This is what I’d assumed the shakedown would be - in order of “comfort”: GN - Euro - BP.
Sorry for the derail OP 
Any sort of upgrades you can get to increase light and ventilation will be welcome. I also like extra tie rings on the outside of the trailer - rarely am I tying more horses but I do often wish I had more places to hook things!
No worries! I’ve learned a ton here. Enjoy hearing all the thoughts while I contemplate my options.
Does anyone have experience with the higher end Shadow (Pro Series)? The Stablemate (lower) series is lighter, but the Pro is fully lined and insulated (walls and roof). Even the Adam (which is otherwise leading) has an uninsulated aluminum roof.
I started with a ‘93 trail et ny, and hauled it with F150s (V8 and I6), expedition (V8), F250 (V8) and even a V10 F350, both short and long hauls (up to 10 hrs). It was never a problem. Then I had a sundowner 777 2h bp for a few years with the 250. Yeah, I felt it. Now I pull a 21’ long 8’0 wide bp with the 250 on almost nothing but long hauls, although I do use the equalizer hitch when I do… And yes, it’s exhausting!
Fortunately the width plus equalizer makes it not remotely white knuckled, it’s as stable as a gn, but you do feel almost every mile of the trip. Sigh, when you travel with 2 carriages it means that if you lose the bed space for one of those carriages AND have to have floor room for carriages, you need something closer to 4H H2H length and that’s a lot of trailer if it’s your only trailer (and $$$).
Not personally, but a friend had a 2+1 for her draft X and loved it. It was a beautiful trailer, spacious and seemed well designed. She took it back and forth from MO to FL with said draft X a few times without issue.
Well, I spent the whole morning at the local trailer dealer. I ruled out the Shadow Pro because it doesn’t have chest bars that you can drop out from under a horse in an emergency. There is also something weird I couldn’t quite figure out about the trailers having GVWR’s labeled on the tongue that were lower than the axle capacity.
I couldn’t put my finger on what I didn’t like about the Hawk, but it didn’t feel right, so that’s also off the list. Several also had Rumber floors which made them quite heavy.
I liked all three Kingston’s that were on the lot: Classic Elite, Classic Elite Warmblood, and Newport. If I stick with the side ramp plan (Newport), it’s 3500 lbs. and 210".
The one I couldn’t see today, but can see if I take a LONG drive tomorrow, is the Adam. Their side ramp version comes in at 3680 lbs. and 195". So 15" shorter but 160 lbs. heavier. I’m a bit torn on how that plays out in terms of which ends up being easier to tow. If I make the drive and like it, I’m bringing it home since I’m not doing that drive twice. Any input welcome.
Is there a significant difference in the Adam and Newport tongue weights? That could be a tie-breaker.
Not a huge difference, and I’m honestly not sure how reliable these quotes are. The Adam dealer is quoting as 600 lbs and the Kingston dealer is quoting 650-700. But I’m not entirely sure how they are arriving at those.
I had an Adam, which I bought used, and sold almost 10 years later for almost exactly what I paid for it. It was a super trailer, and while not fancy, served me very, very well.
The Kingston is a great choice though, and I don’t know anyone unhappy with theirs.
One note: When we replaced the Adam, I had a trailer all picked out and brought my husband in to take one look before we signed the paperwork. A different brand was sitting next to the one I’d chosen on the lot, and he looked around it and immediately insisted we buy that one instead of the one I’d chosen. The difference was in the quality of the construction, specifically the welding. We ended up paying a good deal more for the better trailer (Platinum Coach), but the build quality is unmatched and my husband feels better about me and the horses travelling around in something that is as beefy as this trailer is.
So, the moral is: Look beyond materials and weight, and see if the welds were well done, and how does the actual construction look to you. If its only tacked together with messy welds and ugly, rough hardware, it can be a sign of overall lower quality.
In my book, quality of trailers being equal, lower tongue weight always wins, especially with a tow vehicle like yours. Heavy tongues = heavier to tow on your vehicle and you will feel it.
Real life example: guy who works at barn needed to move some of the trailers (all 2-horse) and used the farm tractor. He moved the Kingston, the Hawk (no side ramp), and the old Trailers USA with ease. He tried it with my trailer (Balanced Ride w side ramp, which is a Hawk with some different interior layout) and he nearly flipped the tractor and the trailer jack rammed into the ground, damaging it. The only difference between the Hawk and my Balanced Ride is the ramp/tongue weight and the position of the interior hardware, which does not add weight.
Please, please, please be cautious by following the above advice. One other excellent source of advice is the FB Group “Horse Trailer and Truck Reviews Only”.
Thanks all! I greatly appreciate all the advice. I put a down payment on the used Kingston. Both my dealer and my mechanic are confident in the match. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed it works well, and trust that resale will be great if not. I pick it up Tuesday after the weight distribution is installed. Then I tackle selling the B’Up!
Kingstons are terrific trailers. I loved my 1999 version and it pulled “light”. I also sold it 4 years ago in less than 24 hours. People were lining up with cash in hand to buy it. They definitely hold their value.
I still miss mine, and mistily hope it is happy with its new owner. But at least finding a buyer was very easy!
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