Hello everyone.  I am new to this forum and really new to horse trailering.  I am think about buying a Brenderup.  I was wondering if anyone has a Brenderup and what they think of them.  They seem very nice and although more pricey they seem to give you more vehicle options.

Is it really feasible to pull these with a mid-sized truck (or minivan)?  They show them being pulled by stationwagons on the informational DVD. 

Any opinion is welcome.

Thanks

Amy

Ah gee not again - This topic must come up at least once a month. I knowyou're new, but it would really help if you did a search and see all the responses.  People seem to either love em or hate.

Never owned or pulled one, but last week I visited a trailer dealer in TN while on vacation. He happened to have a used Brender on his lot sitting next to a new Merhow. I was there to check out the Merhow. But curiosity got me and I looked in.

They were sitting side by side in the hot sun, 90+ degrees that afternoon. The Merhow was very hot inside, has an aluminum roof I think. The Brender, fiberglass composite of some sort, was as cool as a cucumber! A big difference! Dont know what model or anything but it was huge inside.

Still cannot picture towing one behind my truck, my hubby didn't even know what it was and laughed at it, but I was impressed.

I am also curious now as to what others have to say about your questions on its towing and safety?

So do you have an opinion about the trailer?  Love or hate?  Thanks for the advice, I will look in the archives.  But in addition, maybe some one else that is new will be able to help.

Thanks again,

Amy

Two friends of mine have them and one is on her 2nd one.  Both are very happy with them.  Here's my take:

They have large room stalls as my former QH who was 15.3, long bodied, and 1400 lbs had plenty of room when I loaded him up one day in it.

They can be pulled with a lightweight vehicle as one uses a trailblazer and the other used to use a Dodge Caravan (not the real big ones), but now uses her RV van.

They hold their resale value very well.  My friend Susan bought a 1984 one for $4,000 that was rebuilt and sold it in 2005 for $4,000!  And she had several people wanting to buy it.

However, the walls are thin fiberglass and I wonder if it would really hold up in an accident. 

I looked at them years ago.  The biggest drawback was cost.  They were / are expensive compared to a conventional trailer.  They fill a narrow need.  People that don't want a truck and don't need more area than their "dressing" room.

We wanted to camp with our horses, so chose a truck & GN trailer.

Just did a search using "Brenderup" and came up with a ton of stuff.  Don't limit it by date.  Also, there is a good review of them at mrtruck.com I believe.  From what I've read, they do a good job at filling a specific need, e.g. small tow vehicle to transport one or two horses safely.

Thanks to all.  I think I am in that narrow need group.  I don't want to invest (at least not yet) in a large vehicle that can pull a bigger trailer and I don't see that changing right now.  I have two small children that take up a lot of time and I am the only horse person (husband is not interested).  So I would be trailering a lot by myself and not really camping just yet.

I will re-search the archives and not limit the date. 

To Morgan, which TN dealer had a used one?  I am in Nashville.

I don't own a Brenderup, nor have I towed one, so take my advice with that in mind.

I have seen the Brenderup debate many times. There are typically two people in the argument.

The first are people who have owned Brenderups and like them, and then there are the people who have never owned them but hate them, usually because of a perceived lack of safety. I have never heard an actual owner say a negative thing about the performance of the trailers. I have seen owners report needing to upgrade to a larger trailer for more horses or a larger dressing room or whatever, but never a negative first-hand report. If there are non-satisfied owners here, please speak up!

As for what vehicle you tow with, I would caution you to go by the tow vehicles towing ratings first and foremost! If you are ever in an accident and you have exceeded your Gross Combined Weight Rating, you could be in big trouble. Brenderup may list that you only need 125hp and a wheelbase of XX, but the cold reality is it is the tow vehicles ratings that dictate what can be towed, at least from a legal sense.

If you have a 1600 pound Brenderup trailer, and two 1000 pund horses, and 300 pounds of gear, you still need a vehicle that is rated to tow 3,900 pounds!! Some Mini-vans would be rated for that much, many would not.

 Good Luck in your search, and please report back with whatever you end up with. There are many newbies like me who appreciate the info.

  -Flush

Loveduffy, could you elaborate why the trailer could only go 50mph (I am interested in B-Ups too)? Is it not stable above that speed?  Are you saying with the same truck they where able to go faster with a larger Sundowner trailer? Or for long distance they used a bigger truck/trailer setup.

I've never heard that rumor before, and frankly unless you have more firsthand info, I'm going to leave it in the non-owner rumor category. Brenderup doesn't list a 50mph max limit that I am aware of.

 Thanks,

         Flush

I have a Brenderup.  I am selling it now, because I am moving up to the next bigger model.  I love my trailer!  I dno't know why someone would only drive 50 with it, I've gone 80 downhill in mine (not on purpose, just not paying attention!) fully loaded.   And do 65-70 regularly.  We've gone over mountains, through mud, slammed on brakes, nothing phases this trailer. Popped a tire once and didn't even know until I got home.

I pull it with my old Astrovan. I'm going to retire it one day and get a converitble and tow with that.  Also, my husband has a truck, so if my van is ever in the shop and I need to go, I just hook up to his truck and take off. 

As far as being able to tow more than the car is rated for, that's because the trailers only have 3% weight on the tongue.  I can move it around myself, so how hard can it be for a car? American trailers are 12%.  In Europe, the same car will be rated for more towing capacity than the same car in America, because they pull these kinds of trailers there, with cars. They are engineered completly different than American trailers, that's why they seem so weird. But it does work. 

Lily

TwoAppys,

  Thanks for replying, the info is appreciated. As I suspected there is no generic 50mph limit with Brenderups.

 As for the weight, while I'm sure the lower tongue weight does make a much smaller vehicle able to pull a Brenderup, that still doesn't make it legal. Tongue weight is only one factor. Trailer brakes can and do fail. If a Honda Civic (which BTW meets Brenderups HP and wheelbase requirements!) is suddenly asked to stop 4,000lbs of trailer it is going to be in a lot more trouble than a vehlice that is rated to tow 4,000lbs.

Its good to know the Brenderups are so easy to pull, but again IMHO your are being very careless with the lives of others on the road if you intentionally exceed your tow ratings by a factor of 3, which you may do if you only follow Brenderups guidelines.

 -Flush

Hi,

The difference in braking is kind of explained like this.  With a regular trailer, you need a big truck to stop the trailer.  In a Brenderup, the trailer stops the trailer. In emergency times, it has even stopped my car.  When I almost hit the deer, that trailer stopped me in time from hitting it. It feels like a parachute back there.  It never, ever pushes on your car.  It takes no more to stop a fully loaded brenderup than stopping your car as you drive down the street towing nothing at all. That's what it feels like anyway.  Even downhill. Even anything.  It's great!  In fact there are hills around town that if I coast down them with the trailer loaded, I will be going slower at the bottom of the hill.  Without ever hitting the brake!

Lily

I seen it in the Knoxville paper/classifieds. I think his name was Toubruk or something like that. Ran a small business right off I-40 east of the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg exit, maybe 15minutes?

It was a nice trailer, big and roomy with a large area in front of horse for tack. Used and older but did not notice anything wrong with it.

Tobruk has sent you a Private Message through this forum's sytem.   At the top of this page look for: (You have to be logged into this forum to see this)

There are 1 new messages in your inbox

"Click" on  your "inbox" to read it.

Majoras,

  Brenderup 2 horse trailers weigh from roughly 1500-2000 pounds. Assuming you have 1150pounds of horses and gear, you should be below your max tow rating (although not by much, depending on if you get their heavy trailer and take lots of "Stuff" like water). From a purely numbers standpoint, you should be below your limit. Many say because horses are live moving cargo, you need to derate your max. limit. This is probably good advice in the cautious sense, but there is no magic derating number (some say you should only go to 75% of max) that you MUST follow. It's just a rule of thumb some like to follow.

If you pulled two horses, you would most certainly exceed your tow rating. This is where it gets a little confusing. According to Brenderup's info, you could pull two horses with your Minivan, according to Toyotas ratings, you could not. From a legal standpoint, if you exceed Toyota's tow rating you could be in trouble. Honestly I don't know if the "law" would ever come after you for exceeding your tow rating (GCWR actually) even in a accident, but I would not want to find out.

 Whether or not you would be comfortable with this setup, even with one horse regardless if it is legal, is another matter that can't be answered on a forum. Things like driving experience/skill, terrain, condition of the vehicle, etc... all come into play. Some people would say you can NEVER tow even one horse with a mini-van, others (like TwoAppys for example) will say even two horses in a Brenderup with a MV is no problem.

From a ratings standpoint, you appear okay (with a little margin) with one horse. If you could somehow do a "test pull" of the empty trailer first, followed by pulling the horse that is probably the only way you would know for sure how it will work for you.

 Good Luck,

           Flush

P.S. GVWR, GCWR, and all that stuff is somewhat complicated. Try searching here, or on the web if you really want to understand it. For your bumper-pull setup, what you really need to worry about is you max. tow rating (which you know)  and your tongue weight. Since Brenderup's have extremely low tongue weights, you would also be fine in the tongue weight department. If you went to a non-Brenderup trailer that may not be the case. If you have a specific questing regarding that stuff, just ask.

  Let me guess, you don't own one, do you.   It's not unbalanced at all and actually quite a nice feature. The brakes only come in when activiated, so it's certainly not dragging the tow vehicle...

Ya know, I wonder why everyone always complains about being pushed by regular trailers, if their brakes are so great. I've always wondered. Got to have that giant truck, or you'll go right through an intersection. Got to have a giant truck to control that sway!  Got to have a giant truck or you'll never get the thing stopped.  It sounds like an ordeal.  Love that about the controller having to be set up right, or baring any malfunction.  From what I understand, the things which can go wrong with electric brakes are quite numerous!  La dee daaa!  You can have it.  I love my Brenderup!  Hop in and go. They have thought of everything. 

Lily

Lily,

Here are a couple of things you said in your first post:

 "It feels like a parachute back there."

"In fact there are hills around town that if I coast down them with the trailer loaded, I will be going slower at the bottom of the hill.  Without ever hitting the brake!"

Based on what you said there, to me this also sounded like you were saying the trailer brakes put some "drag" on the car.

You then later said "The brakes only come in when activiated, so it's certainly not dragging the tow vehicle... "

I think I, and maybe Reg, didn't quite understand what you were trying to say the first time around.

Bottom line is that it appears you are happy with the the way the trailer pulls and that you are safe.

I have experience with surge-brakes (which Brenderups are a form of) on trailers and they work fine when adjusted properly, but like anything else they can get out of adustment. No brake system is perfect and things can fail, including Brenderups brakes. That is why I have a problem with Brenderup advising people to tow WAY beyond their vehicles tow ratings. Other than that, I am completely on board with Brenderups concept. 

 -Flush

Hi, let me clairify.

 ( I love the smilies!)

The parachute thing was when I had to stomp on the brakes at 55 to keep from slamming into that deer.  The trailer stopped me, absolutely.  I would have hit that deer without that trailer.  That's what it felt like, a parachute.  I don't feel like that just braking normally. But if you do have to hit the brake hard, the trailer has your back.  And that trailer stopped sqaure behind me too, with the deer thing.

But in normal use, there's no drag on the car.   How do I put this...  The trailer braking is relative to the car slowing. In most cases, you don't feel anything. There! Now I shall celebrate with a pepsi!  ( I prefer Coke! But I"ll take what I can get!)

As far as I know, there's nothing to adjust on the Brenderup brakes. No hydrolics anyway, just cables.  Which is good!  I am not mechanically inclined!

Hope this helps!

Lily

Yes, for that much horse trailer, that one needs a big rig!   I had to either buy a brenderup, or buy a whole new big truck and trailer. I dno't really need a truck.  so I chose the brenderup.  I like it! I only have a couple horses though, so...

Lily

Noooooo!  There's a coupler thing on the front of the trailer.  If the trailer ever starts to go faster than the car, the coupler goes in, that activates the trailer brakes. No push on the car!     Nevah evah any push on the car! Push on the coupler, YES!  Push on car, NO!

And may I add... also no worry about faulty wires, dead batteries, busted fuses, bad connections, brake controller adjustments...  etcetra, etcetra! That set up sounds rather frightening.  But it must work, a lot of people use it. 

Lily

My mom says never argue with a fencepost.  But, if the Brenderup brake setup was so fantastic, then every trailer would work that way.  I'm pushing the limits of my tow vehicle, and I'll gladly worry over batteries, fuses, wires, and controllers anyday to make sure that my trailer stops itself.

Reg is a well-respected person on this board - I wouldn't take his comments lightly.  He only posts about what is safe and legal. 

I'd love to know what region of the country you are in, as I'd like to stay far, far away from you flying downhill towing two horses with a minivan or whatever your pulling your Brenderup with.  Because one day your brake system might fail and your vehicle will not be able to come close to safely stopping all that weight.  That is frightening.

diesel vs gas

bumper pull vs goose neck

steel vs aluminum

fiberglass roof vs aluminum/steel roof

straight load vs slant load

mats vs sprayed in floor covering

ramp vs no ramp

brenderup vs whatever

Choices are wonderful things . . .

How do horse trailers stir such PASSION????

I absolutely LOVED  my Brenderup and wish that I had not sold it (for what I paid for it years earlier) when I bought the gooseneck (which I also love)  a couple of years ago.

Roll on!

PS - I did adjust the brake pads and maintain the bearings every year on the Brenderup . . .  just like the manual said and like the good folks in Midland advise. I also do that on the "conventional"  gooseneck that I bought. Brenderup makes an excellent trailer and  they are a pleasure to deal with. But then how do they all compare to a  Blue Moon ?

In Europe, they DO.  As far as I know, only America and Canada they use the electric brake system on trailers.  I do know in Europe, brake boxes are ILLEGAL. How about that! How do you suppose they stop all those trailers! They don't tow with Ford 350s, they tow with cars.  Like me!  Beep beep! Why don't they make more horse trailers with this system?  I don't know.  I wonder why everything gets blamed on the tow vehicle, like, stopping the trailer, trailer swaying, every answer to a trailer problem is: you need a bigger truck.  Sounds like you need a better trailer, 'cause mine doesn't do that and I don't tow with a big truck.  How can that be? 

Lily

NOOOOOO!!  The coupler thing is on the trailer.  Right behind the hitch. Well, attached to the hitch. Well, right between the hitch and the trailer!  If the trailer is going faster than the car, it pushes the coupler, which activates the trailer brakes. The pushing is never transfered to the car.  Never evah evah!  You would know that if you had Brenderup!

I said I had better braking power when I slammed the brakes on at 55, trying to avoid hitting a deer! A situation in which it certainly is better to have extra braking power, don't you agree?  It's not like I'm going around town with my trailer dragging on my car or something!  

I love these threads where people that have never owned/driven/researched these trailers bash on them.   I think it's the funniest thing in town!  I have no idea how a regular trailer works, but I'd never go to a thread about them and start saying stuff like I do. (Like: Hey, you can't tow a trailer without intertia brakes, are you CRAZY!) But it's perfectly okay to say stuff about Brenderups, with no knowledge of how they work!  HAHA!  Oh, they're dreadfully unsafe! In a rollover, what would happen!  Hey, guess what! Brenderup already thought of that.   And the brakes, the brakes!  How will it ever stop!  hahaha!  Thought of that too, but who cares, it looks unsafe anyway! Towing with a CAR?  Insane!  hahaha!! YOU MUST HAVE BIG TRUCK TO PULL TRAILER!  OOOGA OOGA! Keep going, I love it!  The earth is ROUND now guys, ROUND!  A difficult concept, I know.  

And how interesting that now other companies are starting to use fiberglass roofs.  (Rooves??)  I mean, I remember ages ago, when everyone would say, oh that roof is so dangerous.  And now look, now more trailers are using them.  Roll bars in the top? Wow, brilliant, what a concept!  Like creating the wheel! Bravo, trailer company!   BTW, how are you going to get your horse out with roll bars on top of the trailer?  Hmmm.... well... I know how I will get mine out!  But... mine is actually designed NOT TO ROLL IN THE FIRST PLACE, so there ya go. It's a stupid concept, I agree.  Much better to let the darn thing do cartwheels and put some roll bars in the top!

Happy towing!

Lily

Just remember the tongue weight.  Brenderup has 3% tongue weight, American trailers are 12%.  That's why it's easier for a car to tow a Brenderup, and you can tow more with your car. American cars and trucks are rated for American trailers, which makes sense. Brenderup can explain it better than me, you should call them. They're very nice.

Lily

Majoras,

     I hope you got what you came for. If you do go with a B-up, please post back here and let us know your experience. I think my "owner=thumbs up" "non-owner = thumps down" prediction was true again

TwoAppys,

    As far as people talking about things they know little about, you may want to take your own advice when it comes to trailer brakes. Just so you know, I am a mechanical engineer and have spent quite a bit of time getting this stuff pounded in my brain. The only time your Brenderup trailer brakes work is when the trailer is applying a force against your car (pushing). They simply will not work any other way. Now if it is a good brake system that is adjusted properly, the amount of force that it pushes with will be quite small. You probably don't feel the pushing because it is so small, but to say the trailer pushes zero on the car is just dead wrong, no matter how many smilies you use

Once the the brakes of the trailer are applied and the trailer slows to a speed just slightly less than the car, It indeed does stop pushing on the car. If the car continues to slow, the process will repeat. Brenderup did not invent this concept. They do it in a unique way, but the principal is the same.

If you just said the pushing on the car is so small it is not noticable, I would have left it alone, but when you said "No push on the car!     Nevah evah any push on the car!" It was clear you don't undestand how your brakes actually work!

Also, comparing this trailer to a bitless bridle is apples to oranges.  While a bitless bridle does not allow correct contact from a Dressage perspective, it does no actual harm to the horse (well no more than does a bit in the wrong hands).

A Benderup could cost your horse much greater injury than a trailer built w/horse safety #1 in mind.

Now, for those who think I'm just slamming Benderups, I have to say that MANY other trailers on the market are, IMO, created more for human convenience than for equine safety.

Also, I realize that there really is no such thing as a "safe" horse trailer.  I just believe in doing the best we can for our horses and "convenience" trailers of any sort just aren't it.

I agree Horse safety should be paramount. The problem I have is that I am not convinced the Brenderups are any less safe than most american trailers.

I know many think "O come on, its obvious the american trailers are SO much stronger" but that still doesn't prove to me they are safer. Until they start doing crash testing, you don't know anything for sure.

Its the same as cars. Old timers swear the big old american cars are the safest thing out there, but it has been proven over and over than modern cars that are designed to absorb impact (and don't have features to impale yourself on) are safer for the occupants. 

Unless you have data to prove it, you will never convince me one trailer is safer than another by appearance.

 -Flush

Hmm...let's see...how about another Rollin post??? Hey, when's your next trip???? 

 I do know how they work. See, unlike most poeople in here claiming to know how they work, engineer or not, I actually have a Brenderup and USE IT.  Just about on a daily basis, how about that.  A strange concept, I know. 

From the Brenderup site :

Only BRENDERUP REAL® TRAILERS employs INERTIA® 4-wheel brakes designed to operate as the driver comes off the accelerator pedal and before getting to the brake pedal. Under ALL circumstances whenever the trailer tries to push on the tow vehicle the trailer brakes are being applied in direct proportion to the weight of the trailer at the time and the rate of deceleration. The INERTIA® brake system also has an independent parking brake, emergency breakaway and antilock characteristics.

Whenever the trailer TRIES to push the tow vehicle. See? TRIES.  The instant the car slows down (or trailer speeds up,) the coupler moves, the trailer brakes activate. There is no lag time. There is no push on the car. EVAH! 

Either that or it's soooooo freakin' slight that no one can feel it.  If it's that slight, well, then it's nothing to me.  If that is the case, I stand corrected. But I want to SEE PROOF first! 

Bye now!

Lily

This is one of the funniest debates that occurs on this website.

Passion and "technology" and the usual "FACTS"  keep me rolling on the floor and laughing.

I especially like the  how safe are they in a roll-over tangent.  (Is the debate there whether it is safer to bounce around in a can vs. getting crushed in a can?)   Can't wait for the airbag side guard beam, seat belt options.  If safety were really the absolute first consideration, everyone would slow down by 15 or 20 miles per hour. They wouldn't drive on urban freeways, etc.

The lack of turnout in Europe is a great tangent too; how did that get into this discussion?  (FYI, my experience in that area leads me to believe that they get it in the European country side and they don't get much in the cities . . . not much different from here in the US . . . but who really cares!)

So good to be back from my trip out west; Terrific to get back and see the debates still rage.

Roll on

My Brenderup doesn't hold me back on downgrades, why would it? Because of a spring?  You don't know Brenderups very well. If yours is doing something strange, better get it fix--Oh, shoot!  I forgot, you don't have one!!   There's never any lag with my brenderup brakes, that I have ever felt or know of.  If there is with yours--oh, I did it again! I doubt there's even a spring in there. Do you have a picture of it or some kind of proof?  Because as far as I know, it's some sliding thing. I don't recall hearing anything about a spring.  But I could be wrong!

I LOVE going down twisty, turny, steep major mountains. While all the electric brake people are p00ping themselves and creeping down like snails because they are being pushed,  I have no problems whatsoevah.  None.  Nothing. Zero. A walk in the park.   <--- Like this!

I FEEL NO PUSHING!  Therefore, if I am being pushed, it must be soooo slight that it doesn't even register. Not down hills, not coasting, never felt any push.  So to that I say: SO WHAT!?  You say it's pushing the car.  Well, maybe on paper.  But not when you're driving the darn thing! (You know what I mean!) Even the Brenderup site says, when the trailer tries to push the car, the brakes come on. TRIES to push it.  The brakes activate! TRIES to PUSH.  How do you explain that? PLEASE don't say marketing ploy.  I beg you!

Lily

TwoAppys,

   I am sure that YOU don't feel the trailer pushing against the car. You might say if the force is so small so what, and to that I more or less agree. We were simply trying to educate you a little on how these brakes work. If you don't care to think about it, that is up to do.

 Imagine if you hooked up your trailer to your car. Now imagine if you could stick you finger up inbetween the ball of your car and the trailer coupler. Your finger would go behind the ball, but in front of the coupler. Now imagine you have someone drive your rig at 3mph while you walk along with your finger stuck up in there. Now have the person in the car slam on the brakes. I GUARANTEE YOU your finger will get pinched. That same force you feel on your finger is the force being applied to your car.

Other than you doing that, it will be very hard to PROVE to you there is force being transfered from the trailer to the car. 

There is no magic telemetry that tells the trailer to stop. The force (although slight) of the trailer's inertia pushing into the car is what actuates the brake coupler. Think of the brake coupler as a brake pedal, because that is exactly what it is. Remember you have to PUSH on a brake pedal to activate it. The pedal is pushing on your foot with as much force as you are pushing on it. I think that it is the concept you are not getting. 

 If you actually stop and think about it, rather than just trying to argue you would realize there HAS to be some transfer of force, otherwise how are the trailer brakes being activated???

Again, I like Brenderup so don't think I am against them. If money weren't a factor it is the trailer I would buy. In this case however their marketing slogans have worked well on someone.

 -Flush

There are several different brands of trailers available in Europe. Most of them are pretty similar to the Brenderup. The one in this picture is Thule brand. As far as I know, Brenderup is the only European manufacturer that has an arrangement to sell their trailers (assembled in Midland, TX) in the US. You can see several other brands at this website http://www.towahorse.co.uk/

There are many different brands of them. They do work.  They don't kill horses.  Bazillions of miles have been driven. Thousands of them are used every week.  Thousands and thousands of them have happy satisfied owners. 

I worry much more about stupid or inattentive drivers  than I do about horsetrailers brands and or horsetrailer engineering.

As pointless as this thread, is I really do enjoy it.  Reminds me of when my kids were young.  Those really were good times!

 Rage Roll on 

Hey Rose!  How are you doing?

If you thought that was interesting, read this taken from http://www.horsebox-rescue.co.uk

TOWING THE LINE

Since 1997, all new drivers have been given a category B (car) driving licence only, which limits the weight of vehicle they can drive and trailer they can tow.

If you passed your test on or after 1st January 1997, then you can drive a car and trailer so long as the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and the maximum laden weight of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, regardless of whether the trailer is loaded or not at the time.

To add to the weight entitlement in order to tow trailers such as twin axle horse trailers drivers need to pass a practical category B+E (car and trailer) test. If the towing vehicle has more than eight seats, (i.e. a Landrover 110 Station wagon), unless you passed your test before 1st January 1997, you will have to take a minibus test before you can drive it, or a minibus towing test if you want to tow a horse trailer with it.

The tests take approximately one and a half hours and are conducted at DSA large goods vehicle testing centres.

The fine for 'driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence' is a £1000 and 3 - 6 penalty points. An unlicensed driver would be unlikely to have valid insurance which carries a further fine of £5,000 and 3 - 6 penalty points. For a new driver, this could mean losing their licence altogether under the New Drivers Act, and having to retake their theory and practical tests. . Drivers who obtained their licence before 1997 were given full category B + E licence entitlement automatically.

Colin Maddock, of The Driving Standards Agency Customer Service Unit says: "The law was changed in 1997 as part of a number of driver licensing changes aimed at enhancing driver safety through the harmonisation of licensing procedures across the European Union.

In the year 2001-2002, we conducted just 299 car and trailer tests against 1.3 million car tests, and we're concerned that some new drivers are going on to drive cars towing trailers without first acquiring the correct driving licence entitlement.”

The test

The test is split into 2 sections, off-road manoeuvring and on road driving. The off-road manoeuvring part has 3 exercises - reversing around a pylon (B) and into a coned bay (C) (see picture below), 20 mph controlled stop and a hill start. You will also be required to uncouple and couple the trailer.

The on-road drive lasts about an hour and covers a route of 15 to 20 miles and looks at the driver’s ability to control the longer, heavier combination and to read the road well ahead, be able to react to hazards in good time because of the extra weight and stopping distance.

THE ORGANISATION OF HORSEBOX & TRAILER OWNERS

Whitehill Farm, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 0HP
Tel: 01488 657651 Fax: 01488 657652

Imagine if this happened here in the US!!!!!

Roll on

Hey Rollin:  Doing well here.  Cannot imagine the weeping, wailing and hollering if we all had to take a test before pulling out with one of our rather huge rigs (comparatively speaking, of course!).

And yes I did find that bit interesting!  Ride on.  And how are the Dressage horses doing?  I mentioned dressage to my horse  the other day and he did not seem interested.  Any suggestions?

Rose,

You know we are going to get in trouble for being so "off topic."

We gotta quit meeting like this!

Don't have any advice about how to get a horse interested in Dressage . . . All but one of ours has never known anything but Dressage.  That lone exception is 28 years old and in retirement from long ago when my wife showed cutters.  As long has he has this good retirement deal going he won't spill the beans to any of the other horses.

Roll on

Originally written by RollinPonies on 2006-07-13 6:01 PM

Imagine if this happened here in the US!!!!!

 

Roll on

i "imagine" these types of threads....."bdup are no good", "your 1/2 ton certainly can not tow or stop a horse trailer",  "bigger trucks with bigger brakes can stop quicker", and "you NEED a 300hp/600tq diesel to maintain safe speeds"  would be far less common.  more people would actually have some training, instead of "30 years of experience", and know what they are talking about.

 Okay.    I think I get it now, thank you!

Lily

Darquehorse,

Wow, a terrific new direction for this tread: tractor trailer rigs and hauling wood. This thread just keeps getting better and better!!!! 

What about transporting with helicopters? I bet there is a good analogy just waiting in the wings about helicopters.

Last year wifey bought a horse in Germany. (Yes, this part is REALLY true.) They shipped it to Amsterdam and then flew it to JFK and trailered it to North Texas. It looked something like this >>>  

I wonder what kind of braking that plane had? Inertia or electric?

How come nobody has come up with an analogy that uses space or rail transport yet?  Come on . . . somebody . . . you're bound to be thinking it . . .

We may just cancel the satellite TV at our house. 

Don't need it for entertainment any more.

Roll on

PS - here is the safest way to transport a horse >>>

I just love this thread:

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

There for a moment I thought I was back teaching HS kids again...

Halfpint:

Riddle me this!

How can you tell the difference between a Brenderup owner and a non-Brenderup owner?

The non-owners are always complainin'! 

Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week!

Lily

OOOOOOOOOOOh . . . the thread is turning dark.

Maybe some would feel better if they could just  FORCE   others to see the world as they see it . . . but then what happens to personal choices and preferences  

"Now stop looking at each other and don't cross over the center of the back seat. Don't make Dad stop this car !!!" 

Roll on

Yes! The non-brenderup owners think the whole world should pull with a huge truck and brake box! 

We Don't Wanna!

Lily

well that settles it, i absolutely must be must be taken seriously.

Say!  Did you hear the one about the Brenderup that pushed a car down a hill, swayed all over the place, rattled a horse, went over a cliff, caught on fire, refused to stop because there was no brake box, and was cited for being pulled by a lightweight tow vehicle??

No?  ME EITHER!

Thank you very much, you've been great!

Lily

HWBar thanks for reading my last three reviews. What potential problems do you want brought up? Have you ever towed a Brenderup? In my reviews I try to present what most folks don't get the chance to see, is trailers  being built and how they are built. You can always ask owners of different trailer brands their personal experiences. I can't buy each trailer I review and 5 years later give you an update. I do what I can. The same with truck and SUV reviews, I tow with the ones I review, because I know most folks don't get that chance before they buy.

I'm one of the moderators on this forum and am not sure why you are inclined to debate me when I'm in the same thread as you. Two reviews ago I asked for suggestions for the trailer reviews and didn't get any responce from you, but you do enjoy hackling me when we're on the same subject.

 You make a valid point, I'll try to address it myself.

To answer your question, you have to call Texas and get parts.   The real issue of how often the trailers break down is a moot point, of course.  A better question might be, how often do you need to call them and get the parts?  But no, we can't go there.    All the stories I've ever heard are people going years without service.  I haven't heard one of somebody being stuck by the side of the road or waiting around for parts to come.  I know you don't want to hear that, but that's my experience. 

 The parts are made in Denmark and shipped here.  Who designed it, I don't know. I think the brakes are German design.  I think.

In the end, it still boils down to who does the most complaining, a Brenderup owner or the 'expert' non-owners? Do the owners complain of parts failure and not being able to get parts?  How about snagging the brake cables and breaking them off? EVAH??  I mean, would you desing a trailer like this and the leave the brake cables where they could be ripped off?? 

Riddle me this: Why would so many happy brenderup owners shell out 13-16K (PLUS delivery @1.25 a mile!) for a two horse trailer if they were junk?    A: They wouldn't! 

Lily

I got parts from the local parts houses (pep boys, auto-zone or Napa) or I called the delightful people in Midland TX and had the part the next day.

In the years I had mine the only parts I replaced were some light bulbs (local auto parts probably auto-zone) , wheel bearings (one time from Napa) and a strut (from Midland TX).  I bought brake shoes at the Napa parts place once just to have 'em but I never needed to install them.

Brenderup brakes and axels are manufactured by AL-KO. You can read all about them here >>>>  http://www.al-ko.com/      AL-KO has plants in Shawnee Oklahoma and Seminole Oklahoma.  I suspect there are Al-Ko parts on many brands of horse trailers.  You can read about their US operations here >>>  http://www.al-kousa.com/ 

Parts were never a problem for me . . . but yawl keep looking for problems.  I don't know why you care so much about this to keep up the bashing . . . is it to save those of us that love Brenderups from harming ourselves? 

I don't understand what is so threatening to you about a Brenderup trailer.

I have been following this post as I am considering purchasing a Brenderup since we drive a SUV. I am struggling with the decision as I have never actual seen a real one (just pictures) and don't know anyone that has one.

The closest dealer to me is about 250 miles a way.  I this dealer will order the trailer, but they do not stock them in inventory - and do not have a model available for test driver purposes.

I would be interested in hearing from B'up owners - as to how long they have owned their trailer, if they had previously owned/towed with a convential trailer, if they had any mechanical issues with their B'up, and if they experienced any issues loading their horses into it.

Any comments you have are greatly appreciated!

I've had mine two years. I never towed anything before this and was scared to death.  No problems at all.  My horses went in it, but my TB that decided after a while he didn't want to ride in there any more (he is VERY buddy sour and didn't want to leave his pals!), so I taught them all to self load.  It was easy and now they all walk right in when I point them at the trailer.  I used John Lyon method.  Tap tap tap on the butt means go foward. And after a while they learn to just walk in without any tap on the butt. I'm a total novice and I taught them myself, it's easy.

I have a van I pull with, and hubby's truck is set up to pull it if I need to use that. No mechanical issues for me.  Also, I did not get to see this trailer before I bought it, or test it.  And it was $14K with all the delivery charges.  So I was a little freaked out about that.  And I can tell you that I have NEVAH been disappointed with this trailer, there has never been one moment when I have felt mislead or ripped off. For that much money, if a screw had been loose I would have been screaming. But nothing has ever made me regret this decision.  Everything they say on the video is true and the sales people in Texas are extremely helpful and patient when it comes to explaining stuff.

Also, this trailer is VERY smooth for horses.  They have such a nice ride back there, it's not stressful or bouncy or rattly or noisy.  I know, I've been in it! 

All the negative stuff you hear about these trailer is from non-owners.  It's a very weird thing! We owners LOVE them!

Hope this helps,

Lily

That story about the brake hose makes me kind of sad.  I'm not trying to be funny, it's sad that they do that.  I mean, why not make it right to start with?  Tackboxes that leak and stuff like that, ramps that fall off.  I've heard all kinds of stuff.

You have a hydrolic system, sounds like.  I have no idea how that works.  I don't have to pull hubs or anything.  I dno't have hoses.

I always wonder what it's like to pull a regular trailer, because first of all most people don't believe brenderup owners when we say how great they are. So it makes me wonder what that's like! And second, there's always stories about them falling apart, or needing parts, or -- ?  I find it hard to believe when I hear that, because all I know is Brenderup, I mean, I don't have much stuff to break I guess. It's just 4 cables. So I guess it must be hard for someone with a regular trailer to hear about Brenderups, they think we are all just full of .  Mabye that's where all this confusion comes from.

No riddles today, I'm too sad about the hose...

 <---For Reg

Lily

Thanks Reg, it may be hard to track part availbility but I'll ask. Coupler manufacture is good thing to add and I'll add the axle manufacture. Not too many import horse trailers out there. We'll see a few more from Mexico I suspect.

What I suggest on my website, is looking at a 5yr old (truck,SUV,Trailer) to see how they are holding up. Horse trailers do not have major changes as often as the auto industry, so it's even more valid.

That's an excellent idea.  I have nothing against B'ups (someone at my barn has one), I would never own one because they do not meet my needs. But I do have a problem with people overloading or over-hauling with their vehicles.  I don't care WHAT B'up marketing says about tongue weight etc. etc, the laws are the laws and if you haul more than your vehicle is rated for it's illegal and possibly unsafe. Nuff said. 

Watch out! She is about to bust out the 87 emoticons per post...I can feel it coming on...riddle me this...

Local Big truck and trailer owner to Me:  Hey!  What the heck 'er you doin'!  Lady, you cain't pull a horse trailer with a CAR!

Me: I know that, and you know that.  But for pete's sake, DON'T TELL THE CAR!

I'm recollectin' when I had to git tires put on my trailer. And the tire guy was a-havin' a heart attack on account o' my trailer having car tires on it.  "You cain't put car tires on a horse trailer, lady! Youse gonna git kilt!", he sez to me!  Well, now, sometimes I git a might tired of 'splainin' how this here trailer wurks.  So I sez to him, "Well, you kin put truck tires on it if ya want. Hain't no nevermind to me."  Reckon what happen next?  Well, gosh darn if them truck tires wouldn't fit! They was too big!    By then the tire man, well, he figgered out this here trailer was something speshul, yes siree! An he walked all aroun' an aroun' and then he put car tires on the durn thing. An' he said, that is one mighty fine trailer.  Yup!, sez me!

That's the sort of thing what happens a lot.  I don't mean the car tires don't fit, I mean folks a-thinkin' this here trailer is from space, then they git a good look and say, well, gosh durn if that hain't the findest trailer I ever seen!

I know some folks might be skeered to pull a horse trailer with a car, but lemme tell ya.  Hain't nothin' to it.    Them nice folks over at Brennerup, they didn't just rip out the braking box and tell people to hitch up to the automobile, no siree! Why, they put a lot o' thinkin' into this here trailer.

Everybody sez, you need a biiig truck to pull the trailer, or else it's gunna sway. And you cain't stop.  And a bunch of other stuff that I fergit!  But I'm a-wonderin'.  Why is all that stuff the truck's responsiblity?  Why hain't them trailers just dee-zigned better?? By my figgerin', that oughter mean the trailer hain't doin' its job in the first place! But what do I know...

Well, I guess I'm a-gonna mosey along now.  I sure had some fun with y'all! Bye now!

 I'm a-goin' fishin I reckon.

Lily

As opposed to the vehicle manufacturers, who put absolutely NO thought into their tow/weight ratings.

Well, them ratin' folks is shore nicer towin' wise to the folks in Europe!  Lookee here. 

http://www.toyota.com/rav4/specs.html - American Toyotee.  Lookee them tow ratin's! Lower than a yeller dog's belly!

http://www.toyota.co.uk/vs2/pdf/RV4_93_spec.pdf - Same car in UK -  higher ratin's!   Now that gits me riled!

Even when it gots the fancy tow package, the US car kin only pull 3500 lbs!  But the Eurpeen one, same car, why that one kin pull 4410 lbs!  Now how's come that is!

Wait a minute, I jes' thought up a new riddle!

Q:How come them Europeens' cars kin pull more than Americans' cars?

A: On account o' their trailers is DIFFERENT!

That hain't really a riddle, more like a little common sense!

Heer's a little somethin' else I found, what I thought was kinda interestin'.  These nice folks are talkin' 'bout airsteam trailers. American trailers for use in the UK.  Fer folks, not horses. But they got to tow them jus' the same.  With CARS.

12. Size – why are caravans smaller in Europe than the US?

Average tow vehicle sizes and weights in Europe are lower than in the US, the main driver being higher fuel prices in Europe. There are also restrictions on the weight of vehicle and trailer that an ordinary car licence holder can use (this mainly affects younger drivers).

Hence the size and weight of caravan or trailer that can be safely and legally towed - and which will find a ready market - is less in Europe than in the US.

Them American trailer's ain't made fer being towed with cars, so they gotta pull the smaller version!  So I guess they got the backward problem of the good ol' US of A!

Well, anyhoo.  That's why come the tow ratin's over here don't mean  when it comes to Brennyups. 

Lily

I hope you have European lawyers in the event of an accident!

Your American insurance company won't pay your claim.

In 25 years, it's never been an issue, now has it!   Wunner why that is!  These thing is so unsafe, but nobody didn't never sue them!  There's a conundrum if I ever heerd one!

Riddle me this, and this time I don't know the answer!

A: Why the heck are you all so riled up about this trailer!? 

If it's so durn unsafe, well where's the proof!?  A bunch of happy, non-complaing brenderup owners don't do much fer yer case, I got to point that out.

Oooooh, I'm undertrucked!   Just like all of Europe!  WHEEEEE!

Lily

I see you are a real big fan of the Europeans, I also detect that you think they may be smarter than us. I seem to recall a few instances where they have gotten themselves into messes that required US to get them out of. Maybe you would like a one-way ticket over there where the smart folks are. Until you get it just keep your B-UP and Volvo out of the hammer lane please.

 Here comes the response with an overload of smileys. Simple things for simple minds.

Oh, here it goes!  Nothing to back up your claims, so start throwin' stones!  HA HA HA!!! MISSED MEEEEEE!

doo do doo do do doo doo doooo do doo doo <---Circus music!

And I do apologize for not responding sooner. See, I had to take both my horses on a trail ride, in their trailer, over hill and dale, with my car.  No problem, as usual.

Sure, we saved Europe several times.  Let's never buy anything from them! That's logical enough.  And it is a nice place to visit, but I ain't giving up my passport for nobody or nothin!

dooo do doood do do do doo do do do dooo do do <--- More circus music!  I always get that in my head when I come to this thread.

Lily

Wow. All I have to say to that one is that I am glad there are mature, knowledgeable, less moronic people on this forum to make it enjoyable and a huge learning experience.

Have fun with your circus music.

(also, notice that I never bashed B-up; I don't have a problem with them. I just think that you took an extremely immature approach to the entire subject)

Consider the source.  Also note lack of response regarding vehicle tow ratings set by manufacturers for the U.S. market (considering that's where we live) and U.S. (again, where we live) laws regarding load/tow limits for vehicles.  Why confuse the issue with facts, right?

How do you like my new smiley!?!   

Do you think I should import a car from the UK to tow this trailer with, so the tow spec numbers will be right?    I even provided you a link to a Toyota somethingorother.  Same car, different tow ratings.  What else do you want?

Like I said before, the US tow ratings don't mean   The cars are the SAME. But the ones in Europe can tow more. How is that possible? The TRAILERS are different.  'Only the US tow specs should be followed'  Sure, if you're pulling an American trailer! European trailer = European tow specs.  Beep beep and zoom zoom! 

Lily

P.S.  Now I feel kind of bad for the poor Europeans!  If the US tow specs are the be all-end all of towing safety, shouldn't we make Europe use our specs?  Oh, the US specs are only if you're towing in the U.S.!  That sounds a little xenophobic to me, don't we care about all those poor Europeans that are undertrucked?? I'm going to write to Tony Blair RIGHT NOW! Who's with me!    Why doesn't Europe use our tow specs, if it's so safe... Why indeed!