They make a good trailer, but it's more in line with a Hart, than it would be with the 4 Star. They use the FRP for the roof, some folks like it, I have had bad experiences with it leaking after some years. The people that like it, usually make a claim about it insulates the ceiling ect. The big difference in the high end trailers(4 Star, Bloomer, Elite) is those guys use a much heavier grade of aluminum for the wall studs, bottom and top rails. Now having said that, if you are hauling once or twice a month on average then those trailers will last forever, If you are hauling to 2 shows every weekend then you might want to step up to the high end trailers. I would assume that since you are asking, you are part of group 1.

After seeing your location, just look at what the pro's are hauling, look for the ones that don't have a trailer deal(as I'll pull anyones trailer if it's free), see what the pros are spending their own dollars on.

You can look for specs if you want, the extruded floor you talk about has no I-Beams as it's all integrated, that's how they claim the 6" spacing, very difficult to install holding tanks under it, so they will LQ prep the trailers buy cutting out a section and installing a flat piece of aluminum there. Also as far as the wall studs go I can send a self tapping screw into a Cimmaron, on a 4 Star you have to pre-drill the hole. I have been all over, on top of, and under, most brands of trailers I just finished a Cimmaron and it left here last week.

Nope, I'll say that Hart is the best of the manufacturers that use the FRP roof, all of the manufacturers that use the FRP roof use the same top rail, it is not near as beefy as the top rail in a 4 Star/Bloomer ect. The way the roof is attached to the top rail lends itself to leaks after some years. I have a Hart coming tomorrow for some repairs, the slideout is leaking, that softened the glue under the linolium, so I am replacing the floor covering with a laminate flooring.

If you want to tour a trailer plant,  Lakota does give of their plant in Indiana.

http://www.lakotatrailers.com/about/history.asp

Had several trailers that you have mentioned. I just purchased a '09 Cimmarron and so far so good. Went with it due to the FRP (we have lots of hail around here and skinned roofs don't do as well with hail). Put 10-15k miles a year on them and would put Cim. and Hart up against all others. The floor is another selling point to me as it is put together like a puzzle. My experience with I beam/sheeting floors is that they have a tendency to "oil can" and after a few years, they sag where the horse stands. By the way, the Bloomer dealer told me that Bloomer has the same floor as the Hart and Cim. I looked at $100k 4 Stars, and questioned how they could put cheap exposed weather stripping on the drop frames & doors, that would eventually come off. I chose Cim. over Hart due to price, removable fenders, and a few other minor features. The owner of Cim. I was told, was a manager for Hart for years. As like spouses, we all like something a little different!

Horse trailer conversions, and sell equipment. I have been upside down in just about every brand of trailer. Hart/Cimmarron included.

Here is some info for those interested.

The roof panel on Cimarron and Hart trailers is not FRP. FRP is Fiber reinforced plywood. The roof panels on current Hart and Cimarron trailers have a composite honey comb style center in a fiberglass sandwich and a special UV protective cover on the top side. It has actually proved very robust over time and is quieter and cooler than the thinner aluminum roofs.

One of the highest mileage trailers I know of is a Hart that is well past its million mile mark.

Cimarron has one of the thickest walls in the industry and probably the strongest doors I have seen.

Another bit of information: FRP, when used in the fiberglass construction industry, means fiberglass reinforced plastic, not fiberglass reinforced panels or plywood. Plastic is a generic term for the various resins used in the layups, and does not describe the core material.

The resins hold the fiberglass in a particular shape, while the fiberglass provides the layup with strength. The addition of various core materials, adds greatly to the total overall strength and rigidity of the construction.

Gard

I sure am glad to find this thread, I was going to start a new post but we'll see if I can get some advice just joining in here since the post is so recent. I am trailer shopping for a 4 horse with large tack or weekender, on the net.  Looking for used to maximize what I get for the price I spend.  The trailer will be hauled a minimum of 2,000 miles to get it home and I plan on hanging on to it for a long time so really want the right trailer!  I have been looking at ( via the net)  4 Stars, Elite, Hart ,CM Norstars, and a few C&C's.  My number one priority is durability.  I travel on lots of rough or uneven roads, live in a corrosive area ( bluff on the sea), haul 1,200-1,500lb  horses, and often get sideways rain that could find its way into a sealed coffee can! ( so dont want any leaky roof problems) :) . I have spent a lot of money  repairing my steel frame/aluminum skin current trailer and am ready for an upgrade.

I had thought I was only going to consider a Hart as I had hauled my friend's 06  4 horse and found it pulled like a dream, was quiet and was pretty impressed by the structure. A few things about it bothered me though, such as flimsy wheel wells that are so dinged up, the plastic gaurds wont stay on. The sheet metal on the siding seems quite thin compared to the mid 90  LQ Sundowners I have owned. Personally , I've seen very few Harts  in the 7' plus width, and her 6' ? " Hart stalls were just too short length for my horses. I havent ruled Hart out but am trying to do some structural comparisons between some of the others I have mentioned shopping for.  I am looking at a 04 CM Norstar and am now a little concerned about the composite roof having leakage issues. I climbed up top of my 97 Aluminum roofed Charmac and was appalled at what is considered a factory standard roof! I bet there is a case of Caulking on the upper exposed roof nuts. To it's credit though, it doesnt leak.  Have to say the 4 star's thickness and grade of aluminum used in structural support is VERY appealing as a commercial fisherman know high quality welding and heavy grade aluminum is incredibily strong and lasts forever. I am just trying to weed out fact from hype and get to the performance of these trailers.   Any input you all have to contribute I appreciate. Many Many questions I have had  , were answered and am narrowed down  to these trailers. Just feeling anxious to know as much as I can to make the right choice.

When shopping for a trailer, don't forget about Eby.  When comparing the quality of our product to that of others you will find that that our pricing and service are very competitive.  One way of sharing the confidence that Eby has in it's product is by conduction plant tours at all three of their facilities.  I am located in Ohio where the livestock trailers are manufactured.  I would be happy to personally give you a tour of the facility here.

Steve Rittenhouse

M.H. Eby, Inc.

Don't forget Platinum Coach Trailers - they are definetly top end.

According to Barrel Horse News when the interviewed the Top 15 NFR Barrel Racers four hauled a Platinum. There were also four that hauled a Bloomer but one of those was sponsored by Bloomer. If I can find the article I can tell you how many of the other trailers were in that 15.

Here are some reviews of some of those mentioned...

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/Home/contribute/Homepage/MrTruck054-06hart/hart.asp

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/contribute/Homepage/MrTruck0905/mrtruck.asp

http://horsetrailerworld.com/home/contribute/Homepage/Platinum2/platinum2.asp

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/Home/TRElite02.asp

Here is a thread about 4 Star and Hart... http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=10435

And another thread about best trailers....

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=9761

And one about Bloomer...

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=9257

Wanna Bet?

This is straight from Harts Site.

http://www.harttrailer.com/hart_difference_in_the_details.html

It's not Hart, it's the FRP I don't really like, It seems like it breaksdown after years of service and starts to leak. Now having said that, I have had to fix leaks on just about every brand of trailer, but when these start to leak they tend to be much harder to get to stop. I don't know if it is the bolts they use to hold it all together, the flexing of the joint, or what the problem is. but I'm just not a big fan of the stuff.

The people that sell them, always want to brag about insulating properties, and the ability to walk on it. It probley has about as much insulating properties as a styrofoam cup, and I don't need to walk on the roof of my trailer.

We have a similar roof design (although twice as thick) and I was not impressed with the FRP samples versus alternatives.  We opted to go with the 1" thick honeycomb with aluminum on both sides, much stronger and more insulation (and costs more).

Bartley Heath
bartley@DoubleDTrailers.com
Buy Factory Direct Aluminum Trailers at DoubleDTrailers.com

While we are quoting from Hart's site:

"All structural aluminum extrusions are 6061 alloy with T6 temper to get the most muscle per ounce, 46,000 PSI structural strength, 22% stronger than steel yet only 1/3 the weight."

I think this statement is somewhat misleading.  To me, that would mean we could build aluminum trailers that weighed 1/3 as much as steel.  We use the exact same aircraft aluminum 6061-T6.  How that statement should read is that aluminum is 1/3 the weight, so for comparing steel ounces vs alum ounces, your aluminum has to be 3 times as thick.  Needless to say, it isn't 22% stronger (per ounce) AND 1/3 the weight.  Those statements should be independant of each other. 

By the way, I think Hart builds a fantastic trailer, which is why we have designed our all aluminum trailers in similar fashion.

Bartley Heath
bartley@DoubleDTrailers.com
Buy Factory Direct Horse Trailers at DoubleDTrailers.com