Questions about trailers USA and aluminum trailers in general

[4horses]

I’m looking at buying a 2010 all aluminum bumper pull by trailers USA.

I’ve only had steel trailers before. Should I be concerned about the horses kicking the walls of the trailer?

I’ve seen a much older model that added wood boards inside the walls. Not sure if they added those later on or originally?

Is that an option? I believe the walls are lined with rubber mats.

The trailer has the option of removing the divider and using it like a stock trailer. But there are no wall mats in the nose of the trailer. Would that be something i could add on?

​​​​​​I would be buying from an individual. Not a dealership.

[Jim_in_PA]

Here’s a very recent thread with some of the same questions…

https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/f…s-usa-opinions

Trailers USA makes a very nice product.

[Foxglove]

Suggest buying the book by Neva Scheve about buying horse trailers. She goes into depth about steel v aluminum

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

While at one point the "horse will kick through aluminum may have had merit, the way horse trailers are built and designed today seem to have resolved that problem if it ever was the case. Since there are no regulations or requirements on how trailers must be built --you could build one out of cardboard, call it a horse trailer, and sell it, however, horse people are a chatty group. It wouldn’t take long before a poorly constructed trailer and the company that made it were widely known.

I have a trailer that is aluminum skin over steel frame --advantages of both, I think with strong construction and great appearance (my previous steel trailer began to rust the minute I bought it). My 2004 Merhow shows 0 rust or discoloration and has been kept outside for 14 years. The second big concern about aluminum trailers is that a horse would not survive a wreck in an aluminum trailer where it would in a steel trailer. I guess that goes to would a horse survive a wreck? Steel or aluminum, it seems if there’s a vehicle accident, the horse, not being restrained in either type of trailer, would probably be hurt. So many factors come into play besides the material the trailer is made of.

I suspect that more horses are hurt in poorly maintained trailers than in trailer accidents where one vehicle hits another. Make sure all lights are working, all floor boards solid, all screws, nails rivets attached, mats are in good shape, footing is clean, and windows are closed enough that the horse can’t stick his head out or receive an eye injury. That’s about the best one can do --short of never taking the horse in a trailer.

That’s my opinion, anyway. And big shout out to Merhow customer service who sent me a free key when I lost mine --sent them the vin number of the trailer and they sent me a key that fit my locks! Wow!

[BlueDrifter]

Second the voter for Scheve’s book.

[lorilu]

I have an older Trailers USA alum over steel. It’s nice! A friend has a fancy big name all alum trailer straight load and her horse has a habit of sitting on the butt bar - and every time he breaks the ring that attaches the bar to the frame. Never happens in mine. So, while I love my Trailers USA, I would ask how the safety bars are attached…

[Foxglove]

lorilu, I think there are design flaws in every trailer I’ve ever had —the Bison rusted from the moment I bought it to the point where my DH would ask me not to drive it to where he worked because it looked so bad. The EquiSpirit was as perfect as I’d ever seen, but had window screens (straight load, no horse heads poking them) that seemed to need replacing way too often. Secondly the hold-backs on the doors wouldn’t hold back in a strong wind. The Lakota 3 horse slant had perpetual screws that needed tightening, they should use rivets and a disintegrating wall mat that customer service fixed 3 times before I ran out of warranty (sold trailer “as is”). The Merhow, while in my opinion the best built trailer of the three, has “weak” hay rings —could be my horse is tough on the manger bags, but I’ve reattached those rings 3-4 times in the 3 years I’ve had the trailer. Next time I’m having my brakes/bearings serviced, I’ll have the trailer dudes replace them with something stronger --these are screwed into the aluminum skin and Mr. Horse likes to play with his manger bag. After a few long trips, he’s worked them free. I do like manger bags, though --I could switch to hay nets, but I think just putting in heavier rings and attachments will fix the problem. Oh, and while the EquiSpirit had a pretty simple butt bar (slide into slot) the Merhow has a more complicated drop in system. I have no trouble putting it up, but every one I haul complains it is “complicated…” If I could switch, I’d pick the EquiSpirit system of fastening the butt bar.

[Jim_in_PA]

@lorilu

I have an older Trailers USA alum over steel. It’s nice!

Mine was a 2004 and was excellent. I bought it (lightly) used a number of years ago. The new owner really likes it, too.

[ryansgirl]

@Foxglove

The EquiSpirit was as perfect as I’d ever seen, but had window screens (straight load, no horse heads poking them) that seemed to need replacing way too often. Secondly the hold-backs on the doors wouldn’t hold back in a strong wind.

That’s because they are NOT designed to be left open when the trailer is moving. Sure people leave the top doors open all the time without an issue but all I see is a door flying off causing a major accident. Just remove the doors instead. When I bought my Kingston new back in 2004 the first thing the dealership said is do NOT drive with these tied open - they are not designed to handle the wind pressure on a highway.

[lorilu]

Foxglove, I commented on the butt bar connector on the all-alum trailer because repairing Aluminum is a PIA - you need special equipment to weld it, and so every time it broke it needed a trip to a welding specialist.

[Foxglove]

lorilu --you are so right --any repair one must KEEP MAKING on a trailer is a PIA! Used to haul a friend who had a horse that would SIT on the back butt bar --he’d bend it. It was an $80 replacement every time he did it. Her comment to me was, “They should make these stronger!” --but she did pay for all of the ones her horse broke (he also kicked backwards when the butt bar was hoooked or unhooked.) Needless to say, she loaded her own horse!

Ryansgirl --I never drove with my back doors open. The trailer did have a ramp,but did not have removable upper doors. --EquiSpirit and Scheve’s book both point out the danger of driving with the back doors open at the top --a cigarette or debris can be pulled into the trailer on a highway. The screens I am referring to, that I had to replace almost yearly were the ones in the windows (nice large windows) on the side of the trailer and the one on the tack door in the front. The “hold backs” that didn’t hold in a strong wind, were black rubber sockets that held black rubber stems on all doors. When there was a strong wind, the door would come smashing into me —not the back doors --again, never drove with those open, but the escape doors and tack room door. OUCH. Still, the EquiSpirit was my favorite trailer and in some ways still is --the Merhow is better made (better welds, better quality mats, and never had to replace a screen on a 14 year old trailer) --but the windows are smaller and I don’t think the ventilation is as wonderful as it was on the EquiSpirit and as I said, the system for dropping and putting up the butt bars was much simpler!

[NinaG]

I have a 2012 Trailers USA 2 horse TB extra tall with the extended nose. And I love it. It is super smooth to tow and on the rare occasion when i have had to hard brake it stayed straight as an arrow. Ventilation is great. It has been outside for the last 6 years and is in excellent condition still.
Mine has rubber mats on the walls and on the ramp, a wooden full to the floor heavy but removable center divider, removable saddle racks and then removable breast and butt bars, I used to pull those all out to pack it with 60bales of hay. I would never transport loose a horse in it like that though. It is not designed for that. Maybe give trailers usa a call and ask if it can be modified safely for a loose box stall?

[asterix]

For what it’s worth I have an equispirit and had to replace those door stoppers as well. One good breeze and the door would slam on me or my horse. I have windows in the top doors. I never drive with the doors open. The latches don’t seem designed for that and I hate the idea of debris coming in. I’d install fans before I’d drive with the doors open.
on the other hand I’ve never had an issue with the screens and my trailer is over 15 years old.