I am looking at getting a new trailer - most likely a 3H slant bumper pull. I don't use a trailer all the time so don't want to spend $15000 or so on a Sooner or one of the other really well known quality brands. Does anyone have any opinions as to quality of some of the "cheaper" trailers like Circle J, Trails West, etc.? I'm not looking for anything fancy, just needs to haul my horses safely. I've researched just about every trailer online that I could find, and they all seem like good trailers. What do I need to look for when examining the trailer in person to know if it is a quality well built trailer? Thanks for any suggestions!!!
Posted 2007-04-13 1:44 PM (#59226 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
I bought a Trails West and it was a safe, solid trailer plus I could afford it. Can't say about other makes but I wouldn't be sorry with a Trails West.I am not a engineer or anything so I couldn't really tell you if a weld is ok or not and my guess is most people out there couldn't tell you either. So its pretty much a common sense thing, if the trailer looks sloppy,loose, hollow, or flimsy then it just might be. Otherwise, you'll find most trailers are built similar and are safe- companies don't want the headlines of something going horribly wrong and horse are killed. If you're looking for something simple and affordable, there are trailers out there to meet those needs.
Posted 2007-04-13 1:47 PM (#59227 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
Veteran
Posts: 243 Location: Maine
I just ordered my new trailer after considering several brands. I ordered a Titan Avalanche 2-horse bp (they make 3-horse). I wanted something with a DR because the last trailer I had didn't have one, and I really like the extra space to carry things. Plus this one is big enough to throw a mattress down - "instant poor-man's living quarters"! It's a steel trailer but it's galvanneal skin over the steel, which inhibits rust. It's also a smooth skinned trailer. I didn't want something with a lot of "nooks and crannies" for rust to start.
Titan was willing to let me add things "a la carte" such as a camper window in the DR and a roof vent, an escape door at the first horse - (must have-big deal for me, as it's usually just me and my 12 y.o. daughter doing the handling!) I also got a loading light and a "front door" light at the DR door. I had the choice of a front tack rack in the DR or a collapsible rear tack, I chose the rear tack to allow more room in my "poor man's living quarters."
I essentially got an Avalanche III but I opted out on the butt side bus windows, saved some money there. I just went with the stock side vent and plexi-glass.
The finally cost including delivery within 100 miles of my home (I live in area with no Titan dealers, so they're bringing it 500 miles out for me) is a little over $8K. Yours might be less without all the options.
Search on 3-horse bp between $5-$10K in the Trailers for Sale Section, to see what kind of other options you may have. I searched this forum on Titan trailers and got a lot of "thumbs up" including a person whose Titan trailer was sideswiped by a truck. She said she'd definitely buy one again.
Of course if you wanted to go lower end, there are the steel stock ones like Calico, Valley, Bonanza and Ponderosa. But I don't think they do Galvanneal.
S & H also makes a nice Galvanneal trailer. Good luck!
Posted 2007-04-13 2:10 PM (#59229 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455 Location: Texas
About a year ago, my wife and I updated from a 2H BP to a 3H BP. After a lot of looking, we decided to go with a CM Dakota SSL. (Big difference between Dakota and Dakota SSL.) Ours is nearly identical to this one: http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=87521 We looked hard at Titans, too, but liked the CM slightly better for a few little things: Nicer divider latches, smoother interior, less places for poop to sit and rust to start, and slightly less cost. The price of steel must have gone up, because we bought ours for nearly $1000 less than the one in the link I gave. The one thing we thought we could do without, but would get if we had it to do over: Drop down windows on the head side. SSL's are available with them, but it seems to add considerable cost when comparing the ads on this site. The removable plexiglass works, but can be unhandy. Our trailer seems to be well built. There are little things about it that could be nicer, but it works very well. I know just about every square inch of the trailer very well. When I first brought the trailer home, I removed the floor boards in order to paint all surfaces of the underside of the trailer. Taken care of, an inexpensive steel trailer should last nearly as long as a more expensive aluminum trailer.
Posted 2007-05-16 8:41 PM (#60869 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Clovis, CA
My family just got a 3-horse Trails West Sierra and we absolutely love it!
It hauls very well and built wonderfully!!!! We've taken it to a couple of shows and the way it is built is very convienent!
Posted 2007-05-16 11:12 PM (#60882 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
Our gooseneck stock trailer is a CM, bought used 9 years ago...paint job has held up really well......haul cattle as well as horses.....has good design and structure....nice well thought out features. Neighbor had a cm 3 horse BP with DR for 10 years, sold it for 500 less than what he paid for it, they make a good product I think, better maybe than the econo brands, but not as expensive as some.
Posted 2007-05-17 12:09 AM (#60884 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
Member
Posts: 19
Location: Wyoming
I bought a Trails West 3-horse GN, side tack, comfort package and I absolutely LOVE it!! It's solid, safe and tracks wonderfully! I'm glad I got the GN, cause it gets lots of use and the extra space comes in handy for those overnight weekend trips. Anyway, I would recommend one! Happy shopping!
Posted 2007-07-05 9:32 PM (#63374 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
New User
Posts: 1
Location: Oregon
I'm also looking at getting a new or lightly used 3H bumper pull. I noticed that there are many trailers mentioned that are more "east coast" or "midwest" brands. Would love to have the opinions of west coasters. Have been looking at Trails West (already mentioned favorably on this thread), Morgan Coach, Thuro Bilt, Keiffer Built, Circle J, Sundowner, Silverlite, Silverado, Featherlite....even found one C&B. Of course, some of these are aluminum, some are steel. I wondered about rating them according to QUALITY and value for dollars! Thanks for your input.Robbin
Posted 2007-07-06 10:43 AM (#63388 - in reply to #59221) Subject: RE: Trailer brands
Regular
Posts: 71 Location: Northern CA
I would say look for a used 4 Star. They put out a lot of the 3H bumper pull trailers. They are readily available. If you can find one 6-10 years old that has been well maintained, you should be fine! The price will have dropped down and be in a range that is do-able. It will tow quiet and have plenty of features that you and your horse will love!
I would also consider an older Hart, Jamco (if you can find one) or an older Sooner (before they were bought by Universal Trailer).
You may also be able to find a galvaneal fram Charmac with Aluminum skin. A friend has one of these and it is a nice pulling trailer with good features.
I have found that the cheaper trailers make a ton of noise when towing down the road. They must use different types of latches on the doors, dividers, etc and they sound like an old stock trailer rambling down a country road. My friend has a 3H Bumper pull Thoroughbilt and I call it the "rattle bucket".
I think buying used is great, let someone else take the hit on depreciation and allow in a few bucks for minor maitenance. Always have a used trailer checked by a reputable trailer mechanic.
Trailer brands
