After seeing an increase in outdoor events, We decided to get our hands on an old rice horsebox trailer. The trailer itself was in pretty bad condition, but with a vision and a lot of hard work we set out to achieve a unique horsebox bar conversion.
8th July 2017, the day it all began!! we arrived to collect the Horsebox and move it to the work location.
A full inspection of the inside, to check the extent of damage and overall condition.
The inside was very rusty, holes in the metal panels and the floor was very rotted. As a result, i realised that this was not going to be a walk in the park.
The flooring was removed to inspect the condition of the framework and also to replace the floor.
Consequently, this was a very difficult job to get done, as the bolts holding the floor down were very rusty and had fused to the frame. However, with a bit of grinding all was solved.
As the days started getting shorter and the weather was getting worse. We decided to stop work on the horsebox until we could move it to a more suitable location. However, this did not happen until March 2018 (a lot later than originally planned).
Finally the opportunity came to move the horsebox to a more suitable location. As a result, the work could continue on a more regular basis. Work started with restoring the frame work and striping the horsebox back to basics.
The side panelling was removed, Along with the ramps. Next job was to paint the base with some rust proof paint.
After we finished painting the frame with the rust proof paint, we put in a brand new floor.
The spaces for the hatches were also cut out at this stage.
Months of planning and changing ideas went by. We made the decision to use tongue and groove boards for the side panelling instead of restoring the original panelling.
Some metal work was required on building the hatches and door. Therefore, I borrowed a welder from a friend in an attempt to save some money. However, for a beginner welding can be difficult and sometime a little scary. But with a bit of trial and error, and some assistance we now had hatches and a door.
During this project, There were many times I felt that the work would never end and it sometimes seemed impossible to finish. BUT, we finally started working on the inside of the horsebox. initially Starting with the waterproof flooring, roughly laying it before trimming the edges. In addition to this, we built the units, making sure to leave space for the equipment.
The electrician came round to completely fit the horsebox with sockets, lighting and water pumps. Then we fitted the worktops and started work on the plumbing, adding the beer lines, water tanks and sink. Finally the bar equipment was fitted along with our bespoke beer taps.
Finally!! The time has come to paint the outside, the final stretch to make it event ready.
If i could go back in time , i would definitely paint the horsebox before panelling the sides, as it was very difficult not to get paint on the panels. But a year on after picking the horsebox up…. ITS FINISHED!!
After a long and busy year of weddings and other events, we are so happy…