Posted 2007-08-27 2:09 AM (#66511) Subject: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Member
Posts: 28 Location: KS
My husband has a 1998 Dodge Durango 4 WD w/ I believe V8 engine. I found some differing information on the maximum weight it is able to tow. edmunds said 3000 (the same as my mazda van), kelly blue book said 7000 & I believe a non dodge dealer site said 7500. Does anyone know? We would be using the trailer for in town vet visits & every couple of months longer trips 1-4 hours for clinics or trail rides. On the longer trips (3-4 hours) we would generally only be hauling 1 horse.We would need a bumper pull & have heard that it is much more safe to pull a 2 horse vs. 3 horse with an SUV? We want a slant load because we would like to have something to haul our mower for servicing, haul hay, & have more versatility options. We have looked into calico, S&H, & titan. We would like to stay under $7500 w/ tax (7.3% in KS) & have no idea which is better (I'm not even sure we can find a titan in our price range)?I can't decide if we want something fully enclosed because the bus windows make it much more expensive, I would think it would make it harder to keep the horses cool, I have heard it's a pain to insert & remove the plexiglass, & I don't even know if it is in our price range. I thought it would be nice since we have a horrible problem with wasp making nests all over our barn where it would be stored, but I have heard that they can still slip in between the plexiglass & areas where the door hinges? We have an area that is enclosed on 2 sides & has a roof where we can store the trailer & I have thought about getting the trailer covers for &150 so maybe enclosure isn't so important? The dealer for S&H & Titan are fairly close, but the calico dealer is 3 hours away.I know the titan dealer only keeps 2 trailers on the lot (fully loaded & out of my price range) & special orders so I would not get to see the trailer until after I purchased it. The S&H dealer has a Contender SE 13'7x6'8x6'6, kick mats head & butt side, floor mats, spare tire, & plexi glass in sides & rear (there is still an open gap above plexiglass in rear). The dealer reports empty weight as 3320, but other sites report 2870 for same model? He is asking $6195 before tax (listing #125953).The calico dealer has a 12'x6'x6'6, rubber lining on butt side, floor mats, spare tire, & 16"-10 ply radial tires. The empty weight is 2700 & asking $4650 w/ no tax & $263 for delivery (listing # 94542).I also wondered what costs we should allow for installation of a hitch & whatever other things are necessary for towing? I assume something will need to be installed to hook up for electrical. I heard that SUVs should also be equipped with a stablizer bar & WDH (whatever that is)? The vehicle did not come with tow package so we will need welding work... does anyone know what all of these things will cost approxminately ($500 or more like a couple thousand?). I appreciate any advice, I have been researching for many months & fear the trailer I want will sell before I take action =) Thanks in advance!
Posted 2007-08-27 8:57 AM (#66520 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
As far as the vehicle goes, it is not what I would select for a newbie, but at any rate, trying to be helpful.......you must have a transmission cooler installed, you will need a frame mounted receiver hitch,(which it might already have) with a anti-sway bar and weight distributing hitch (WDH) and a brake control. I would go with the lighter trailer, wasps can and will build under the trailer cover fabric, so save your money as far as wasps go. I assume this is an automatic transmission, go talk to a dodge dealership service manager, find out the tow rating and gear ratio in the rear end. Good luck in your search, I assume as you live in Kansas your towing would be highway and not hilly....that helps a good deal. Drive carefully and take care, good luck in your search..
Posted 2007-08-27 9:01 AM (#66522 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Member
Posts: 42 Location: Frisco,texas
not sure exactly what the 98 Durango will tow, but I'm sure it is in the 6-7k range... you should have no problem with the weight of a small slant... I would make sure your Durango is equipt with a trans cooler.... if anything will fail it will be the trans.
Posted 2007-08-27 5:06 PM (#66577 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Member
Posts: 28 Location: KS
That is all very helpful! Thank you so much. Unfortunately my husband will not get a truck (he hates them) & my van wont trade for any truck worth having so we are stuck with pulling with an SUV or not getting a horse trailer at all. We will definately look into getting something installed to keep transmission cool. I left a message at the Dodge dealership about these issues & installation of such a device today.Any recommendations about the trailer choices I have? I think that the calico is out of the running because the S&H dealer & Titan dealer seem to be able to offer me exactly what I want in my price range. I think the Titan dealer is offering a 2 horse slant bp with drop down on head, bus on butt, rear tack, spare tire, etc. for $7000 before tax. I would prefer not to have rear tack, but at that price I figure I can just remove it? S&H dealer was checking prices on same thing w/ drop down at head & bus at rear w/ the possibility of 2 piece swing door w/ bus windows on doors, but I'm not sure what the price will be. I also am not sure how heavy the Titan will be... I'd like to find something under 3500#. Can insects get into fully enclose w/ bus & drop down windows?
Posted 2007-08-27 5:54 PM (#66581 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Veteran
Posts: 108 Location: Dallas, TX
I guess you are looking at new trailers?
I wouldn't buy new, trailers depreciate so quickly I just can't see purchasing a new trailer, look at this site for used trailers and you will see many that will fit your needs, price range and weight range.
Also, you don't have to purchase a slant just so you can use it for hauling your mower, hay, etc. Most all strait load trailers have completely removeable dividers.
Good luck, this site is a great resource, I have learned a lot from it!
Posted 2007-08-27 8:15 PM (#66591 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Member
Posts: 28 Location: KS
Dmarr, I really like that last one, the bison... I am glad you made the comment about the straight loads because when I asked any of the dealers that I called they all said that the dividers would swing side to side, but that the center bar was bolted down. As far as new vs. old, I prefer to buy new because I will be keeping this trailer for a LONG time & I have never had luck with anything used no matter how much I research & check for problems I always end up spending money fixing this or that & I would rather pay more up front than have the hassle of taking it in for repairs or changes. I think I have narrowed it down to special ordering a 2007 Titan Avalanch II 2 horse bp. I am adding rubber lining to slant tack wall & rear door, putting bus windows in butt side, adding spare tire, & 2 roof vents in horse area. I am wondering whether or not to get double swing or single swing doors whether to go with white paint (to keep the trailer cool) or a light gray so it doesn't show the dirt as much. I also wondered whether do add the rear tack?
Posted 2007-08-27 8:49 PM (#66596 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Location: KY
Have you considered a stock type horse trailer? No dividers will reduce the weight and your horses can ride almost anyway they want. If cold air is the issue, then use sheets or blankets on the horses. We have found that heat is way more of an issue than cold. Grey is the best color imo for a steel trailer; the grey paint seems to hold up better than any other. Anyway insects can get in anywhere and in anything.
Posted 2007-08-27 9:20 PM (#66600 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Member
Posts: 28 Location: KS
i looked into stock, didn't like them, plus I have to have dividers available because 1 of my mares will fight w/ the others if i don't have a divider =) As far as insects I am most concerned about wasps making nests & keeping the interior from the elements during storage. We have a terrible problem with the wasps & my friends said the bus & drop down windows have kept them out as long as she remembers to keep the vents closed & the doors fully latched when storing.
Posted 2007-08-27 10:26 PM (#66604 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Napoleon, Mo.
I would take my time and look for a good used trailer, especially for the first one. I would think around here and KS you could buy a decent used one for 3 to 4 range
Posted 2007-08-28 7:23 AM (#66610 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Veteran
Posts: 212 Location: novinger, mo
I wouldn't choose a trailer by whether you think wasps can get in. A can of spray before using will take care of that, no matter what kind of trailer you have. Wasps can get in all of them. You need to concentrate on the lightest weight trailer you can get for the $$. You vehicle has a short wheel base and this is one of the biggest problems with towing with an SUV.
As far as weight, a 12' stock trailer will be the lightest you can find. You can get a horse divider in them for when you haul 2 horses.
Posted 2007-08-29 12:06 AM (#66688 - in reply to #66511) Subject: RE: No clue about trailers/towing & need help
Member
Posts: 28 Location: KS
j&j, can you explain more about the wheel base? others have told me (including the dodge dealer nearby) that even the older 1998 durangos have great towing abilities (tow capacities in the range of some trucks... 7500 lbs) & the V8 engine, 4wd, trans cooler, & stabilizer kit on the hitch will only improve the already good towing ability of the vehicle... I am concerned about what you say because this has yet to be mentioned to me... we are hoping to get a truck in the next couple years (when we can afford to buy a 3rd vehicle) & I hate to skimp now & have to buy something different later. My grandparents are helping us w/ the costs as a wedding present & are very concerned about safety (as am I) & a stock trailer (even some of the lighter 2 horse trailers) are not comparable to the titan in safety... at the same time I do understand that this will drastically affect the empty weight of the trailer, but the titan trailer is well within our tow capacity even with 2 very large horses (& especially with our horses which are 1000 lbs or under). In the next year or two we will only be making long trips (over an hour) 2-4 times a year & I would really like to buy with our future & current needs in mind. I have priced stock trailers w/ a DR area big enough to sleep in & with the features that I am wanting & they are too expensive to buy only with the next 2-3 years in mind. As far as the windows I am really hoping on using this trailer for several different things. I am pretty set on the windows as I don't want to mess with the plexiglass & I like the idea of controlling the exact amount of air flow according to the weather or use of the trailer (we plan to use it for hauling our dogs to shows as well). I also don't think the stocks can be insulated for a/c later on like the titan if I want to use the DR overnite? I would like to get your opinion because all I have heard from others is that the durango would be capable of safetly pulling the titan (3500lbs empty) according to my needs for the next 2 years while still being able to provide possibilities for our long term goals when we would have a truck?
No clue about trailers/towing & need help
.jpg)
