Hello, I am trying to understand the hierarchy of the aluminum goosenecks. Can someone help me understand.

From what I have learned, I would rate 4-Star, Elite, Hart, Platinum,Bloomer, C +C as highest.

 Then in the above average class would be:Cimarron, Sundowner (all aluminum only after 2006 and 8'wide), Keifer Built (Genesis), Silver Lite, Exiss (if the dealer is great about warrenty work), CM (Norstar only)

Then in mid range would be: Cherokee, Silver Star

My understanding is that Bison, Logan, Kiefer Built (except Genesis), CM (exept Norstar) and most Sundowners are aluminum with steel frame.

I added Hart to the middle and put Jamco at the top.

  I put American Spirit with the steel frame and Bison Alumsport with the steel frame but Bison stratus with the aluminum.

  I forgot about Sooner.

Egyptian? never heard that one.Eby horse trailers are built in pennsylvania USA.Don't know much about Stidham but heard good things about Jamco.Like he said some trailer company's don't need to spend millions on advertisments.

Has anyone ever heard of Dream Coach?  I'm looking for a 3 horse bumper pull and living in California, none of these trailers are made here and the selection is very limited especially in used trailers.

I'm thinking it might be worth it even with shipping to get a trailer from the midwest.  Do you have a rating for Featherlite?  Is Dream Coach like Featherlite in anyone's opinion?

I have an old one that has been great.  Also my old Sooner (2001) has been a great trailer.

I think Trails West is still making a Steel Trailer. I don't remember seeing them add an aluminum line yet.

Classic makes a good aluminum trailer, but they are a small company and only have 10 dealers.   They are priced similar to Exiss or Featherlite. But I think they have more features for the same price. The resale on my 1st trailer was great after 5  years of heavy use. I'm on my 2nd classic and they have held up well.  One piece insulated fiberglass roof. Never had a leak. Rumber plank floor and rumber sheets on walls.

Hey HWBAR this computer stuff is new to me so i started looking around yestrday and finally had some results,them Stidham trailers do look like a fine piece of equipment i'm looking forward to doing more research and looking at one in person.

To ask a general question of hierarchy is to really ask about the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and to some extent their target market.

Without DeBeers' marketing, diamonds are just small hard stones.  So too is "trailer hierarchy"...

A horse trailer is really only as good as it fits your needs and purse. 

Have heard of stidhams being of excellent quality but have never seen one.  Saw a C&C at Congress, seems similar to 4Star.  Of others I've actually poked around in, for all alum. felt the 4-Star was the best- but small and pricey.  For alum. over steel Merhow, Hawk, and Logan.  Looked strongly at Sundowner but felt they were pricey.  I personally ended up with the Logan due to longer stall length and the plank alum. floor which came with the protective spray (like what Sundowner Does).   These are all 2h bp slants.

The alum. floors on some models just seemed 'weak'.  I'm sure its a perception thing but they are nothing more than flat sheets of alum., of varying thickness (although the Merhow was signif. thicker than featherlite) with drain holes drilled in them.  I'm sure they are fine as there are so many but when I would jump around in the trailer felt they were noisy and gave an unstable feeling.  Good Luck!

 Thanks for all of the responses. Everything really boils down to purpose and pocketbook but it is helpful to at least know which trailers seem similar. In cars, I don't even go to look at the Cadillacs, Lincolns, Lexus etc. but what is in my price range that fits my purpose best and is going to stand the test of time.

 I can get a new trailer for the same price as another brand but which is the best choice. All of you that frequent this site and have pulled trailers for years know the answers better than those of us that are new. It isn't putting any brand down, but there are hierarchies. Changes are made and it is difficult to keep up with the latest company acquisitions, new line additions ect. Knowledge is power.

A diamond isn't just a hard stone, there is clarity, size, shape, ect. but knowing that lets me make the decision about what is best for me.

Does anyone know anything about Double D trailers?  I have been looking at their website and I really like the way the tack area is made to swing completely out and open up the back of the trailer.   Anybody have one?   Comments?

RIDE ON!

As a Stidham owner since 1970, I can attest to their exceptional quality. I always get a chuckle when I read that someone has owned a trailer for 1 or 2 years and just loves it, no leaks, etc. The test of time is the ultimate test! I owned my first Stidham for 22 years, and still loved it the day I sold it 22 years later for what I paid for it in 1970! Never had a leak in 22 years! I had the pleasure of meeting the owners at the factory in Chickasha, OK. The Stidham I purchased in 1992 and my most recent one was ordered sight unseen....that is how much faith I have in the Stidham name!

Take Care,

Brenda

halfpass, tell me more about the Silver Star sell out. I bought a new Silver Star in March of 2001 and found  a couple days later that the "Arabs" had bought Silver Star. Now this week someone says the "Egyptians" own Silver Star.

Update: A gentleman from Georgia now owns Silver Star, not Egypt or Arabia.

 I'm back. From the information that I read, I have tried to put together a guideline that would at least be a starting point for understanding trailers. I realize that the dealer and the price are an important part of the purchase.

Horse Trailer Information Sheet: 

All Aluminum:

Highest rating:  4-Star, Elite, Platinum, Bloomer, C +C as highest. , (Jamco,                

                       EBY and Stidham are small companies)

Above average:  Hart, Cimarron, Sundowner (all aluminum only after 2006 and 8'wide), Keifer Built (Genesis),    Silver Lite (made in Oregon), Exiss (if the dealer is great about warranty work), CM (Norstar only), Bison (Stratus), Classic, Featherlite, Sooner

 Mid range would be: Cherokee, Silver Star (made in SC, sold to Arabians and now owned by someone in Georgia), Exiss (Sport model)

Aluminum with Steel Frame: Bison (Allumsport), Logan, Kiefer Built (except Genesis), CM (except Norstar), American Spirit, Merhow, Hawk, and most Sundowners are aluminum with steel frame.

Steel: Trails West, Ponderosa (poor), Double D

Classic one piece fiberglass roof (small company)

Dream Coach?

Quite a list!  If you go for all alum., stick with the top brands.  All alum. is can be just as strong as alum. over steel but requires more attention to welds which can be tricky.  Alum. is more expensive, and harder to fix if there is a problem.  

Good luck!