Ah ha, so the other reason for trailer shopping is a new, taller truck. I would do some measurements to see if a new trailer, not blocked would even clear the new, taller trucks. I test drove a 2019 F350. We measured it next to my 2012 and it sat a good 5” higher. For kicks, we drove it to the barn and backed it under my LQ trailer (which is blocked). There was not much clearance at all. Needless to say, I kept the 2012, added some bells and whistles and had to add a ramp to the trailer, since the step up was too high.
WERM, electric jack, and electric awning are definitely must have. I have 3 trailers with manual awnings and NEVER used them because it was so much work and almost impossible if I was by myself, but now with an electric awning I use it constantly.
Extra loading lights are always useful. My LQ trailer has loading lights on both sides as well as the rear. I added loading lights to my stock trailer as it had none.
Upgrade your tires if possible. I run 14 ply on everything and have no regrets.
Lots of room for the horses and drop down windows are priorities for me. The drop down windows make a huge difference in terms of air flow. I have had them drop down on my head if I haven’t closed them fully. They keep the horses so much cooler in the summer heat.
I echo all of the above suggestions. I also added more electric running lights. I take the graphics off at the factory-gives more money for things I want😉
Thank you all, and keep those suggestions coming! Yes, the main reason for a new trailer is to clear my stupid truck bed. A 2019 Ram 3500. The manufacturing rep at 4 Star assured me that, starting with the 2019 trailers, they’d made an adjustment for the extra height. But I plan to take my truck to the closest dealer & hook up to their 2021 4 Star to be sure there’s really a difference.
Being older, my trailer is also only 5’10" wide, not the 6’ 10" of the new trailers. But I have a 14 hand pony, so she doesn’t care, and I’ve been able to load most horses on it with no trouble. And being a bit narrower makes it easier to park & swing through tight spaces.
I have looked into blocking my axles, and that’s not off the table, but I’ve had trouble finding someone knowledgeable near me who will take on the job.
And yes, the springs on my ramp are shot and need replacing. If I can get the axles blocked I’ll do the ramp too. I’d honestly prefer to just swap my ramp for doors & make it a step up, but I’m not going to find doors for a 1996!
My current trailer actually has most of what I want…the right # of tie hooks, plenty of room in the dressing room, back up and interior lights. It doesn’t have fans, but they’re an easy add. We don’t have carpet under the hooks in the DR, but my plan had been to attach a yoga mat there. They’re great for everything, aren’t they?
RAyers, I love your DIY ideas. I don’t do anything like your mileage. We toodle off to trail rides and hunter paces, usually a round trip of 80-200 miles. I’d love to take the round red pony to VA for hunting, but this year COVID has shot those plans out of the water.
I also add an extra foot the my dressing room and it does make a huge difference. I highly recommend it. If you go with an electric jack, make sure it can be used it manually if it is broken. I also had a door from the dressing room to the horse area and really liked it.
I’m on my second 4Star and both were ordered with the reduction in the height of the gooseneck to fit tall trucks and ride level. I don’t even know if I’ve got the right name for it. I have hauled with 3500 4WD SRW Cummins trucks and am thankful for that feature. If you are by chance ordering from Altmeyer’s, Jeff is well versed in how they deal with the tall trucks. You can see that the window in the gooseneck is not perfectly centered vertically as there is ‘less’ depth/height there. I wouldn’t get one without this feature. It’s a lovely trailer and after I wrote the check I told myself that this one is IT!!
The trailer manufacturer that made my custom trailer (and who also did trailer repair in Ocala) would absolutely not put WERM on the floors due to all the floor repairs he handled. Horses paw, horses ding the WERM, moisture gets between the WERM and the aluminum and Very Bad Things Happen. Or I should say very EXPENSIVE things happen. If it was me, and I didn’t want the hassle of dealing with mats, I’d go with rumbar, not WERM. But WERM is nice on the walls!
Things I find essential (E) and nice to have (NTH) in my trailer
werm or mats on the walls, especially where bridles hang! E
no carpet on the dressing room floor E
a shelf in the nose (bumper pull) wasted space put to good use! E
electric jack NTH unless you use a WD hitch, then it is E (hint - I added it aftermarket and it was considerably less)
lots and lots of tie rings E
double setting for butt bar (pony & horse) NTH
power outlet/camper hookup - even if you don’t have a LQ, being able to plug in is awfully nice (NTH)
insulated roof E
insulated walls NTH
Now the following things are part of my BP trailer, which is unusual because it is a bp carriage trailer, but it is hands down the best trailer I have ever shown out of, be it ridden or driven sports.
It’s a “2+1” -it’s 21’ long and has about 9’0 in front of the stud gates with a 60" side ramp. No dressing room, but that area in front of the stud gates (8x8 plus nose - trailer is 8’0 wide) is the biggest tack room I’ve ever had. It’s custom built on a 3 horse slant “frame”.
no installed fans, because they are largely useless for moving air, but I did buy a ryobi air cannon, that plugs in or goes for HOURS on batteries. I just set that down in a few feet in front of him and check or replace batteries (I have tons of ryobi batteries) as I stop for gas on long hauls. It wasn’t cheap, but so worth it, I use it at the barn, in the trailer, at shows, cooling off at the vet box. Best purchase ever (except the trailer)… but if you don’t have a lot of room in front of the horse or a way to hang it up, it may not work.
Divider on a sliding track. This is a carriage driving thing, but now that I have it, I’ll never be without it. The divider slides from side to side. I also set it up with a 65/35 “slot” and an extra set of butt/chest bars. When we go to shows, the pony gets a roomy mini box (still tied, but lots of room) and the mini stall holds my scooter perfectly. It also makes it super easy to take mats out without removing the divider.
No saddle rack - instead I have a nice rolling one that snaps to d rings on the wall. It stays there and then rolls down the ramp to our stall (dressage shows) or harness staging area. It’s so useful that I don’t even bother with a tack box any more (it can be set up with one basket, 2 saddle racks or two baskets on saddle rack)
DMK, thanks for your take on the WERM flooring. And I’m familiar with the Ryobi fan, using that aftermarket is a great idea.
My barn owner is a carriage drive, I’m going to share with him some of your ideas, especially the divider on a sliding track. I saw that pictured recently for the first time and through it was terrific!
