WB size bumper pull trailer options

[hokie98]

I need to start trailer shopping. I currently have an oldie (but goodie) - ‘87 Kingston with dressing room that is in very good shape. However, it’s only 7’ tall, which worked perfectly fine for my previous ~15.3h QH. But this summer I sold him and bought a new guy, who will be 4 in a couple of weeks, and is around 16.3h, and wears an 81 in Rambo and 84 in Schneiders. He’s also a QH, so while I hope he’d done growing vertically, it’s possible he’s not, but it’s likely he’ll get a little more body. He fits in my Kingston, but doesn’t have much room. I plan to show him and will likely be hauling him 4-8 hours to shows approximately 6 times over the year (i.e. not every weekend). Towing with an Excursion (V10), so need to keep with a bumper pull. A decent size dressing room for all the tack & gear needed for multi-day shows is an absolute must. 95% of the time I’ll be just hauling him, but I do have a friend with a warmblood-ish size QH - not quite as tall, but built like a complete tank that I may need to also haul to shows from time to time. Initially I thought I wanted a slant load, but at this point, am pretty certain he’s too long to fit comfortably in a slant.

I’ve been reading and researching a fair amount the last few days. I know I need at minimum 7’6" in height, and 7’8" may be even better for him. I MUCH prefer to buy used and save some $$$, but not opposed to new for the right price, and I much rather buy a used higher end trailer for the same price as I would pay for a brand new lower quality one. So far, I like the sounds of Hawk, Equispirit, Merhow & Adams. Are there any other brands worth considering? Kingston (I have no complaints about mine - except for the size)? What’s the groups opinion on height for a 16.3-ish horse? I see some brands (Hawk & Equispirit for instance) have 7’8" models, but seems harder to find that height in other brands. Their “WB” size models are 7’6". And thoughts on what appears to be a well cared for (recently painted/renovated) 20 year old Equispirit - there is one near me for sale - are there reasons to bypass a trailer that age? Any other advice?

[Training_Cupid]

I’d also consider Sundowner, Featherlite, and 4-Star.

[Highflyer]

I don’t think you NEED a 7’8 trailer instead of a 7’6 for a 16.3 horse. If you had a 18.2 draft horse, yes I would 100 percent go for the extra inches, but my mom’s 17.2 WB has zero issues in a 7’6 trailer and seems to have plenty of room.

[hokie98]

@Highflyer

I don’t think you NEED a 7’8 trailer instead of a 7’6 for a 16.3 horse. If you had a 18.2 draft horse, yes I would 100 percent go for the extra inches, but my mom’s 17.2 WB has zero issues in a 7’6 trailer and seems to have plenty of room.

That’s exactly what I was wondering. The Equispirit website says 16.3h is on the verge of needing to go to 7’8", BUT I know there are alot of 17+ hands that probably aren’t riding in that height since they seem harder to come by. Thanks for the advice.

[Smiles]

I had a featherlite 2 horse that was great for towing but was a little on the small size for my bigger horses so I bought a w.b size 4star. My one gelding is 17h and fits no problem. Love 4stars they hold their value and are worth their price.

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

Hawk trailers are large enough for warmbloods and are great.

[moving_to_dc]

I would be more concerned about interior WIDTH than height…

Make sure to measure (or ask) the INTERIOR width. A lot of people/salesmen misrepresent the trailers by listing the width from outside fender edge to outside fender edge.

6’9" (often called 7’) should be plenty wide, but you might be able to find a 7’3" or wider interior (often called 8’) but at that width, you WILL have interior wheel wells to deal with, which some people don’t like.

[Foxglove]

For what it’s worth, I hauled my 18.2, 2100 pound draft horse in an EquiSprit for years --along with his 18 hh OTTB buddies --two horse straight load --it was wide enough and tall enough. It was a 7. 6. Here’s a suggestion when buying --I made a list of “must haves” for my (first and only) new trailer I ever bought. My husband who was in the RV business called directly Merhow and EquiSpirit factories. January is the best time to buy a trailer FYI --some factories are at a stand still because they have filled all last year’s orders and are still waiting on this year’s orders since most people are not ordering trailers in January. DH gave the list of must haves to the salesman at each factory and was given an itemized quote --I looked it over and made a few changes (ramp was one option I was willing to forgo). Husband then went back and began to do what he does best --negotiate! He told Merhow what EquiSpirit offered, and said stuff like, “If I pay cash and pick up at the factory can you come lower? Wife really wants a Merhow, but EquiSpirit is $1K less for the same trailer.” Then he took Merhow’s bottom line offer and called EquiSpirit —finally when neither one would go lower, he started asking for add on items —would they give us extra hay bags? The bigger windows? The thicker mats? How about an upgrade to the wider trailer --and so on. Eventually (and DH is the master of negotiation, that’s how he made his living for years) —we had a brand new EquiSpirit Over Sized (listed for $15 K) for (drum roll) $8K! With extra hay bags and one foot longer dressing room. It was a great trailer --drove it for years then sold it to my daughter. When she sold it 10 years later, she got $8K —but we kept it in great condition. DH said the factory probably had one either “on the line” or “sitting in inventory” that they wanted to move —anyway, lucky for US!

I currently have a Merhow (having had a Lakota). Of the four trailers I have personally owned, Bison, EquiSpririt, Lakota, and Merhow --the Merhow is the best made trailer --things like welds, rivets, finished edges --all better on a Merhow, but do agree 4 Star is top --along with Hart.

On important aspect of buying any trailer is warranty if new and/or ease of repair of parts and access to replacement of parts if used. If the trailer is new, get and read that warranty! Make sure you have a place near you that can repair authorized by the factory --you do not want to haul from TX to IN to have the factory repair something! EquiSpirit had a great warranty and were easy to deal with. Lakota’s were the same. Bison, not so much --hard to reach (but this was years ago, might be better now --and have changed owners). Merhow ROCKS! I have a 2004 Merhow (fully restored --top of the line, beautiful trailer inside and out) --Merhow has gone above and beyond to help my restoration --even sent me a new key FOR FREE from 13 years ago --provided hubcaps, drip guards, and new hay bags --but then I live 5 miles from the factory! FYI I live 8 miles from Bison’s factory, 3 miles from Lakota’s factory, and Hoosier Horse Trailers’ factory.

[hokie98]

@Foxglove

For what it’s worth, I hauled my 18.2, 2100 pound draft horse in an EquiSprit for years --along with his 18 hh OTTB buddies --two horse straight load --it was wide enough and tall enough. It was a 7. 6. Here’s a suggestion when buying --I made a list of “must haves” for my (first and only) new trailer I ever bought. My husband who was in the RV business called directly Merhow and EquiSpirit factories. January is the best time to buy a trailer FYI --some factories are at a stand still because they have filled all last year’s orders and are still waiting on this year’s orders since most people are not ordering trailers in January. DH gave the list of must haves to the salesman at each factory and was given an itemized quote --I looked it over and made a few changes (ramp was one option I was willing to forgo). Husband then went back and began to do what he does best --negotiate! He told Merhow what EquiSpirit offered, and said stuff like, “If I pay cash and pick up at the factory can you come lower? Wife really wants a Merhow, but EquiSpirit is $1K less for the same trailer.” Then he took Merhow’s bottom line offer and called EquiSpirit —finally when neither one would go lower, he started asking for add on items —would they give us extra hay bags? The bigger windows? The thicker mats? How about an upgrade to the wider trailer --and so on. Eventually (and DH is the master of negotiation, that’s how he made his living for years) —we had a brand new EquiSpirit Over Sized (listed for $15 K) for (drum roll) $8K! With extra hay bags and one foot longer dressing room. It was a great trailer --drove it for years then sold it to my daughter. When she sold it 10 years later, she got $8K —but we kept it in great condition. DH said the factory probably had one either “on the line” or “sitting in inventory” that they wanted to move —anyway, lucky for US!

I currently have a Merhow (having had a Lakota). Of the four trailers I have personally owned, Bison, EquiSpririt, Lakota, and Merhow --the Merhow is the best made trailer --things like welds, rivets, finished edges --all better on a Merhow, but do agree 4 Star is top --along with Hart.

On important aspect of buying any trailer is warranty if new and/or ease of repair of parts and access to replacement of parts if used. If the trailer is new, get and read that warranty! Make sure you have a place near you that can repair authorized by the factory --you do not want to haul from TX to IN to have the factory repair something! EquiSpirit had a great warranty and were easy to deal with. Lakota’s were the same. Bison, not so much --hard to reach (but this was years ago, might be better now --and have changed owners). Merhow ROCKS! I have a 2004 Merhow (fully restored --top of the line, beautiful trailer inside and out) --Merhow has gone above and beyond to help my restoration --even sent me a new key FOR FREE from 13 years ago --provided hubcaps, drip guards, and new hay bags --but then I live 5 miles from the factory! FYI I live 8 miles from Bison’s factory, 3 miles from Lakota’s factory, and Hoosier Horse Trailers’ factory.

WOW!!! Can I pay you a commission to buy me a trailer?! Just kidding… But really interesting. Ironically, I’m not too far from EquiSpirit (few hours), but we have a local Merhow dealer, who just came back from a Merhow “convention” - think she’s #3 dealer in the country. I know quite a few people that have bought Merhow LQ trailers from her and they all rave about them. Of course I kick myself now b/c the woman from whom I bought my horse (she was pregnant, getting out of horses for a bit), sold her 10 yr old WB size EquiSpirit right after I bought the horse, for $8500 - which now I’ve come to determine was a really nice price! Should have made her a package offer!

Thanks for the advice on this being “the” month for buying - maybe someone is willing to make a deal.

[Foxglove]

hokie98 --I hesitate to post this in modern times, but if you are a woman, see if you can find a male --dad, husband, b/f to handle your negotiation --and do plan to negotiate --it is expected and even if it saves you nothing, it is free to do! But back to my “find a male” --DH says there is research that shows men buying cars get a better price by $500 than women for the same vehicle --and it didn’t matter if the seller was a man or a woman. The second reason to have “someone else” involved is it keeps you from taking things personally. When some salesman tells DH, “That’s a ridiculously low offer. Are you an idiot to offer that? are you crazy” --he doesn’t care. Heard it before. Me? I’d feel ashamed and probably start apologizing. Secondly, DH doesn’t care if he sounds “cheap.” --“What? we’re negotiating over a $25 hay bag?” --yep, and DH wants four of them added in for free, and please put on extra grommets to tie horses on the outside, and can we have another exterior light? --remember the factories have to pay their workers even if they are sitting around doing nothing. They might as well build you a trailer at cost and make nothing than pay those guys --or worse, have a January Lay Off and everyone leaves to find a better job!

Again, I’d be ashamed to even ask for more, more, more. Oh --and if you are buying new --insist they give you a container (sealed) of the paint used on the trailer --you will never regret that!

[2DogsFarm]

@hokie98 Have you considered a stock trailer?
I’m finding myself really happy with my present 16’ stock after having 2H BP straightload, 2H Slant GN (2 of them) & finally the stock.
No need for a dressing room - if I’m hauling just one the center gate creates the space needed: for my cart if I’m driving or tack & feed if hauling a riding horse.
In a pinch all 3 of mine can get in < 16H TWH, 13H Hackney & 34" mini.
I haul with an SUV also, so stock is a BP - getting into & out of the truckbed to hitch the GNs was becoming a PITA.

I had a 17H+ WB and he hauled in the GNs, but only comfortably if he was by himself & I tied back the slant partition.
He fit if I had to haul 2, but just. Both were 7’6" high and height was not the problem, it was stall space.

@Foxglove May I borrow your DH for my next vehicle purchase?
My Dad had the same methodology - once walked out of a dealership with salesman trailing after…, but he’s gone.
Although… when I traded the last GN for the stock I managed to get them to knock off $500 as some of the floor boards needed replacing & add in a new jack gratis since the one on it was dented.
Maybe I have higher testosterone levels than I imagined?

,

[hokie98]

@Foxglove

hokie98 --I hesitate to post this in modern times, but if you are a woman, see if you can find a male --dad, husband, b/f to handle your negotiation --and do plan to negotiate --it is expected and even if it saves you nothing, it is free to do! But back to my “find a male” --DH says there is research that shows men buying cars get a better price by $500 than women for the same vehicle --and it didn’t matter if the seller was a man or a woman. The second reason to have “someone else” involved is it keeps you from taking things personally. When some salesman tells DH, “That’s a ridiculously low offer. Are you an idiot to offer that? are you crazy” --he doesn’t care. Heard it before. Me? I’d feel ashamed and probably start apologizing. Secondly, DH doesn’t care if he sounds “cheap.” --“What? we’re negotiating over a $25 hay bag?” --yep, and DH wants four of them added in for free, and please put on extra grommets to tie horses on the outside, and can we have another exterior light? --remember the factories have to pay their workers even if they are sitting around doing nothing. They might as well build you a trailer at cost and make nothing than pay those guys --or worse, have a January Lay Off and everyone leaves to find a better job!

Again, I’d be ashamed to even ask for more, more, more. Oh --and if you are buying new --insist they give you a container (sealed) of the paint used on the trailer --you will never regret that!

It’s funny, because my DH is the SE sales manager for a large nationally wholesale company. BUT…we’re awful when we go to driving a hard bargain on personal purchases b/c we have already decided we want XYZ and will throw out an offer and take whatever sticks. But in this case, we may be better off b/c DH knows little to nothing about horse trailer specs. So he certainly won’t take it personally b/c in his mind, he’s just trying to negotiate the price of a “widget”. Thanks again for your advice.

[ake987]

I bought a 2017 Exiss 722 straight load BP in September - it is 2,760lbs all-aluminum, 7’8" in height, with 36" wide stalls. The dressing room door is on the nose, which helps to keep the overall length and weight down, and I was truly astonished at how large it actually was once I set foot inside, in person. Plenty of room for away shows.

I am loving it so far. Here is a link to an identical version of what I bought: http://www.double-j.com/2017-exiss-trailers-722-straight-load-78-tall-7-wide-125-long-horse-trailer-xgjc.html

[hokie98]

Thanks @ake987 - that does look roomy! Plus that’s really light! I think I prefer that door placement to being on the side. I know the dressing room doors are on the “street side”, but I really wish more dressing room doors were on the drivers side - would be much more convenient, IMO.