So I have this used 8x20 enclosed car trailer I bought about a year ago. It is the usual arrangement with plywood walls and floors. I have been finishing out out lately and am looking for ideas for finishing out the floor. Right now it is just exterior plywood with some oil staining from the previous owner.

Since Miata racers are the masters of value, I am looking for some ideas that may be beyond what I have found via googling.

Requirements:
1. Inexpensive: Max budget is $300, and it better be pretty sweet for that much. This will be DIY so that is the materials budget.
2. Easy on the feet: The trailer doubles as sleeping accommodations when the car is out of the trailer so no abrasive coatings.
3. Sound damping would be a bonus.
4. Flooring has some oil staining so peel-and-stick tile will probably not adhere very well.
5. Has to be able to withstand being parked on by sticky racing tires without peeling up.
6. Function before form as long as it does not look totally redneck.

Leading candidates:
1. Sherwin Williams Deck and Porch paint with diamond plate aluminum treadways for the car tires (sticky race rubber will probably peel up the paint).
2. Indoor/Outdoor carpet from one of the big box stores or a remnants store.
3. G-Floor ribbed flooring, like this stuff from Northern Tool http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...3236_200343236

Thoughts?

 

 

that looks expensive

 

 

lol, totally thought that was real honeycomb carbon fiber squares from the first pic.

 

It is, $900+ for a half-sheet.

 

Free idea, check with some carpet stores. You would be surprised what some people tear out. Some are really nice. Maybe the wifey wanted to change color. Tear outs are free as they generally go to the landfill and they would rather not pay for disposal. Replace as needed when roached out beyond use.

I have five rolls, probably 12x16 standing on end in my shop. It's high quality short pile plush commercial carpet that was removed from a church when they installed new. It looks brand new.

I use it in my unfinished basement room where my two labs sleep at night. When it gets dog-smelly and vacuuming won't take care of it, I pitch it and lay down another piece.

Sound deadening, soft underfoot when sleeping in it and free to replace when damaged.

Better yet, if you get to know an installer he can give you a call when tearing out a nice batch.

 

Astro turf? You could set up a putting green in your trailer after the track day.

 

ok

So the biggie is

Your'e going to sleep in it?????

Well if that is the case I recommend


get an air mattress

the end

 

Skip the porch paint. Find the Rustoleum oil based epoxy. Clean the wood flooring well to get all the oil and other crap off. One kit will be more than enough to do the trailer. Add in the silica for extra traction. You can put diamond plate squares where you park the car if you think it'll pull up, but many say it wont.

Throw down a $9 rug from Wal Mart and put your air mattress on top of that.

 

Rubber mats? They work great in the horse trailers.

 

This. Get some clearance / remnant / over stock carpet. Do the floors and go 24"-36" up the plywood walls. Hide the carpet seams on the walls with a thin strip of cheap trim. Paint the non-carpeted plywood (and ceiling) to create a 2-tone effect. I recommend using white to help light reflect around the trailer. You can also paint the trim a contrasting color if wanted. This should fall well under your budget and look pretty baller.

The look would be similar to this very expensive hauler, less the treadplate (and he's got $600+ rubber coin flooring):


"real trailer flooring" is stupid expensive. Carpet remnants are very inexpensive, and you can roll them up and throw them out whenever needed.

 

The cheapest, shittiest carpet you can get your hands on. It will get destroyed by oil and crap after a year or two, at which point you replace it with more of the cheapest, shittiest carpet you can get your hands on.

 

I used garage floor paint on mine and absolutely love it. The wood sucks it up though and i ended up using about 3.5 gallons of it in my 28' enclosed. Makes it very ewasy to clean and havent had any issues with pickup. The floor is pretty damn smooth too now.

 

First, thanks for the suggestions.

Carbon fiber skinned honeycomb... maybe we have some leftovers at work from spacecraft construction.

Leaning towards cheap carpet, but not astroturf. LOL on the putting green.

Air mattress, well, yeah. Already doing that. I'm not planning on sleeping directly on the floor.

Rustoleum oil based epoxy. I'll check that out.

Yes I stumbled across those rubber horse trailer mats. Relatively cushy, not porous, durable as hell, and easy to remove for cleaning. IIRC they are somewhat expensive but I'll keep looking.

That trailer with the 1/2 carpet walls looks nice. The ceiling in my trailer was already white paneling plus I just painted the walls with good quality white Sherwin Williams gloss outdoor latex paint. Good stuff. It took several coats (no primer, rolled on) but looks good. It made a huge difference in how much brighter the trailer is on the inside.

Robert what kind of garage floor paint did you use? Two-part epoxy, or something else? I've read that the two-part epoxies will crack in trailers since they are not meant for flexible flooring (more flexible than concrete).

 

Why cant you lay some fake wood flooring. My mom did her living room in it and its nice and cheap.

 

Garage floor paint is pretty flexable. I know a buch of people on garage journal that have had good sucess with using it on the floor of their trailer. If you wait i can show you at the next event. Will check the brand but i think it was rustolium 2 part epoxy. It soaks in so well to the wood that it will never come off.

 

OK I'll bet it was this stuff then:
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=14

From what I have read the solvent-based version is much better than the water base version. The above is the solvent (oil base?) version.

 

a patterened lenolium (as it will stain over the years) with one foot wide diamond plate screwed over the driving surface (as the tires will drag rocks up and these will pierce the linoleum).

Some have used carpet successfully in the front of the trailer (forward of the parked car).

Some have used bed liner on the ramp (as it's non-skid and durable). I wouldn't use too much diamond plate on the ramp as it's too reflective/hot.

 

I installed a Murphy fold down bed in the front of mine. It stiffened up the front wall, which helped the side to side movement/stress (caused by a sidewall mounted tire rack) and the miata is small enough to merely roll to the rear of the trailer, without unloading it, and still fold out the bed, if you need to sleep at a rest stop, etc.