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Member
Posts: 21
Location: WA State | Hi,
I posted here awhile ago about my decision to go LQ or keep my current trailer and get a camper. I have decided to go the LQ/weekender route, and have been doing some internet shopping, ready to go look at actual trailers. I am mostly a trail rider, do alot of horse camping and in the future may do some shows etc - but mostly this is for camping. I am not rich, so I need a trailer that is also useable for going to my local riding trails.... so keeping the size down is important. Kids are grown, hubby doesn't ride or camp - but I have a lot of friends that I do this with so it is common for me to haul my horse plus one other.
I want to buy a good used one to save a bit of money. Finding what i am looking for readily available and hasn't been easy. I decided I am being too picky and am going to look at a used Hart even though it is bigger then I think I want.
I started out thinking that I wanted a 3H slant with the smallest of living quarters, that is open to the first stall. The first stall (with studwall) would make extra storage etc and I would make due with a rear tack even though I prefer the back to be "open" - my horse will load in and out of everything, but you know friends horses aren't always so accomodating. My reasoning on this setup is that keeps the box of the trailer to a minimum size while still having sufficient room to store hay etc and bring a friend's horse along. I have not yet found this ideal layout used locally. Maybe it isn't a common layout, maybe they get snagged before I see the ads, not sure.
I am going tomorrow to look at a used Hart that is pretty close except it has a midtack. The person didn't have measurements but I suspect that it is a bit longer then I was hoping for. The mid tack is also where the bathroom is so that leaves a little more room in the LQ area which sounds like a nice feature.
I think Hart is a good brand, but not too common here in WA state. Their asking price is in the same range as I could buy a new Bison with a weekender. i have never even heard of a Bison, and it is a several hour drive to go look at one so I haven't checked the quality - not like I really know how to check quality anyway. Since i am not an expert, especially on the LQ part, I am cautious about a brand that I don't have any reference point for.
So, I am hoping for some advice here from those that have traveled this path before me - what is the absolute maximum length you would go for considering you want flexibility to use this trailer for just local hauls too? Is a 10 year old Hart (appears to be in outstanding shape, hasn't been used too hard and stored under cover) really worth the same price as a new Bison with similiar features?
Hart has something called air ride suspension - what does that mean exactly? My current little 2H BP is a Logan Edge with Torsion axles and I think it travels really well. The seller of the Hart tells me it pulls very nice - easy ride for the horses...
So I know that brand name discussions are always.. contentious, but i have to ask this. I few months back I found a promising looking Exiss, but EVERYBODY I know here locally told me to pass. I guess the story of the horse that popped his head through the ceiling of an Exiss just sticks in people's minds and now I guess they have me nervous to even consider the brand. Of course each region has certain brands that are more common then others. I am in the Pacific Northwest so we tend to see alot of Trails West, Logans, Featherlight, Sundowner etc. Many of the new and newer LQ/weekenders are just way out of my price range and frankly too big for what I need and want. |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Central PA | I personally think that Hart is a very well built trailer but you do have to keep in mind the one you are looking at is 10 years old and things do go wrong with more than just structure. I am a Bison dealer all the way across the country from you in PA but I think that you will be pleasantly surprised by what you see when you look at the Bison trailer. I think it would be worth the 4 hours to take the trip to look at them. If you have any questions and need a 3rd party opinion that has NO stake in the sale of a new Bison from other dealers let me know. |
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Regular
Posts: 90
| A 10 year old Hart trailer is not old. You will be much better off with the Hart than the new Bison IMHO...Bison people don't get upset...this is MY opinion. Check the axles and such, have seller plug it in and make sure that everything works. Hart is a very well built trailer. Good luck! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430
Location: TN | I have a 2008 Hart Medallion with a weekender and absolutely love it. The quality of the trailer has been excellent and I think Hart puts a lot of thought into their trailer design and safety features. I have owner 2 Harts, 2 Elites, and a Trail-Et, and my current Hart has been the best pulling trailer I have owned. That being said, I do think you can't go wrong with an older, high quality trailer. I would make sure everything works- although that is not to say that appliances couldn't start to go bad with age. If a trailer had what I wanted and was well built and well cared for, I would not let age stop me. One of my riding buddies has a 1989 Featherlite with a DIY weekender that she bought 5 years ago and the trailer itself has held up very well. It is built like a tank and other than a few minor electrical issues, it has been trouble free. It was something that she could afford, felt comfortable pulling, and fit the needs of her horses. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA | I think you will find a LQ of any type, with three horse stalls, is going to be a relatively long trailer. If you can make a 4' shortwall, miniweekender LQ work that would be your smallest option, but a 6' shortwall weekender/LQ will be more comfortable. My minimum requirement was a separate shower and toilet area in the bathroom, and to get that the smallest shortwall length I could find was 8-9'. I did want a midtack for the storage. My trailer is 36' long with 3 stalls, midtack and 9' LQ and its far from convenient for short hauls and tight parking. So it really depends on whether you want to give up convenience in the LQ or overall trailer length. |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | You can buy a 3H SL trailer that has a separate shower and toilet in a walled bathroom, with a full galley and appliances in a 4' short wall. The over all box length will be 18', and the LOA at 25'. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430
Location: TN | I have a 4 horse with a 6 foot short wall- the bathroom has a separate toilet and shower. My trailer is 23 1/2' on the floor and again it is a 4 horse. I also have a full kitchen and a TON of cabinet space for storage. It is not too long to drag around for local rides and yet it has plenty of room for all the things we love to take with us. It is not something I would want to spend weeks in at a time but it is very comfortable for my husband and I and our 2 dogs. We have used it for up to 5 days at a time. |
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Member
Posts: 21
Location: WA State | 36' long - is that including the gooseneck? That is pretty long.
I was thinking I would like to stay under 20' long (box, not gooseneck part) but so far haven't found that used.
Originally written by gard on 2012-05-02 6:14 PM
You can buy a 3H SL trailer that has a separate shower and toilet in a walled bathroom, with a full galley and appliances in a 4' short wall. The over all box length will be 18', and the LOA at 25'.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA | 36' includes the gooseneck. I think I measured the box once and it was around 28'. |
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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Boyd, MN 56218 | You and I have been in the same boat- I am out of it right now though. I also trailer my horse alone and wanted a little more LQ than I had. I had a 4' weekender 3 horse Featherlight slant. I used the first stall as my porta-pottie room. It worked fine but I decided I wanted a little more space for myself. After a pretty decent internet search I came up with a 2 horse slant with a 10' LQ. This trailer is about 3' longer than the Featherlight. So, for just a little more length and a different floor plan I got a huge LQ. (it is huge to me anyway). I did make the decision to get a 10 year old high end trailer instead of a new less expensive trailer. I could tell by looking at the affordable new models compared to the high end model which would be best for me.Time will tell if my choice was correct. I also opted for a 7.5' wide trailer instead of the 7' Featherlight. Keep in mind there will be a difference in towing with the wider trailer.Good luck on your search and if it were me I would not rule out the Hart for it's age. Good trailers last.Jean |
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Member
Posts: 21
Location: WA State | Jean, how long is the "box" part of your trailer now with the longer LQ?
This is hard for me to know what exactly I need because right now I sleep in the back of my truck under a regular canopy and on a little sleeping platform we built so ANY LQ that i can stand up in, has heat (it can be cool in the Pacific Northwest) and have a place to go pee is a HUGE upgrade from what I have. As you can imagine, I don't get friends joining in my current sleeping arrangements, so i always think that i just need enough room for one person where I can squeeze one more person in if needed. I don't really see that I NEED a three horse, but everybody advises me that having that front stall serve double duty is a great way to go since you have the flexibility to haul 3 if you ever need to.
Right now I probably haul 60% of the time with a friends horse too and 40% of the time just me and my horse. I haul out perhaps 2X a week now that my riding horse is home on my property. Last year i only camped 2-3 times, but this year I have at least 6 trips planned, would like to do more if I have a more comfy arrangement. I don't show, but some sort of competition may be in my future. My main riding horse is 21, he is dreaming of semi-retirement as we no longer do mountain rides together. I have a wild pony I am training to drive. Then there will be a younger riding horse soon so I guess I WILL have 3 horses although I can't imagine taking them all at once anywhere! Unless we have to evacuate, but I am on high ground so hoping it never comes to that, but it still seems prudent to get a 3H if I can make it work.
Anyway, I really do appreciate everyone's input on their own experiences. I can afford to buy a decent trailer, I can afford to take care of it too. Flip side is I have kids in college, saving for retirement you know... all that stuff, so I don't want to spend foolishly on more then I will really use. Alot of the LQ type trailers i see advertised are so pricey, and for my situation that just doesn't make sense. And finally, most importantly actually, I want me and my horses to be safe and comfortable as practical and have a rig that is minimal hassle for me to manage and maintain.
There is a little part of me that wonders if I should just hang onto my bumper pull for local trail rides and not be so obsessed with finding a weekender/LQ that can do double duty.
I plan to see the Hart trailer tonight, try to get an assessment of how flexible the "OBO" is, check how long it is and go from there. |
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Veteran
Posts: 233
Location: Tennessee | I went from a BP with a porta-potty and tent to a 18' 3H GN with homemade LQ with a porta-potty to a full blown 23' 3H GN with 9' LQ. Got everything I wanted but then it was too big to pull for some of the places I day ride. So, basically I only rode when I was camping. Fast forward 3 years to the purchase of a second smaller 2H GN for day riding. All this to say, YES, if you can afford it, hang on to your BP and get the LQ you really want. |
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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Boyd, MN 56218 | I will send you a PM on my trailer experiences because I don't want to bore the group with the info. Much of it is probably trivial info anyway.Jean |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | Here are some of the things you can do with an 18' box http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=294570 http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=382702 http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=381217 http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=379562 http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=350790 |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 714
Location: Minnesota | The one we have figured out, is to go bigger the first time. Over the last 15 years we have upgraded to bigger and better 5 times and that has been expensive. I will say that most of the time we did recoup what we paid for the trailer because we did careful shopping and were able to find some pretty good deals. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 681
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas | i would go with the hart rather than a new Bison.. What you would be buying is an older quality trailer vs a new ?????.. No offense Bison owners or sellers, but in my opinion, Hart is the better trailer.. I just sold my Hart bumperpull, and even though I am buying another good quality trailer, I kinda wish I could've kept my Hart as well. |
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New User
Posts: 2
Location: Washington State | I have decided to sell my 2000 Sooner Royale 3horse living quarters trailer and I was trying to find out how to price it. It's pretty much loaded and in EXCELLENT shape, always stored under cover. It's the 7'9" wide, with an 8' short wall living quarters. I'm from Washington State (SW) also and was wondering what kind of prices you were finding...especially on the Hart you found, if you don't mind? Thanks for ANY info, Kathy Hansen. |
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Member
Posts: 21
Location: WA State | I looked at the Hart - very very nice trailer. The seller had a bunch of info wrong though. The box length is only 21', so good size however the floor plan and features aren't what I am looking for. Glad I looked because I learned alot... the journey continues. |
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Member
Posts: 21
Location: WA State | For some reason it isn't letting me send a private message... but contact me and we can discuss. i am still shopping - so you never know I might be interested!
thanks
Originally written by kdhansen on 2012-05-04 10:21 AM
I have decided to sell my 2000 Sooner Royale 3horse living quarters trailer and I was trying to find out how to price it. It's pretty much loaded and in EXCELLENT shape, always stored under cover. It's the 7'9" wide, with an 8' short wall living quarters. I'm from Washington State (SW) also and was wondering what kind of prices you were finding...especially on the Hart you found, if you don't mind? Thanks for ANY info, Kathy Hansen.
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New User
Posts: 2
Location: Washington State | I sent you a message thru your user profile...hopefully you get it. Can't figure out why mine isn't working. |
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Looking at Weekender/LQ trailer
