So, we could use an LQ trailer this year or next but we don't have a wad of cash lying about. We need to finance it on some level. I just don't want to risk being upside-down or leaving too much for the bank.How do they depreciate? Say, if I spend $30k and keep it in good repair, what might it be worth in 5 years, or 10 years?I know little about financing this kind of purchase. Apparently they can be considered as second homes, deduct the interest, and even use mortgage-type loan terms. Sounds like a lot of interest cost though.Finally, how do you go about getting an accurate dry weight for a given trailer? It seems like every trailer dealer just "knows" your truck will pull it no problem. BS of course.Thanks in advance.
Posted 2014-03-01 10:43 AM (#157755 - in reply to #157744) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Location: Virginia
Definitely look around and see how much new ones cost that have the amenities that you want, so you can see for yourself how they depreciate over time. I have found that people seem to value aluminum trailers over steel for resale. The aluminum ones sell for more in the used market vs. steel with the same lq amenities. The steel ones depreciate more over time and are also cheaper at initial purchase. Aluminum trailers weigh more than steel because the solid aluminum frames have to be thicker to be strong enough, so dont be fooled by the names-- check the empty weights-- and you will see they are not really "feather light".. the trailers empty weight is shown on the trailer ID placard along with the VIN number- its mounted on the side of the trailer near the nose. I think trucks rated pulling information can be gotten from the truck dealer but Im not totally sure about that. I have a one ton Chevy Silverado diesel truck for a 3 horse trailer and it works great. You will get better fuel economy and less wear and tear on transmissions if your truck is more than you need vs. just barely adequate.Aluminum will corrode, steel will rust. either type requires checking and maintenance but once steel starts to rust through the paint you cant really stop it (repainting wont do it)(I have owned steel trailers), I traded in my steel trailers for aluminum for that reason- aluminum will look good forever if you take care of it. my likes and dislikes? I live on the east coast, so cooking outdoors is not always an option, so I like a usable kitchen- sink, stove, microwave at a minimum. I like a dining table that doesnt interfere with opening cabinets or maneuvering when its set up. you will see many LQs with couches, and a few with 2 bench seats facing each other. I prefer the bench seat style because you can leave the table set up all the time and its not in the way of anything else. the couch seats with the table set up -- you sit next to the other person rather than face them across the table to eat,(wierd) and often the table is in the way if you are cooking at the stove or trying to open cabinets! its just kind of awkward. I really like having a 6 cu. ft. refrigerator, and separate freezer. I dont have issues with ice build up in a separate freezer, and with those little 3 cu. foot fridge with the freezer inside-- ice builds up and you have to defrost it quite often which is a pain in the neck. so if you plan on staying more than one or two nights anywhere, I would want a large fridge. or plan on bringing a big ice chest to supplement. (and where to put it). I have owned trailers with separate toilets and toilets inside the shower stall, and either one works fine. You just have to wipe off the toilet and floor after showering for the toilet that is inside the shower stall, or you will be standing or sitting in water, & then track it inside the trailer when you step out. but the upside of that is that your toilet and shower stall is always spotlessly clean because you just hose it down and wipe off! LOL.If you can afford it, Id recommend getting more stalls than you have horses- I have a three horse gooseneck, and I trailer one or two horses, and use the third stall for storage, hay, etc.. much easier than trying to put it in the back of the truck bed, and then keeping it dry- or trying to put it up on the roof in a roof rack.mid tack is great (keeps saddles and bridles cleaner- no dust) as long as it doesnt make the trailer too long to maneuver! onboard generators are excellent but I have a generator bolted on the back of my truck-- its cheaper and it works fine for powering a/c and microwave. its expensive to add an air conditioner to a trailer later, so I'd definitely look for one that has it installed already if you think you need one.for a three horse trailer id definitely want an electric jack! too heavy to hand crank. for ease of loading and unloading I prefer entry door and storage/third tack door, or under manger storage doors to all be on the same side of the trailer so that I dont have to walk back and forth around the trailer when Im unloading and setting up camp. so much easier to just open a door and pull out camp table and chairs- put them up right there, pull the awning out- and youre done. my previous 3 horse trailer had the entry door on the right side (passenger side of car), and it had the 3rd stall and under manger storage on the left side. If it was raining or anything like that, I would be unloading in the rain- the awning was on the right side-. If I parked in tall grass, or mud-- walking back and forth through the mud to unload- so think about that when you look at where things will have to be stored!when shopping for a used trailer I also investigated what various parts and repairs would cost so that if I found a trailer that had "issues", or was "amost" what I wanted but not quite, I could better decide if its a "good deal" or something that I should take a pass on. good luck! -- Amy P.
Posted 2014-03-01 10:56 AM (#157757 - in reply to #157755) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Regular
Posts: 92 Location: Harrisburg, PA
Amy, thanks for the thoughts.I have a 3/4t diesel truck and it looks like need to be careful about kingpin weight and rear axle load. IIRC trailers always state the trailer weight rating, which is not the same as the actual weight. Do the dealers have that information, or do I have to take it to a scale and dismount the trailer to get a dry weight?
Posted 2014-03-01 6:20 PM (#157763 - in reply to #157757) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Location: Virginia
Hi again-- I looked at my trailer and what is on the placard on the trailer is the GVWR, not the empty weight. So I told you wrong. the Empty weight and the Gross weight ARE listed on the Trailer Registration papers. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) = The value specified as the maximum loaded weight of a single vehicle. this includes the weight of the trailer plus mats, spare tire, horses, hay, feed, supplies, etc. The GVWR of my 3 horse slant load LQ is 15,000. The Empty weight (listed on registration papers) is 9,810 pounds. If you go to different manufacturer websites and look at SPECS on their trailers you will see the different empty weight averages for different models. here is an example-- trails west trailers -- http://www.trailswesttrailers.com/living.php?mod=10&view=Specs that link takes you to their SPEC page. I hope that helps?
Posted 2014-03-01 6:33 PM (#157765 - in reply to #157744) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Location: Virginia
and our first truck trailer combo was a 3/4 ton chevy Silverado quad cab with short bed, and it was able to pull a Sundowner two horse straight load weekender LQ. The horse trailer LQ had a sink, shower with toilet in the shower, no dining table or couch (no sitting area), we set up our camp kitchen outside. We lived in CA. at the time so it worked great for us there. The truck was a little slow (about 50 mph) going up over Donner pass which was quite a long climb but it was able to do it with two big TWH horses and all our camping gear. Im sure it could handle anything out here on the east coast.
Posted 2014-03-01 6:34 PM (#157766 - in reply to #157744) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Regular
Posts: 63 Location: suffolk
we just purchased the Kiefer Built Freedom 3 gooseneck trailer, 3 horse Slant, with 8ft SW LQ.....And It has all the bells and Whistles.
this is the 2e trailer that we purchase from Blue Ridge trailers in Ruckersville, va....they are also have some trailers at the horse expo.
Posted 2014-03-01 8:35 PM (#157769 - in reply to #157766) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Regular
Posts: 92 Location: Harrisburg, PA
Originally written by Color01 on 2014-03-01 7:34 PM
we just purchased the Kiefer Built Freedom 3 gooseneck trailer, 3 horse Slant, with 8ft SW LQ.....And It has all the bells and Whistles.this is the 2e trailer that we purchase from Blue Ridge trailers in Ruckersville, va....they are also have some trailers at the horse expo.this dealer is great to work with..
Color01, this is a model we're considering. Do you know the dry weight of it? It's not on their website.David
Posted 2014-03-01 10:21 PM (#157770 - in reply to #157744) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
sometimes that dry weight is before the LQ conversion. What I trust is taking it to the scales... it has always been different than the chart or tag etc.
Posted 2014-03-02 5:28 AM (#157774 - in reply to #157769) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Regular
Posts: 63 Location: suffolk
Originally written by dgeesaman on 2014-03-01 9:35 PM
Color01, this is a model we're considering. Do you know the dry weight of it? It's not on their website.David
Posted 2014-03-02 9:44 AM (#157777 - in reply to #157770) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Regular
Posts: 92 Location: Harrisburg, PA
Originally written by flyinghfarm on 2014-03-01 11:21 PM
sometimes that dry weight is before the LQ conversion. What I trust is taking it to the scales... it has always been different than the chart or tag etc.
I think it's reasonable for the trailer dealer to have that information. Or at least a pair of pad scales so we can rig up and test per-axle weights. Honestly, it's about the only thing that a trailer salesperson can do for me.David
Posted 2014-03-02 10:34 AM (#157782 - in reply to #157770) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Regular
Posts: 78
Originally written by flyinghfarm on 2014-03-01 10:21 PM
sometimes that dry weight is before the LQ conversion. What I trust is taking it to the scales... it has always been different than the chart or tag etc.
True. My trailer is titled at 6900 pounds, but that was before the LQ were put in. Now it's closer to 11,000. Weight of truck and trailer together with no horses or gear was 19,000 (pulled it to town with the 3/4 I had at the time). That did include water and fuel, but not sure how much those items weighed. This is a 3 horse with a 14' SW, 8' wide.
Posted 2014-03-04 11:43 PM (#157832 - in reply to #157744) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Member
Posts: 11
Location: Topeka, Kansas 66542
Like anything purchased brand new a horse trailer w LQ will depreciate significantly once you take if off the lot. I have purchased 4 different trailers from Horse Trailer World. 3 had LQ's and one was a little bumper pull. Making a purchase agreement sight-unseen is always a little risky. Some people do a great job of representing what they are selling and others...well lets just say there option of good condition and mine are different. I've driven from Kansas to Texas to pick up a trailer sight-unseen and would have not had a problem walking away from the sale if I felt it was misrepresented. Just take the time to thoroughly check it out. If you have the time to drive, look at it, and then make the purchase by wiring money to their bank the next day so you can leave with the trailer, that is what I would recommend. Showing up with a check in hand for a price agreed to over the phone makes it difficult to deal with something misrepresented once you see the trailer. Just ask lots of questions over the phone. Good look. I've always loved looking and HTW is a great site with lots of good trailers to look at.
Posted 2014-05-12 3:05 PM (#159004 - in reply to #157744) Subject: RE: LQ considerations
Regular
Posts: 63 Location: suffolk
We have a 2007 Ford F250 TD crew cab...we are pulling a 3H SL, with 8ft short wall LQ....I don't have any problems with ours pulling the trailer in the mountains
LQ considerations
