So i’m in the market for a trailer…I was looking at used Hawks, Kingstons, Shadows, etc, when I came across these. The one I like is $10k new and I haven’t seen them around…Can’t find much online. Anyone have any experience?
Company website: http://www.calicotrailers.com
Trailer I like:http://www.kingdomhorsetrailers.com/2StraightUnit1.html
I’ve never seen one cost close to that much. Did they really jump or what?
Years ago, I mean like 15 years ago, I went with a girlfriend to a Calico lot to look at a trailer with her. She wanted a Calico trailer. The one thing that has stuck in my memory was the arrangement of the floor boards- instead of running lengthwise the floor boards ran “side to side”. I was told that will potentially have both of the horses front and rear feet on the same board which could cause wear and tear sooner. Trailer floor boards that lay “front to back” distribute the horses weight better, or so I was told.
CM makes a nice, horse safe trailer in a decent price range. I owned a BP with tack room years ago and was pleased with it.
The other trailers you mentioned are far superior to Calico trailers. If you really looks at welds, how parts match up, hinges, etc you will see a world of difference.
I just bought a Calico Trailer…it’s a 16 ft gooseneck 3H with a tack/dressing room in front. The tack room is a bit on the small side but fits everything I have.
So far it has been awesome. It’s light (3,500lbs or so), seems really well made as far as the welds go, the floorboards are like every other trailer I’ve ever had, it has super nice rubber mats, nice hinges/locks, dividers, windows, etc. The wheels, tires, and brakes are far superior to the last trailer I had. I did choose the extra tall, extra wide and some custom options for my needs. It was ordered and came in in about 4 weeks. It was REALLY inexpensive for what I got.
I had a Calico 2H bumper pull for 11 years—just sold it. Good value for the price. I bought mine new for about $4800 of the lot, and it gave me lots of good years with minimal issues. Hauled well for me. IMO, too heavy fully loaded if you haul with a half-ton vehicle, but it hauled great for me with a 3/4 ton. Held value well in my area. Some cosmetic rusting because it was steel and stored outdoors, but nothing major. Slant style was a bit cramped for my big-shouldered 16.1 Paint/TB, but he still hauled fine in it for many, many years. Not the overall quality you’re going to get with some other brands, but not the pricetag, either. Overall, happy with what I had and I got what I paid for. Sold it in December for $3500, so I felt it kept its value well.
Around here, they get pretty awful looking within a matter of ~5 years, if you aren’t really, really careful about keeping them clean and protected. This used to be fine when you could buy them for $5k and then sell them a few years later for $3.5k to someone who would do the rust repair in their backyard.
But now they’re considerably more expensive (probably because steel is more expensive) and when they start looking crummy down the line, you aren’t going to make as much of your money back.
For that price, I’d just get a Shadow. Whole different ball game of quality, easier to re-sell, etc.
I was just trailer shopping and looked at Calicos. There were some on the lot that were brand new that already had rust on them. The paint is crap. I ended up getting a Titan that I really liked for $7500 for a 2016.
I have a calico. Got it for my 14th birthday. I’m 26 now. It’s held up great except my lights quit working… Gotta fix that… That being said, if I were spending 10k on a trailer, there are a million other options I’d go with before I bought my trailer all over again.
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