Which 3 horse trailer will fit?

[Dreamwalker2012]

I am on the hunt for a 3 horse bumper pull and it seems difficult to find anything that fits my needs close by.
Right now I have a circle j bronco (2014), a sundowner 727 (2006) or charmac (2005) I could look at, each of them well over 4hrs away, in completely opposite directions. They all seem to be in excellent condition and are a similar price point.

My main concern is whether they will be big enough for my draft cross. None of them are WB height and each of the sellers seem very inapt at sending me clear measurements for the stall size of the front stall. My research is also not going anywhere.

So I was hoping that someone here can give me some more info from their own experience.
I have 3 horses and a little pony. The times we will taking them all will be rare.
But their sizes are a 16hh draft cross, not super thick but long (blanket size 81‘‘), a 16hh Tennessee Walker (not a big guy at all), 14.2hh QH, and a 10hh pony.

My other limitation is that I have a Dodge Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi for towing, so cannot do a gooseneck or extra heavy trailer. So all the trailers I’m looking at are around 4000lbs or less.

I’d love to have a little more info before I’m planning to head out several hours into any direction or get an inspection booked on any of them. Trailers sell quickly around here so sellers cannot be bothered answering all my questions in depth.
Any help and experience would be appreciated!

[NoSuchPerson]

None of them?

@Dreamwalker2012

Any help and experience would be appreciated

My experience is that no way in hell would I try to stuff those three horses (and a pony?!?) into a slant load three horse bumper pull that weights 4000 pounds empty and expect to pull it with a Ram 1500.

You’re joshin’ us, right?

[tabula_rashah]

This sounds like a whole heaping helpin’ of disasters

A) I’m leery of the stability of 3 or 4 horse BP’s. That’s just a LOT of live weight sitting on the rear end of your truck

B) no way a 1500 should be hauling all that

[NaturallyHappy]

I agree…OP, just because a truck is rated to pull certain weights does NOT mean it can manage the weight in stopping, hide winds, etc.

[theresak]

A horse wearing an 81" blanket won’t comfortably fit in a standard slant unless they have an extremely short neck. Also depending on how wide the hind end is, the width of the slots may not be wide enough.

[LCDR]

I will be the contrarian. The 5.7 liter hemi is one of the best gas powered towing engines ever made. Depending upon the year of the RAM 1500 it is in, the towing capacity of that vehicle and engine combination with the factory towing package up to 2017 is 10,600 pounds and starting in 2018 is 11,600 pounds, and if the etorque package is added it is 12,750 pounds. So the truck has plenty of horsepower and torque for a 4000 pound trailer plus another estimated 5,000 pounds of horses owned by the OP. The RAM towing package also includes a beefier axle, 3.92 gearing for towing effectiveness, and bigger brakes designed for heavy trailer towing.

As long as OP’s RAM 1500 is suitably equipped, towing and stopping a three horse BP is certainly within its capabilities. We’d all probably prefer OP go out and buy a RAM 3500 Cummins diesel dually along with the three horse BP. And heck, with that truck get a gooseneck trailer too. But lack of money is a limiting factor for all but the wealthiest of us. Let the butwhatabouts begin.

[Greys]

The Ram 1500 factory coil-over suspension really squats under heavy tongue weight; although the numbers might work out, that’s a consideration for the OP to evaluate.

greys

[NoSuchPerson]

@LCDR

So the truck has plenty of horsepower and torque for a 4000 pound trailer plus another estimated 5,000 pounds of horses owned by the OP.

The OP asked for our experience. My experience says that “on paper” virtually never matches real life driving down the road. My current F-150 with towing package could, on paper, easily tow the 2-horse bumper pull I used to own plus 2 horses. I can tell you that it was a miserable experience doing so.

[tabula_rashah]

but factory numbers aren’t talking live animal weight that can jump around in a trailer. No matter what the dealership tells you a 1500 doesn’t hold up to that kind of towing. I’ve had plenty go through my fleet as landscaping vehicles.

I know we don’t all have millions of dollars at our disposal but that doesn’t mean you do something unsafe with your horses. Get the 2 horse BP and save until you can get the appropriate truck/trailer.

[LCDR]

Does your truck have air ride suspension like this properly towing equipped RAM 1500? And were you using a weight distributing hitch?

Here’s a towing evaluation video of a RAM 5.7 hemi, equipped for towing, doing the Ike Gauntlet. TFL Trucks uses this same run for most all of the trucks it tests, so figures are comparable. Different ambient temperatures of course-hard to control for that.

I Push the 2023 Ram 1500 Hemi V8 to the Limit On The World's Toughest Towing...

[fivestrideline]

@Greys

The Ram 1500 factory coil-over suspension really squats under heavy tongue weight

Agree. And this long of a BP is going to put HELLA TW on the truck.

OP, this sounds like a no-go. In theory, with the EXACTLY RIGHT, top of the line, fully kitted 1500, you may have the sticker capacity. I can tell you that it will feel Not Great. And you will absolutely need a weight distribution hitch plus other aftermarket upgrades.

Moving on from the truck, you have other obstacles. An 81" blanket is going to be a tough fit in any standard configuration slant. One of mine is an 81", and he comes off the WB extra wide (extra long stalls) slant with butt rubs. He really doesn’t fit except in the very last stall. Which you should NOT put your big horse in with your setup.

From there, you really can’t put more horse than stalls. The pony counts and needs its own space. This isn’t shipping a pony in the +1 of a 2+1, this is risking injuries.

I would not tow this rig unless I was running from a fire. And only a short distance, at that. You need a bigger truck and trailer. Trade in the 1500 for a 2500 or 3500 and get a nice big stock combo gooseneck. You’ll find these trailers are usually cheaper than a comparable BP - you may come out even, and be able to safely haul all your animals.

@Dreamwalker2012

I am on the hunt for a 3 horse bumper pull and it seems difficult to find anything that fits my needs close by.
Right now I have a circle j bronco (2014), a sundowner 727 (2006) or charmac (2005) I could look at, each of them well over 4hrs away, in completely opposite directions. They all seem to be in excellent condition and are a similar price point.

My main concern is whether they will be big enough for my draft cross. None of them are WB height and each of the sellers seem very inapt at sending me clear measurements for the stall size of the front stall. My research is also not going anywhere.

So I was hoping that someone here can give me some more info from their own experience.
I have 3 horses and a little pony. The times we will taking them all will be rare.
But their sizes are a 16hh draft cross, not super thick but long (blanket size 81‘‘), a 16hh Tennessee Walker (not a big guy at all), 14.2hh QH, and a 10hh pony.

My other limitation is that I have a Dodge Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi for towing, so cannot do a gooseneck or extra heavy trailer. So all the trailers I’m looking at are around 4000lbs or less.

I’d love to have a little more info before I’m planning to head out several hours into any direction or get an inspection booked on any of them. Trailers sell quickly around here so sellers cannot be bothered answering all my questions in depth.
Any help and experience would be appreciated!

[fivestrideline]

The TFL guys are a fabulous resource!

[Dreamwalker2012]

I very much appreciate everyone‘s responses and information. I am new to trailering so this gives me a lot to work with. I will also find out more about my truck and its equipment before deciding anything.
I finally got some accurate measurements from one of the trailers and there is no way she will fit into the front stall… about 10inches short, not just a little bit. Even some of the WB 2H still fall short for her, when I’m looking at front stall size. She’s not that big of a girl, so I’m a little perplexed.
I may just have to look for a 2H WB with a big enough stall. Like I mentioned, the chances of me trailering all of them at once are slim… and reading all the recommendations from everyone probably even slimmer (or not at all).
It’s tough getting accurate information and it’s quite a learning curve. The information I’m receiving from even professional haulers in my circle is all over the place. It was a professional who sent me some of those trailers to consider.

[NaturallyHappy]

I’m betting most of the “don’t do it” advice here is from people who have that T-shirt. When I first started hauling 40 years ago, I bought a small Chevy truck (don’t remember which model) the dealer SWORE would be perfect for a Trailet 2 horse bumper pull as it was rated to pull the weight. In a rainstorm, the wind blew that trailer like a sail and we crossed 3 lanes of highway. I didn’t have a horse in the trailer, thankfully…you just can’t have too much truck to manage unexpected stuff.

[fivestrideline]

If you’re going for a 2H, a WB straight load should be easy to find with enough room. Standard slants are just not made for longer horses.

If you’re set on a slant, most manufacturers measure their stall length diagonally (corner to corner). This is not an accurate measure of useable space, IMO. You need a measurement of the divider when in place, or straight down the middle of the stall. You might find a 3H that works and just make the front stall a double by taking out one of the dividers, but you will need accurate measurements and weights either way. For your purposes, a wider slant load trailer is more useful than a longer one, but the key will be where the dividers are situated.

How many horses do you usually haul? A larger stock combo with a cut gate might work - you can haul a horse in each box. The issue is that most BP “stock” trailers are short and narrow - you need a big one for horses. They exist, but you really need to check specs.

@NaturallyHappy

When I first started hauling 40 years ago, I bought a small Chevy truck (don’t remember which model) the dealer SWORE would be perfect for a Trailet 2 horse bumper pull as it was rated to pull the weight. In a rainstorm, the wind blew that trailer like a sail

Yeah, don’t trust dealers is a lesson I learned too! They’re just trying to sell you a truck. Pro haulers are 50/50, I’ve seen some pros cram horses into rigs that I would NOT. They just have to move the horse once, not deal with the aftermath!

@Dreamwalker2012

I will also find out more about my truck and its equipment before deciding anything.

This will be key. The “same” truck can have wildly different capacity once you get into wheelbase and upgrades. Also, most 1500 series REQUIRE a WD hitch to hit their max tagalong towing capacity spec - this is usually buried in the manual.

[Montanas_Girl]

OP, I drive a 2020 Ram 1500 5.7 that is rated to haul 8,100 pounds. The bumper, though, is stamped for 5,000 pounds. I comfortably pull a Calico 2-horse slant stock combo with 1-2 of my horses, who are considerably smaller than yours (13.2-14.3 hand Arabians, weighing 950-1200 pounds). I believe the length on my trailer is 12’, and the empty weight is 2500 pounds. I would not be comfortable pulling anything heavier or, especially, longer, with this truck. Bumper pulls much longer than 14-15’ make me nervous in general, especially with live loads involved.

My ponies fit comfortably in the slants lengthwise, but the width of the front stall is snug on my super wide 14 hand Arab/QH cross. I cannot imagine trying to put draft crosses in this trailer or one like it.

[Texarkana]

I also have a Ram 1500 with a 5.7 hemi. It’s a 2015 model. It’s rated for around 8300lb IIRC, but the rating is highly variable based on your wheelbase, differential, transmisstion, and other specs. You can look the exact number up online in one of Ram’s towing charts: https://www.murrayjeepram.ca/blog/ram-towing-charts/

I feel very comfortable towing my 2H stock slant combo with 2 average sized horses. I’m not sure I’d want to do much more than that, though.

Also, my 16.1H, size 81" blanket mare does not fit in slants unless they are truly oversized (7’+ width). My slant is narrow and I pull the divider out for her and use the full box. I’m not sure if you’re going to find a 3h slant that can accomodate three horses at once when two of them are 16h+ unless it is extra wide. I would definitely ask about the trailer width; standard width tends to be around 6’8".