A friend of mine has been telling me how it's a bad idea to haul with the dropdowns dropped on 4 Star trailers (or any trailer using that dropdown design). At first nobody could tell her why, but finally the guy that hauled her 2007 4 Star out to her explained it. He said that the dropdowns can jiggle loose from their catches while hauling down the road, and that when the dropdowns aren't fixed down the bars can pop out of the windows leaving a space wide enough for a frightened horse to try to jump through and seriously injure himself. My friend has decided that she is never going to haul with her dropdowns dropped.
At first I was extremely puzzled by this because I had already inspected my new 2008 4 Star's dropdowns and they seemed very secure to me in every way. Well, as my friend was giving me a tour of her trailer I had a closer look at her dropdown bars and I can totally see how they could (and probably would) jiggle out if the dropdown windows came loose. On her trailer, the notches on either side that allow you to drop the bars down are right there just millimeters away from where the bars rest when the windows are dropped down. Not only could they jiggle out, but a curious horse could easily lift the bars enough with his nose to push them out. What a horrible design!
However, MY trailer's dropdown bars do not have this issue. The notches are a long way up from where the bars rest and it takes some considerable effort to raise the unhitched dropdown window high enough to release the bars. I do not see any way on my trailer that the bars could "jiggle out", even in the unlikely event that the dropdown windows became unhitched. The entire rig would be in trouble if I drove over a bump or into a hole so significant that it could lift the dropdowns high enough to bump the bars out. Nor do I see how a horse would be able to lift the bars high enough with his nose before giving the idea up as a waste of his time or hitting his head on the roof.
What's more ... I have another friend with a 2005 4 Star trailer whose dropdowns work just like mine. So I'm thinking this 2007 trailer's dropdowns were incorrectly manufactured or installed. I don't think it would be a difficult thing to correct - might even be under warranty, but even if not it seems it would be well worth fixing.
Everyone I know who has dropdowns for airflow, hauls with them dropped down - I mean, otherwise what is the point of having them? If one takes normal care with one's pre-flight checks before hauling - making sure that the dropdowns are securely hitched - and looks in the mirrors often while driving to make sure nothing is flapping around that shouldn't be, is there really any reason not to haul with the dropdowns down?? I do not want to endanger the horses but I also don't want to stop using what I consider a great feature of my trailer because I am worrying about something that is highly unlikely to occur. Thoughts?
Posted 2008-04-14 7:58 PM (#81921 - in reply to #81919) Subject: RE: Dropdown window question
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Iowa
I use my drop-down windows all the time, unless it's very cold outside. I have had no trouble at all. I have an 03 featherlite. When I stop somewhere, I always drop the windows down. The horses seem to really enjoy it.
Posted 2008-04-14 8:10 PM (#81922 - in reply to #81919) Subject: RE: Dropdown window question
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Franca, you just got that beautiful trailer and you're already worried about it. I think most people will reply, as I do, that they travel with the windows down with no detrimental affects.
There are some brands of trailers, with weak hinges and a light grade of construction of the drop down windows. This allows the windows to twist and work in the wind, eventually causing the hinges or frames to fail.
Your trailer is certainly not of that construction, and should encounter no problems while traveling with them open.
Posted 2008-04-14 11:59 PM (#81937 - in reply to #81919) Subject: RE: Dropdown window question
Regular
Posts: 92
Thank you both. Especially since I lied (not intentionally, LOL) and have to take back some of what I said. The notches in my trailer are not set as high up as I thought, but I'd swear that they were higher on the 2005 trailer I checked out. However my memory can play tricks on me, and indeed it does so with increasing frequency the older I get. ;)
Anyway, that's neither here nor there because I spent quite a long time this evening messing around with the dropdown windows and bars and I'm convinced it would take a very bizarre set of circumstances to cause the bars to drop in transit and I would surely hear something amiss if they did. At which point I'd pull over and inspect everything. Also I tested the bars from the inside on the back of my hand which is probably about as bony as a horse's nose, and I think it unlikely a horse would willingly subject himself to the sort of pain required to lift them into the notch and push them out. I was able to do it using both hands without much difficulty, but horses do not have opposable thumbs! Plus I don't think the dropdown window hitches are likely to fail, and those bars aren't going anywhere unless the dropdown windows come loose.
I'm sorry my friend feels she shouldn't haul with her lovely dropdowns secured in the dropdown position, but we all must do what we need to in order to feel our horses are safe!
Posted 2008-04-15 9:57 AM (#81969 - in reply to #81919) Subject: RE: Dropdown window question
Regular
Posts: 57
I have an 05 4 Star and my "notches" are a couple of inches above where the crossbar "rests." It is a considerable motion for me to lift up the window and release the bars, so I don't see any way it could simply jiggle itself free. My plungers that hold the drop down hold tight, and even over the roughest roads, I have never had one come loose, so I think the chances of that happening on my trailer are extremely slim. If your friend is concerned about hers, she should first contact 4 Star to see if they can help, but if not, maybe she can have some sort of supplemental positive lock latch put on the drops to make sure they stay in place. I actually prefer the drop and bar design on the 4 Star (provided it is correctly done, as mine is) because, unlike some other manufacturers, there are no moving parts to break or malfunction.
Posted 2008-04-15 10:32 AM (#81973 - in reply to #81919) Subject: RE: Dropdown window question
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
I too, utilize the drop windows down/ face guards up feature on the trailer. Have went across the country, and many a gravel road, have never had a drop down jiggle loose nor a face guard falter... I think you will be fine. I do tend to use fly masks on their face as a preventative for little specks or bugs flying into their eyes...got in the habit using the stock trailer....
Posted 2008-04-15 12:26 PM (#81992 - in reply to #81969) Subject: RE: Dropdown window question
Regular
Posts: 92
Originally written by happyrider929 on 2008-04-15 7:57 AM
I have an 05 4 Star and my "notches" are a couple of inches above where the crossbar "rests." It is a considerable motion for me to lift up the window and release the bars, so I don't see any way it could simply jiggle itself free.
Oh, thank you! I didn't dream that up! Sometimes I wonder if I just imagine things.... Curious that they would subsequently alter the design to make the notches so close to where the bars rest. Even though it's kind of a pain, it makes more sense to have the notches a bit farther up than they've got them now.
My plungers that hold the drop down hold tight, and even over the roughest roads, I have never had one come loose, so I think the chances of that happening on my trailer are extremely slim.
Mine are really tight, too. They pretty much have to be slammed in and yanked out - and I like it that way.
If your friend is concerned about hers, she should first contact 4 Star to see if they can help, but if not, maybe she can have some sort of supplemental positive lock latch put on the drops to make sure they stay in place. I actually prefer the drop and bar design on the 4 Star (provided it is correctly done, as mine is) because, unlike some other manufacturers, there are no moving parts to break or malfunction.
I like it, too, and a supplemental latch of some sort is a really good idea. Hers is just a 2H so she's only got two dropdowns to fix.
Dropdown window question
