Frontier, Trails West, Featherlite 2 horse straight load trailers

[Color_of_Light]

Any opinions on Frontier trailers? I’m in the market for a 2 horse straight load bumper pull to do short hauls with the SUV instead of dually only. I’m looking at Frontier, Trails West, Featherlite. I was looking at Sundowner too, but their warranty is only 3 years. Featherlite has a 10 year warranty. Trails West has 5 year warranty. Frontier has a 5 yr warranty. I would love a Hawk, but not the price tag for the features I want.

Out of the 3 brands, Frontier is the only one with solid butt bars, which is what I prefer. I think it was the Trails West that had padded chest and butt straps. Can’t remember if the Featherlites had similar chest straps, but they have an unpadded butt strap. Butt straps in both have a lot of slack, allowing horse to fully lean on back door. Frontier’s butt bars would prevent this.

Of the 3 brands, the Featherlites have stall windows that are lower than I’d like.

I need to create a comparison chart. Any feedback on these brands?

[stb]

I had a 2013 Featherlite slant that I recently traded for a new Hawk. I didn’t like the Featherlite, fit and finish felt cheap, no insulation, and I felt like it rode hard for the horses. I absolutely love my Hawk. Hawks do have solid butt bars. I also found the Hawks to be more reasonably priced than the Featherlites, but maybe that’s just my dealer. You may want to call Risa at Happy Trails Trailers. I don’t know where you are but she does deliver.

[AKB]

I like my 2014 Sundowner very much. It is spacious and well designed. I ordered it with the drop down windows and screens, which keeps it cool in this heat. I do have to be careful that the drop down windows are latched when I close them. Otherwise, they will open unexpectedly onto my head. For me, ordering it from Ocala,FL was cheaper than my local dealer.

[TheJenners]

Ordering and shipping certain brands is cheaper than your local dealer, for some off reason. Rita has been recommended several times on here by very happy COTHers and I would have gone that route if I didn’t stumble on my Trail-et (now Hawk) on CL one state over.

Having looked at and been inside a couple trailers before getting my Trail-et, IIRC I did not like Featherlite’s roof seams?? Cannot swear to this but I think it was Featherlite. Could have been Sundowner.

[Calvincrowe]

If you can find a Hawk or Trail-et, go with them!! I love my Hawk, super light, easy to haul and horse loves it. Huge inside. Well built and lightweight. Solid butt and chest bars.

[Color_of_Light]

Thanks everyone. Interesting about Featherlite.

I’ve had Sundowners in the past and was very happy. Wish I’d never sold my last 2 horse straight load, even though it was a GN. Mine was a 2001?, purchased new and we never had problems. I think I may have read that some mid 2000’s models had problems. The 3 year warranty is disappointing.

OK. I’m convinced to look into Hawk’s a bit closer. I’ll shop around.

Still curious about Frontier. Frontier Aluminum Trailers is an ALCOM LLC (ALuminum COmpany of Maine) product line. ALCOM manufactures other types of aluminum trailers.

One interesting selling feature with the Trails West is the paint. It is not typical painted aluminum paint job, as seen on the other brands, but is some special long lasting process (can’t recall exact specifics this moment). That being said, I’ve had several aluminum trailers (ranging from mid to high end brands) with standard paint jobs and never had a problem.