Can we talk trailers?

[Cashela]

So if I can stop hemorrhaging money on my animals, I think I may be looking for a new to me trailer this year. My two horse bp trailer that doesn’t have a dressing room has seen better days and I just don’t have the money to dump into it (would rather put it towards something newer) and I just need a bigger trailer any way.

I have to truck out any time I want to ride. I’m definitely going to upgrade to a gooseneck. I want to be able to throw a mattress in there to sleep. I park in some pretty cramped spots at times. I’ve never hauled a gooseneck before, I am kind of leery about getting a bigger trailer and backing it up in tight spots etc, I know it is supposed to be easier but backing up when people are watching is not one of my fine points. If I’m by myself I can get my little bumper pull in between the two pine trees in my yard in one quick swing, add a person watching me and I take ten tries.

I camp about three times a year, two weekend rides and one week long camping trip with the horse. I can’t justify buying a weekender trailer for the short amount of time that I camp. I mean I would love to have one and maybe I will camp more in the future but cash is tight. I have a hot water on demand and a shower tent for showering. Sure, I would LOVE to have a shower in my trailer but it’s not a must.

I think for me, the important things would be:
A walk thru door from the dressing room to the horse area
an awning
and the larger size dressing room.
I think I’d also like to not have a ramp because I am done with ramps after having issues with my current trailer where the ramp actually decided to detach itself.

I currently drive a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 with the four door cab and a short bed. Will I run into issues pulling a gooseneck with a short bed?

I’m torn over getting a two horse or a three horse. A three horse seems like over kill. However, I do own three horses. I generally ride one, and pony another and one stays home. If I had a way to get three horses out some where and could figure out how to pony two I would totally do that Sometimes I think it would be nice to find someone else to ride one horse and that I could ride and pony one, but again I would need the bigger trailer. I am concerned about fitting into trail areas with the bigger trailer.

So any thoughts on 2 horse vs 3 horse?

Also, has anyone redone their trailer, added shelves etc? If so do you have pictures of what you have done?

[saddleup]

I went through the exact same thing as you are now…and the same questions…and ended up getting the three horse gooseneck trailer. I have a two horse bumper pull that I love, that I can park anywhere, etc. But I have three horses, and wanted the option to stay in my trailer on the very limited occasion I might stay overnight. Plus everyone I talked to said the resale on the three horse would be better than a two horse gooseneck. And I like the option to take all three of mine at the same time, especially after the city next to mine has been evacuated twice due to fires over the past few years, with news reports full of people trying to get their horses out without enough trailer capacity.

I don’t want a living quarters trailer. I don’t want to worry about winterizing anything, draining, dumping…not for me. So, I got my trailer with the door to the horse compartment, and bought one of those camp toilets to put in the first stall. I am having the dressing room insulated and paneled, with a 12v outlet and 110 outlet added, a fan, a built in trunk that can hold lots of “stuff” plus some folding t.v. trays. Other than that, they’re adding more hooks, holders for a flashlight and a fire extinguisher, and a bar to hang clothes on. Window shades, too. And they’re taking out the carpet on the floor and putting in a vinyl floor covering. I’m also having an awning put on it. I will use the rear tack, but also have a saddle rack in the dressing room corner.

I do a ton of trail riding, so know how the parking can be difficult. I’ve loved being able to just zip in and out while my friends are having a tough time maneuvering their bigger trailers. To be honest, I don’t know yet how this will go since I just got my new trailer in November and haven’t gone to the mountains yet…too much snow. I drive a Dodge with a short bed, and so far it’s been no problem to make tight turns. Like you, though, I hate an audience. I figure I’ll just practice until it feels normal.

There’s a facebook group for horse trailer conversions where there are lots of photos and links. Check it out. The Horse Trailer World forum has lots of info, too, and sometimes people post photos. You’ll get lots of ideas. I met with the conversion people this week and told them what I want and they said it will take a week to make the changes I want. They showed me some of their other projects on site and they were gorgeous, but like you said, it’s too much money when I know I’ll only sleep in it two or three times a year. I use the trailer two or three times a week, but usually only for day rides, horse shows, etc.

[Cashela]

Thanks so much for the reply, I will check out the forum and see if I can find the facebook group. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I really have out grown my little bumper pull trailer. Right now when I go on camping trips I sleep in the back of the trailer, I put a tarp down and put a cot back there but that is getting old and packing and unpacking is totally annoying now.

We have also been caught camping in big open fields while there have been horrible storms come through and I would really really like the option to throw my horse on the trailer without having to move all of my stuff first.

[Pocket_Pony]

I went from a 2H slant load BP to a 2H straight load GN. We got the straight load because the horse we had at the time was very long, and while he could stuff himself into a slant, I thought it better for him to be straight, and now I’m really happy I have it as I feel it is nice for all the horses to have room to stretch out more than being on the slant. I also have a short bed, 4-door cab. I got an extended ball connector like this (not this one, it just shows how it is offset): http://www.etrailer.com/Balls/Reese/19308.html so that the ball sits back a bit - I think it helps with the turning radius, although one time Mr. PoPo did jacknife it a bit while backing and turning and did bust out the back window, so be careful!

I was also one who could zip my little BP into any parking spot very easily. It is not as easy with a GN - I suppose for me because the trailer is so much longer, it just isn’t as maneuverable. What you gain in stability, you lose in maneuverability. I am still a better trailer parker than the majority of the population, but it just isn’t as nimble. With practice you’ll get the hang of it.

I did get my dressing room a bit longer than the standard of the brand I bought (Equispirit), but it isn’t as big as my friend’s Featherlite. I have a mattress in there always and it is very comfortable. I haven’t done any sort of modifications for camping - I just rough it in my own way (really only use it for overnight weekends if I’m going to sleep in there). I do have the walkthrough door and since I always have to pee in the middle of the night, the toilet is in the back where the horses go so I don’t have to go outside and traipsing to a porta potty. I don’t have curtains or an awning or anything like that but they’d be nice. I have a portable camping table and chairs that I pull out, and I also bring a folding lawn chaise, which I love.

Two horse vs. three horse for me is optimal because I have straight load and don’t want a slant, so a 2+1 would be waaaay too long and huge. I have a very short and limited turnaround area on my property so my trailer size is actually limited by that. I suppose it would be good to have a 3H in case of emergency but we actually used to have two full rigs for that just-in-case scenario, although we went back down to one truck, one trailer.

Just like horse shopping and saddle shopping, trailer shopping is fun but can be overwhelming sometimes. Good luck!

[candysgirl]

Didn’t read the responses, but here’s my setup:

I have a 4 horse stock trailer that had the tack room/LQ wall moved back so its set up for 3 horses and a bigger tack/LQ. I have a mattress up in the GN. On the wall opposite the door, I have Sterilite drawers with everything from food to extra tack. On the slant wall, I have several bins that have extra just about everything. I plan on adding a water tank made for that awkward little corner this year. I have a cooler that sits next to the door that doubles as a step up into the gooseneck area.

I own two horses. One is retired and likely will never be ridden again. Often times I go places by myself (I do endurance rides). I LOVE having the space. I can pin one divider back and my Arab has a big stall to ride in. I use the 3rd stall for hay/grain/horse water/supply storage. When we get to a ride/campsite, if its going to rain or be an otherwise yucky night, I can set up a ‘stall’ for him in the trailer.

I don’t have an awning, but it wouldn’t be a big deal to put one on.

I am not great at parking it, but its definitely doable. It sometimes takes me a couple tries, but having the space is absolutely worth it to me.

I do plan on upgrading to a trailer with a real LQ in the next year or two, but this setup has worked really well for me for the last several years.

[Flash44]

I don’t camp, but I show a lot. I have a 2h bp with a dressing room area - but no wall dividing it from the stall area of the trailer. And a side ramp. The trailer is very open and airy, easy to load/unload and I can set up a chair inside the trailer on a rainy day. My old trailer had a dressing room, and it was just tight and hard to move around in. There is really no need to have a wall - saddle racks are built into the wall and I have a trunk that fits perfectly underneath. A bunch of hooks and I’m totally organized with lots of room.

[cutter99]

As far as backing and maneuvering a gooseneck- it is a 1000 times easier than a bumper pull. With a short bed truck, you have to be careful not to jackknife the trailer as you will put the nose of the trailer through the rear window of the truck unless you have a tapered nose on the trailer. I have an 8 foot bed and have never had any issues, even with a tool box in the bed. You will never regret having a walk through door to the horse area. I have an escape door on my first slant so I use the horse area as a mud room and change out of my dirty clothes back there and it helps to keep my LQ cleaner. I do love my awning because it acts as an outdoor room. My LQ has a 6 foot shortwall so I do have all the essentials- sink, refrigerator, stove, microwave, shower, toilet- but not much floor space so you don’t want to spend hours upon hours inside.

I think a 3 horse trailer probably has better resale than a 2 horse- you can always use the extra space for storage. I have a 4 horse with a small living quarters and my husband ALWAYS cracks up when I take one horse and go away to camp because it seems like there is barely room for the horse once I put everything in the trailer. Until I put in hay, the generator, fuel for the generator, cooler, chairs, mat for under the awning, spare tack box, buckets and the other 25 million miscellaneous items, the poor horse is lucky to have a slant to himself! I will say though, it is very rare I am not prepared!

[Cashela]

Oh thanks for mentioning hay, if I ever get to taking two horses camping, been a while since I have brought two, hay storage in the third stall would be a must. I didn’t even think about that.

[Guilherme]

Your options are pretty much limited by your imagination and your wallet!!!

Regarding maneuverability, the gooseneck is much easier to use. I have heard that with the short bed truck some gooseneck trailers won’t “jackknife” as well as with a long bed truck. I believe stories have been posted here from time to time about people breaking their own rear windows. A jackknife on the interstate is usually a Very Bad Thing. The ability to jackknife in close quarters (and at glacial speeds) is a Very Good Thing.

Having one more stall that the number of horses you routinely move is also a good thing. If you have a slant load then put in a “stud panel” in the first stall and you’ve got a nice “utility stall” for hay, coolers, chairs, etc.

For a reasonably modest sum you can take a dressing room and insulate it, panel it, and add some lighting so it’s the beginning of a “weekender.” Add a water tank under the gooseneck and you’ve got 50 gal. for you and your horses. Depending on size you might add a “console” with a couple of cabinets, a 12v pump for water, a tap, a “bar sink,” and even a 12v 'fridge. With a generator you can add air conditioning, a microwave, and a water heater. With hot water you can put a “cowboy shower” in the utility stall.

Note that you don’t have to do the “whole magilla” at one time. Plan it now, but build it out over a year or two as funds and time become available.

When we had ours done in a local shop I bought all the stuff at Home Depot. That’s a LOT cheaper than buying from an RV supplier.

You can do a lot and not turn it in to “taj matrailer.” It’s all in what you want and are willing to spend.

G.

[5chestnuts]

You can always put your hay in the truck bed. For good weather just load it in and stack. For iffy weather use the big black utility plastic bags - they will keep the hay dry. You can put your feed in the bed as well - use the big plastic buckets with the screw lids. The bed works really well for these two items - it is tons easier to use your bed as a staging area for feeding than to have to go in and out of your trailer all the time. Plus it frees up room in your trailer for other things that you don’t want outside while transporting.

Several things:

1. If you only plan on camping maybe 3x a year, get the smaller gooseneck (2 horse), and a dressing room that will give you another room to turn around in, and not be banging into walls. You’re going to find yourself piling a lot of “stuff” in that space, so give yourself enough to prevent clastraphobia.

2. The Facebook group Trailer Conversions is here https://www.facebook.com/groups/565970220097130/. I’m a member, and can attest that you will find lots and lots of great advice from the owners/riders themselves on what they did, how they did it, and pitfalls to avoid.

3. Condensation is going to be your nightmare for any overnighter in a trailer, so you absolutely want to insulate the inside ceiling - either installing framing/insulation/paneling, or (cheap version) just gluing indoor/outdoor carpeting (which is treated to prevent mold) on the ceiling.

4. You don’t need all the built-in bells and whistles. A camp stove, tent heater, water buckets, and a plastic tack truck for dishes and kitchen wear will serve you just fine.

5. Be very careful with awnings. I’ve seen more than my fair share of them twisted/blown off/ripped down by wind gusts. They are nice in the right settings, but you need to take care. If you have a pop-up tent, you might like it better because you can put it anywhere you want, and many come with mosquito netting sides, and often with solid sides to protect you from wind or bad weather.

I’m sure you’ll love having the gooseneck - I find them much easier than a BP to manage and maneuver, and that inside overhang is a wonderful space-saver, super comfortable for sleeping.

BTW - I have a 2010 4x4 full crew cab F250 diesel with a full 8’ bed, and an 18’ gooseneck trailer with a converted LQ. I’m pretty darn long in length, but I can move it around in super tight spaces easier than many smaller trucks with BPs can!

[normandy_shores]

Oooh… give me a few minutes to gather my in progress photos. I just bought a 2013 Circle J 2 horse gooseneck with a dressing room. No rear tack so the front is my camping area and tack space. It came bare bones, but I am insulating the floor, vertical wall, and neck, adding nicer floor/carpet, building a few cabinets, changing the layout for the saddles, adding storage benches (also to get up in the neck), and going to get everything for a 3 day event or endurance ride in there.

Instead of an awning, I’m sticking with my 10x10 or 12x12 pop up sunshade. It takes 5 minutes to put up and down and only costs $100. Awnings can be pricey, and even pricier to fix when they (inevitably) break.

ETA: I second the horse trailer conversion group on facebook, I’ve been posting as I do my updates. I also have used horse trailer world as a great resource, and found my trailer on there.

Also, I was worried about the GN being bigger, but it’s really not. My 2h is less than 15’ on the deck, comparable to a 2 horse BP with a good size dressing room. I was also worried about maneuvering and had never driven a GN when I bought it – I do NOT regret it and maneuvering is no harder than a BP, it’s just slightly different. I will say it hauls way more stable, and I feel way safer with the GN. I think they just seem “bigger” because they look it, but actual deck length is similar. My 2h GN FULL length, from hitch to rear bumper is the same as my BO’s 3h BP.

And here’s the link to my album with updates: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100256765931417.1073741833.60600005&type=1&l=f05129123d

[ThatScaryChick]

[QUOTE=normandy_shores;7379876]
And here’s the link to my album with updates: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100256765931417.1073741833.60600005&type=1&l=f05129123d[/QUOTE]

It looks really good. You’re doing a great job!

[wondering]

I bought a Hawk 2+1 last spring. I can’t say enough good things about it. It can haul 3 horses- 2 in straight stalls and one in a slant/box stall in front. It can also be used as 2 box stalls. It has a side and rear ramp. You can get a door between the tack room and the horses. I have 2 horses and use the front box stall area for hay and whatever else I need to lug around with me. I can’t say enough good things about the trailer. I also have a 2500 crew cab with a short bed. Just be careful when you make sharp turns. I haven’t broken my window, but a friend has.

[katarine]

There is a great FB group called Horse Trailer Conversions.

Get the 3 Horse. We routinely haul 2 horses and I use that 3rd stall for dirty clothes hampers, muddy boots, their feed, etc. in really mucky weather we’ll enter the trailer through the escape door, take our wet/dirty clothes of in stall #3, then step into the LQ through that pass through door. this also means that wet rain gear has a place to dry and air out…a full stud divider is a good idea, a must really.

Take care to ensure the door into the dressing room from the outside is a full sized door, not some narrow thing you’ll bang your elbow, and your saddle’s pommel, on.

I like my awning We tie it down as needed, or just put it away if it’s going to be really blowing hard. You’d have to do the same with a pop up tent.

[hosspuller]

We really like a door from the dressing room to the horse area. When camping, the horse area doubles as a mud room, spare bedroom, extra storage, dining room, dog kennel, game room, shower room, hay storage, /feed room, pantry…