Equi-Trek vs Bockmann - experiences and opinions?

[LauraO]

Has anyone compared the Bockmann to the Equi-trek, at similar sizes for things like tongue weight? Tow vehicle minimum requirements for each?

if you own the Equi-Trek, do you have to pull up the rubber mats and hose off the aluminum floor after each trip?

If you own a Bockmann, do you like that the rubber is glued down/sealed to the floor? Have you found that it really does wear well, and prevent the aluminum floor from corroding?

I like the Bockmann Portax with the front ramp option, but I also like the rear facing option on the Equi-Trek trailers. And I like that they sell a style with a small LQ that I feel like I could get a little use out of outside of horses.

I’m researching in hopes of saving up and getting something nicer than the classic '89 Circle J 2 horse Grande that I have, which I like some features of (nice and tall, inviting to horses generally), and hate some other features of: noisy, old style suspension and I will need to put real money into some body rust repair if I want to keep it going very many more years. It seems smarter to put ‘real money’ towards something nicer.

[Jim_in_PA]

I’ve never seen an Equi-Trek in person, but have touched the Böckmann products more than once. A Portax with the front ramp was my “dream” trailer, although I found a lightweight US-made trailer used that fit my needs at the time for a whole lot less coin. The quality is very good for sure. I’m also sure that the same holds true for the Equi-Trek based on comments I’ve read over time. Unless things have changed, here in the eastern US, Böckmann is where it’s at for Euro trailers.

Tongue weights are low by design because that’s required in the Euro geography…beefy pick-em-up trucks are not common. Euro trailers also sport surge/inertial brakes and do not require an electronic brake controller or even 7-pin wiring.

[soloudinhere]

I have a Portax K (2017 model, after they all came with WCF) and my only complaint about it is that it is not the 2+1 I really wanted.

that being said it is horse friendly, comfortable, super airy. Now they make one with an extra 25" of floor space in front of the horses or a (tiny) dressing room. Not cheap but I would have gone for the extra space I think.

[Xanthoria]

@LauraO

Has anyone compared the Bockmann to the Equi-trek, at similar sizes for things like tongue weight? Tow vehicle minimum requirements for each?

I got an Equi-Trek Show Treka L end of last year. I looked at Bockmann and used to have Brenderup Baron before I got the Equi-Trek. I have a very LONG 17.1 WB who did not fit in the B’up anymore, so I had to regretfully sell it.

I looked into Bockmann and found it more expensive and no LQ. I suspect (have never seen a Bockmann in person) build quality is higher, and tack storage bigger on the Bockmann, but features sold me on the Equi-Trek.

Bockmann Portax LK: Chest bar to butt bar: 78", chest bar to wall in front: 84", height: 90.5", width 69", weight: about 2775#/tongue: 238#, features: front ramp but no LQ, price: About $20k? Update: with delivery from Canada likely more like $25k+?

Brenderup: Chest bar to butt bar: 71", chest bar to wall in front: 28", height: 84-88", width 64", weight: about 2100#/tongue: 250#, price: not available new anymore

EquiTrek: Chest bar to butt wall: 79", chest bar to wall in front: 37", height: 90", width 79", weight: just under 3000#/tongue: 300#, features: side ramp, LQ, price: about $16k imported

@LauraO

if you own the Equi-Trek, do you have to pull up the rubber mats and hose off the aluminum floor after each trip?

My Equi-Trek’s floor is sealed down. So far so good.

@LauraO

I like the Bockmann Portax with the front ramp option, but I also like the rear facing option on the Equi-Trek trailers. And I like that they sell a style with a small LQ that I feel like I could get a little use out of outside of horses.

I bought the Equi-Trek for the interior size and side ramp for my shivers guy, and the unique LQ for me. The Bockmann was significantly more money and there are no dealers anywhere near me.

[soloudinhere]

Current price for a Portax LSKA (longer version of the KA) is about $19500 USD plus delivery to wherever you are from Canada. I paid about $15k for my Portax K last year. The exchange rate is favorable.

I debated swapping it for a EquiTrek Western Treka that was brought to Equine Affaire last year, but the lack of storage low (I’m 5’ tall…) was a problem. I couldn’t get things like boots up into the basket above the horse’s butts. The little LQ was appealing but I think it just wouldn’t be enough space. And without AC, the LQ doesn’t do much for me. The western treka has tons of space and I could easily sleep in the dressing room, so I’m still thinking about it as I really want a trailer I can load by myself without having to do a butt bar. Side load is the only way to do that, or slant. Bockmann does make a slant but it’s a special order and doesn’t fit in a shipping container so it is $$$.

That said I have zero complaints about my bockmann and I get tons of questions about it anytime I take it somewhere.

[Xanthoria]

I saw these prices - $19,843 for an LK in USD today? https://www.maplelanetrailers.com/pricing-2018/

Anyway yeah - 3-4k more than the Equi-Trek, and delivery from Ontario, Canada is likely over $5-6k as it’s 2860 miles from me, unless the import into CA? So total would be higher than I posted - for me, likely closer to $25k + tax, which is almost $10 grand more than my Equi-Trek cost, delivered and tax. That’s significant.

The tack compartment look sway better tho. Equi-Trek need to change that…

[LauraO]

How do you like loading in the Equi-Trek, vs the old Brenderup (or other 2 horse straight with the butt bar/chain to put up)?

From pictures and video, it looks like it would be easier to load a horse by yourself with the Equi-Trek, where as with a traditional straight load, the horse either has to go on ahead of the person, or be willing to stand while the person walks around to the back of the trailer to close it. I was taught not to tie the front of the horse until after closing the back door of the trailer.

I noticed watching all of the Bockmann videos that they NEVER show the part of how the human gets from walking the horse on back to putting up the butt bar. They always cut away for those minutes!

Comparing the Bockmann Portax to a new Hawk 2 horse straight with a front offload ramp, the prices were comparable, the difference was in the weight of the trailer and some of the other features. They were both advertised around 18 - 20k. So I think that looking at NEW trailers and trying to compare high quality brands, there doesn’t seem to be a large price difference. I don’t think I could find any American branded new trailer with any type of living quarters for 16 - 18k, like the Equi-Trek, but I have not looked that hard yet.

I am going to call the dealer of Equi-Trek in Portland, and see if they are open this Monday, and maybe make a day trip down to look at one in person.

[Xanthoria]

@LauraO

How do you like loading in the Equi-Trek, vs the old Brenderup (or other 2 horse straight with the butt bar/chain to put up)?

From pictures and video, it looks like it would be easier to load a horse by yourself with the Equi-Trek, where as with a traditional straight load, the horse either has to go on ahead of the person, or be willing to stand while the person walks around to the back of the trailer to close it. I was taught not to tie the front of the horse until after closing the back door of the trailer.

In the Brenderup or other straight loads you do need to train the horse to go in and stand there while you do up the butt bar - for safety. I had a few horses in my time try to back out on top of me!

In the Equi-Trek my horse marches right on, does a 90 degree turn to his hay bag and I can either close the center divider and then do up the trailer tie to his halter, or just do up the trailer tie (I have velcro breakaway ones for safety) and then close the center divider. Putting horse #2 in is the same - there are little doors to hold the horse in. Nowhere near as sturdy as the divider, but the same as most ramp doors on lorries etc.

@LauraO

I am going to call the dealer of Equi-Trek in Portland, and see if they are open this Monday, and maybe make a day trip down to look at one in person.

That’s where I got mine: tell them I said hi! Get extra ventilation if you order one! I ordered mine with a Flettner vent extra, and then had to add two pop up vents when it arrived: was way too warm inside. I also got a loading light, 12v plug socket, leisure battery, curtains, big front window, padding, a groom’s locker, and extra tie rings.

[soloudinhere]

@Xanthoria

I saw these prices - $19,843 for an LK in USD today? https://www.maplelanetrailers.com/pricing-2018/

Anyway yeah - 3-4k more than the Equi-Trek, and delivery from Ontario, Canada is likely over $5-6k as it’s 2860 miles from me, unless the import into CA? So total would be higher than I posted - for me, likely closer to $25k + tax, which is almost $10 grand more than my Equi-Trek cost, delivered and tax. That’s significant.

The tack compartment look sway better tho. Equi-Trek need to change that…

if you look at the inventory page, they have an LSKA and it is just over $25k CAD, which is about $19,500 USD.

I have a regular portax K, and mine was just over $15k last year. I bought from Maryland so no import cost to me. They have I think one leftover 2017 Portax on their lot.

I see you’re on the opposite coast, though. I drove to MD to get mine and could also drive to Ontario. Equitrek brought some trailers to Equine Affaire last year, and I may buy one if they bring a nice one this year. The tack compartment on the Western Treka is massive.

[blob99]

Reviving this thread to see if there are other thoughts or experiences on a equi-trek v. bockmann. I’m looking to buy one or the other this winter and unfortunately do not have an easy way to see one in person.

Both of my horses are small and so am I so I don’t anticipate large horses in my future. I will be hauling with an SUV that meets requirements for both.

[Xanthoria]

At my barn we (will when a one new one arrives) have two Equi-Treks and two Bockmanns.

Having spent time with both they are pretty different in terms of features: my EQ has a LQ which Bockmann doesn’t do, and my LQ has a side ramp (ditto - the Bockmann front ramp is quite narrow and makes the horse turn through that space, which may or may not be a problem for anyone). My EQ is rear facing and the side ramp means no narrow straight load trailer feel - horse walk off vs backing.

Overall the Bockmanns seem to be high quality, and comparatively higher priced too - as mentioned above with all transit included for me Bockmann of comparative size was $10k more, and no LQ.

Every trailer has something the owner dislikes, when you get down to it - and features they love. The thing to do is decide what you need for your horse.

[Xanthoria]

ETA of the two mostly comparable trailer models they make, the Bockmann Portax LK (front ramp) starts at $22,964 (USD) plus tax and additional shipping to you.

The most recent EquiTrek price list shows a Day Treka at $16,699 USD imported to New York (NY), Baltimore (MD), Port of Norfolk (VA), Charleston (SC), Jacksonville (FL), Galveston (TX), Port Hueneme (CA) or Port of Tacoma (WA).

[SBrentnall]

I remember your posts when you first bought your Equi-Trek. I’m considering one now - what are your thoughts now that you’ve had it for a while? I’d be replacing a Brenderup Baron SL with an Equi-Trek Day Trekka.

[Xanthoria]

So far so good!

I was annoyed by the small tack compartment size (slightly smaller than my old Brenderup Baron) but they have made bigger compartment doors on the newest models, so no longer an issue if buying new… and not the end of the world for me - I usually put tack in my SUV anyway. And have wondered if I would even bother with a tack locker for my next one.

So for no problems getting any horses on the trailer (or off - no backing needed) so it’s been popular with horses, and they travel quietly - I added a camera too. There is also MORE than enough room for all the horses that have been in there - so much that I have wished the breast bar could be moved so the chest-to-tail length was shorter and the chest to nose longer at times!

I was initially concerned that the (standard style) ramp loading doors were too flimsy to keep a horse in the trailer while the ramp goes up (if one panicked for ex) but so far no issues.

It’s not as aerodynamic as my Brenderup was, and weighs more. But there’s more vertical horse head space in the EQ which was critical when I had a 17.2 WB. The B’up sacrificed head space for a lowered front/aerodynamics, which was irritating.

The sealed rubber over aluminum plank flooring (no moving mats!) is amazing. I remember with pain all the mat moving w my Brenderup. I don’t think the rubber on the ramp is as sturdy as I would like, but we will see how it holds up.

Ventilation is something to address - I added two scoop vents above the horse’s butts (which I could have ordered for my build too) and wish I’d got an insulated ceiling (we are in CA; it can be hot). The newer Night Treka models appear to have solved the issue w bigger/more windows, and is actually lighter in weight at 1195kg/2634# so I am thinking of upgrading!

We have slept in the LQ area a few nights - and used the area as a great place to change, and hang out at shows too. Traditionally, RV and LQ beds are hard - this is no exception. Memory foam toppers have more than solved that issue.

The tiny sink doesn’t get much use - if I have dish washing to do while camping, we do it outside in a bigger container. We do use our gas grill in there to cook. But there is for sure much cooing over the little LQ by people at shows

Some things I thought were kinda cheaply made have held up great. Some caulking came off, and I lost one of the plastic hub caps. Only damage has been to a door latch when a horse was tied too loose next to it. And the jockey wheel was very hard to use when I received the trailer - they sent a new one out no fuss. And tho it hasn’t been a problem for me, I like the look of the new head dividers they are making better than mine.

Hit me up if you have any specific Qs.

[SBrentnall]

Thank you - that’s super helpful!

[kaya842]

Does the bed fold down? I can’t remember which model I was looking at with the bench bed, but I remember thinking it looked awfully small to sleep on (and I’m only 5’3/ 140lbs so not large) but I couldn’t find any photos/ videos of it in use.

[Xanthoria]

There are two bunk beds- one folds down to make the back of the seating, or up to make the top bunk.

Plenty big enough for my husband who is 6’ and 175# and me (smaller than that )!

[kaya842]

Awesome thank you!

[blob99]

Is there room in the front of th equi-trek to store a bale of hay? Would tie it down/secure it of course, but curious if there is space. My understanding is that in the portax this would be difficult/not possible.

[Xanthoria]

You can fit one (several actually) in the living area if needed.