Hello! I recently recieved an email from equine.com about the featherlite medalist-I am trailer shopping and haven't found anything that completely suits me (except a custom by pegasus vans, but that is a wee bit overkill )These trailers look well constructed and attractive. My family owns a dealership and we hope to have one which would draw a bit of attention to the truck (quite likely sporting the company logo) so some...for want of a better word...bling is a must. A black trailer with the stainless lowe would be just the ticket in the looks department, provided it would not be too hot for the horses. Any experience there? I also liked the lined interior, and running LED lights. My one big pet peeve on trailers which has kept me away from quite a few other nice brands is the ramp. I will be getting a 2 horse gooseneck with a side ramp, and the ramp must be of a reasonable angle. How are the featherlites in this respect? Thanks to everyone ofr your help.
Posted 2006-05-23 10:34 AM (#42148 - in reply to #42123) Subject: RE: Featherlite Medalist
Member
Posts: 23
Location: Highmore, SD
I'm also in the market for a trailer. I hadn't heard of the Medalist from Featherlite. I talked to a salesman for them a few months back. Thought it must be something new. So I had to call him back this morning after I read your post! They just introduced it a couple weeks ago. It's mostly the same frame work as all other Featherlites, which is great anyways. There are heavier cast corner caps on the front and all kinds of extras for the rest of the trailer. The way it was explained to me, you pick out a standard model floor plan that fits what you need (bumper pull, goosneck, living quarters, straight load, slant, etc) and then ADD this package and it turns it into trailer that you can customize. I also was curious about colored side sheets and different dealers have told me that this does not make much of a difference. The tops are not black and that is where most of the sun comes down. But this medalist is lined & insulated anyways so it will keep it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. I've never heard of a side ramp at an angle though. Good luck shopping!
Posted 2006-05-23 12:05 PM (#42153 - in reply to #42123) Subject: RE: Featherlite Medalist
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Posts: 11
By ramp angle, I am referring to the angle at which the ramp meets the ground- I am not sure if this is mainly tow vehicle related or no, but for example the sundowner my horse usually goes in has a steep side ramp, which makes it less inviting for the difficult loaders and also not a good choice should the horse be injured, etc. So it's basically an upgrade type package, like the Z71 on a chevy, for example? How are the featherlites in general, I have heard many good things about them but one or two voices of dissent. The trailer would probably be used for two short trips and one longer haul per month (the longer one being around four hours) A friend has reccomended the brand, being an ex- featherlite dealer, but it's not as popular as sundowner or gore (both of which I am not overly fond due to some iffy welds and bad ramps and sharp edges respectively) in the area, so I'm still doing research.
Posted 2006-05-23 12:36 PM (#42154 - in reply to #42153) Subject: RE: Featherlite Medalist
Member
Posts: 23
Location: Highmore, SD
I would think the ramp angle would be controlled by the height of the ramp. the taller the ramp, the less of an angle? I don't think it has anything to do with your vehicle. That would make the ramp sit crooked if the vehicle was too high or too low and either raised or lowered the actual trailer from front to back. From what I've seen Featherlite has a good trailer. I like how they have lots of options and safety features and are competitive with the other top brands out there. I hear alot about Sundowner but not much about Gore. The Featherlite is aluminum and the Sundowner is steel framed (I had a dealer tell me it was aluminum, but that's just the outside skin.). Not sure about the Gore if it is aluminum or steel. But if I saw safety issues like the sharp edges, I definitely would steer clear of those brands.
Posted 2006-05-23 1:44 PM (#42157 - in reply to #42123) Subject: RE: Featherlite Medalist
Member
Posts: 11
Yes-The gore has a couple sharp edges on the storm doors ( I believe, the ones above the ramp) and when the horse is tied and the storm doors are opened, as is usually the case, They can cut themselves on them. Ask me how I know. 8 It may be unique to that trailer, but one sharp edge makes me think of roaches: you see one, you know there's others. I would think that if your tow vehicle sat higher above the ground, you would have to lift the trailer to compensate if the hitch could not be adjusted enough (which I have seen done, though I don't know that it was the best idea) thus making the ramp steeper. I assume that this is generally a trailer thing as opposed to a tow vehicle thing, though.
Posted 2006-05-23 2:10 PM (#42159 - in reply to #42157) Subject: RE: Featherlite Medalist
Regular
Posts: 70 Location: Louisville, KY
Originally written by theorangehorse on 2006-05-23 1:44 PM
I would think that if your tow vehicle sat higher above the ground, you would have to lift the trailer to compensate if the hitch could not be adjusted enough.
If you did this, then the trailer would not be level, not necessarily making the ramp steeper, just very uneven. This also would depend on whether we were talking GN or BP here...there are many many variables.
Featherlite Medalist
)These trailers look well constructed and attractive. My family owns a dealership and we hope to have one which would draw a bit of attention to the truck (quite likely sporting the company logo) so some...for want of a better word...bling is a must. A black trailer with the stainless lowe would be just the ticket in the looks department, provided it would not be too hot for the horses. Any experience there? I also liked the lined interior, and running LED lights. My one big pet peeve on trailers which has kept me away from quite a few other nice brands is the ramp. I will be getting a 2 horse gooseneck with a side ramp, and the ramp must be of a reasonable angle. How are the featherlites in this respect? Thanks to everyone ofr your help. 
