I got an email back from Heacock trailers!

[Chanda]

They have a basic steel model for $5995. Yes that is way over my budget but at least it is new!!

They come with:
a 5 year warrenty
warmblood size
fiberglass roof
spring assist ramp
no center post (great for towing grapes too)
walk through escape doors
tandem torsion ride axels
4 wheel electric brakes
15" oversize radial tires
full length stall matts
Kick panels (optional on steel?)
safety glass windows with screens
comercial truck light electrical system
electric breakaway system

I am trying to get some more information on the exact interior measurements but here is the website-

http://heacocktrailers.com/

If you click on ‘horse trailer pictures’ there is a bunch of different pics and it you click on ‘horse trailer models’ the first one is the one I am looking at.

Let me know what you guys think! Should I go for it if I can get one for that price???

[TrickOfTheTrade]

I totally recomend Heacocks. My trainer has a huge 2 horse for them and it is awesome!!!

[Chanda]

Yeah, I was wondering about the Volvo. I used to tow my old trailer with my Bronco and it worked great (I think that is what the green one is).

I was thinking that they do both steel and aluminum so maybe they are trying to show that the trailers are light. I am going for the steel one though. I have a big ole truck so I am not too worried about a light trailer, plus it is only a two horse.

[Sleepy]

Hey Chanda, these look great. And no tack compartment wouldn’t be a big deal to me. I’d much rather have no tack compartment at all than have mangers which are unsafe IMO. Keep us updated on what you decide.

[Bumpkin]

I guess I don’t dare ask Merry!!!

Huge 4500$ Horse Trailer

[Bumpkin]

Chanda check out the Slant trailer thread going on over on Horse Care.

[dublin]

Chanda, I just checked the site where I got that 83 mile figure between Santa Barbara and Wasco and it is ‘as the crow flies’, not driving distance. So I guess there must be no direct route from where you are in the SB area to the Bakersfield area??

[muley]

The first thing I noticed about these trailers, is there is no saddle compartment in the basic models. Most trailers, even basic ones, have a place to keep a saddle and some tack. I’m not impressed with these trailers. I don’t care for the look of them either, they look rather dated to me. JMO

http://members.home.com/hagys/sabainspage.html

http://www.azdressage.org/index.htm

[Chanda]

HN73, is 1,900lbs light for a steel trailer? Does anyone know what is an average weight?

What is GVWR? Is that what the trailer can carry? It says 5,000lbs is that normal?

Delighted, yep, that is the one. It would be nice to have a little tack room but those go up to $10,000+ so I think I will just use the bed of the truck. I also think it will be good to have some leg room for balance where the manger would be.

I want to go look at them right away but we are still hanging some grapes out there and need to harvest them soon.

(Pssst, my Mom just offered me $1000 as an early x-mas present for the trailer!!! Now I just need to find $2000 more and I will be good to go)

[Merry]

You know, I thought it was cute when I received a couple of Thomas Guide mapbooks for Christmas. Now I’m thinkin’ that ain’t so funny anymore. Maybe someone was trying to tell me something?

“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”

[dublin]

You’ve probably mentioned it before and I just missed it, but how tall is Chase, Chanda?

I also checked and found that Wasco is only 83 miles from Santa Barbara.

[This message was edited by dublin on Nov. 01, 2001 at 12:31 PM.]

[Chanda]

So I was thinking (after emailing every single possible trailer owner in a billion mile radius) which would be better, to buy a cheaper new trailer or a used trailer.

With the new trailer you would think that everything would be working properly and it would be nice and safe and you would take really good care of it. But in a used trailer, things might be worn or broken(or about to break) that you may not be able to see (or be knowledgeable enough to see) and you never know what has been done to it.

The used trailer may have been a better trailer than the new but it is worn. Which do you think is better?

[Chanda]

No there isn’t really. I have to head north to that cutover that James Dean died on or go down towards LA. There are these darn mountains in the way.

I am waiting for the height measurement from a trailer about an hour away and I have been hopeing that they are over 7’2". If it is over that I swear I will buy it. It is a 1992 Circle J thorobred that is practically brand new. The man who bought it died shortly after and he heirs have finally gotten around to selling it. They are asking $4500. It does not have the under the manger tack area, just hanging feed things and a chest bar. Still, at this point I could care less about a tack area. Strangely, for an unused trailer it says it is licenced till 02???

[Chanda]

I can totally do without a tack compartment. I am just going for safety, size and price. I also don’t care how it looks either. I just need something to get me from point A to point B safely and comfortably on my tiny budget.

Good point about writting it off, Chef!! I think I would have to make the vineyard pay for it in order for that to happen but that would be nice too. Since it is over my budget anyway maybe they can help out a bit, hehe!

[Cactuskate]

Heacock’s were highly recommended to me when I was shopping. My trainer really believes in them.

And since it is “near” your price range I would say it would be a worthy investment.

The factory isn’t too far from you is it? And I know they do have dealerships around, so you could go kick a tire or two.

“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”

[His_Greyness]

When I have been looking at trailers I have found examples of shoddy workmanship in new trailers. Any welder can put together a horse trailer; a few should not have tried.

What is the reputation of this manufacturer? Do you know other people who have bought this brand? What is their opinion? Pretty catalog pictures don’t tell you much about the construction.

I have an old steel simple two horse trailer that is now showing the effects of 30 year’s worth of New England winter road salt and horse urine. It’s a Kingston which is the locally manufactured brand in New England. It weighs 2250 lbs empty and had a GVW of 5000 lbs. This means it has 500 lbs (20% to 25%) more steel in it than the trailer you are proposing to buy. The fiberglass roof explains part of this difference and you do not have to deal with New England winters.

Not being a conspicuous consumer, I want to buy things that last. How many old examples of this trailer do you see around?

[poltroon]

Wasco is a bit north of Bakersfield. Our trailer is from Wayne Hodges and the people there were always very good to us.

[lilblackhorse]

with a comment of “You get what you pay for”…I purchased a used Logan competitor several years ago and have not regretted it. I personally would rather have better quality USED than to buy an inferior product new…just my 2 cents worth on that. A two horse bumper pull should weigh around 2,000 pounds or so–mine is longer with a dressing room, so it comes in at 2850 I think. What are you towing with?? I would pick a trailer that is what you want-don’t settle for something that you can live with, but don’t really like. This trailer looks pretty bare bones for the price-no tack area, no rubber on the step up…just a suggestion, but you might be able to find a better used deal of higher quality.

“If you haven’t gotten where you’re going,you probably aren’t there yet.”-George Carlin

[Bumpkin]

Perhaps they just licensed it since the family put it up for sale?

JMHO

[poltroon]

They are not super elegant, but since they’re local they are rather common around here. A friend of mine had an older used one that worked well for her. They do seem to be reasonably well designed from the horse point of view. I haven’t heard complaints.

I don’t have a Heacock, but they do the servicing on our trailer, and they’ve always done a good job for us.

Good luck, Chanda! Maybe you can charge the vineyard business for hauling things around …