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Choosing between two trailers

4K views 35 replies 13 participants last post by  Chevaux 
#1 ·
I'm looking for an inexpensive horse trailer to haul my horse to local trails. I doubt any of the trips will be over an hour and a half. My tow vehicle is a 1/2 ton Dodge Ram with the 5.2L V8. The area around here is pretty flat, and my horse is around 14.2 hands. I was planning to spend around 3k. I work in an auto body shop and I know how to check floors, frame, wiring, tires, etc. Both sellers say those are in good condition on their trailers but of course I'll check those out. Assuming everything is in good condition, which trailer would you suggest? The first is a bit more than I was looking to spend but I could get the money together. The second one has a truck listed with it but obviously I wouldn't buy the truck.

2 Horse Slant w/Tack Room

Truck & Trailer
 
#4 ·
Between the two, I like the first one because it's a slant load and the storage compartment for the tack is easily accessible.
There is a big price difference though and I think the second one is just fine too for tooling around locally. I pull a two horse straight load with a half ton pick up with no trouble. My truck does have the towing package though with heavy duty coolers on it.

My horses had an issue with the straight load at first but they got used to it. They had no choice LOL

As an after thought. The other thing that I don't like about the second one is that it is black (heat absorbing) but it is well ventilated.

My first pick would be the first one unless I couldn't afford it, then the second one would just fine
 
#5 ·
The sundowner would be my pick, assuming you can afford it. It's a well known brand that holds its value. I like the set up as it gives you options (2 horse slant or big open stall if you take out the partition), and the rear door looks to be complete. It also has trailer brakes (which maybe the other does too, but doesn't mention). Also, you have a lot more room for tack and other stuff in this trailer (eg, do you haul water with you when you trail ride?).
 
#7 ·
The tiny one is fine for your small horse, but it's black which means it's going to be much hotter than the Sundowner, and what happens in the future if you should get a bigger animal?


I like the tack compartment on the Sundowner, as well as the nice side escape door. There isn't an escape door on the black one, and I won't have a trailer without one. My current trailer has two escape doors; one on each side of the trailer.


For the price, the Sundowner is the better choice simply because of the extras.
 
#11 ·
If for no other reason....the black trailer is 50 years old if "1963" is accurate age!!
It was refurbished and painted but look real close at the top rail and puckering of rust is apparent again...
I don't know of any steel anything this age not affected by rusting and decay....
At this age, well-placed bondo covers huge issues as you know working in a body shop.
It also has a center steel beam the doors secure to...that to me is a deal-breaker.
I won't buy a trailer made this way and I have easy loaders...

I am not a fan of slants myself but the Sundowner from pictures looks well kept and in nice shape.
The fact the back is not needing entry past a center bar is what swayed my mind.
A open back, whether slant or straight stall makes getting a larger {bigger rib cage} or difficult claustrophobic horse on with less stress and fight.
It also may have a insulated roof which can help with quieter ride during rainstorms and not bake the horses as bad in hot weather.
It is a taller trailer which is a safety issue for any horse if they toss their head for any reason...
Find the extra $$....this is what I would buy if these were my only choices.

Happy shopping...
:runninghorse2:...
 
#12 ·
Definitely leaning towards the Sundowner, however I've heard of the frame rust issues they had with the suncoat. Dies anyone know if the rust would be visible on close inspection or would it be hidden under the coating? Is this one of the years and models affected?
 
#13 ·
The deciding factor should be the GVW of your pickup and if it's factory equipped with a hauling package. If it doesn't have a hauling package, don't use it for hauling ----it will breakdown resulting in expensive repairs and will never be safe! It's not the distance that you haul that determines what combination of truck and trailer to have----it's the safety of the total package! Most accidents are close to home simply because that is where you drive the most.


You want a towing vehicle that can handle the worst conditions you can manage. Don't settle for anything less since your and your horse's lives may depend on that vehicle and trailer withstanding a major wreck!
 
#16 ·
I'm with the majority here -- take the Sundowner. The second one would do in a pinch as well. Further thoughts from me:

1. Height -- I suspect the Sundowner is 7ft tall and the black one may be 6'6" at most (and quite possibly 6'3" given that was the standard height for that age of trailer). 14.2 hh horses can deal nicely with the shorter height, taller ones not so much, so it is always nice to maximize one's options.

2. Brakes -- I suspect the Sundowner will have electric brakes on both sets of tires while the black one will only have one set of brakes as that, again, was pretty standard for that age of trailer.

3. Weight -- I suspect the Sundowner will probably be around 2700 lbs while the black one will be around 2300 lbs (I actually have a newer slant load and an old one that looks very similiar to the black so these guesses should be fairly close).

4. Towing vehicle -- I'm using a 3/4 ton 4x4 now and I must confess I would be hard pressed to downsize to a 1/2 ton again as its nice to have some extra power if you need it (maximizing options again) but I used to tow the old trailer (like the black one) with an older Ford half ton and it pulled it well whether there were one or two horses in it.

5. Horse loading -- Having used both a straight load and a slant load, I know that my horses prefer the current slant load and, I assume, because of this I have not had trailer loading issues to contend with.
 
#17 ·
This is my trailer, and I haul it with a 1/2 ton F150. It's a big, steel trailer, but I have the tow package and even loaded you can barely feel it behind the truck.


I absolutely LOVE the open back design as do the horses, and I'm getting ready to have the ramp turned into a door and the trailer a step up. That will finally make it perfect for me, as that ramp is heavy and I'd rather have a step up.


You absolutely can haul with a 1/2 ton, but know your vehicle's limits and never tow dangerously.
 

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#18 ·
You absolutely can haul with a 1/2 ton, but know your vehicle's limits and never tow dangerously.


It's not a matter it you can haul it, it's a matter if you stop it if the trailer brakes fail or somebody cuts you off, if the pickup can handle the load in high cross winds, if the truck can hold the road if the horses have a melt down in the trailer at 65 mph, if you have enough power to keep up with the speed the traffic is moving, if the pickup is equipped for towing so you don't ended up stranded. You have to match the pickup and trailer and that means paying attention to the GVW and what factory equipment is included.
 
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