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Location: Southwest Iowa | 4 star trailers, do you like them? I am trying to choose between a 4 star and a Featherlite 3 horse gooseneck, what is the comparison? Thanks! |
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Expert
Posts: 2689
   
| Hi and Welcome.
Please do a keyword search, both brands have been exhaustively reviewed many times and it will be a LOT faster for you to find those threads than for us to re-write them.
PS Yes, I have a 4-Star, I like it a lot, I wouldn't trade it for a Featherlite - unless someone gave me a BIG bag of CA$H to even the deal.
A VERY VERY BIG BIG BAG OF CA$H !!!!!
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 Expert
Posts: 1283
Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | It really shouldn't be a very hard decision, 4 Star is a much better trailer. Featherlite should be a cheaper trailer, that may help with the decision. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560
Location: Mena, AR | Consider a Cimmaron. :-)
Sorry couldn't resist.
-Betty |
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Posts: 26
Location: NJ | My father has a Cimmaron, nice trailer but not as well built as my 4-star.
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Posts: 45
Location: Tuttle, OK | I'll vote for Cimmaron too!! I have had (2) Four Stars, a Hart and now a Cimmaron Norstar... but I feel that the Cimarron is the best of all of them. I was not impressed with the quality of the last Four Star I had and there service left alot to be desired. Just my experience and opinion!!! |
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Member
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Location: Denton, TX | Consider a C&C!! Sorry I couldn't resist either |
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Expert
Posts: 1283
Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | C&C vs 4 Star (comparable ) Platinum vs 4 Star (comparable ) Bloomer vs 4 Star (comparable ) Cimmarron vs 4 Star ( ) Featherlite vs 4 Star () Featherlite vs Cimmarron (comparable ) |
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 Veteran
Posts: 246
Location: Northern IN. | Loco, Loco Amigos, You all KNOW that ya need to be lookin' at a Stidham for quality AND an excellent price!! I just couldn't resist either... bad will power, BAD!! |
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Member
Posts: 29
Location: Harbor Beach ,Mi, 48441 | HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED AT A STIDHAM YET??THEY USE INTERLOCKING PANELS THAT ALLOW NO WATER IN,COLORED PANELS THAT SLIDE OUT TO MATCH YOUR TRUCK , A ONE PIECE INSULATED ROOF.THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.THE STRENGTH AND QUALITY IS THERE ,NOTHING CHEAP ON THIS TRAILER. |
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Expert
Posts: 1283
Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | OK Stidham folks, why are there three manufacturers in Chickasha, OK. and they all three use the same fiberglass roof design (that I think is cheesy) looks like Stidham is putting some cross bracing under theirs, I might buy into that better than the other two. I mean are there three brothers in Chickasha that couldn't get along so they each started their own brand of trailers, and none of the three could figure out how to put an aluminum roof on them. Or maybe there is an old guy in Chickasha that new how to cover cardboard with fiberglass and the trailer folks just came a running. |
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Veteran
Posts: 246
Location: Northern IN. | HWBar, I'm not sure about the lineage of the trailer makers in Chickasha, don't keep up who's kin to who, BUT, I do know that Stidham does offer a one piece aluminum roof. You can get either one you want, they just recomend the fiberglass one for LQ trailers because it has some insulation value, R3, I believe. |
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Member
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Location: Chickasha, OK | HWBAR,
I've been reading your comments for a while and have bitten my tongue more than once. Everyone is indeed entitled to their own opinion, you have made your's clear. What I do not understand, is how you can bash a product that you are not familiar with. The roof material that is used in Cimarron, Hart, and Stidam trailers is a highly engineered product that has tremendous benefits over aluminum skinned roofs. The product is considerably higher in cost than aluminum sheet, but the manufactures that use the product thoroughly believe in the advantages of the roof material. The product has an R3 thermal value, it will not dent in hail storms, and it is quiet compared to aluminum skin.
I'm not here to downgrade trailers with an aluminum roof, I just want to clear the muddy water. I've purchased and used eight different trailers myself. I've owned trailers with steel roofs, canvas tarps, aluminum roofs, and finally the fiberglass reinforced composite roofs. My experience hauling horses is that the horses hauled in the trailers with the fiberglass reinforced composite roofs were the most comfortable. The insulation factor of the roof keeps the trailer cooler and quieter when transporting. |
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Member
Posts: 40
| My sister and I bought two trailers at the same time in 2003, the same size and length everything the same but living quarters done by diferent companies, me with not much money chose the Silver Star Star Lite model alum, my sister with more money to spend bought the 4-Star and give $10,000 more dollars. On her 4-Star the side rivets holding on the skin is breaking but when replace no problems there after. There had also been other problems, my cheap trailer nock on wood is still going with out repairs YET. So was her trailer made on a Friday. All trailers have there lemons if you got the money buy it if you don't get a cheaper one they will do the job also.
I was at Illinois horse fair and seen a brand new trailer that had already been welded on near the axles, we always blame the builder of our trucks and trailers but do we ever look at how we drive, we are our worst problems at times on how we do things, crossing ditches, dropping off into ditches turning corners or just jack knifing to get truned around there are things that we can do to make our equipment last longer but we all are human aren't we. |
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Location: Hutchinson, Ks. | I couldn't agree more. Sounds like HWBAR has a huge chip on his shoulder. Any informed individual can see the advantages of a composite roof vs. an aluminum roof. |
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Expert
Posts: 1283
Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | Let's see here the two defenders of the fiberglass reinforced paper (FRP) roofs are from Chickasha, HMMMMMM.... OOPPPSSS, I guess the politically correct word is COMPOSITE, and one of those is ole' Sporty who thought it was a good idea to send me a private message full of profanity a week ago. |
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Veteran
Posts: 246
Location: Northern IN. | If I'm correct, it's not cardboard or "paper", they're using a honeycomb paterned plastic or nylon material inside of the fiberglass now days, aren't they? Correction, please, if I'm wrong. Very strong and durable from what I understand, it took me a while to get used to the idea too. I'm from the "old school" and never had anything other than old steel roofed or the newer aluminum roofs on our stock trailers, but do like to be an informed customer so I looked into the FRP roofs and learned a little about them and gee what d'ya know those ingeeners and designers DO know what they're doin'. Guess that's why they make the big bucks and I'm just a dumb trucker! (wouldn't really want to be doin' ANYTHING else!!) You know what they say... "My heart's in truckin' but my a$$ is in debt!" lol |
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Member
Posts: 16
Location: Chickasha, OK | Broken Bit,
Your are correct! The roof has the honeycomb plastic core material, is extremely durable, and provides good insulation. |
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Member
Posts: 26
Location: NJ | HWBAR, I’m with you on this, been using the same honey comb reinforced fiberglass material on green houses for a couple of years now, but in the clear form. One of the guys in my riding club has this on he’s Stidam trailer it’s the same stuff but made to fit trailers. May give you an R-3 insulating factor and be a little quieter, but in a roller over scenario the strength of this stuff is not aluminum or steel. They can reinforce this stuff all they want it’ not as strong.
Edited by Lobo56 2006-03-28 11:03 AM
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Member
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Location: Harbor Beach ,Mi, 48441 | ROLLOVER???? WHO'S WORRIED ABOUT A ROLLOVER WHEN BUYING A TRAILER.IF THAT'S THE CASE NONE OF THEM ARE SAFE.THIS ROOF YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT CAN BE WALKED ON ,HOW MANY OTHER TRAILERS CAN THAT BE DONE TOO?INSULATION ALSO KEEPS HEAT OUT,IT'S JUST NOT TO KEEP THE COLD OUT.THEREFORE YOUR TRAILER WILL BE COOLER ON THE INSIDE ON THAT HOT DAY WHEN THE SUN IS BEATING DOWN.TAKE A THERMO TEST, THEY DON'T LIE. |
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Member
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Location: PA | Another dealer building up he's trailer brand. Sorry, I’m a resent owner or former Stidham Trailer owner. My be able to walk on it but as my composite roof started cracking from were it was attached to the sides. In more then one spot, my dealer was preaching the same line you are. Had it fixed by the dealer under warranty and sold it two weeks late. Have a 4 star now, the Stidham I sold was not as well build as the 4 star I have now. |
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Veteran
Posts: 190
Location: Texas | 
 roll on
Edited by RollinPonies 2006-03-28 3:55 PM
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Member
Posts: 29
Location: Harbor Beach ,Mi, 48441 | Mebell When and where did you buy this Stidham?I'm curious to know.This don't add up. |
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Expert
Posts: 1283
Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | Maybe we should start a thread about Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic-Nylon-Cardboard-Paper whatever roofs, the original poster wanted to know what was a better trailer a Featherlite or a 4 Star. The Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic-Nylon-Cardboard-Paper guys have taken over this thread. By the way I can see how it would come apart where he is talking about, those are some big ole' honkin' bolts-rivits you all use to hold that mess together.
Edited by HWBar 2006-03-28 4:00 PM
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Member
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Location: Harbor Beach ,Mi, 48441 | Welcome to the future of Horse Trailer roofs |
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Expert
Posts: 1719
Location: PA | I do know that Hart uses the honeycomb type fiberglass roof and it is strong and a good insulator. The one thing I like about certain aluminum roofed trailers, 4-star included, is that they are domed to allow water and snow to roll off. |
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4 star
