Buying a trailer - SO wants to go BIG

[TheBigEasy]

I’m a re-rider and back in the saddle with my own horse for a whopping six months. My dear SO is completely supportive and behind me 110% to do whatever I wish to do (provided it doesn’t interfere too much with our regular lives).

Before I got a horse, I told him at some point, I’d like to have a rig so I wouldn’t have to beg/borrow/steal rides or be reliant on the barns show schedule.

Well spring is around the corner… so it’s time to trailer shop. I was figuring we’d get a simple bumper pull two horse. He has different ideas…

without going into all the details (which would turn this post into a novel), he wants to get a very large, gooseneck, with living quarters. The whole shebang. Coupled with a brand new GMC.

Part of this motivation stems from his line of work, where his company has worked with some of the technology on the new line of GMC pickups. There is a line of horse trailers that uses the matching technology his company built.

Long story short…I am terrified of hauling this large of a rig. Further, I will be limited to buying only this single brand of trailer. I have not hauled horses before - only empty trailers for practice, and a camper trailer a time or two.

I either need to suck it up and be a gracious recipient of this setup or find a way to tell him I’m not capable of handling such a large transport arrangement.

How difficult will it be to learn how to drive such a beast for a newbie? I’m committed to practicing long before I load my animal, but as a beginning hauler…it seemed a BP would be much more practical.

I don’t want to tell him “no” but I don’t want to get myself in trouble over facing myself with hauling.

So, COTH, take the big rig, suck it up and learn how to drive if? Or find a way to politely decline and stick with a simple BP?

[deltawave]

Let him choose the truck. You get to choose the trailer. More is not always better! With a nice truck you can always rent or buy a camper if that is something you want to do. You shouldn’t have to find a clever way to say “this is not the kind of trailer I need”. Thank him for his wonderful support and get excited about “his” truck but buy the trailer YOU want.

[fordtraktor]

Hm… can you turn it around at your barn? Frankly I would take it. I started driving a 4H with LQ on my sixteenth birthday, the rig was 52’. If you are cautious, you won’t have any issues. You just have to remember to swing out wide on turns! I love being able to camp at shows and still sleep in my much smaller 2H GN. I miss the comfort of the big trailer!

also, you definitely do want a gooseneck. They are so much better and safer to haul. Once you have a GN you will never feel comfortable hauling a BP again.

[TheBigEasy]

Fordtraktor- there is room at the barn. U shaped drive. Good point though.

52’ rig at 16? Impressive!

The SO is in a business that supplies components to the horse trailer industry…so he wants to buy from his best horse trailer customer…which is part of the reason he wants us to get this one particular brand.

Im inclined to put on the big girl parties and learn to drive the thing.

The fact that this is a wonderful problem to have us not lost on me…as a kid I had to beg/borrow/steal rides.

[Highflyer]

They don’t make just a regular 2 horse GN with a dressing room? I think you will need to think hard about where you are driving/ parking etc. If you don’t plan to go overnight fairly regularly it may not be worth the hassle. I have yet to go anywhere with my little BP that I couldn’t theoretically go with something much bigger, but it sure makes life a lot easier being able to a 3 point turn instead of a 21 pointer. And I wouldn’t have room for a longer trailer in my driveway for long term parking.

[happilyretired]

I agree with a previous poster about getting a GN. Much more stable on the road than a BP. And it may seem a bit counter intuitive but longer trailers are easier to back up than shorter trailers. Is SO so supportive that he would want to /be interested in coming to shows with you?? If so – could be nice to have LQ so you could stay at the showgrounds when there are camping sites available. Maybe get SO to go with you to look at different trailers … perhaps his mfg of choice has different options so you could both achieve your objectives.

[NancyM]

You will get used to it, pulling a larger gooseneck trailer. It’s OK, it’s not difficult to learn and get used to it. Backing it up is easier than a bumper pull. And your horse will thank you for it, a gooseneck trailer gives a horse a better ride.

[DunByMistake]

I wish I had this problem!!!

As long as you can turn around, I say go for GN with LQ. Depending on who the manufacturer is, you can still get some LQ GN in the 26 foot range - you don’t need to start with a 52 footer. I would love to upgrade to LQ - I camped out of my bumper pull last year and although I still had a great time, being able to pull in and not have to set up all the camping supplies (and then pack up) would be great.

The first few times I hauled by myself, I was scared. And that was just with a 2 horse bumper pull hauling across town to my coach’s place. It is a big responsibility to haul an animal standing in the back of a metal box on wheels. But you get more confident. I would not hesitate now to hook up at anytime and go by myself. I made a couple major trips last year by myself and I was fine. I have hauled down gravel roads this winter and been totally confident. Honestly, learning to haul by myself is one of my proudest accomplishments. It really makes you feel like a strong, independent woman!

[sherian]

another for the longer the rig the easier it is to back up - my 18’ bp stock is easier to manuever accurately than a small 3 horse bp, and goosenecks are even better. As long as the places you normally go have space to park a big rig go for it. Do check the ground clearance though if you plan on trail riding - some of the trail heads are rough ground and you can damage your water tanks if you hit a hump. You will never regret the bigger, better optioned truck so let him indulge there for sure!

[cutter99]

I started with a half ton truck and bumper pull over 25 years ago, and have had 7-8 trailers since, including LQ and non-LQ trailers.

Always go for the biggest truck you can afford. More horsepower, better stopping ability, and since going to a dually I will not go back to a single rear wheel. And yes, I am a die hard diesel girl, to the point that even my car is diesel.

Trailer-wise, yes, I do believe you can go too big. I had a 3 horse trailer with a 13’ LQ that I traded out of last year. It was a lovely trailer, but I started to realize what a pain in the a** it was to drag around. And it had much more room than I ever needed. As we camp, usually with friends, we spend most of our time outside anyway. I am now in a trailer with a 6’ shortwall LQ- toilet, shower, sink, microwave, dinette, queen size bed, 40 gallon water tank, electric/ propane water heater, and a/c. I do miss my refrigerator, but have various sizes of 10 day coolers, and I can make ice last the full 10 days. The only thing I miss is a refrigerator, but I have all this in a 3 horse trailer with only 20’ on the floor.

If you do not have trailering experience, it can be much more stressful going bigger, but a gooseneck is so much easier than a bumper pull. They turn easier, pull smoother, and do not get the sway a bumper pull gets. The first time I took my bumper pull out on a four lane divided highway and got sway, I was scared to death. I thought I had made a huge mistake in buying a truck and trailer. I have never experienced that feeling with a gooseneck, and I do haul long distances with plenty of interstate driving.

In the end, it is about your level of comfort. It is an individual opinion. BUT, another piece of advice I will give you is always be prepared to handle your own rig. Do not count on SO to do it for you.

[clanter]

get the GMC’s Transparent Trailer View virtually ‘cloaks’ your tow-behind so you can see behind the truck like nothing’s there.

https://gearjunkie.com/gmc-transparent-trailer-view

[2DogsFarm]

Does your SO have an unmarried brother? :winkgrin:

I agree with @deltawave - you let him pick the truck, trailer is your choice.
You can always upgrade.

Unless you have a heavy show schedule, or plan on a lot of horsecamping trips, LQ can be Overkill.
Show venues sometimes restrict parking for ginormous trailers or do not provide plug-ins, so you need a (quiet!) generator.

I’ve hauled my own horses since 1996, solo since 2002.
I started with a plain 2H BP, no dressing room, straightload.
From there a 2H GN w/8’ LQ, slantload.
Then 2H GN w/dressing room.
Currently hauling in 16’ stock BP with center gate.
All were aluminum.
Honestly, I did not want to be bothered with maintaining LQ systems, draining black/gray water, seasonal upkeep, etc.
I was perfectly comfy camping in the GN w/dressing room - foam topper on mattress in the GN, room for a folding chair & cooler in the DR.
YMMV.

In a pinch I can haul my 3 - 16h TWH, 13H pony & 34" mini - but generally it’s horse by himself or mini & his cart.

FWIW:
I did not find hauling a GN easier.
Granted, my LQ trailer was only 20-odd feet long.
But I was able to jackknife them just as easy as my BPs. :uhoh:

[Dressage59]

Slightly funny story - My daughter drives our 3 horse GN with a nice-sized dressing room. In high school (realize this shouldn’t happen), she was the designated driver at some party. So she’s driving this guy’s large truck and he comments that he can park it if she feels uncomfortable doing so. She said “I think I got this.” I still crack up about this. Go with what works for you.

[tabula_rashah]

I vote 100% go big! The first time I ever drove a big trailer- I got in an F450 with a 6 horse head to head trailer and drove for MD to FL. It really isn’t harder than driving a smaller one, you just have to pay attention to what you are doing

[poltroon]

You can certainly learn to drive it.

The bigger question is what kind of hauling are you going to be doing? Living quarters are wonderful for overnight shows or camping. They’re less wonderful for trips to the neighbor’s arena that doesn’t have a pull-through driveway :).

The LQ comes with certain maintenance tasks in terms of things like the water and greywater tanks that have to be dealt with in frozen weather etc. And the size of the rig may make it harder to find a parking place for it at your barn or home. If you have to keep it in an RV storage that will detract from the ease of going places.

I like goosenecks. My first trailer (and my current one) is a 2 horse straight load GN with a 6’ dressing room. It’s a great size for horse showing. It’s a little tough for fitting into tiny narrow driveways on tiny narrow streets but I’ve always made it work. I had no trouble learning to drive it.

Main thing that concerns me from your description is the idea that it might have lavish living quarters but not so much room for tack or horses. I would find something like that both annoying and disappointing. At least when my trailer feels big for the task (I’ve hauled a lot of sheep in it lately) I know that I love every inch and that it’s very practical for me. If it had 8’ of LQ with fancy slideouts that I never really found useful I’d probably be annoyed. Either that or I’d do a lot more camping.

[TheBigEasy]

@clanter the new cloaking system is part of the system the SO’s company worked on. Hence, part of the GM appeal.
@2DogsFarm. I spit out part of my valentines candy chuckling at that. No…so’s brother is married but is 180 degrees different. Night and day.
and yes. The LQ will be overkill…but I can see the convenience of having frig/micro/sink etc at even the schooling shows. Noted on potential parking restrictions. I’ll have to keep that in mind.

@happilyretired yes…he’s very willing and eager to come along to the shows with me. He doesn’t necessarily want to come to every one…but if I ask him to come…he’ll be there. I also have a dear GF who is happy to come along and play groom.

i also think that this will give me an opportunity to haul others to any events/shows/clinics/trail rides (insurance, I know) and to “pay forward” all the gracious rides I was given.

Hadnt thought about what a mess it will be to try and pull in and back out of the short driveways…that’s an excellent point I need to keep in mind. Two of my horse friends definitely do not have “large trailer” friendly drives.

I appreciate the votes of confidence that I can learn to drive this thing. And wholeheartedly understand that I can’t count on my SO to drive/hitch/park the thing. So I really do want to have complete confidence in operating the whole thing. Guess I need to think about that a liftle more.

Thank you all for the kind feedback and advice.

[Texarkana]

@deltawave

Let him choose the truck. You get to choose the trailer. More is not always better! With a nice truck you can always rent or buy a camper if that is something you want to do. You shouldn’t have to find a clever way to say “this is not the kind of trailer I need”. Thank him for his wonderful support and get excited about “his” truck but buy the trailer YOU want.

Whoa… blast from the past. WB Deltawave!

[TMares]

Get the big trailer. And a little BP too ; )

[allons-y]

Go big and definitely get a gooseneck. I spent the first half of my life pulling little 2 horse BPs, and the occasional BP 4 horse stock trailer. I started at 16 yo and got really good at hauling and backing.

Then my DH got a big pontoon boat, 48 foot. I was the designated hauler. I couldnt believe how easy it was to back in to little stupid boat ramps. The light bulb went off.

So I got an old 4 star 2 +1 GN and WOW what a difference. I love the ease of pulling and backing. Like they said, take your time and think and you will be fine. Of course, practice makes perfect for backing up.

Just don’t get something so big you can’t go where you want and dread going out.

[Jarpur]

I’ve owned three GN (two with dressing/tack rooms and one with a weekend package) and two BP (plus BP flatbed and cargo trailers), and towed friends’ BP and big GN horse and stock trailers. GN are more stable at highway speeds (especially when a big semi blows by) and I do find them easier to back, so I prefer GN (that’s what I currently tow). My husband, on the other hand, likes BP because they follow in the tracks of the tow vehicle, not cutting the corner like a GN, and he’s a Master-Backer.

But, an enormous LQ GN can’t fit in everywhere – might not be able to easily make the turn off a main road into a driveway with a narrow gate, for instance (think about the vet clinic you patronize, as an example, before deciding), or easily pull up to the pumps at a gas station. The people I’ve known with a large LQ GN also had a small BP for short trips.

Does your husband’s preferred vendor not have a reasonably-sized GN dsign available, such as a 2 or 3 horse with a 4 foot shortwall? Something with no more than an 18 foot box?