Budget dictates that I’m looking at mid-2000s models. Looking for a gooseneck two horse straight load, or possibly a two horse with front ramp or a two plus one (all 7’6" height). So- which direction do I go? Looks like all seem to be in the $8k to $14k range (higher range for the two plus ones, of course). Thank you for the guidance!
I can speak to a used, mid-2000s Hawk. Straight load, 2H, BP, dressing room. I LOVE this trailer. Hauls beautifully, horses love riding and loading in it. Big dressing room, zero issues mechanically–though we (I share it with my SIL who hauls nearly weekly with it) take good care of it with regular service. We had a horse fall in it during a sudden, nearly catastrophic highway incident of sudden braking/steering out of an accident zone, and the escape door was bent. Easily fixed and back to good. (Horse was fine, thank goodness!!)
I’ve been in/around the same Hawk model in the 2H Gooseneck and loved it as well. Great, great trailers!
If you buy aluminum check the dividers for sharp edges. My friend has a HART and her horse cut its leg on the bottom of the divider.
A ramp in the front will make it more expensive. But it all depends on what you want in a trailer. I like step up trailers myself.
I’ve had two used Custom-Fabs (3H slant GN and 2H slant BP) and both were great trailers. Good quality, just not as many bells and whistles as some of the higher end brands. Right now I have a Sooner 2H BP that I love.
I wonder if the older Hawks are built better than the newer ones? I had a friend order a brand new Hawk straight load and the chest bars, divider were so flimsy and light, she had to put clips/snaps on everything since if the horse leaned on it, they came right out of the pins.
I have a used 2003 Trailers USA 2H straight load, it is a steel frame/alum skin. The divider and butt and chest bars are very heavy duty which I like. I will be getting a newer trailer next year and will likely get another one.
That’s interesting NJRider-- ours is very heavy duty, haven’t had any issues with that. We have one butt bar pin that wants to slide out of the little cable holder, but that’s pretty minor.
I have owned 3 Elites, and they are built like tanks. My current is a ‘06 3 horse LQ trailer that is well designed, with a lot of small things that contribute to horse and hauler comfort and safety. I would definitely buy another Elite.
I have a 2015 Hawk that I love. The horses really like it too. It is bright, airy, and seems very comfortable.
Before I owned my first trailer, I used to borrow a friend’s front ramp Hawk, probably a mid-2000 model. It was SO nice. Then I scraped together enough money to buy my own trailer and ended up with an Adam (also mid-2000s). The Hawk had a lot of features (like slam latches) that were way nicer than my Adam, but the Adam was mine and served me well for over 10 years.
When it was time to upgrade the Adam, I went to a dealership and looked at brand new Hawks, remembering how much I liked my friend’s trailer. And I hated them. They weren’t nearly as nice as hers had been, and as has been said, they just felt flimsy.
I ended up with a brand new Platinum Coach, mostly because when my husband looked at the welding on the less expensive trailer I was considering (River Valley) and compared it to the built-like-a-brick-shithouse PC, he couldn’t stomach the thought of my horses in it. This may be the last trailer I ever own, given how strongly it is built, and that made up for the higher price tag.
So:
1 - New Hawk trailers aren’t as nice as older ones, IMHO.
2 - Look at the construction quality of the trailer. Are the welds smooth and strong looking? Do the bits and pieces of the trailer that move, move nicely and without binding or feeling flimsy?
3 - Most important, look for a trailer, whatever the brand, that has been well maintained and is CLEAN. I bought my Adam used in 2007, and kept it for 10 years. We sold it for $500 less than what we’d paid for it because we had kept it in good condition.
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If you can find an older 4-Star go for it.
COTH has some commercial shippers who have vouched for the brand.
I’ve owned 3 myself.
1996 - bought as a demo in '96 - 2H BP straightload w/ramp
1997 2H slant GN w/LQ, 1/2-size ramp (fixed rear tack) - bought in 2009
1997 2H slant w/DR (I did not get enough use of the LQ & did not want the maintenance), stepup - bought in 2010
All were in great shape, did not show age & hauled great behind an F250.
FWIW, I now have a 16’ aluminum stock w/center gate. Stepup.
Works great for hauling my cart & mini.
In a pinch all 3 (16h horse, 13h pony & mini) will fit.
I prefer stepup over any ramp & straightload over slant.
Hydraulic or not, I find them too heavy & just one more thing to futz with before closing up the trailer. I generally haul by myself.
Fitting a big (17h) horse in the back slot of a slant can be problematical.
Bonus points as horses put their heads down getting in the stepup, so no headbonks.
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I have been considering a new Hawk trailer , does anyone out there have a late model Hawk? How do you feel about it? Should I be looking at something else?
Hello
I have been a Hawk distributer since 1997…
Frame construction has not changed, over time lighting has changed to direct ground LED and there have been some other upgrades
In no way are the trailers built today at Hawk lesser quality than in the past, just the opposite.
My suggestion to buy a horse trailer is get in, jump up and down and beat on the walls. There are no minimum standards for horse trailer framing and construction. Feel free to contact my if you have specific concerns or questions
Risa
Happy Trails Trailers .com
Balanced Ride Trailers.com
Thank you all for the advice! I ended up finding a Gore in lovely shape and in my budget, so I decided to jump on it.
