Is "Rumber" worth it?

The choice is yours.

Lets look at "Rumber" compared to Hawk's #1 grade wood floor with stall mats

Benefits of "Rumber" according to it's manufacturer:

*Will not rot, crack, splinter

• Serves as a cushioning surface

• Reduces stress on joints and soft tissue

• Easy to clean

• UV and water resistant

• Extremely tough and durable

• Most cost effective option over time

Benefits of Hawks standard "lifetime" wood floor

*warranted not to rot for as long as you own your trailer

* stall mats likely provide a greater cushioning surface, less road vibration, less heat

*easy to clean

*stronger

*cost effective

*allows drainage

*easy to repair or replace if necessary

My personal view, opinion and experience:

It appears to me that either the standard wood floor or the Rumber floor should have a life span that is equal to the life span of the trailer, in other words, either should last as long as I need it to.

In the event of a broken or rotted wood board it would be simple and inexpensive to replace with a board from a local lumber yard.

With Rumber, a replacement piece would be ordered and shipped, you would remove some of the floor and install the new piece tongue and groove.

Because Rumber is tongue and groove I find that manure gets stomped into the grooves, making it more difficult to get the trailer cleaned out compared to stall mats where I tend to let the manure piles dry out, then pitch them out.

Shavings can be used on Rumber to help prevent this. I personally prefer a minimal amount of shavings either way due to dust.

Urine cannot drain with a Rumber floor because it is tongue and groove, so some shavings should be used.

In comparing both floors, stall mats are a softer material so it stands to reason that vibration would be reduced with the standard floor and mats. There have been no concussion / vibration studies to compare the two, and I suppose there is no way to know whether or how much difference it makes to your horse. I also wonder about heat from the road transfered up through the trailer floor, it seems it should be greater with Rumber, but again, that is something that has not been studied.

Rumber is not a strong material, because of this it is critical to have more floor supports so the Rumber does not sag between the floor supports.

If your horse paws I DO NOT recommend Rumber unless you add mats on top. Though there is a 20 year wear warranty I would rather not have a horse paw through a floor or paw a divet.

Rumber is much heavier than the wood floor but with the addition of stall mats on wood the weight difference is negligible.

On a retail basis the additional cost of Rumber is currently between $45 and $55 per foot For a standard 2 horse trailer with a 10' stall length this to me is significant. On the resale market it does not appear to make a difference in price for a well maintained used trailer.

It is important to note that I have not had any complaints from clients that have ordered trailers with Rumber other than Rumber being more difficult to clean. Using shavings can be helpful in preventing manure from getting squished down into the grooves of a Rumber floor, and a pressure washer or strong flowing hose and brush can be used if you want a really clean looking floor.

At the end of the day, it is your trailer and your choice.
Risa