Help with Trailer Research: 2H with Small LQ and Tack Storage

[tres_grey]

Background:
I’m in the very early research phase of buying a truck and trailer in the next 12–18 months. This will be my first horse trailer as an adult, so I don’t know what I don’t know. We had a 2H BP growing up, and since then, I’ve relied on the generosity of barnmates to get me to and fro.

I’m an AA with one horse (16.1). I event and do dressage in the PNW, where shows typically run over three days. Many are in remote areas with limited hotel options, or the prices skyrocket during competition weekends (looking at you, Kalispell!). I’ve also done the painful, but not impossible, route of commuting home to shows within 90 minutes in my hybrid.

That said, it’d be amazing to have a small LQ so I can stay on-site, especially since most shows don’t have shower facilities. I also have a pipe dream of spending a month in CA or heading down to FL for a season.

Trailer needs:
I’m hoping for a 2H trailer with a small, functional LQ. My must-haves are: a bed, small kitchen (microwave, fridge, two-burner stovetop, and sink), and a shower/toilet combo. I really like the compact footprint of trailers like the Exiss Escape 7204 (4’6” short wall). It seems like the perfect balance for everyday travel and the functionality I’d need for weekend events.

Where I get stuck is storage. I’d really like enough space for:

• Tack for 2 horses. I only have one horse, but I’d like to offer a spot to a friend. Thinking of just saddles, bridles, boots, and a grooming kit. Anything else would come in the car with the 2nd rider.
• A couple bins for my extra equipment, first aid, trailer tools
• A medium-sized wheelbarrow and pitchfork
• Buckets, grain
• Outdoor rug, table, chairs

I plan to carry hay in the truck bed and pick up shavings on-site, but it may be nice to have space for an extra bag of shavings or two.

I see a lot of people opting for 2+1 or 3H configurations and converting the first stall into storage using a stud wall. But I’ve been wondering if a midtack might be a better option? I like the idea of having a solid wall. It doesn’t seem as common, and I’m curious why. I am admittedly a little scared of going too big and having issues maneuvering.

Questions for the group:

1. For those with small LQ trailers, how do you manage storage? What is your dream setup? Any hacks? I’d love to see pictures!
2. What are the pros and cons of a midtack versus converting a stall for storage?
3. Are there other models with similar footprints to the Exiss Escape 7204 that you’d recommend?
4. What’s a reasonable length to stay under?
5. What kind of truck should I look at?

Thank you so much for your insights!

[endlessclimb]

I’ll answer some of them.

I’d want the third slot for potential resale value and God forbid you have a third horse to bring along you could do it. Use the slot for storage in normal circumstances, more storage if you have a rear tack.

My max length with a long truck and needing to pull into super tight trailheads is 20’ on the floor, less is better. I had a 26’and HATED it. If you’re not going to tight spaces it may not matter as much to you. Pay attention to where the axles are placed, that will be your effective floor length for the purposes of turning etc.

You’re going to need a 3/4 ton minimum. 1 ton if you’re really loading up the front.

Tip - ditch the burners. You won’t use them.

[DiamondJubilee]

Well, we don’t exactly have the compact LQ trailer as we needed to go large to fit in a pair of ponies, 2 carriages, a 4 wheeler and room for tack, so ended up at 52’ long, tri axel and haul with a Freightliner (28,0000lb loaded)- its a beast to haul and turn. I’ve driven it once and it goes on forever when you are making a turn.

But I will say we have had LQ trailers for over 25 years and they are the cats ass. Its the best to be able to stay on grounds to keep an eye on your horses, and no, you do not save any $$ this way, but the convenience is amazing.

My suggestion would be to get a 2 + 1 with a small LQ. In our 25 years, we have never used the stove top, so when we had our last trailer built, we opted out on it. More counter room this way. We also did not do a slide out as we honestly are almost never in our LQ, we are out on the show grounds, cleaning harness or walking courses. So we really just needed a place to stay. A bed, bathroom with shower (do not get the toilet in the shower!!!), full sized fridge (we had a trailer with a smaller fridge and its not worth it), freezer, microwave, TV somewhere on the wall and a place to sit. A/C and heat of course as well.

We were looking at a mid tack but it didn’t make sense for us. I usually see mid tacks for large western trainers that haul 10+ horses and have lots of clients horses and their tack. If you get a 2 + 1, the box stall is the best place to put your hay, shavings, tack, medical box etc. We also have a 2 + 1 and this is what we take to day shows and it works perfectly for this.

I can’t seem to find any interior LQ pics but we had the trailer sent to TX to have the LQ made by Trail Boss and they hit it out of the park. The interior has the same fake alligator skin that is used in the back on the bum bars. We even ordered extra material and had the interior of our Freightliner made with the same material so everything matches. This was built in 2018 and we have been very happy with the trailer but we can’t fit into every show grounds. We do have to ask if a tractor trailer will fit and scope the grounds out on google maps first. We opted for stud gates in the 3 back stalls so we could always use a stall for storage. My husband built all the cabinets in the horse area and they hold blankets, tools, tools and more tools, fans for the horses, water buckets, the tack box he made etc. Its handy having a Firefighter and carpenter as a husband as he’s used to driving big trucks and can make just about anything.

We also opted for the washroom to be up front. We had a LQ trailer that had the washroom at the back (most LQ are like this) but we hated walking through the washroom to get to the horse area of the trailer. As soon as you enter the man door on the side of our trailer, the washroom is directly to the right. It has a pocket door to close and is a large bathroom at about 5ft long. It has a large glass door shower with skylight and there is the step up to get into the gooseneck to the bed. There are pocket doors at the gooseneck so you can close the small doors in case someone is in the bathroom and someone is in bed. We love this set up and it works really well for us.

Meant to add we have a hay pod up top so we can store tons of bales of hay and shavings. Easy to load and easy to toss off when we get to where we need to go. Great investment as nothing gets wet and we don’t have to store them in a stall or on the floor.

How exciting for you! Good luck and happy shopping!!!

[tabula_rashah]

For an LQ you really want one more stall than horses you’ll be traveling with- I have a 2H Bison LQ that is a perfect set up for me and one horse, when I take a friend, it’s tight as far as tack, feed, etc. Whereas I also have a 3H weekender that’s perfect for taking 2 horses. Size really depends on what you are comfortable driving. I’ve driven a lot of huge rigs all over the country so to me my Bison with an 8’ short wall doesn’t feel big at all and I haven’t had an issue getting it in anywhere

[Djones]

Get the 3h. Focus on using the living part for making coffee, changing clothes, using the restroom and taking showers. All other cooking is easier outside under an awning.

You will appreciate storing hay and shavings in the 3rd stall, along with grain and buckets and such.

I’m preparing my 3h with 8’ lq to sell and I am reminded as I’m cleaning and sorting how much fun we’ve had in it and I’d buy it all over again and change nothing about it.

[NancyM]

I’ve had a selection of this sort of trailer over a number of decades. Previous to that, we had a two horse bumper pull and a camper on the truck as a kid. But the camper was a PITA, so we moved on to the trailer being the option. The first one was purchased in the mid 70s, as a fully insulated shell, an Atco trailer with a reefer on it. We converted it into a two horse, back load, with the camper in the front, 16 foot deck. We converted it again decades later, to a side load, sacrificing the “camper” area. This was WAY nicer. All we had for the human accommodation was the gooseneck area… and this was fine. I found that I did not miss the “kitchen” option at all. I just need a sleeping area. Horses loved this trailer, especially with the side load, and back into the two wide stalls… swinging partition. Eventually, it became not really road worthy any more, and I had the box cut off it, and we still use it as a hay trailer. It’s a 1964 trailer. They built them WELL in those days. Many newer models will not last this long.
The next edition of a functional horse trailer for me was the big one, I had to buy when we moved the farm north, and for what it was going to cost me to have horses hauled commercially, I could buy this trailer (which I needed to do since the old trailer was DONE by then). The six horse featherlite was also OLD, from back when featherlites were well built. I had the dividers ripped out, and the TWO tack rooms ripped out, and made it into a three box stall trailer… back load. Bunks in the gooseneck, and small tack room (4 feet floor space). I do NOT want a toilet, I do NOT want to bring my poop home with me… I prefer to leave it behind. Most horse shows have shower facilities, so I don’t need that either. I carry water, feed, tack, and a campstove which I use outdoors. This saves about $50,000 or more in purchase price. I sold that trailer a couple years ago, and bought a used two horse gooseneck, with a nice “tack room” in front, which carrys all my stuff, and has bunks up front. It was originally a “custom order” job two owners before me. It’s 7’6" high, which makes it quite inviting and airy for horses. I’ve removed the divider, and use it as a box stall. I don’t usually take more than one horse anywhere, but you could put up to three in it together if you wanted/needed to.
I write this to let you know that the “living accommodations” you are considering are not (IMO) that important. BUT, they will add substantial expense to your plan. If you are OK with that, no problem. But I simply don’t need this stuff. Take a moment to consider if YOU “really” need the kitchen/bathroom/water storage etc. Because it will all add weight to your trailer, demanding MORE truck to pull it all. And making it all a whole lot more expensive. Happy shopping.

[millerra]

I have a 2 horse straight-load LQ w/ mid tack. I love the mid tack. If I was going to do it over again, I might consider a slant load because right now I have two loaders who, ummm, aren’t always the best at loading and then letting me putting up the butt bar (yes, I’m practicing) so I usually have to find a person. My LQ almost over does the storage space for human stuff but w/ the mid-tack I don’t have to mix horse stuff and human living stuff. I do use the stove top for making coffee because I’m not usually plugged in anywhere and too lazy to start the generator. I do not have an onboard generator either. If I was going to splurge, I’d opt for a 2-3 horse slant w/ mid tack, an onboard propane generator (unless others say it’s not worth it) and an automatic awning because, once again, I’m lazy. but they are so crazy expensive now, I’m not thinking of replacing…

[cutter99]

I will third or fourth going with a 3 horse trailer. I have always like to have 1 extra stall than the number of horses I am hauling.

This is a trailer I bought about 18 months ago. 3 horse slant, with a 6’ shortwall, and separate shower and toilet. It is only 7’ wide. Just know that going to an 8’ wide trailer makes a huge difference in the LQ area. Another huge difference is having a walk through door from the LQ into the horse box. This trailer would easily be towable with a 3/4 ton trailer, although I will say it is built like a tank and heavier than you would think. At 20’ on the floor, it is easy to get around in tight areas.

I will say, for me and the type of camping I do, this trailer is too small for me. I love mangers for storage, and I love a big fridge/ freezer. I will agree with everyone else- in 20+ years of owning multiple LQ trailers I have never used my stove top. Microwave, yes. Various kitchen appliances, yes. I have an air fryer, covered frying pan, crockpot, toaster and coffee maker in my trailer.

[HeartsDesireEventing]

I have also considered a two horse with mid tack and small weekender LQ - I have a 3H slant with LQ now, which works, but I mainly end up using the LQ as storage (not helped by the fact that I board, so anything that isn’t a daily need is in the trailer as well) and hauling hay/shavings in the truck bed, with tarps if the weather is bad. I do not have a stud divider on the front stall though, so that limits my options there. I will agree that the stove top isn’t necessary - microwave and fridge are. Most show grounds I go to now have showers, so on the next trailer I would dispense with that and the toilet - I really just need AC/heat, lights, fridge, and microwave.

I did see this one recently so the layout does exist: https://thehitchandtow.com/vehicle/2005-dream-coach-2-horse-straight-load-gooseneck-with-7-lq-mid-tack-26500/. I read an article at one point that these floor plans can get too long/unbalanced, which I would think would be more of a concern with a larger LQ, so that may be why there aren’t many of them. The 2+1 configuration is probably more flexible anyway.

[Annie10]

Get a 3h. you’ll be glad you did. Also agree ditch the burners. I have a 3h LQ w a 12’ shortwall with 2 burners and have not used them to this day (it’s a 2006). I do use the microwave, and when I’m really travelling sometimes i bring a crockpot. Generally I pack food that i can make flat and freeze (chili, burgers, spaghetti, whatever) and use the microwave, and also sandwich stuff.
Personally I hate having the toilet in the shower but that’s me. Mine has a full bath and I am always very grateful. Mine has a rear tack and it is TINY. I hate it. If i were ordering a trailer I would get a mid tack so if you can i highly recommend it. As far as wheelbarrows, hay etc that’s what the extra horse stall is for. I have travelled from FL to Utah, Kansas, Nebraska, Vermont and points in between, my longest trips have been one month from home. I Have a walk through door so used the front stall for storage/mudroom. It’s a nice option to have. I do often put things like my stall cleaning cart and hay in bags etc in the living quarters while underway if the first stall is full and then take it out when i get there. That’s the suckiest part about the LQs unless you can get one of those amazing crazy expensive ones, storage is definitely a premium.

i also bought a small (very small) shop vac to help me keep the thing clean because no matter how hard you try you will get dirt and whatever tracked in it.

[cutter99]

LOL, I vacuum nightly with a stick vac!

[tres_grey]

This is all so interesting! Thank you!!

It’s funny to hear so many of you say you don’t use the burners. My barn loves doing potlucks instead of eating out, and at our last show, we made curry one night and pasta the next on the stovetop. I thought that was the norm for LQ folks!

That said, I’d totally go the minimalist route if I could get away with just sticking a mattress in a 2H GN. I’m looking for the sweet spot of compact, functional, and covering basic human needs—ideally, so I can skip hotels. We typically show between 8 facilities, and I’m pretty sure only one has showers. I’ll double-check.

Kitchen hacks seem easy enough: jetboil, camping stove, good coolers, maybe a bucket sink. But the shower situation has me stumped. I know cowboy showers are a thing, but taking one in a pile of shavings doesn’t sound great. Does anyone have a clever bathroom/shower hack?

[cutter99]

Many will use a kiddie pool as the base of a cowboy shower or even a large muck bucket.

Honestly, if you can find a small used LQ trailer in your price range, it is so much easier than messing around with cowboy shower.

[Leather]

I think folks don’t tend to use the burners because the can really heat up the small LQ space. If it’s a chilly night not a big problem, but otherwise it can make things miserable between the heat and the added humidity (from the food and the burning propane). The smell also tends to linger in the small space.

That’s why having a table outside under the awning with a camp stove, mini grill, or hot plate/crock pot is a lot more popular. Camp kitchen boxes are a great option for storage and a built-in cooking surface.

I personally also want to keep the LP for the water heater, furnace, and fridge (if no hookup) because filling the tanks is kind of a hassle.

A third stall is also handy for a small generator if there aren’t hookups where you’re going so you can run the microwave/coffee maker/etc.

If you’re on FB check out this group - TONs of great ideas on how to DIY a LQ from full on to a basic weekender. Horse Trailer Conversion

The cowboy shower hack is usually a collapsible kid/dog pool.

For trucks the question might come up gas or diesel - for you the extra cost of diesel (from the initial cost to the extra/more expensive maintenance) likely just won’t be worth it. I say this as somebody that owns a diesel - it’s awesome but I wouldn’t recommend it to a newer truck buyer!

[SimpleSimon]

As someone who events in the PNW, I am going to go against those that are saying ditch the burners. Most of the event sites out here do not have hook-ups. You could do microwave only but that means you’ll need to fire up a generator each time you want to use it. Not impossible to deal with but one more thing to carry and take up space.

I went w/a 2H straight-load w/mid-tack and LQ. I agree with what others are saying, if you ditch the mid-tack, go with a 3H. It’s a negligible difference in length and you won’t regret the extra space.

[deweydee]

I went from a 2h slant w dressing room, to 3h slant with dressing room, to 3h slant with LQ. I’m a bit unsure about the storage situation in my latest one, although it is 8ft wide with mangers, so that should help. And with the pass through, I plan to use the first slot for storage like others mentioned.

I did camp in my older trailers a few times. If you can add AC, have a screen door, bring a mattress and cooler, have it wired for shore power… I think that’s the sweet spot for glamping. I just got over that quicker than I thought I would I spent about $8k more to go from the 3h to slightly older, but high end brand, 3h LQ.

It doesn’t have a stove top, we plan to travel with our small tabletop propane grill or camp stove if I want that.

[PonyApocalypse19]

We went from a 2 + 1 with a cowboy shower and futon to a three horse slant with living quarters. We’ve had the living quarters trailer for over 10 years. The decision to buy was for the full toilet for my mother. My three horse has mangers so there’s added storage on the side. I mainly use the back tack for hoses and my little generator and put all my tack in the living quarters or in the back seat of my truck if it’s just me and the dog (she’s a good copilot). The first stall I use for hay and my full size wheel barrow. In the time we have had the trailer we have not used the cook top once. We have brought a camping grill and used that to make brats a couple times. Most of the time at horse shows we’re eating out as a group or I’m getting something from the deli at the local supermarket. This summer we might be taking all three of our horses to shows, so all of the stuff that usually goes in the first stall will have to go in the bed of my truck. Luckily I have a long bed, but it seriously cuts down on the amount of hay I could possibly take.
For the cowboy shower we used a small rubber tub and a solar camping shower in one of the stalls. If you left the solar shower in your truck during a sunny day, the water would get rather hot. Worse case I have gone to someone’s hotel room to take a shower or use baby wipes. The cowboy shower wasn’t bad, but I prefer the full shower in my living quarters.

[Annie10]

I don’t use the burners because I don’t go off in my LQ to do horse stuff to be in the trailer and cook.
I make most food ahead of time at home and freeze in ziplocks and bring (hamburger patties, taco meat, shredded chicken, spaghetti etc) and use the microwave. Sometimes one night I might want a steak but I grill that outside .
If there’s a group of us we get to together and plan who brings what for a potluck(s) but nobody wants to be cooking. Most stuff is prepped before hand and brought along .
Or occasionally I’ll bring my crockpot during cold weather. But that’s the extent of my cooking lol

[DiamondJubilee]

We are the same! Too busy doing other things then to cook on a stovetop, especially in the summer when you just heat the LQ up (though we do have AC). We prefer to BBQ outside and chat to others around.

Our last LQ (from 2001-1018) my husband actually built a wood cover over the burners to give us more counter space ha ha! Thats how much we used it in those 17 years. Our new LQ, we didn’t have it built with burners and we haven’t missed them the past 7 years either.

[Annie10]

lol yeah mine came with a folding cover so it matches the countertop when not in use. I’ve only ever had it up just to clean and dust lol