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New User
Posts: 3
Location: Collinwood, TN | My husband and I are wanting to upgrade a little. We're looking for a four horse GN with small living quarters (like just some cabinets and a little space. shower and all would be nice, but price could be an issue) I have searched everywhere and can't get an reccomendations on a good resonably priced trailer. We have heard some bad reviews on the Exiss trailer, but I was hoping all of you could give us some insight. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317
Location: Barnesville, Ga. | We own two Exiss trailers; but both are the Event line. We have a stock BP and a 4H LQ w/slide. We have been very happy with both trailers and use them often. Our LQ was done by Sierra and they have been very helpful with any questions we had. Universal trailer makes Exiss and they have also been a good company to deal with. I would definately recommend the Event line; I don't think the Sport is as heavy or well made trailer. | |
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Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain... | Paid for. In all seriousness...make a list of needs and wants. Then start searching from there. The best trailer for me, or in my opinion, won't be the same as the one that is best in your opinion, or best for your use. There are many different brands out there. I can't think of any that have had strictly negative comments on here. Some have had more than others, but they were probably bigger targets to begin with. Narrow down your search with your needs, wants, and the amount of money you are willing to fork out. Then start comparing the brands that work for you. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 188
Location: Kinston, NC | Hey Rachel, Sent you a private message on small LQ trailers | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 402
Location: Valentine, NE | Depends on how much you will use it. In our case, we put 20k a year on them and try to get the top of the line, best built aluminum ones (IMO-Hart, Cimmarron, Bloomer, Elite). If you just use it every so often, one with less intital investment might work better. The things that I look for are steel vs. aluminum (aluminum holds value better if used hard), drop down doors/window (welded frames or alum. extrusions), floor (sheet, wood, or integrated panels), roof (sheet or insulated panels), hinges on doors (welded or bolted on), tires (higher the load ratings ex. "G"), overall "horse friendly" (less things to catch halters on, cut themselves on, etc), rivits vs. taped on panels, etc. Most anyone can look at each brand and have a few things they would change. My biggest pet peeve, is the windows/drops---I seen too many extruded aluminum windows cause problems. Try to twist the drop windows--there is a hugh diffence on weld frame vs. extrusions..... | |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | As others have stated, there IS no best trailer. Your particular needs and circumstances differ from everyone else. Fortunately there are more good trailers being built than poor ones, so you have many choices. The best trailer is one with an adequate construction, that will reliably accomplish your travels. Depending on where you live, the climate can determine the main material choices; aluminum or steel. There are positives about each, and devotees who will claim each material is the best. If you live in a rust belt area, an aluminum trailer is longer lasting, requires less maintenance and enjoys a high resale value. Steel is a good choice for drier climates. It is less expensive to build and repair, and if properly maintained, can last decades. The hybrids, aluminum cladding over steel frames are harder to qualify. They have the looks of an aluminum, what you see is aluminum, but the hidden part is steel. In the wrong environment and if not built to the best standards, the steel can unknowingly deteriorate, leaving a structurally deficient frame. This happened a few years ago with a well known builder, Sun Downer. There are many new constructors of these trailers, and some are trying new techniques in fabrication. Only time will prove which ones are the best. The type of construction is important. I'm old school. I would rather have a sheet metal panel attached to a frame, with solid rivets and huck bolts, than hanging it on the frame with an adhesive tape. Also if these two metals are different, how long will that tape keep them separated and secured? When does the galvanic reaction become a factor? You can't directly rivet an aluminum panel to a steel framework. It's amazing how many first time posters complain about Exiss. Most have "heard" about, but few have "experienced" any problems. There are two types of Exiss, The Sport and Event. The first is a model line built to compete against the lower priced competition. It does feature an all aluminum structure at a price other brands are selling steel/aluminum. It will do a back yard competitor proud, and not hold up to a professional's grueling schedule. The Event is a middle of the road trailer, price and feature wise. It has some very competent construction features, and thousands of pleased owners, many of whom are members of this forum. It is a good value for the price, and as related in this forum, the manufacturer has stood behind its products for many years. Pictures are very valuable. Recently there was a posting of an Exiss in a roll over accident. The photos graphically illustrate the strong integrity of the Exiss construction, and how well it protected the two horses involved in the accident. http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=12348 Good luck with your search. Gard | |
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.jpg) Member
Posts: 25
| We own two Exiss trailers. One is an Event 4h w/ dressing room and the other is a 3h Sport w/ LQ. Both are nice trailers for the price. The Events are a better built trailer than the Sport, but all in all my little Sport has held up quite well. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 229
| Any place west of the Rockies, like TN, is good location for purchasing trailers. If you want to buy used, there are many top of the line brands, like 4 Star, Hart, Elite, Bloomer, Eby, and Jamco that will be available to you. I've seen some outstanding buys on partial LQ, older, top of the line trailers, like 4 Star, on Horse Trailer World. Like a previous poster mentioned, start a list of features and and note whether the feature is either required or preferred, then start looking at the adds. Print out the adds and start a file. Pretty soon you'll soon be able to both better define your specifications and understand what you can get for your money. It might take a year or so, but you will be able to recognize a deal when you see one and know quickly if it matches your requirements. | |
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Expert
Posts: 1351
Location: Decatur, Texas | The best thing to do is flip a quarter! Like everyone else said, it is hard to pick the "best" kind of trailer. Ours is a Sundowner 8010 Signature Series and if I had not got it for 1/2 price we would be in a 4 Star now. But we got lucky and found a Super Nice trailer that the LQ had NEVER been used as a repo and I could not pass it up..... The only thing I wished it had was a built in generator, would not change anyting else! Just take the time and make a list of items that you would like to have and or items you could not do without and look around. For us, our may concern was drop down windows on both sides for the horses since we are in the Texas heat and a potty that was not in the shower! | |
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New User
Posts: 3
Location: Collinwood, TN | Thanks for all the great info. We really just want to find a nice horse trailer that is going to last us for a while. We had actually found a 2000 Exiss 4H. It had a nice 6ft shortwall living quarters with roof heat and air, shower, toliet and cabinet space. It also had drop windows on head side and bus windows on butt side with a rear collapsible tack. It was in great condition and we thought it seemed to be a good deal at 17k, but got a little nervous because we had heard some bad reviews and thought some folks with more experience in the trailer industry might have some insight. We don't want to compromise quality for affordability, but we're still young and don't want to break the bank:-) So, since i think the consensus is that Exiss is a good trailer, especially the event model, any opinions on the year 2000 model. Is there still a sport and event model? Do they seem to hold up okay? I'll see if i can call the guy and find out more info. We mostly just ride every 2-3 weekends a month and usually only stay for a few (2-4)days. Any trailers that anyone would NOT reccomend? Thanks again!! | |
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Veteran
Posts: 236
Location: Little town in Pa | The only trailer with a LQ package that I would not recommend is something that is homemade. Although I am sure there are many talented tradesmen out there, you want a LQ that was designed and installed by experts. You can really get hurt or even killed by a poorly made LQ. I am of course talking about heating, cooling and plumbing. If you just want a trailer that is insulated with some cabinets, I would not be afraid of buying a homemade interior. | |
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Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain... | I agree. Stay away from any home made stuff. Simple reason is this...there are guys out there that have the knowledge to do it. And have done it. Gard has given us details on how he did an interior, as well as some others doing the same. When they post about how they did it, the knowledge is there. Now, Joe Blow from Timbuktu...who knows? Nothing against anyone that wants to do their own, it's just not for me. And you have no good way of knowing their skill level when they did it. The Exiss that you mentioned, sounds like a good place to start. Just go through, make sure it has everything that you need on it, and verify that everything works on it. Inspect the trailer closely; pull the mats and check the floor, check for broken welds, look at wear on tires, and look at overall condition. All used trailers will have wear and tear, but look for abuse. Look for the items that appear to be neglected. I would rather have a trailer with more use that has been better maintained than a lesser used trailer that has never been maintained. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 402
Location: Valentine, NE | That brings up another thought-please be sure that the LQ is RV Certified. Should have a sticker on it stating such. This means that it has been built by a licensed installer and inspected. I have heard of insurance companies refusing to insure uncertified (probably homemade) trailers. Our insurance company put a pic of the certification in our file. | |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | Our 2001 Exiss Event has done really well....It was a one owner, we bought it used, it still looked and smelled new. Everything worked, he gave us a 30 day warranty (he was the local retired pharmacist, not a dealer!) and it had the must haves......8' wide, built in generator with remote start, collapsible rear tack, hay rack, walk through door, and full length door opening at the head of the first stall...mangers and extra cabinets in the LQ, the large frig, all appliances etc. We love it still. Probably won't get another.....as this one is IT! (Agree on the RIVA certification, for safety and resale)
Edited by flyinghfarm 2009-11-12 8:51 AM
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Member
Posts: 5
Location: Bend, OR | We have sold Exiss for the last 2 years and about 10 Sport lq. They have give us much less trouble than the other brands we have handled. www.kigers.com | |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | Originally written by kmr on 2009-11-12 11:04 AM We have sold Exiss for the last 2 years and about 10 Sport lq. They have give us much less trouble than the other brands we have handled. http://www.kigers.com/ Question: What is causing the trouble? The LQ or the trailer? Are they furnished by Sierra? Thanks Gard | |
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New User
Posts: 3
Location: Collinwood, TN | Called about the trailer again and its actually a 1999 Exiss. On the model, it just says "MAX". Is this supposed to be a good model? Is it an event or sport? | |
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Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain... | Not a bad model at all. Exiss Maximum SX if I remember right. A friend of mine had a 98 or 99 model. They had no problems with theirs at all. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
Location: northeast Texas | | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
Location: northeast Texas | Ugh sorry I have a bad habit of typing in the password and hitting send, not realizing you also type the post as you sign in. What I was going to say is, I hate to be the bad guy, but I know for a a fact that Exiss had some model years that had some serious problems with serious leaking in the dressing room/living quarter areas. I know this because several friends had the leak issues with new trailers. One friend had an Exiss with finished dressing room and it leaked. They got it fixed. Later they traded it and got a nice LQ Exiss. It leaked and ruined the cabinets in the LQ. Exiss came and picked it up and had to replace part of the LQ. Later my husband and I were looking at trailers at a dealership. We walked out to a new Exiss with an unfinished 6 ft dressing room. It was raining and when we opened the door water was rushing down the back wall and had pooled all in the floor. We shut the door and walked away. A salesman was with us. These were around 2000 to 2003 year models I believe. We ended up buying a Cimarron and I recall being told Exiss had a design flaw where the wall and roof joined. We bought a new LQ this past summer and looked at an Exiss LQ, I dont remember the model, but we did not like the looks of the roof and riveting. Sorry. I know some people have them and love them. We just werent impressed with the overall quality. | |
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What is the best kind of horse trailer?
