Trailers 101

[Wonders12]

I am embarrassed by how little I actually know about trailers. I’m still at that stage where I don’t even know what I don’t know. Oh wisdom of COTH, teach me!

I’m very confident with the horse care part, and can hook up and drive a trailer like a terrified new driver, but that’s as far as my knowledge goes.

I’m hoping to get my own trailer in the next year or so, and I don’t even know where to begin on the research. We don’t have a real tow vehicle right now either, so we are trying to match both together. My SO wants to get a truck again (after his was totaled by a teenager texting 2 years ago) and is on board with it being able to tow my non-existent trailer, but it will be his daily commuter too.

I don’t need anything fancy. Most of the time I will be trailering by 15.2hh horse by herself. I will probably take a 5 mile one way trip once every month or two. If I get really confident I might travel ~100 miles once a year to a trainer’s/show. But that’s all it needs to do for now. I’m happy having a “starter trailer” and then upgrading a few years down the road should I end up using it more/decide I want more room or features.

Where do I begin? After reading up on COTH, I feel like it’s chicken or the egg. Usually you’re matching your trailer to a vehicle you have or a tow vehicle to a trailer you have. Where do you start if you’re buying both???

[Texarkana]

IMO, your first order of business is to find a towing vehicle. In order to do that, you have to have some idea of what type of trailer you will be trying to purchase: BP? 2H? Steel or aluminum? Dressing room? Etc.

Do not under-truck yourself. I’m not one of those who goes overboard on truck size… but a good rule of thumb with is that your trailer fully loaded with horses + equipment should not exceed 80% of your vehicle’s towing capacity (if it’s not printed on the door, you’ll have to look it up online knowing all the vehicle’s specs). For a simple 2H bumper pull with no frills, that would mean no smaller than a 150/1500 series truck or large SUV. Even if you plan on hauling 1 horse most of the time, unless you buy a 1 horse trailer, I would make sure to purchase a vehicle that can handle the weight of the trailer fully loaded with 2 horses… because inevitably, you will want to use that space.

But be careful if considering light duty 150/1500 trucks: they are not created equal. Engine size, transmission, wheel base, body style, and rear differential will determine your towing capacity. A properly equipped 150/1500 may be able to safely tow 10,000lbs max, while the same model with a smaller engine, smaller differential, and short bed may only be rated for 4,000lbs max. You will hear a lot of people say you need at least a 3/4 ton truck; I personally don’t agree, but you DO need to make sure your truck is appropriate for the job.

If pulling a bumper pull, you will need a hitch attached to the frame of the vehicle. Hitches have different ratings. A good explanation can be found here:
http://www.drawtite-hitches.com/lear…towing-classes

Even if your vehicle can tow 10,000lbs, if you have a class II hitch on it, that means you can only tow 3,500lbs (or slightly more with a weight distributing hitch). You see this a lot with aftermarket Uhaul hitches, etc Draw bars and balls also have weight ratings. You cannot tow more than your weakest “link,” and personally, I don’t like to go above 80% of the capacity on any piece. BP coupler/ball sizes can vary, so obviously you need to make sure the ball you purchases is the right size for your trailer’s coupler.

You will need a 7 blade flat electric outlet on your tow vehicle, as well as an electric brake controller. Many new trucks now have these items factory included. They can also be installed after market easily. You NEED a brake controller, no matter what anyone tells you.

As for trailer shopping, are you buying new or used? If you are buying used, it would be helpful to seek out a shop that does trailer maintenance in advance so you can have them inspect it. Trailers are more straight forward than trucks, but you will want to make sure it fits your horse, is safe, and is in good working order. On used trailers, you will want to check the floor, the frame, the tires, the brakes, etc. “Too small to be useful” trailers definitely exist, so watch out for that. They are usually cheap for good reason: low ceilings, narrow stalls, or poor design make them useless for anything but ponies. Yet the seller always has a story about how their brother’s friend’s uncle’s 17h beast fits in there comfortably. :lol:

So… this turned into a novel. Sorry if I’m repeating what you already know!

[Scribbler]

You will also need to choose between a straight haul and an angle haul trailer. There are plus and minus points to each. I prefer straight haul

Do you vwant ramp or step up?

Do you want a separate tack room?

Can you afford new or are you looking at used?

[Where_sMyWhite]

What Texarkana said… tow vehicle then trailer.

I had an open stock trailer. Could fit 2-3 horses tied to the side or my mare just rode loose in the back and she could choose how she wanted to stand (usually facing backwards). Had a dressing room in front of the open stock area. It was a gooseneck (not bumper hitch). I could hitch it myself fairly easily.

[bitranchy]

Another up vote for Texarkana’s post. Super informative!

I was in a similar spot to you a few years back. I bought the truck first, and bought what suited me best in the budget I could afford. My 1/2 ton is pretty beefy for a 1500, I’ve been asked if it’s a 3/4 ton truck. Does it haul like a brand new 3500? No. Does it get a 2H BP around town safely and efficiently? Yes. If you can afford a bit more truck, like a 2500, I’d recommend that. However, if you’re going to feel the financial pinch of going to a bigger model, a 1/2 ton suitable for towing will be fine. Just do your research on a specific truck, especially if you’re buying used. Like Texarkana said, they’re not all built the same. You can’t necessarily know that simply from looking at it.

There’s lots to consider with trailers. I flopped between buying new or buying used, but ultimately bought new. My 2H is an aluminum skin on a steel frame. Hauling it dry, you barely notice it’s there. It’s light, but safe and well constructed.

The thing I’ll suggest beyond making sure you have more truck than trailer, etc, is maintenance. My truck’s older, but it sees a shop regularly. I have a friend who rarely services their truck. Would I haul with it? Absolutely not. I don’t know what lurking mechanical issue may be exacerbated by loading a horse or two up behind it, and I don’t care to find out. You and your spouse may be the types to be pretty fastidious about maintenance already, so that point may be moot. Unforeseen mechanical failures do happen, but ensuring your truck and trailer are in good shape will hopefully make that less likely to happen.

[Guilherme]

Gonna disagree with Texarkana!

Decide what your needs are, find a trailer that fits them, and then buy something that will safely pull the trailer.

The MOST expensive part of this is the tow vehicle. If you over buy on the tower then you’ll have less to spend on the trailer. That’s just economics (and unless your name is Buffet or Kennedy you’ll end up short ).

First, what kind of a horse do you have? Are you working with a 14.2 Arab or 17h half draft? What amenities do you want for the horse (water tank, mangers, ramp, step up, etc.).

Second, what kind of activities are you going to participate in? If it’s going to be shows in nicely prepared areas then you have one thing but if you you like back country riding and overnights in the woods maybe you’d like something else.

Third, and related to the second, what kind of hitch system do you want? Personally, I’m a “gooseneck guy” as IME it is much easier to maneuver and haul. But that means a truck and not an SUV.

Fourth, what amenities do want for the people? You took care of the horse part in First, above. You can choose from virtually none to full LQs of varying levels of utility and luxury.

Fifth, how much money do you have? Again, if you are “trust fund baby” this might not be an important question; for most of us it is!!!

To help yourself out, here, sit down with a glass of wine, a yellow pad, and pencil and just write down stuff you think of as you consider the program. You might be inexperienced but I’m sure you’ve read about things and have some ideas. Once you do that you can discuss your thoughts with more knowledgeable friends.

After you pick your trailer THEN find something that will safely tow it. Remember the First Law of Towing Anything: Starting is optional, stopping is not!!! You don’t need a one ton dually to pull a Brenderup. But you do need enough to pull what you’re going to tow.

Don’t pay any attention to “towing capacity” advertised by the manufacturer; that’s a number out of Marketing not Engineering. Instead you must find the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR, sometimes written as the GVWR) of the truck/SUV. Then find the curb weight of THAT vehicle. Then the weight of the trailer you’re going to pull. Do the math and see how much legal towing capacity you now have. Remember that you’re dealing with empty weight to start with and when you fuel up the vehicle, load it with people and gear, the trailer with horse(s) and gear, load hay/feed, water, etc. that you’re eating into your useful load. Personally, I’d limit myself to not more than 90% of capacity. That gives me some “J-Factor” in the event of a difficulty.

This seems daunting but it really isn’t if you step back, look at the “big picture,” and then plot your way forward.

Do this some time before you actually need to buy something so you can think about it and read about it and learn from others before there is any pressure to act.

In summary: select the trailer, select the tow vehicle, load up and have fun!!!

G.

[2DogsFarm]

Great Technical advice from @Texarkana & @Guilherme. I would get the tow vehicle first, but that is personal & I’ve admittedly done the reverse.

From the User Side I prefer step-up to ramp.
Even the hydraulic ramp on my all-aluminum (4Star)2H BP felt like it weighed a metric ton.
And as I most often hauled solo it became a problem.
Plus horses tend to lower their heads when they step up, preventing headbonks.

I have had straightload, slantload & stock, BP & GN - all worked for what I hauled & how I needed them at the time.
Current trailer is a 16’ stock BP because I got sick & tired of crawling in & out of the truckbed to hitch the GN & needed a way to haul all 3 - 16H TWH, 13H Hackney & 34" mini - or my mini & his cart at the same time w/o needing a 2nd trailer.

[Wonders12]

Thank you all so much for the help!

It is comforting to have @Texarkana and @Guilherme’s posts. Having everything in one place is very helpful, and reading through it realizing that I DO know a lot of those things gives me the confidence that maybe I’m not as in the dark as I thought.

Any suggestions for brands to look at/stay away from? Or good resources to start searching so I can get an idea of price?

I’m thinking I want a bp 2 horse straight load step up. Steel frame with aluminum… shell? exterior? I would think would be ideal, but might be a lot to ask. My horse is a 15.2hh arab/trakehner. She’s as wide as she is tall though. I do ride h/j so any companion horses would probably be larger, but 1) I’m not willing to pay extra/skip a great trailer for that bonus and 2) having the “your horse is too tall for my trailer” excuse might not be a bad thing. :winkgrin: No need for living quarters or extras since I will always be traveling to a barn or for a local trail ride. Price is definitely a concern! Probably right below “safe” and “fits my horse”.

I will definitely talk to my SO to get an idea of what he’s looking at. Luckily he’s much better at staying UTD on vehicle maintenance than I am. :uhoh:

[OTTBs]

“I’m thinking I want a bp 2 horse straight load step up.” Do you know if this is what your horse will be happiest in? I had a horse that didn’t like slant load and now I have one that’s difficult to load in a straight load. It stinks to have a trailer your horse won’t load into.

[hosspuller]

If you’re going to buy a used trailer … Get the trailer first then the truck… reason, used trailers are more variable and limited in availability. Trucks to match the trailer are more common and one can always buy more truck than required.

or at a minimum… decide on the trailer size and weight before getting the truck. I’ve seen poor results when people bought the truck and later bought an trailer beyond the truck’s capacity.

[SharonA]

You could find that a European-designed trailer, some of which are designed to be safely pulled (and stopped) by a less-beefy tow vehicle, might meet your needs (Bockmann, maybe Fautras? and while they don’t make Brenderups in the US anymore, you may be able to find a used one in good shape). The trailer is more expensive, but you need less truck to pull it, so, for instance, I didn’t need to buy a separate vehicle to safely tow a Brenderup. The family minivan and family SUV already sitting in the garage were appropriate tow vehicles.

[Risuena]

I’m a lot like you, just a little further along in the process. Just got my tow vehicle and am trailer shopping now (going to look at one on Friday!). Somewhere in the depths of this forum, I saw a couple of recommendations for the book: The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer ( https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Maintaining-Servicing-Trailer-reference/dp/0876056869 ). I’m reading it now and there’s a lot of useful information -

[Abbie.S]

IME, most 1500 trucks are able to safely pull your average 2H bumper pull trailer.

What I’d advise, OP, given what you’ve outlined you are going to be using the trailer for, is to purchase a used, basic 2H bumper pull with a tack room. Every trailer brand makes them, they are easy to find and provide, as far as I’m concerned, the most bang for your buck if you know you’ll only be trailering one horse, max two, a handful of times a year for shows, clinics, lessons, etc. Anything more might be overkill unless you know you’re going to want a lot more bells and whistles, space, etc or will be doing a lot more hauling in the coming years.

I personally am a huge fan of Kingston - even their older trailers are extremely well made and plenty are still on the road. I have a 2H bumper pull ramp load with a dressing/tack room that’s a 1994 model. You’d never know it was that old. I have zero concerns towing distance with it - I’ve made multiple trips down the east coast with it with both one and two horses loaded and it tows like a dream. The largest horse I’ve loaded in it is a client’s 16.2 QH gelding who is a mile long and he fits quite comfortably. I tow this trailer with our 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and I’ve never had issues starting or stopping even with two horses and all the accompanying gear.

The other thing I highly recommend is once you have your truck and trailer, go find an empty parking lot somewhere. Practice driving around, backing into parking space, doing tight turns, speeding up, slowing down, stopping suddenly, etc and get a feel for how your trailer will behave and how the truck will behave with weight. Then, have someone else drive the truck while you get in the trailer where the horses would be. Have them do the same thing so you get a feel for what it’s like for the horse to ride - I’ve found this gives people pretty amazing insight into how much balancing the horse needs to do and how slowly you need to start, stop and turn to make it easy for the horse to maintain balance.

It’s also handy to have said person ride in the back to get a feel for how YOU drive - what you think it a slow turn or easy stop/start may be quite a different story for the passenger.

[digihorse]

The one thing I would change on your list is that the trailer have a ramp. I would never own a trailer without one. Too many time the ramp was the difference betwee loading a horse and not loading… and getting an injured horse into the trailer or not. Also, no solid center bar in the back. Allows you to have the whole open for loading and unloading.

[irish_horse]

some great advice, and I second the book “The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer”. While a 1500 can be serviceable in the truck department, it can also depend on where you live. There is no way I’m driving the steep canyons and mountains around here without “more truck.” But a used 2500 has been great, I put very few miles on (it’s only used for towing, no commuting), so that is something to consider too.

And what horses (and people) like/don’t like is so personal, it’s great if you can look around your friend’s trailers, load up your horse, see what they seem to like. My horse leaps into my no-ramp straight load, but is unhappy in slants (feels too squished in some maybe?) and hates ramps. I didn’t get everything on my list when I bought a trailer (i’d have to have one made) but I’ve been pretty happy after doing my research and scouring craigslist for months. Good luck!

[Arelle]

Good post!

I’m about to be in the market again. I’ve had a three horse, semi-stock trailer with a front dressing room since 2003. I LOVE my trailer. Problem is, I now have my big hunt seaters and while the height is OK (not great, but they can stand comfortably) the LENGTH is not. I essentially have a two horse trailer because my horses are too long to fit squeezed in the slants. (Mine is basically the 03 version of this - https://horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=1172522 and that one is $6,000 brand new. Mine was $3,600? And has lasted 15 years and is still going strong.)

FWIW, I HATE my truck. My car should be paid off next year and I’m going to be getting a new truck. I have a 3/4 ton Ford and it feels SO unstable towing. It has for a number of years - I white knuckle driving anywhere beyond about 30 minutes to the vet and never go over 65 mph. I also am going to be going to a goose neck for my next trailer. We wrecked this summer hauling when a truck tire suddenly blew out - jackknifed on the interstate and nearly rolled; ended up facing oncoming traffic. Scariest thing I’ve ever had happen… thank God we had one horse on board and she was fine.

IMO, the tow vehicle is key. Making sure it’s big enough and stable enough to pull and to stop your trailer.

[Wonders12]

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all the advice here! The book is ordered and I’ll definitely be doing some practice driving once I get everything. My SO will also be riding in the trailer, too. :winkgrin: Honey… that’s not a boat we’re towing!

@OTTBs

Do you know if this is what your horse will be happiest in? I had a horse that didn’t like slant load and now I have one that’s difficult to load in a straight load. It stinks to have a trailer your horse won’t load into.

Nope, no I don’t. She’s only been trailered a few times. By/with me in a large (4? 6 horse?) head to head side loading with a ramp. She also trailered from WI to CA in a big rig. I know she was trailered a few times as a young horse, but I don’t know what it was in. I can reach out to her breeder if it would still be applicable.

Unfortunately around here everyone has big trailers, so I don’t have much to play around with that’s similar to my size. Not ideal! She’s a pretty good egg, and I’m a pretty convincing handler when it comes to loading, so I would hope we can sort most things out. :eek:

@digihorse

The one thing I would change on your list is that the trailer have a ramp. I would never own a trailer without one. Too many time the ramp was the difference betwee loading a horse and not loading… and getting an injured horse into the trailer or not. Also, no solid center bar in the back. Allows you to have the whole open for loading and unloading.

Great point on the center bar in the back! For the ramp, do you find it limits your parking options? Trailer parking around here can be rough. Space is limited to it’s often “fit it over there”, and I worry if I’m not on a pretty flat area, the ramp won’t sit right and potentially be a hazard. Does the ramp have more flexibility than I’m giving it credit for?

[cnvh]

@irish_horse

some great advice, and I second the book “The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer”. While a 1500 can be serviceable in the truck department, it can also depend on where you live. There is no way I’m driving the steep canyons and mountains around here without “more truck.” But a used 2500 has been great, I put very few miles on (it’s only used for towing, no commuting), so that is something to consider too.

And what horses (and people) like/don’t like is so personal, it’s great if you can look around your friend’s trailers, load up your horse, see what they seem to like. My horse leaps into my no-ramp straight load, but is unhappy in slants (feels too squished in some maybe?) and hates ramps. I didn’t get everything on my list when I bought a trailer (i’d have to have one made) but I’ve been pretty happy after doing my research and scouring craigslist for months. Good luck!

Before you do another thing, BUY THAT BOOK. I think it might even be available for a Kindle download so you can have it immediately. Seriously, BUY IT NOW.

I loved that it broke down a bunch of variables in trailer design, that a newbie might never even consider… Like swinging dividers and the lack of a center post at the rear of the trailer. I have a straight load, and I can’t tell you how nice it is to have a divider that swings fully all the way over at the rear, for loading/unloading horses that may not be the best haulers (you can turn them around and walk them out), to ease of cleaning out said trailer, etc., etc.

[digihorse]

@Wonders12

…
Great point on the center bar in the back! For the ramp, do you find it limits your parking options? Trailer parking around here can be rough. Space is limited to it’s often “fit it over there”, and I worry if I’m not on a pretty flat area, the ramp won’t sit right and potentially be a hazard. Does the ramp have more flexibility than I’m giving it credit for?

On newer trailers it seems to be more of issue than it was on my old Hartman. Difference in frame/springs? I don’t know. I have seen wheel chocks used to support the ramp where there was a possibility of it being a bit off.

Were it me… I’d take a look at the thread on designing your own trailer. Xanthoria posted a link to the Equi-Tech trailers from the UK, which are now available here in the US. Someone in the LA area has one of the little vans. I’ve seen it on the road around Thousand Oaks. Nice weight and specs.

[Texarkana]

FWIW, a lot of horses do not like backing off straight loads without ramps. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of horses are fine with it… but you might want to try it with your horse first. I know with my bad luck, I’d buy one and my horses would say, “nope.” :lol:

I’ve personally cannot recall a situation in my entire life where I couldn’t put the ramp down because of space constraints or uneven ground. If the ground is THAT sloped or limited, I don’t want to be unloading my horses in that spot anyway. I don’t think you have to worry. If you are still concerned, though, some brands of trailers have quite short ramps.

I totally agree on finding a trailer with no fixed center post. IMO, that is one of the most common design flaws that makes horses reluctant to load. Even if your horse is fine with it, you never know when you’ll purchase another horse or want to trailer a friend somewhere. Plus, it reduces the versatility of your trailer if you ever want to use it for something other than horses (hay, furniture, take the lawn tractor to the shop, etc.)

I’d be wary of manger designs as well while shopping. I’ve seen mangers done well, with generously sized stalls, smooth surfaces, high visibility, and lots of head space. But the majority of manger-style trailers you see are neither welcoming nor safe in design.