WCC "TROTTER" Marathon or ??

[paohatch]

Hey …does anyone have an opinion about the WCC ‘Trotter’ Marathon. Kind of a multi purpose vehicle for non serious marathon drivers. I am looking at all the used models out there (german and polish makes) but see this World Class Carriage company product, presumably from China. My horses are big and strong so capable of pulling all kinds of big vehicles. Have only done some cross country and played a bit (teddybears and at Fairhill for fun). I realize that the same carriage won’t probably work for the pair and a single due to weight issues… true?

Thanks all

[butlerfamilyzoo]

I was just talking with Bob at WCC about the Pacer which is the lighter weight version of the Trotter. WCC has a good reputation.

I think it would depend on how big your horses are if it would work for both single and pair. Though from what others have told me, most likely, you wont get one marathon carriage to work both ways, regardless of the size of your horses/ponies. Too light for a pair, they’ll tear the carriage apart, too heavy for a single, it’s too hard for the single.

I would drop Bob an email or phone call. I dont know if these are from China or not, he didnt mention where they were made to me. I have been on and seen other WCC carriages and they were VERY nice, but they were the more expensive models he carries.

For your area, i dont know exactly what you are looking for but Driving Essentials would probably be your closest bigger dealer. They carry a carriage called a Red Hawk. I do not see it on their website (it IS in their catalog), but it is just like the Raptor at FEO, they have pics:
http://www.feonow.com/FEO%20Carriages.html

They start at $4500 so would be in the same price range for you. I saw one of these in person yesterday, i did not ride on it, but thought it rode quiet. It was a pony model with a 12h (guessing) pair to it. Looked pretty sharp in person and the three people on it seemed comfortable with it, size wise, etc… I do believe it’s lighter than the Trotter, though not sure what their warmblood or draft model weighs, so would it work for a large pair? I’m not sure.

I’m not a lot of help…

[goodhors]

So far as I know, the WCC stuff is made in Europe, NOT China.

The last discussion of Chinese carriages I read, had nothing good to say about them.

A multi-purpose vehicle can get you around a course, be fun on a picnic drive, drive at the show. However such carriages do have drawbacks if you decide you want to play at a higher level. Like all-purpose scissors, all-purpose fence tools, they can sorta do a job, but never as well as the specialized tool for the task. You sacrifice things so the carriage can do other things also. The lowest level driver/competitor, can make all-purpose work because they are not asking for much.

You have to decide what your main use for the vehicle will be, see if this model XXX will work for that purpose. A vehicle you can take several friends along for a picnic drive, just is not the best choice for doing a marathon course, so you plan to give up points in time, to not kill off your horses.

Big, strong horses, might be over-sized for some models. Especially the draft cross horses. Then things are out of proportion when you put horses to vehicle. Vehicle might not be strong enough if draft “leans into his work” and things will bend or break from the sheer power of horse.

There just is no single vehicle that is perfect for all uses. Think about your driving fun, then you choose what will best suit your fun times to drive.

[pegasusmom]

I have a WCC Spider Phaeton and a WCC Batmobile. They are very nice carriages, well built, and I believe they are from Poland. European for sure, most decidedly not from China. Bob has been great to work with.

[Trakehner]

I just bought a Trotter a month or so ago.

-They are made in Red China…not europe.
-They have some real quality control problems.
-Some of the “stainless” is already showing rust stains.
-One inflated tire went flat almost immediately (my Kuhnle’s tires didn’t over 4 years of use…twice the price, but quality is quality).
-Some parts of these carriages are very rough (e.g. the hole where you access the brake cylinder looks like they cut it with a Ginsu knife).

Do I regret buying it? Yep, I do.
Will I use it? Yes.
Would I sell it? In a shot.

Better used quality than new not-great-quality.

You can find these on Ebay for $3,500 or so…same carriage, different importer.

[butlerfamilyzoo]

Glad i passed on the Pacer then!

I have seen and ridden on his more expensive stuff and it is very nice, i was very impressed. But as always, you get what you pay for…

I just settled for a cart instead. I dont have the money to sink into even a quality well used carriage, and no way at present to move it off my property with a horse. So a cart will have to do.

Watch the CD-L like a hawk and act FAST if something comes up there that you want. You can get some awesome deals on there!

[goodhors]

Thanks for the location of manufacture update.

[paohatch]

Really?

Thanks for the advice all. Deep down, I really knew that used Kunhle or Kunzmann (sic)?? were still better than new, when the price of new was only $5000. It HAD to be Chinese… Yes, I have heard great things about WCC and his quality, etc. But he is the sole importer of this Trotter and Pacer model, although there is someone on EBay selling something similiar, can’t recall who ??

How about something in Canada call Dominion I (sic)? or there’s another line in Poland called Dominacz (sic)?

I’m sure I spelled everything wrong. Sorry all.

My problem is I am just messing around with my pair for now, working them only on level ground and the roads, not really driving them hill and dale/etc. Have been trying to make do with a meadowbrook -driving single but that’s only a bandage. I have a Gentleman’s Back to Back Trappe-hard rubber steel wheels covered in rubber but its kind of dainty too and don’t see going off-road with it either so … hrrrrummph!!!

I probably need to buy something which would work for the single warmblood … for now and worry about the pair vehicle later since I’m not there yet. Buy and Sell… that’s my new nickname, I fear

[butlerfamilyzoo]

LOL, i think buy and sell is everyone’s nick name when it comes to driving! It’s such a pain, but worth the effort!

Dominiaks are polish and VERY nice quality. High Hopes Farms sells them and she’s very nice when i talked with her.
http://www.highhopesfarms.com/htmldocs/carriages.html

Dominiaks usually come with a smaller price tag than most, though not 5k…

There is a Warco conversion carriage in Aiken that is heavy, suitable for big horses, that goes single and pair. The owner of that one is very nice. I think it needs some paint work, but otherwise its solid.

If you need cheaper for a pair, there is a well used Bennington derby break in Aiken too:
http://tandemhillfarm.com/Tandemhill_site/carriages.html

I dont know how he’s affiliated with WCC and the Trotter/Pacer carriages, but scroll down and it shows both the bennington and the warco i mentioned. The guy with this website was also the one driving the FEO Raptor/Red Hawk carriage i saw on Sunday, so he might have some advice on that one.

I just bought a bennington cart and i can tell the quality on it is super, i dont think i can kill it. And for 2k for that derby break, you could do a paint job at home and have something pretty fancy… It wont go single for you though.

[paohatch]

Hey … also dealing with Richard from Diamond H carriages in CA. I like the Kutzmann Sauria Full I MSF2 vehicle.

Less than $6k

Have just decided (last night!) to sell my Wedding style commercial vehicle-a white Brougham carriage- the cost of liability insurance just not worth price considering the little amount of casual business I do. Its going to auction this Monday… (Wilson’s Carriage Auction in Harrington DE). Hope to get enough to cover 1/3 of the new toy.

signed,

“Buy and Sell Pao”

[paohatch]

Ok. just an update if anyone was interested… I decided to buy new… from Pleasurethyme Carriages in Flinthill, VA… Just couldn’t find anything suitable for my big horses

[butlerfamilyzoo]

Where’s the pic? do they have a website? Don’t think I’ve come across them before.

[paohatch]

Pic?

They are Kutzmann carriages, from Poland.
[URL=“http://www.pleasurethymecarriages.com/”]
http://www.pleasurethymecarriages.com/

Pleasurethyme is the US Distributor for this manufacturer.