Anything I should consider w/ my horse trailer (Featherlite 3-horse gooseneck non-lq all aluminum) when moving from FL to NY?  Any special care/treatments?  We thought this move was happening a few months ago but now we won't be moving the horses until the spring.  We start the move next week.  Fun, fun, fun!  Never lived outside FL so thought it might be safe to ask for input.  Never know...  The ht is less than a yr old, maybe 10 hours on it.  Wasn't sure if I need to consider different tires, undercoating (if such a thing on an all aluminum)…  Guess I'm just wanting to protect the investment.  Thanks to the great advice from you all in the past, we traded the truck for a 4x4 and had it undercoated & added the engine block heater thing (diesel).  Even in FL, I LOVE the heated seats .

The first thing you should be prepared for is the salt (Calcium Chloride) that is commonly used in the snow belt areas. A one half hour drive will turn your whole rig grayish white, tops sides and bottoms. When the temperature raises and gets close to the freezing point, the corrosive affects of the salts will start to create oxidation on all of your metal parts.

If you plan on using your trailer through out the winter, I would try to find a car wash that allows you to flush the undercarriages of your truck and trailer. Aluminum is damaged by salts, and allowing them to remain on the trailer surfaces will eventually lead to corrosion.

Your present tires, if they are in good shape will do fine in the snow. Make sure your spare is like new and properly aired up. I would not apply any undercoating to your trailer. If you do, it has to be frequently inspected and touched up from rock chips and damage. If not, it will hold the salts against the metal and facilitate the corrosive affects. It is better to be able to completely flush the areas clean.

Depending on where you plan to live, you may not need a block heater. My truck has no starting issues at 10- below with the usage of synthetic oils. I don't use my heater as our temps in PA rarely go below 0 degrees. If you will be in upstate, you will need to buy diesel fuel conditioner to prevent the fuel from gelling. One can usually will treat several full tanks.

Driving in the snow is tricky until you get used to it. Especially when pulling, allow very long braking distances ahead of you. Practise using the manual brake over ride; if you start to jackknife which is not unusual in the snow, applying just the trailer brakes will help straighten out the trailer.

If you are not often using the truck for pulling, lower your truck tire pressures to the factory decal numbers. Running a high pressure will lower your traction in the snow.

Depending on your destination, you can NOW expect a few inches of snow, to over four feet of snow in the lake affect areas. Oswego got four feet in one day last week. This was on top of seven to nine feet already on the ground.

You should carry spare emergency supplies and always have your cell phone with you. Get USRider insurance for one of you. You will need heavy winter blankets and hoods for your horses while traveling north of PA into NY. The temp today is 4 degrees.

BOL  Gard

Most of us don't use our trailers as much in the really cold weather as we do during the warmer months. I mean the areas I like to trail ride in the summer are Ski resorts and Snowmobile trails during the winter.  So my trailer use in the winter is limited to hauling to the occassional Vet appointment or occassionally to the County Fairgrounds to ride in the indoor arena. Neither if which are very long drives. So my trailer doesn't get a lot of road exposure in the winter. If you've only used your trailer 10 hours in the last year, It doesn't sound like you haul a lot. Add snow, colder temps, bad weather I doubt you suddenly start using it even more during the winter months.

Also if you happen to be moving to an area that as Gard suggest may have 4+ feet of snow. Your trailer will probably be snowed in. A lot of folks I know don't bother to shovel out the trailer every storm. Too much work. So you will probably be more concerned about how do I care for a trailer that is just sitting during the winter months. So don't leave canned goods in the trailer that can explode and ooze when the freeze, They make a mess to clean up come spring.  I clean out the shavings and wash out the inside of the horse compartment, make sure all the windows and doors are lubricated and closed up. That the battery is charged. Make sure it's mouse proofed.  You don't want to go out in the spring and have to evict a lot of mice. Nor do you want to find your tack all chewed up.

The salt around here is not too much of an issue IF the roads are dry. But if the roads are snow covered or wet, the water spray fom the tires carries the salt onto the trailer, and I try to rinse it off at a car wash if it's bad. Even aluminum trailers have some steel on them.  Steel hinges on doors or windows, steel locks, You wheel covers are probably steel, your gooseneck hitch etc. Keep you locks or moving parts lubricated. Salt can get in them and they will lock up.

Amsterdam is in the eastern part of the state that doesn't get the large amounts of snow to which I was referring. Those areas include the central and western parts that are near the lakes. Amsterdam is near the southern part of the Adirondack Mtns which is most spectacular. Albany and Saratoga are near by, as are the lakes Champlain and George which form the border of Vermont. You will be within a half a day's drive of several scenic New England states.

Hope you enjoy NY. It is completely different than FL and offers many varied year round attractions.

Gard

Thanks Gard for the follow-up.  Now I'm a little less freaked out about the trip.  I've honestly been avoiding checking on the weather for the areas of the trip... don't want to get worked up if it is bad.  Now I have been on horses all my life (mostly young Arabs), around Harley-Davidson motorcycles/racing all my life & have been riding motorcycles for years, raced my brother's stock car multiple times, deep sea fishing & scuba diving, delivered my child completely natural (all 8 lb/9 oz's of her)... not that I'm in any way shape or form a 'live life on the edge' daredevilish type of gal... but not afraid of a challenge.  But for some reason I am petrified of driving in the snow.  Guess I will be getting over that very soon in life, ha ha ha!

The little that I've seen of the area has been just wonderful.  A lot better than FL that's for sure.  Can't wait to start exploring up there.

PM Loveduffy. Loveduffy lives in an area fairly close to where you want to relocate, and can probably give you some good advice on what and what not to expect.

If you are into sports, you will enjoy the summer and winter differences and the available variety. Your enjoyment of bikes is akin to snowmobiles. You can ride on hundreds of miles on horseback or "sleds".

You shouldn't hit any snow on your trip until PA. The main roads are usually clear but wet, the same into NY. You should have few difficulties getting to your destination. You'll be on interstates until the Albany area and then run along the north side of the river to Amsterdam.

BOL  Gard