If you are getting a GN trailer, a LQ, even a 4' weekender is a god send. Even if you are not sleeping over, there are times when a soft mattress is greatly welcomed. Having a refrigerator, even if it only used as an icebox, affords cool drinks and unspoiled food. The best part is a toilet; having your own privacy and sanitation. Cabinets invite regulated storage. You can have heat or cold as you wish.

A 4' weekender weighs about 800#'s more than a bare dressing room, takes up no more space, and offers both comfort and utility.

We sold an 3H 18' stock/combo BP and bought an 18' box, 3H GN with weekender. The difference in utility and comfort is night and day, for the same floor space. We have two LQ's and use the smaller one far more often than the large one.

Gard

What kind of trailer do you have?

I've found some that seemed like good buys til i found out it didn't have a toilet or shower.

Shower I could prolly do without but I think it's I'm going to put money into a LQ I would want a toilet.

Do you wish you had either or both!?

I went from a 3 horse slant with a finished dressing room...( bench seat, couple cabinets, sm table, stereo, porta potty in the back, cowboy shower) it was cozy, but it got alittle old..I hated the camping totes , hauling it in and out, digging for stuff, no frig, just coolers, cooking outside, etc. ...and finally last fall got the trailer of my dreams...ful LQ, not huge 10 ft. with a full bath, kitchen, frig, furnace, cabinets, table & bench..I am in heaven.  I loved the other trailer until it got to be such a hassle putting it in, taking it out, limited area to move..I couldn't be happier with the new one...and NO it isn't brand new..it is 12yrs old, very well taken care of, and Oh, do I have plans for this summer... I trail ride, and hopefully someday will be able to take extended trips West..and if that time comes, I am prepared, I have the living area I need to do it comfortably..

You need to take a look at what you do with your horses and what you plan to do 2 yrs from now, 5 yrs from now, 10 yrs from now...the older I got the more amenities I wanted/ needed... Good Luck in your pursuit of "happiness"

Jc, I camp locally quite a bit and went across the country a couple of times with an older standard GN stock trailer, lived a couple of months one year in Texas and off and on about 4 months another year in Oregon in said stock trailer, got cold, rained on, showered with one of those solar shower water bag things.  Now, I am very appreciative of my LQ's.  At the end of the day I can sleep in a dry bed, have a hot shower and don't have to worry about finding some brush, out house or whatever.  Like Gard, I get more use out of my small one. Never leave home without it!  I pull it just the same as anybody else would pull a travel trailer. You can pretty much haul anything you want, anywhere you want, stop any where you want, sleep, eat, shower, use the toilet.  It's like insurance too, in case of an emergency, you're never homeless!  You can pull into pretty much any rodeo or fair ground. If you pull into an RV park (without horses), you do get some funny looks though.  Also, it's a pretty good guest house.

Even on the little trailer(6ft SW, 2H), I didn't have to compromise.  My must have's were: Propane furnace, propane stove top,  6cu fridge with separate freezer, sink, toilet and shower. All this and it's one foot shorter on the deck than my stock trailer! This little trailer is a Featherlite that I bought from Don Johnson's up in Walla Walla.  Just a super LQ.  Being as I'm not too far from retirement (I hope!), I just recently got a bigger 10ft LQ Elite 3H for extended camping stays.  Jc, I've ridden a bit of your and Painted Horse's southern country and God willinging I'll be able to ride some more.  You guys have some great country.  If you like to ride the trailer and camp,you will really like an LQ trailer.

My decision on buying a used 4' SW with insulated dressing room and AC was based mainly on price.  Most of the campsites I now frequent have running water and showers.  I bought a Honda generator, have 4 deep cell batteries, a porta potti, microwave, fridge, etc.  I've been camping all over IA, WI, MN, SD, MO.  Sometimes run into places without showers.  Heat the water up in my microwave and clean up in the back.  The one thing I must have, even in the Midwest is AC.  Why did I purchase this unit.  I paid cash for it.  I couldn't justify taking out a loan on a $25,000 trailer to haul 2 $2,500 horses around to weekend campsites, and a once a year week long camping trip.  I'm not saying my setup is perfect, but I like 0 payments, and being able to comfortably pull with a 3/4 ton.  If I get real busy at work during a year and can't ride as much, don't want to be making payments on something that's not getting used regularly.  This is my personal preference, and probably not the norm.  I'm out there to ride horse, not watch TV.  Like my friend says, the nicer the trailer the less horse riding gets done.

It's a luxury so I decided by what I could afford. If I had room for storage I would have 2 trailers. The LQ and something smaller for a runabout. But then I would need another truck so I wouldn't have to unhitch. Then I would need extra tack so I didn't take off with my stuff in the wrong trailer.

Here is a math way you could look at it....

cost of lq=nights in motel room a year X cost of motel room X number of years you keep trailer.

If cost of lq trailer is less than the other side of the equation than the lq trailer is worth it.

I'm one of those who have been towing a 2 horse straight load behind my Motorhome for the last two years. It's not a very large motorhome at only 21 feet, but it works well trailering within a few hundred miles of home. If I have to go through any mountainous areas for any great distances, it's a bit of a strain on the motorhome, so I use my three horse w/o living quarters for those type of trips which are few and far between.

Talk about convenient. I love traveling with the motorhome and do as much as I can. I'm sure the larger motorhomes are much more powerful then mine and do fine with long hilly trips, so if that is the route you ever think about going. Cheers to you.

 http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd153/lazydayhorsefarm/RVsetupEastFork5-2008-1.jpg

Yeah- get used. They are out there. Let some one else pay the depreciation. I have seen some nices ones at $19k. Saw a nice 2-horse Featherlite LQ for only $16,500 !!!

 Too bad the banks won't lend to me- : (    ( self-employed )

We started out with the camper and BP trailer combination, owning four before we changed. Because we do almost no camping without the horses, the GN trailer was a better choice. A truck carrying a camper while pulling a BP trailer is very unstable, in cross winds, crossing bridges or while traveling uneven roads. The GN trailer is far superior in towing security. It is easier to hook up and storing one piece of equipment is easier than two.

If you often camp without your horses, the camper is a viable option. However, when you shop for a new camper, be sitting when you realize their costs. You can purchase a very nice, used all aluminum trailer with LQ for the same pricing.

How do you decide? I think it takes time, and one day you'll just know what you really want to do, and you'll find a way to do it. Don't rush your decision.

If you are only wanting to go out a few weekends a year, and if you aren't loaded with extra money just wanting to be spent, then consider a gooseneck with a dressing room. An aluminum 3 horse with basic dressing room is reasonably priced. If you aren't concerned about being pretty - then you can make do in the dressing room at first. Last year I showed at breed shows by sleeping in my dressing room, and didn't spend over $300 to make it work. I bought a porta-potty ($100), bar fridge ($140), tiny microwave ($40) and a space heater ($40). Then I hauled in an old dresser to be my counter top/storage area, used an old easy chair as my seating and a wood TV table. It wasn't luxury, but I was close to my horses, comfortable and dry, able to read in the evening, and the bed on the gooseneck was really comfy.

If you find that you enjoy the whole deal, but want things better, then you can turn around and resell the basic trailer with dressing room and buy a LQ, or you can fix up your own dressing room.

I think this decision will vary from person to person, depending upon their budget, the frequency and location of their horse activities, their interests (some people hate camping and consider it work) and their other options.