Merhow trailers?

[Foxglove]

I read you may switch your purchase to a Benderup --but thought you might like to know that the Equilite was (I’m told) Merhow’s top of the line trailer in 1995. However, as you may know, Merhow changed its design in late 90s early 2000 based on new research into trailers (I’m told it was by Neve Scheve who worked for Merhow at the time) and were at the vanguard of the now common “white box” we see now instead of the “bullet shape” more common before that time. If you can get a copy in time, I suggest her book: Complete Guide to Owning, Maintaining, and Servicing Horse Trailers. Oh, and when I said I put my hay under the manger, my Merhow (and yours too, maybe) have breast bars and cloth basket type mangers, not the metal kind some assumed I referred to.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Maintaining-Servicing-Trailer-reference/dp/0876056869

Best book on horse trailers I’ve ever read (ok, I’ve only read that one).

[rhymeswithfizz]

I owned a Merhow Equistar XL for many years, just sold it since we upgrade to a 4-horse. It was a 2005 2-h straight load with dressing room. Wonderful design, held up great, only minor normal maintenance issues during that time. I had a LINE of people who wanted to buy it from me and I never even advertised it. Not kidding. Highly recommend!

[Draftmare]

I read you may switch your purchase to a Benderup --but thought you might like to know that the Equilite was (I’m told) Merhow’s top of the line trailer in 1995. However, as you may know, Merhow changed its design in late 90s early 2000 based on new research into trailers (I’m told it was by Neve Scheve who worked for Merhow at the time) and were at the vanguard of the now common “white box” we see now instead of the “bullet shape” more common before that time. If you can get a copy in time, I suggest her book: Complete Guide to Owning, Maintaining, and Servicing Horse Trailers. Oh, and when I said I put my hay under the manger, my Merhow (and yours too, maybe) have breast bars and cloth basket type mangers, not the metal kind some assumed I referred to.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Main.../dp/0876056869

Best book on horse trailers I’ve ever read (ok, I’ve only read that one).

I am having a hard time deciding between the two. I just made a blog post trying to weight the pros and cons of both trailers: https://draftmare.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/trailer-shopping/

[FatCatFarm]

If it were me, I would get the Brenderup. Have heard nothing but good things about them. It looks to be in great shape and if you ever want to part with it, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble.

[Foxglove]

Wow! What a hard choice! I think I’m going to bow out and let you decide based on what you see in person. One thought, though, have your trailer tires, brakes, and bearing checked by someone other than the dealer (if possible) --unless the dealer will give you IN WRITING the statement that the tires are “one year old” or “new” or something --he can tell you ANYTHING true or untrue --but unless it’s in writing, it’s not valid as a contract. I suggest taking your own contract with you that specifies what you’ve been told: Trailer is suitable for hauling horses, brakes and bearings done in 2015, tires new in 2012 --something like that. Then if you find it isn’t true, you can be compensated by the dealer – when daughter was looking at buying a used trailer, she did just that --twice sellers wouldn’t sign (and she didn’t buy) what they had TOLD her --(new tires, all electric works, just had brakes and bearings packed). As she often says, if it isn’t written down and signed, it never happened. (Did I mention she’s a lawyer?). You can tell the age of the tires by looking at the writing on the side. Look on-line for how to read those numbers. Trailer tires should be replaced every 3-5 years regardless if you use the trailer or not. A new set of tires can be $400-800. And if you do need to buy new tires, get new rims too --not that much more and you can sell your old tires and rims easier than selling old tires.

http://recstuff.com/how-old-are-my-trailer-tires-plug-in-your-dot-code-and-find-out/

[Draftmare]

The things that worry me about the Brenderup is that it does have the original floor. The floors, from what I understand, are one long piece of essentially plywood, and a replacement has to be imported to the tune of around $2000. That number could be wrong, but that is what was quoted a few times on COTH when I was searching out info on the brand. The other problem is that if anything specific to this trailer breaks, it would also have to be imported or fabricated. Also need to figure out the age of the tires.

Everything else, well except for the price, I really like about that trailer. The Merhow has the benefit of being able to easily source parts, has a brand new floor and is the typical wood style that is easy to replace, and has new tires.

[FatCatFarm]

I just read where you plan to pull it with your SUV? If so, I would definitely be more inclined to go with the Brenderup. The Merhow will likely be fine. Do you have a way of checking the electrical and the steel frame? Urine is terribly corrosive. Ultimately it’s your budget you have to support. Also, how tall is the Merhow vs. the Brenderup and how tall is your mare. My trailer is 7’6" for my draft crosses and I wouldn’t even consider a regular 7ft trailer for them, nor would I try to put one on an old style two horse straight load as the stalls wouldn’t be wide enough or long enough for my big guys who are 16.3-17hds and not exactly short coupled. I also prefer ramps as I’ve dealt with nasty barked shins from step-ups and don’t care to ever again.

The Brenderup looks like it’s been incredibly well maintained, not that the Merhow doesn’t look good for it’s age, because it does.

Me personally, pulling a trailer with an SUV, which I’ve done BTW (it was with a Mercury Mariner which is equivalent to a Ford Explorer and with the Featherlite 2 horse bumper pull I mentioned before), I would SO want a trailer with good breaks. Good breaks when hauling are a must have in my book, but especially if doing so with a smaller vehicle. Again, just my .02 and only worth that much to be sure.

[FatCatFarm]

And see this thread about them and should the floor ever need to be repaired. Sounds like there are ways around the parts issue and I would think any good trailer shop would be able to improvise if you got the Brenderup.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-357229.html Pandroasbox is the poster who dealt with a floor replacement.

[FatCatFarm]

Okay, I’ll stop with that. Neither is a bad choice from the looks of them. Let us know what you wind up with.

[Draftmare]

Yes, my end goal is to be able to haul with my Ford Explorer, which is what partially started me down this path to begin with. Instead of putting the repair money into my current heavy steel trailer, the SO really feels that I would be better served to put the money into a lighter weight trailer than can be pulled by the Ford. Our current tow vehicle, while not on its last legs by any means, is getting up there in age and miles. A good chunk of those miles are towing a boat or a horse trailer. It would nice to be able to “divest” ourselves of it while it still has some value left in it.

Sydney is 16.1 hands. The Brenderup is 7’6’’, and I am still waiting on the Merhow height, but the current owner hauled a warmblood in it.

I got the full history of the Brenderup, and it does sound like it has been well kept. I would potentially be the third owner, and the dealer said that everything is in really good shape. Again, still concerned about the original floor (but maybe I shouldn’t be), and now I know that the tires are 2013s.

Here are all the pictures that I have of both trailers: https://goo.gl/photos/Msz6TsmcDgmfYYx19

And I could use all the thoughts you have, I got incredibly lucky with my first trailer. Found it on CL, didn’t really know what I was looking for but it was cheap, bought it, and haven’t had a single issue with it for the past 6 years. This time around I am finding myself much more paranoid about everything (but I am also spending a lot more money too).

[FatCatFarm]

Just me but I am more reassured by the appearance of the Brenderup than by the Merhow. What’s the set-up for the brakes on the Merhow?

[Draftmare]

Waiting to hear back on the brakes.

I am yo-yoing between the two. The Merhow is only 100 pounds heavier than the Brenderup. It is also $3000 cheaper.

[Draftmare]

The Merhow does have brakes, and they work. Inside height is 7’2’’.

[Jarpur]

My Brenderup handled around corners as though it was on rails, and the inertia brakes were fabulous - I’d say those were probably my two favorite features of the trailer.

Towing one of those is a different experience than hauling the usual BP trailer.

[Draftmare]

I’m noticing an interesting generation gap in my friends. My older friends think I should keep looking, my younger friends think I should get the Merhow. :lol:

I’m still kind of stuck on the Brenderup, but after thinking about it I think my biggest concern is that if it needs maintenance in the future, getting the parts could prove difficult if not impossible.

[soloudinhere]

Parts are not hard to get. There is a parts source in New Hampshire. The only thing is floors and many people are fabricating their own with marine plywood.

I personally am trading my (very new) Merhow for a Bockmann because I just don’t want to have a truck anymore. There is $$ value in not needing to keep a truck. I would not be convinced that your explorer, loaded up with gear, would happily tow the Merhow even though it’s light - my current trailer is not that heavy (though heavier than yours, about 1000lbs more because it’s xtall/xwide/dressing room/insulated) and my 6L Yukon XL does not love towing it.

If you have the opportunity to buy a brenderup in your price range (probably is only that affordable because it’s a solo) I would consider it if only for the future - gas isn’t getting cheaper and having a lot of vehicle options is useful.

[soloudinhere]

can’t edit, but here’s his name and number.

Andy Kaulbach
Mountain Top Trailer Sales
1-603-494-9787 Andy

[Draftmare]

I know that my Explorer isn’t super ideal, but I am like you and am trying to get down to one car. We have a Suburban that has been our trusty tow vehicle the last few years, but the SO is getting a diesel truck for his boat, and all I do is haul a trailer a couple times a month. The Suburban has been very trusty but it is pushing 250k and is 18 years old. SO wants to sell it while there might still be some value in it (ie it is still running). With both of us just buying brand new cars, it would be nice to get the Suburban off the payroll.

[Draftmare]

That’s good to know about the parts too. Are the trailers even made any more?

Sometimes I wish I still had mommy and daddy helping me make decisions. My head is spinning and I can’t seem to come to a decision. Spending money is hard!

[FatCatFarm]

I’ve always bought the best trailer I could afford at the time for what I needed, keeping resale value in mind. I’ve traded in all of my trailers on the next one I got, buying new each time. As I took good care of them, I always got good money for my trade ins. That Exiss 2Horse Event I had for 12 years, I think I paid just under $13k for it new and still got $8k for it in trade towards my new Merhow.

I think the longevity of the two trailers you’re looking at is greater in the Brenderup than the Merhow. I see the likelihood of your needing to put more money into the Merhow sooner, than if you got the Brenderup. Also, if you decide to part with the Brenderup, I think you’ll find it easier to sell, as it is the more versatile setup as it can be towed with a larger variety of vehicles, and it will retain it’s value better, just from an investment viewpoint.

Because you want to tow with and SUV, your limited in trailer options (I know you know this). Have you looked at any of the used all aluminum 2 horse trailers out there to see whats available? If maintained, aluminum holds up great. Just be sure and check beneath the mats to see that they have been pulled and the floors have been acid washed periodically to circumvent corosion.