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Regular
Posts: 97
| Hello,
I'm looking for input on the defferent widths of the trailers. All of our friends have 7 wide and sware by it for the sake of hauling panels. My husband and I generally use portable electric fence or use a tie line. I really like the extra width in an 8 wide. There are only 3 of us, but that extra foot makes a big difference. I think I would like mangers also but not in anything less than an 8 wide. So, how do you haul panels if you can't put them on the side of your trailer? Any comments would be appreciated. Thank You
Jo Anne |
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Regular
Posts: 53
Location: Belle, MO | I prefer an 8' wide trailer. Of course, I don't have to worry about pulling it (DH handles all of that - it's got to be a pretty desperate situation for him to ask me to drive)
I wouldn't go narrower than 7'6" if you are planning a LQ trailer. It gets pretty hard to get everything in a narrow trailer.
I don't know anything about the panels aspect. (We always do the electric fence route too) |
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Veteran
Posts: 212
Location: novinger, mo | I think 8' wide is the way to go, you get so much more in your trailer that way. I don't use panels any more, but when I did, the panels telescoped to fit in the extra stall of my LQ. The extra foot width adds a lot of visual space in the LQ. Less claustrophobic.
Judy |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1011
Location: Oregon | There are 3 reasons why an 8' wide are a must IMO: if you have living quarters, have mangers, or have really long horses. Be carefull with the standard size stalls and mangers. My 15.3H gelding, who wears an 81'' blanket, can not turn around in them. I never really liked panels, so I can't help you there. They just seem to be a pain to attach, take down and set up and then put away. I used to used the portable fence and now think that is a pain. Now I just high line. Since you say you generally high line or use a fence and really like the 8' wide for the extra room (which is nice), then I would go with what you want. It's your money. I haven't heard anyone say they wish they went with a smaller trailer, but bigger. I ordered my trailer with an 8' short wall, now I wish I had it with a 10' short wall...and 8' wide.
Edited by krys 2006-02-20 7:08 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 824
Location: Kansas | So here's a dumb question...the 8 wides that I have seen have all "intruded" into the stall space because of the wheel wells. Doesn't this cut down your stall space to about 7'6 anyway? |
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Member
Posts: 45
Location: Tuttle, OK | I can't help with the panels but I'll put in another vote for the 8' wide. I would never have anything less. You'd be surprised how much difference that extra foot in the LQ adds. I personally think for the horses, anything less than 8 is too small. |
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Expert
Posts: 1719
Location: PA | No, it doesn't really intrude on the space because horses' front legs are located underneath them, not under their heads. The extra space gives them extra head and neck room. I am refering to slant loads. |
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Expert
Posts: 2689
| 8 ft
NOT 8ft 6ins, there are STILL too many restricted roads.
Wheel wells limit the back half of my head to head trailer to 2 across, but 2 WIDE stalls, the front half can be re-partitioned to take 3. If the axles were set farther forwards it could become a 6 horse head to head, but then there is added risk of tail dragging on rough roads or when pasture parking.
7ft 6ins head room too - 8ft (or more) if you want lots of head space in the box over the truck, e.g. sleeper section.
Edited by Reg 2006-02-20 6:33 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
| One draw back on 8', is you can't see back of your trailer from driver seat, and on those narrow roads to the good spots you might have difficulty. |
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Expert
Posts: 1719
Location: PA | "One draw back on 8', is you can't see back of your trailer from driver seat, and on those narrow roads to the good spots you might have difficulty."Maybe I'm still tired but, HUH?? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1011
Location: Oregon | 8' wide trailers are really narrower than 7' trailers. The tires are still the same width. The only drawback on 8' trailers that I have had is putting a horse where the "shelf" is from the wheels. My horses tend to "burn" their pasterns on them, especially when they are covered with that rhino liner which is not very smooth. I just put shippping boots on his back legs. |
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Member
Posts: 23
Location: missouri | My trailer is 7'6" wide and I carry my panels in the front stall. I have been looking for a hayrack so that I can carry the panels on the roof. Finding a hayrack 7"6" wide has turned out to be near impossible. |
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Expert
Posts: 2689
| Originally written by hav2ride on 2006-02-21 9:15 AM
"One draw back on 8', is you can't see back of your trailer from driver seat, and on those narrow roads to the good spots you might have difficulty."Maybe I'm still tired but, HUH??
Yeah, what you didn't GET.
(-:
I don't need to and CAN'T see the back of my trailer when in the truck.
If it was 6ft or 3 ft wide I still wouldn't be able to see it.
When going forwards I CAN see the traler's wheels that are on the "clipping side", that is about all I need on "the narrow roads to the good spots".
When backing ?, see my other posts on that subject.
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Regular
Posts: 97
| Thank You Everyone for all your comments. There are certainly pro's and con's to the different sizes. At this point I know we don't want anything less than a 7'6. I would think all campgrounds would be able to accomodate a tie line or electric fence. I like the idea of the panels, but we have never had them so I don't know what I'm missing, if anything. They look fairly easy and quick to set up, but again I wouldn't know. I was thinking we could mount some sort of brackets at the top and carry them that way.
We do go to Love Valley NC. It's a private spot we rent up there. There is no place to run a tie line and we had deer run through the camp ground at night. I worry about them going thru the fence. I wouldn't want to wake up and find I have no horses.
To those of you carrying them in your front stall. You must be using small panels. What size are they? When doing that can you get anything else in there, such as hay, feed, grill, buckets, saddle bags etc?
As far as seeing the back of the trailer, I'm only 4'11". I sit on a cushion just to drive the truck. We have a 3h Ponderosa with a 2" SW that is 6'9 wide. WOW Right. I don't have any problems pulling that one. Of course were talking about a much bigger trialer. I'll have to review the other posts on backing. I guess I don't understand what you mean as far as seeing the back of the trailer.
Thank You Everyone Keep them coming. I absolutely love this web site. I have learned so many things about horse trailers.
Jo Anne |
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Member
Posts: 42
|  I saw the back of my trailer once . . . as it was swinging around coming in front of the truck on a snowy Wyoming road! I _never_ want to see the back of my trailer again when I am driving! |
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Regular
Posts: 97
| WOW! That may have been it for me then and there. In that case I wouldn't want to either. We live in SC so of course we don't get to see much snow at all. I'm not originally from here but I do miss the snow sometimes. I suppose a trailer could jack knife in different situations. It's never happened to me. Thank God. |
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Member
Posts: 13
Location: Morrilton, AR | The one thing that I would consider the most is what kind of truck you will be pulling the new trailer with. To be comfortable with a 7'6" or 8' wide trailer, it is better to have a dually truck. You have much more stability handling the load you are carrying. As for the panels, they make some aluminum panels that will fit in the front stall or you can put them on the hayrack on top if you really want to climb up there. |
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Regular
Posts: 97
| We have a 3500 Duramax. Who makes aluminum panels that will fit in the stall? They must be small panels. We have a 6'9 Ponderosa. Luckily my horses load and ride well. Two of our QH's are pretty big, 16H and 15.3H. I'm really looking forward to putting them in something larger for hauling. I wouldn't want to unload them and put them in a set of small panels. When we set up the fence they get plenty of room. More than a 12x12 for each of them. |
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Member
Posts: 13
Location: Morrilton, AR | You have plenty of truck for what you are looking for. The only other thing is make sure your truck has the extended mirrors so you can see around the trailer. The aluminum panels come in a pack of 6 and they are 7' long and 5 or 6 feet tall depending on which ones you want. They run anywhere from 450 to 550. |
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Expert
Posts: 2689
| Originally written by Horse Crazy on 2006-02-21 4:55 PM
We have a 3500 Duramax. Who makes aluminum panels that will fit in the stall? They must be small panels. We have a 6'9 Ponderosa. Luckily my horses load and ride well. Two of our QH's are pretty big, 16H and 15.3H. I'm really looking forward to putting them in something larger for hauling. I wouldn't want to unload them and put them in a set of small panels. When we set up the fence they get plenty of room. More than a 12x12 for each of them.
Whatever the trailer's width I would HOPE that the dividers are AT LEAST 10ft long. From this I'd guess that even 10 ft round pen panels should fit in an empty slant stall.
Unless (disclaimer) the trailer has been custom built for small breeds, or minis. |
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Member
Posts: 23
Location: missouri | I bought my panels from Rick Carpenter out of Wellsville, KS.
carpenterfarmsupply.com
They are 6 ft. long and 4 ft. tall. I bought 8 of them for $175 delivered. Best money I ever spent. We haul 3 horses and I can set up a huge pen using the lenth of my trailer as one side. All 3 horses lay down and have room to roam.
They are lightweight and fit easily in the front stall. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 379
Location: Columbia, TN | One thing I don't think anyone mentioned is what kind of mirrors do you hAVE on your truck. If you buy an 8 ft. trailer which is what I like you had better have some of those wiiiide mirrors. Most all of the ton trucks have them but not all 3/4 tons. With my 7 ft wide I don't have to slide mine out but with the 8 ft. I do. |
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Expert
Posts: 2689
| Originally written by iCE CRM on 2006-02-21 6:50 PM
One thing I don't think anyone mentioned is what kind of mirrors do you hAVE on your truck. If you buy an 8 ft. trailer which is what I like you had better have some of those wiiiide mirrors. Most all of the ton trucks have them but not all 3/4 tons. With my 7 ft wide I don't have to slide mine out but with the 8 ft. I do.
Why do you imagine it to be SO important to be able to see along both sides of the trailer at once ?
The only time you can do this is when it is straight in line with the truck, which is the one time you have least interest in what can be seen there.
I want to see what is about to pass me, or what I have just passed - THOSE are out to the side. I have the power vision (power extending) mirrors on the 1 ton, but could do well enough with the usual mirrors that come with a 3/4 or 1/2 ton. They're adequate for seeing the side of the trailer that is angled towards the truck, only a remote camera would allow you to see the other side and that is usually of no interest. |
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Regular
Posts: 83
Location: Cheshire England | Are the axles the same width on all the bigger GN trailers regardless of body width ??? and re mirrors Ive fitted the wide towing mirrors to my F250, very helpfull over here driving on the left with a left hand drive it was hard to see to merge and pass with the camper on ... |
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Expert
Posts: 2689
| Originally written by perfect11s on 2006-02-22 3:16 AM
Are the axles the same width on all the bigger GN trailers regardless of body width ??? and re mirrors Ive fitted the wide towing mirrors to my F250, very helpfull over here driving on the left with a left hand drive it was hard to see to merge and pass with the camper on ...
There are a few standard axle widths and the choice is often between enclosing that width within the trailer or having wider outside fenders ("mud guards" to you).
I've driven LHD cars in England, it can be fun when other drivers (out of habit with the majority of cars being RHD) try to make eye contact with the passenger. Getting the passenger to return the stare and keep their head pointed AT the other car for a long time just adds to it. |
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Regular
Posts: 97
| Yes, we do have the extended mirrors.
I guess I was thinking you load the panels in the stall straight. OK,that was stupid. Of course you would load them slanted so you have more room. I will be checking out the carpenter farm supply website. Sounds like you got a killer deal on your panels Pedsrn. Are they aluminum and light weight? |
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7', 7.6', or 8' WIDE?
