Horse Trailer Roof Replacement and Restoration

Horse trailer is a vehicle to carry the horses from one place to another. A good quality horse trailer provides protection and security to the horse's while travelling. But there is a concern that, when a horse trailer gets older, many problems arise, you can avoid such issues by ensuring proper replacement techniques with a good quality roofing panel.

The procedure of horse trailer roof replacement starts with collecting the required roof panel, tools and supplies with thorough research. After that the damaged roof is repaired by removing rusting, cracks or sagging issues.If the old roof is not found safe and suitable for horse travelling even after repairs, then the old one should be replaced with a new and better quality roof. 

Even after new roof replacement, it is very important to do regular maintenance, so that if there is any problem with the roof or the entire trailer, it can be repaired quickly and the trailer can be used safely for a long time.

New roof replacement for horse trailers might be a difficult task if you do not have good planning before collecting the tools and supplies. Let's discuss the quick and easiest strategies of horse trailer roof replacement and restoration in detail:

How to Spot Rust, Leaks, and Sagging on Your Horse Trailer Roof

These are the common problems of horse trailer roofs when they get older. Let's examine the strategies to spot rust, leak and sagging on the horse trailer roof:

Rust: As most of the horse trailer roof is made up of metal, it is prone to rusting via environmental exposure. Iron is a metal which reacts with water and oxygen from the air. Due to a long exposure in the rain and air, this reaction occurs and ultimately you will see rusting in some metallic areas of the roof. 

Regular inspection in the horse trailer is very important to spot the rusting issues of the roof, because you can easily observe this by using visual inspection strategy.

Leaks: Sometimes water and sun exposure for a long time causes leaks to some parts of the trailer. If you are concerned about this issue you can pour water on the roof from outside and check whether water enters into the trailer via any leaks or holes. 

Sagging: You can detect this by using a ladder and easily check whether the roof of the horse trailer is going down by climbing up the ladder. You can also go inside the trailer and see if the roof seems to be pushed down. If you have trouble observing the sagging, you can take professional assistance on this matter. 

Picking the Right Roof: What's Durable, Light, and Affordable for Your Trailer

Many horse owners use aluminium containing roofs for horse trailers because of its lightweight and affordability. But the main problem of this roof material is that it has a tendency to conduct heat very much, so the roof becomes heated and the horses suffer a lot in the trailer due to the high temperature. 

But if you are living in an area of cold weather, you can choose this aluminium roof panel because it is a good heat conductor. But it will not stay longer due to the exposure to direct sunlight causing severe burning to the aluminium roof material. That's why you need to go for another option to select a good quality and affordable roof for the horse trailer.

As a horse owner you should always pay attention to your horse's comfort along with the durability and price of roof material. Read the article to know are horses protective of their owners? 

Fibreglass containing roof panels might be a good choice for the trailer because it has a superb insulation property, which helps to save frequent repairing costs of the roof due to any kinds of damage. 

According to the weather in your area you can choose the desired core material of the panel. Suppose, you are living in a hot and high temperature environment, select the honeycomb core because it provides an excellent ventilation facility and allows fresh air into the trailer. Similarly, in case of cold weather you can go for foam core which provides a good thermal insulation to the horse trailer. Read the article to know can you add a ramp to a horse trailer?

Gathering Everything You Need: Tools and Supplies for Fixing Your Roof

You need to fix the horse roof immediately after observing any damage or cracks in it due to the safety of your horse's. Before starting the fixation process you must gather all the necessary tools and supplies for the convenience of repairing. Let's discuss about the tools and supplies in detail:

• Measuring Tape: Measure the length and width of the roof fixing area
• Sealant Tape: Used to provide tight sealant to the cracked area.
• Baking soda: Works as a rust remover.
• Scrapper: Applying coating solution to the cracked or damaged areas via the scrapper.
• Screwdriver: Used to tighten the roofing screws into the roof panel.
• Ladder: It is used to climb up the roof of the horse trailer for repairing purposes. 
• Safety shoes: Helps to protect your toes from hazardous material and keeps the roofing area clean from dust.
• Personal protective equipment: Gloves, mask, safety helmet and glasses are used to protect from any kind of injuries during the roof fixation. 
• Sandpaper: Clean the roofing surface and remove the rusting easily.
• Caulk: Material used to fill up the gaps or cracks into the roof to prevent any leakage inside the trailer. 
• Metal brush: Hard sticky dirt that is difficult to remove can be easily scrubbed off with a brush. 
• Paint: Paint the area by using a paint brush after removing the rust.
• Screws: They are used to get fixed with the roof panel. 
• Trim cutter: Used to cut the trim in desired measurement.
• Silicone based coating material: Used as a sealant to seal the leaked or damaged roofing surface.
• Cleaning solution: Using soap water or detergent helps to clean the damaged and dirty roofing area. 

Taking Off the Old Roof: Steps to Empty Your Trailer and Begin Removal

During horse trailer roof repair, removing the old roof has to be done very carefully, otherwise there is a chance of an accident. Let's discuss the steps involved in removing an old roof:

Step 1: Empty your trailer by taking all the horses one by one from the trailer to outside very carefully. 

Step 2: Turn off all the electrical switches inside the trailer ensuring the electricity inside is disconnected to avoid the risks of accident while removing the old roof.

Step 3: Remove all the horse riding accessories from the trailer and make sure that the trailer is empty. 

Step 4: Now climb up to the roof by using a ladder and start removing the screws attached to the roof with a screwdriver.

Step 5: For ease of work, get someone inside the trailer to gently push the roof from the inside, then you can easily lift the roof from the top and give it to another person standing down so that you can easily go down the ladder. 

Making the Roof Ready: Cleaning and Smoothing the Surface for New Roofing

Before installing the new roof, cleaning and smoothing its surface from outside is very important because after installation, cleaning all the corners of the surface might be critical. So, cleaning and drying related tasks must be completed before the installation process. 

If you are repairing the old roof you must clean it very well to remove the dust, debris, rust and sticky materials from the roof by using a brush and detergent. You can not remove the rust without applying some special technique. 

A DIY rust removing method is used to remove the rusting successfully from any surface. After drying the area, apply some baking soda to the rusting surface and leave it for an hour. Then gently rub the surface through a metallic brush and finally you will get the smooth, rust free roof surface with this simple technique! 

Besides this, you can rub the rusted area with the help of a sand paper. It removes the rusting but needs to rub the area continuously for some time. Despite this, you can choose any method according to your convenience. 

If you are replacing a new roof panel, clean it simply with a towel or paper to remove additional dust or debris before installation.

Watch this video to know more about cleaning  fiberglass roof on horse trailer.

Step by Step Installation: How to Put On a New Roof for Your Horse Trailer

A subtle mistake in the roof replacement procedure is enough to ruin the setting of the entire trailer, therefore, roof replacement should be done slowly and carefully.

Let's discuss the new roof installation steps for horse trailer in detail:

1. At first choose a roof panel and necessary accessories according to your requirement and budget with thorough research. As a fibreglass roof panel might be suitable to your budget, purchase it. 
2. Wearing the personal protective equipment, clean the attachment area of the new roof by using detergent and water, dry the area by rubbing with a towel or cloth.
3. Climb onto the trailer with a ladder and with the help of someone else, set the new roof onto the trailer correctly, making sure that each end of the roof is equally attached to the trailer. Now, fix the roof with the trailer tightly with some screws. Finally, the installation is complete.

Keeping It Dry and Comfy: Sealing Gaps and Insulating Your Restored Roof

After a successful restoration of the roof you must fill-up the sealing gaps or cracks by using a preferable sealant to remove the entry of polluted air, mould formation, dampness and moisture accumulation, which contributes to keep the horse trailer dry and refreshed. 

If the sealing  gap is small, use a caulk to fill up the gap. Additionally, you can use a waterproof insulated roof coating to maintain a comfortable environment for both summer and winter seasons. 

If the restored roof is made with metal, watch this video to know more about how to seal and coat a metal horse trailer roof?

The Last Details: Adding Trim and Finishing Touches to Your New Roof

Addition of trim to the edges of the attachment side of two roof panels plays a great role to prevent water leakage or sunlight exposure inside the trailer. After completing the roof panel installation a good quality trim should be inserted which works as a good moisture barrier for the trailer.

First, measure the edges accurately with a measuring tape to know how much trim is required to seal the area. Then, cut the trim by using a trim cutter with desired measurement of the tape. Now, use a screwdriver to fix the trim with some screws to the edges of the roof panel. 

After adding the trim, if any small holes appear at the attachment site of the roof panel and trim, fill them with the desired shaped caulk as a finishing touch. Similarly, you can seal the gaps by using a sealant tape as well.

Keeping It Looking Good: How to Paint and Coat Your Restored Trailer Roof

Paint the restored trailer roof that increases its elegance and reduces the chances of rust formation. Before that check the roofing surface carefully whether any rough surface or dust appears in the painting area. If the surface seems rough or bumpy, try to smooth that area via cleaning with a metal brush. 

Now, start painting the roof with a paint brush. After that, allow the painted portion for drying. When the roof completely dried off, apply a thin silicone based coating solution over the painted area that  increases its durability, provides protection from the ultraviolet ray of sunlight and water resistance benefits. 

Making Sure It's Right: Checking Your Trailer Roof After Restoration

Regular inspection plays a crucial role in horse trailer roofs maintenance after restoration, checking whether the leaks, rust, crack or sagging issues are completely removed or not. 

Many times, errors in the work are not detected during the repair, but after the work is completed, the errors are seen. For this reason, defects should be checked thoroughly via routine inspection after roof repairing or replacement process. 

Must check every single portion of the roofs using a torch light or other lights, which helps to inspect the area very well. Using a big sized cover to the horse trailer and always keeping the trailer in a cool place can be helpful to relieve any kind of hazards. 

After the Fix: Cleaning Up and Making Your Trailer Interior Safe and Cozy

One of the most important duties after the roof fixation is cleaning the repaired area properly. Wash the roof with soap or detergent to remove dust and debris that formed during repairing because various tools and supplies are used and placed at the area which forms dust. 

If a small amount of dust enters the trailer that will create respiratory problems or other health issues to the horses. So, cleaning plays a significant contribution for maintaining a hygienic environment to the horse's trailer, that keeps the interior environment safe and sound.

In Conclusion,

Having a nice and comfortable horse trailer roof is very important to make the travelling of your beloved horses safe, easy and enjoyable. A well planned strategy can help to complete the installation quickly and easily. 

From collecting the necessary tools and supplies to safely removing the horses from the trailer, cleaning the roof of the trailer, removing rust, filling holes, and replacing the roof with a new one, everything needs to be done according to a good plan. The whole plan is given in a written form in this article. 

Please comment if you have any opinions after reading this article and  don't forget to share the article with those who are looking to repair or replace their horse trailer roof at a low cost with a good quality roofing material.