Are newer Featherlite Trailers good?

[kj2H1D]

I’m in the market for a new(er) trailer and am looking at a 2012 Featherlite. I’ve seen a number of threads here where people rave about older Featherlike models but I haven’t been able to get a sense of whether the newer ones (i.e., since apparently they were bought by another company in 2005) are still considered to be good trailers. (Several people had said they were not as good but there wasn’t any information about whether they are recommended or not recommended.)

So… I’m hoping to hear from anybody with post-2005 Featherlite trailers to find out if they are happy with them or not!

Thanks in advance!!

[saddleup]

I have a 2013 and I love it. It’s a three horse gooseneck model 8541. I just had a small LQ conversion in the dressing room. I didn’t love the local dealer, but dealing with their corporate people for questions/parts/etc. was very pleasant. I bought it new, so have had it about 18 months. I haul two to three times a week.

[TheTwinTiersHorse]

I like my 2013 Featherlite stock trailer. I bought it to replace a rusty old rattle bucket and it rides very nicely, has the “rumber” floors and my horses seem fairly comfortable in it.

[cutter99]

I have a 1999 Featherlite stock trailer and a 2003 Featherlite 3 horse LQ. These are both solid trailers and very well built.

We looked at the newer Featherlites and we’re not impressed. The stock trailer we looked at has sharp edges and the floor really flexed when 2 adults walked across it. We do have a friend who custom ordered a new Featherlite, but he was very specific with what he ordered, right down to having extra hinges on the doors!

[Personal_Champ]

I have a 2007 4 Horse Slant that has held up beautifully.

I may be looking to downgrade in the near future, but would absolutely consider another Featherlite as a replacement.

[saberger]

The only thing I don’t like about the Featherlights is that some of them have a bar (which can be removed) between the back doors. I passed on buying my gooseneck from them due to that design. I want the back doors to open up on my 3 horse slant load so it is all open and I don’t want to have to fuss with taking out a bar with a horse inside.

[pawandhoof]

Following as I am looking into new LQ horse trailers and trying to decide on if Featherlite is one to consider or not. I had a mid 80’s bumperpull that was awesome - still like new really but I decided to upgrade to a 2012 Featherlite bumperpull as I needed a taller trailer for a new taller horse. So far I only consider it OK. Doesn’t seem nearly as well built as the older one and I have had a issue with the tack room door not closing well and also leaking. So this of course has me concerned about the quality of product they are putting out these days. For the bumper pull it’s not as big of a deal, but for a nice living quarters I want GOOD quality constructions.

[Fergs]

[QUOTE=saberger;8068118]
The only thing I don’t like about the Featherlights is that some of them have a bar (which can be removed) between the back doors. I passed on buying my gooseneck from them due to that design. I want the back doors to open up on my 3 horse slant load so it is all open and I don’t want to have to fuss with taking out a bar with a horse inside.[/QUOTE]

I agree that the bar can be annoying and even dangerous when taking the last horse out, but it’s actually the safest design for keeping the doors closed when hauling (that is, for trailers that do not have a rear ramp). There have been several accidents where horses have been ejected from rear doors without a center bar; the pivoting latches are not strong enough to take the load against the doors.

[kj2H1D]

Thanks for the input so far!

I should probably start a separate thread for this, but I’m interested in the “rumber” floors. Do they fully seal so there is no chance for urine to get to the aluminum underneath? I think I read that that is the case for the “firm mat” flooring. Anything that can keep urine totally off the floor underneath sounds like a really good idea for longevity!!