 on Jan 8, 2012 0:31:03 GMT 1
right , non of my lot are flappy kind of horses being brought up on the farm, im thinking it wont snake if i don't travel too fast , my truck should tow one fine, and Barbara im not looking for a huge project but there are a couple on ebay im going to check them out tommorow, end of this year im ordering a brand new one, i just need one now for very short journeys to get the youngster out, they taught them selves to load from being toddlers, Fleur has traveled once or twice but tom has never moved but they both have very good manners when asked to load,
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Post by donnalex on Jan 8, 2012 7:51:50 GMT 1
No were were driving a Series III Landrover. The Ifor we got after the incident never snaked on the same vehicle.
The Rice wagged lots it was awful never again!
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Post by jen1 on Jan 8, 2012 11:38:23 GMT 1
No were were driving a Series III Landrover. The Ifor we got after the incident never snaked on the same vehicle. The Rice wagged lots it was awful never again! ahh yes, outs snaked lots when we had our landy, but im going to take my warrior with me to check it our, will load paul in the back, ;D |
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Post by specialized on Jan 8, 2012 11:45:30 GMT 1
The warrior has a much lower towing capacity than a landrover.
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