Well..............Yet again another discussion on trailer floors!
So, I've got an inline 7X29 Legend enclosed trailer and I was to the point I wanted something on the floor to protect it. I've looked at different coatings and recently was running ski slips which works well but obviously adds another factor every time you load and unload. I just wanted something that was simple and worked!
I started doing more research and came across a flooring tile that is actually an option in the Charmac trailers. It's a vented, flow through tile system made by Mateflex. Here's a quick video on the product,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiH9ESV57K8
So after watching that video, I started looking at several different brands of these type of tiles.
I reached out to different companies including Mateflex, Race Deck and Swiss Trax. All three of these companies offer a flow through tile designs. After speaking with each of these three companies I received samples of each.
Here are some links to each of the three different products,
Swisstrax, Ribtrax
https://www.swisstrax.com/flooring-tiles/ribtrax/
Race Deck, Free Flow
http://racedeck.com/racedeck-products/free-flow/
Mateflex 2
http://www.mateflex.com/products/mateflex-ii
For some quick facts on these products,
Swisstrax is the thickest at 3/4" and is the largest tiles at 15.75" by 15.75"
Race Deck and Mateflex are 12" by 12".
All three offer a flow through design and snap together when installing.
Once I received all three I started some testing on each of them. One of the main tests was running the carbides across them. Surprising all them did very well. I also ran a studded track across them and it appeared as if the Swisstrax held up the best with only leaving small dimples in the tile.
From there I starting comparing dimensions of each and how they would lay out in my trailer. Basically looking how much tile would have to be cut and what it would look like.
I then contacted Race Deck and Swisstrax, which both of them have never come across this type of use, with regard to snowmobiles. Both companies were very helpful and offered additional information as well as a discounted price from the advertised price.
In the end, I decided to go with Swisstrax. Some of the reasons include the thickness as they were the heaviest and they seemed to hold up a little better with the tests. The size of the Swisstrax also worked out better for my trailer width. I basically could fit 5 tiles across with very little trimming.
The install went very smooth and I trimmed out for all my floor D-rings. I used a jig saw for the trimming and for the edge cuts, I used a table saw but I think a tile cutter would have been better for the longer / big cuts. The saws leave some burnt pieces behind but they can be pulled or trimmed off pretty easy.
If you need to pop a tile out, they unsnap pretty easy and snap back together without issue. If I wanted, I could actually unsnap one entire side and the front pieces and the entire floor could probably be pulled out!
Obviously this is still an "experiment" so to speak but with the information I obtained, I'm confident the stuff should hold up pretty good.
If you are interested in the Swisstrax contact them and ask for "Eddie". He was super easy to deal with and informed me to pass his name along for any questions and a forum discount.
I attached some before, after and progress pics, and if anyone has more questions, shoot!!!
So, I've got an inline 7X29 Legend enclosed trailer and I was to the point I wanted something on the floor to protect it. I've looked at different coatings and recently was running ski slips which works well but obviously adds another factor every time you load and unload. I just wanted something that was simple and worked!
I started doing more research and came across a flooring tile that is actually an option in the Charmac trailers. It's a vented, flow through tile system made by Mateflex. Here's a quick video on the product,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiH9ESV57K8
So after watching that video, I started looking at several different brands of these type of tiles.
I reached out to different companies including Mateflex, Race Deck and Swiss Trax. All three of these companies offer a flow through tile designs. After speaking with each of these three companies I received samples of each.
Here are some links to each of the three different products,
Swisstrax, Ribtrax
https://www.swisstrax.com/flooring-tiles/ribtrax/
Race Deck, Free Flow
http://racedeck.com/racedeck-products/free-flow/
Mateflex 2
http://www.mateflex.com/products/mateflex-ii
For some quick facts on these products,
Swisstrax is the thickest at 3/4" and is the largest tiles at 15.75" by 15.75"
Race Deck and Mateflex are 12" by 12".
All three offer a flow through design and snap together when installing.
Once I received all three I started some testing on each of them. One of the main tests was running the carbides across them. Surprising all them did very well. I also ran a studded track across them and it appeared as if the Swisstrax held up the best with only leaving small dimples in the tile.
From there I starting comparing dimensions of each and how they would lay out in my trailer. Basically looking how much tile would have to be cut and what it would look like.
I then contacted Race Deck and Swisstrax, which both of them have never come across this type of use, with regard to snowmobiles. Both companies were very helpful and offered additional information as well as a discounted price from the advertised price.
In the end, I decided to go with Swisstrax. Some of the reasons include the thickness as they were the heaviest and they seemed to hold up a little better with the tests. The size of the Swisstrax also worked out better for my trailer width. I basically could fit 5 tiles across with very little trimming.
The install went very smooth and I trimmed out for all my floor D-rings. I used a jig saw for the trimming and for the edge cuts, I used a table saw but I think a tile cutter would have been better for the longer / big cuts. The saws leave some burnt pieces behind but they can be pulled or trimmed off pretty easy.
If you need to pop a tile out, they unsnap pretty easy and snap back together without issue. If I wanted, I could actually unsnap one entire side and the front pieces and the entire floor could probably be pulled out!
Obviously this is still an "experiment" so to speak but with the information I obtained, I'm confident the stuff should hold up pretty good.
If you are interested in the Swisstrax contact them and ask for "Eddie". He was super easy to deal with and informed me to pass his name along for any questions and a forum discount.
I attached some before, after and progress pics, and if anyone has more questions, shoot!!!
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