How many horses are you planning on hauling? Kansas Taxes will be a bunch cheaper if you go with a 12 foot stock type trailer instead of going to 16'. Also, I would recommend getting removeable plexi-panels if you go the stock route. You will want to enclose the trailer in the winter to keep rain and snow from getting inside the trailer. What dealer are you going to?

I prefer slant load so I can push the dividers against the wall to haul mare and foals, or other items like furniture. Can't do that too easily with a straight load. I would recommend at least 6'9 or 7' foot wide and 7' tall.

We've owned in order, a 2H BP straight load, a 4H BP straight load, a 3H BP stock/ combo slant load, and now two 3H GN slant loads. By far the most useful hauler was the 3H BP. We kept it about 15 years, and towed it behind three different vehicles. It's 7' wide, 7' high and 18' long open floor plan and ability to adapt to any load situation was welcomed. With a wide open one piece tail gate, any horse would load. With both a moveable and removable forward bulkhead, the dressing area could be utilized as part of the main load. The stall dividers could be also removed as needed.

It was the most versatile trailer we've owned, and there are many times I wish we still had it. We have our present trailers because of the comfortable amenities they afford. However, they are unable to haul anything other than horses, as well as the stock trailer.

Every trailer's ownership will involve some compromises. You will have to determine what you want from it, and find the one in which you will have to give up the least of your goals.

BOL  Gard

Thanks to all for your posts.  I'm anxious to see all the trailers, but I also know I'm going to get all "giddy" and, of course, I'll want the most expensive one!  :o) 

Ponytammy, thanks for pointing out taxes in KS...I hadn't even thought about that.  I did, however, call the Miami County Appraiser's office & they said they only go by model year, year of purchase & cost...so size really doesn't matter!  ;o)   

We are planning to go to Cooper Trailer this Saturday (tomorrow).  If we have time we'll spin by Holton too, but Cooper has a much greater selection nearer our price range than Holton, and we may not have time to go to both.

I called Cooper the other day & they had one used trailer that was going to be around $2,000...but it's only 5' wide.  The vast majority of the time I'll only be hauling one horse, occasionally two horses, and I'm sure there will be a rare case when I'll wish I could haul three, but that won't happen enough to buy a 3 horse for much more money.  My husband mentioned the other night that if we can get this as a "starter" trailer, when the time comes to get me a new truck we can look into a new trailer then too.  We'll definitely get a truck w/a gooseneck hitch next time too, just so we have more options.

Thanks again for all the help!  If anyone thinks of anything else, please feel free to offer it up.  I'll post again tomorrow night & let you all know what happened at the dealership.  :o)

Kim

Thanks for the tips on the 5' trailers, as well as the Cherokee brand.  The place we're going tomorrow seems to have all Calico in our price range.  If anyone is interested, here's a link to the ones we're going to look at.  The top five are within the realm of possiblity if we can finance part of it...the WW is the 5' wide one.  http://coopertrailers.net/trailers.asp?SRT1=C_price  I think I could be happy with the cheapest one, but I'd really like a tack area, so that bumps us up to the slant loads.  :o/  We'll see...supposedly they have a few used ones that are not on their site too, and we can always come home with nothing & then watch the paper & CraigsList.

Kim

A word of caution on the entry level trailers;  Some times they try to save cost by putting brakes on only one axle.  You WANT brakes on both axles, saftey is not where to try and save a dollar. 

Brakes can usually be added to the idler axle for about $200 plus labor.

Good luck.

Edit, coming "home with nothing" the first few times is usually a good thing.

Yes, the brakes basically just bolt on and the idler hub is replaced with brake drum. 

Just make sure whoever does it upgrades the brake wire if necessary.  Single axle brakes often come with 16 gauge wire which is not sufficient for the 12 amps drawn by 4 brakes.

Stock type trailers come in an assortment of HEIGHTS.  You want a 6'9" or taller.  7' or 7'6" is really great. less head bumping!!  but not typical of stocks.

ANOTHER thing to ask about is galvaneal steel versus untreated. Galvaneal will hold up much better. If you have bad winter weather, you WANT the slat covers. Otherwise, all the rain and snow comes in and will rot your floor. You can't tarp, because the tarp will rub the paint off. You CAN buy special trailer covers though that will NOT rub the paint. Look in ValleyVet catalogs or online. They sell trailer covers.

No. I didn't double my tow capacity with a GN, but I think I doubled my SAFETY factor.  The tow capacity of the trucks are based on engine, frame, length, and rear axle ratio. 4WD decreases tow capacity because it adds weight to the tow vehicle. Also tow vehicle payload affects how much you can tow. There are charts available. But with a 2500 pound trailer and 2500 pounds of horses and tack, you should be okay.

If you get weight distribution hitch, you can tow as much from the frame receiver or more than a GN. Your receiver should show another set of numbers .. .weight carrying or something like that. 

With the GN, the problem is lack of payload. The stupid trucks can tow lots, but they have NO PAYLOAD... grrrrr...  So that's what limits me. 

Can't help you with the 4WD thing. I think it was the new body styles... 2004.. that they had trouble. You can STILL check at your dealership about a Tech Update. What happened with my 2004 (under warranty) was that there was an opening that allowed snow to get in someplace and the truck only went in 4wd - 4WD would not disengage. Then, that melted and then froze. The dealership near me was the place that made a fix and then submitted it as a engineering upgrade. They basically made some kind of flap.

I have an 06 now. better than the 04. I'll wait for the 2010s next. I hope.

How tall are you horses? 6'6" is the old standard for trailers. 7' tall is better for resale and less likely to scalp a horses head (been there). Also, the County only told you half the story on the taxes. The combined weight of your truck and trailer is what you pay taxes on for the tag in addition to the value of the trailer. This is in addition to the sales tax you will pay. I just paid taxes on my 3-horse gooseneck and about fell out of the chair with the cost!! Also if the title states stock trailer/ versus horse you should be able to pay less taxes if you have other livestock and can claim the trailer is used for ag use. However, You can claim ag use on a "horse" trailer if you have a horse business (not LQ trailers though).

Have you seen this trailer listing? Having removable plexi-glass is nice when hauling in cooler weather. Never heard of the brand, but it looks comparable to the brands you looked at today. http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=189648. Having the aluminum bright guard plates helps with rock dings in areas prone to paint chips which is what causes points of rust areas. With only hauling one horse I wouldn't be too concerned with the 6 foot width. But once again, a little wider is better for resale.

Did you price an Avalanche Titan trailer? This maybe more of what you are looking for. It is 7 foot tall and has plexi-glass panels along with the aluminum bright tread.

I've had a Titan Renegade gooseneck and it was a functional trailer. Galveneal is better than just regular auto paint, but it will still rust in this area. I do not like Titans dividers - I had difficulty getting them to extend out. My friend does too. And no they were not bent-Just a bad design for long term use in my opinion.

Are you set on a stock type trailer or do you want an actual horse trailer with dressing room? If you want an actual horse trailer that has dressing room and drops on the head I'd keep looking for a nice used trailer. A few months ago I sold a 2006 Trailswest 2-horse slant BP for $5500. I sold it because I didn't care for the single wide back door. That is something else to think about. Do you want a back tack in addition to the Dressing room? I find it easier to put tack away in the back tack versus dressing room - you don't have to step up with a saddle to put it away... I'm short and small so anything to make my life easier!

There are nice used trailers out there, and with Spring approaching there will more will be on the marker- just have to be fast in going to look at them. :) Make your want list with must haves then go out and look at all types of trailers. Horsefest in Springfield is a great place to look at trailer brands. Last year there was a bunch of stock and horse BPs there. Good luck.

Our horses range from 14 to 15.2 hh...QHs.  Not TOO tall & we've not had a problem so far w/our 6'6" trailer...knock on wood.  :o/  That's very frustrating if MiCo gave us incomplete information!  I asked specifically if those were the only criteria in determining the taxes, and she kept repeating that it was only model year, year of purchase & cost.  I even gave her all that info on one of the trailers we were looking at & she figured up the taxes for me...just to give me an idea of what I might have to pay.  I'll call them back & specifically ask about the combined weight & try to get this figured out.  Thanks for you help.

I had seen that ad for the trailer in Shawnee.  Our original thought was that if we were going to spend that much we'd buy from a reputable dealer.  I could get that Titan Challenger for less than what this lady is selling for.  To be perfectly honest, our heads are just spinning with all the options.  We started out wanting to spend $1,500 to get a basic, safe, used trailer...and now we're looking at brand new trailers nearing $5,000 or more.  sigh. 

I honestly don't have a preference right now as to the style...I can understand pros & cons of each.  We have been using an old two horse straight load for the past few years and it's worked out fine for us, but I dont' feel safe with it anymore, so I want a better one NOW.  :o)  My problem is that what I WANT & what I really NEED are varying drastically, and I think we need to just take a step back & think for a while about whether we need to get a cheaper trailer that will get us through for a couple of years until we can plan for a new trailer, or whether we'd be better off splurging & getting a nice, new (or nearly new) trailer that should last us many years. 

If we had the money to do it, we'd buy a new truck & a much nicer trailer w/all the options...but that just won't happen for a while.  We have too many other things that need to take  priority over that, and also, in this economy it's kinda scary to spend a ton on a great trailer...which, in reality, is not an absolute necessity.  There are very few instances that we HAVE to haul a horse...but I sure would LIKE to be able to do more things with the horses & I have to have a trailer that I feel safe in.  sigh.

Maybe I just need to sleep on this for a week or so & try to clear my head...then think about it again when I'm not so overwhelmed.  :o)

It's late now, so I'm definitely going to sleep on it tonight.  :o)  Thanks for all the info & help.  Let me mull this all around & have a few more discussions with hubby & I'm sure I'll be back to ask more questions soon!  :o)

Thanks so much!
Kim

Unfortunately, it seems you ALWAYS end up spending more than you had planned for.  Even though you have small horses, now, you never know when that 16.2hh fella walks into your life and if you think you might ever want to sell it, 6'6" is going to be hard to sell.  There are just too many big horses out there and they seem to be increasing.  I do have large horses and I thought my 7' tall trailer would be fine, until I got my horse into it.  She's fine as long as she is behaving (fortunately, she usually does), but she's spooked backing out a couple times and banged her head.  She, now, always wears a head bumper, even though she hasn't bumped her head in a long time.  My "next" trailer will have to be over 7 feet.

Since, you already have "basic transportation", take your time and you will eventually find just what you are looking for.  I've seen a few on here and on Craigslist recently that look like they would have served me well and for about what I ended up spending or even less. 

Yes so many options! That is why I love trailer shopping. :) I'd rather look at trailers than go to the mall!!

Think of the Challenger as a true stock type trailer mainly built for cattle use. The other trailers with the removeable plexi-glass are more of a stock combo trailer. Sounds like you need just a basic stock combo trailer for occasionally hauling. If you can afford it, I'd go with nicely used or new. Less headaches and less money in the long run for an older trailer that may require floor repairs, wiring issues, and old tires that will need replaced. You can easily find a newer trailer for under 5K. Just be patient a few more weeks and the trailers will start popping out of the wood work around here as the weather warms up.

You shouldn't have an issue with the combined weight for a 12 or 16 foot trailer. Just thought I'd mention it in case you splurged and ended up buying a gooseneck.  I had to go from a 8M Tag to a 12M tag - went from the BP to the gooseneck. And boy did the taxes jump along with the insurance. But I am happy now... at least until I get the itch to complete the DR into a small LQ like my other trailer had. Gotta find out if we even have jobs at the end of the month before I even go down that adventure. Or both trailers may be for sale. :( This is a scary economy, but it is a buyers advantage right now. Happy Trailer shopping - This is the fun part, enjoy it.

I am particular to CM's. THey build a solid trailer. We bought one over the net at http://www.oklahomatrailersales.com/ sight unseen. Had it delivered to Alb,NM. They were great to deal with. They sell other brands. I now have a 05 CM Legacy. I will buy CM's in a heartbeat.

azgrulla

PonyTammy ... on the Titan dividers... are you flipping the little tab on the bottom rail to get the divider to slide?  I spray lube mine. It's an 04 that I bought in 04 and I've not had trouble with the divider at all.  I have friends with Titans - other Avalanches, a Renegade and a Classic and they've not mentioned trouble.

Just wondering. 

I don't like the dividers because they are solid and the first horse can't see other horses loading. Seems to make whoever is first anxious. It also blocks air flow.  But... I'm sure there are drawbacks to barred ones too.

Mine had the little knob at the top that you had to hold up and then slide the divider out. We greased the heck out of the pin, the slider and the internal spring. To no avail, after several months the little knob would get stuck and I could barely pull the divider out. I just don't think Titan's design is functional for heavy use. My friend is having the same issue with the spring getting stuck and the bolt not extending fully to latch into the receiver hole. We haul a lot (3-4 times a week) especially from March - November. And then 1-2 times a month in the winter if the weather cooperates for trail riding.

I really like Titan trailers for their value and durability as a steel trailer, but I just wish they would look at remanufacturing the divider. Trailswest and Travalong have a much better divider set-up in my opinion.

And I agree with you on the solid divider wall. I too prefer "jail bars" to the solid. Down side is a very bossy small mare next to a big, but wimpy gelding. :) Lots of squeals.  Hee Hee

ha ha ha... sounds like where I work..

for a stock trailer, I really prefer the single, full-width door.  I use mine to haul all kinds of things besides horses, and the wide opening with no center post is a real plus.

Marla

I've enjoyed all the additional comments on the various trailer brands, options & styles.  Thanks to all who have posted.

As an update, I talked to a couple of friends today who are checking into trailers they know about to see if they might be a good fit for us.  Also, I'm checking into a trailer similar to that one Open Range 2 horse slant that is listed on HTW.  Does anyone know anything about the quaility of Open Range trailers?  Any experience or opinions to share?  Here's a link to their Web site with standard options for the trailer I'd be looking at - http://openrangetrailers.com/BUMPER.aspx .  See any red flags other than the fact that the second brake & the 3500 lb. torsion are add-ons?

Thanks!