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Need help finding a trailer

2K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  churumbeque 
#1 ·
I want to begin looking for a used trailer but I have no idea where to start...all I know is that I am looking for a bumper pull.

I have a 15.2hh paint that I want to haul around to local trails. Our trail buddy is a 16.2hh paint/quarter/draft and he's a pretty big guy. I'm assuming he wont fit comfortably in a standard size 2 horse trailer with another horse.

What size trailer should I be looking for (dimensions wise)? Do they make any 2 horse trailers big enough to haul that big of a horse or will I have to get something bigger?

I really have no idea to be honest...I'd love some input.
 
#2 ·
For example, I found this trailer on craigslist that I like and it is reasonably priced but I don't want to waste the persons time if it ends up being too small for my friends horse...there's no point in me buying a trailer if her horse wont fit because I wont be hauling my horse anywhere alone unless its an emergency.

These are NOT my pics. I pasted them from the ad...I don't want to post the ad just in case someone tries to buy it from under my nose (if this trailer happens to work out for me). It says the height from trailer floor to ceiling is 6ft 6inches tall. Would this be too small?



 
#3 · (Edited)
Re craigslist trailer - I do think that it is on the low side for the 16 hander. A 7 ft tall trailer would do you much better (6'6" used to be the average size back in the 80's (my first trailer that I still have but don't use is 6'6"); now 7' is the new norm). Also, I'm not keen on a solid divider as I think it does not let a horse spread its feet out more if it needs to balance itself. Now if you were just going to haul your 15 hander and removed the divider to let him stand the way he wanted, that trailer just might do. You could get it for the interim, use it for awhile and give yourself an idea of what your needs really are, then sell it on and buy another. If you decide to purchase get a mechanic sort of person (if you're not) to give it a good check out looking in particular at the condition of frame, floor boards, wiring and breaks; also take it for a test tow if you can to see how it pulls.

Re finding trailers - Many times this can be futile as there never seems to be that many good used ones and they get snapped up right away. That is why I ended up buying my second trailer new. You can check out dealerships in your area as they may have taken in one on trade. However, don't expect too much here as it seems for the two/three horse models, most people either keep their old trailers or sell them privately. Other places to look are farm papers in your area, internet sites such equine now.com.

Re other options - you might want to consider a stock trailer. They have smaller tagalongs/bumper pulls that can carry two or three horses easily. Those are about 14' long. The only thing you have to watch out for is the height as a lot of the older ones are only 6'3"; on the plus side it appears that most of the new models are now 6'6". Since stock trailers are very open, horses don't seem to mind the lower ceiling as much. Generally, if all things are in the same relative condition, you would pay more for a horse trailer than a stock trailer of the same age. I've seen brand new stock trailers in the 12' or 14' length advertised for around $5,000 where I am.

Please remember to post pictures when you get your trailer -- Good luck with the hunt and you'll love having one.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thanks for the help! I'm seriously considering the one I posted above. They are only asking $2800 and it is supposedly rebuilt from the ground up. My dad is a mechanical person (builds everything...houses, barns, cars, does electrical routing ect) so he is good with all that stuff. Its about a 2 hr drive to go look at it. My dad is very handy and will most likely be able to replace the divider.

It will only be used for local towing...maybe about an hour or 2 at the VERY longest but will mainly be used to go to local trails about 20-30 minutes away.

Would it be a bad idea to buy it? I'm thinking about calling tomorrow.
 
#5 ·
I don't think it would be such a bad buy. From what I can see from the pictures, it's obviously been repainted so hopefully they would have cleaned up any rust before they painted, the tires look decent, can't really see the floor boards but if they are bad they're pretty easy to replace. I don't know the year but I think the price might be just a little optimistic - they may have it like this as a part of their selling strategy so they may be prepared to accept a counter offer of a few hundred less.
 
#10 ·
I don't think I would pay 2800 for that trailer above even if it was totally rebuilt. I bought a trailer very similar that was totally rebuilt for $900 and I'm in Ny.

I bought my trail et for $2200 and it just needed alittle work but we decided to restore and redo the whole thing from the ground up.
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