I have been looking to upgrade to a LQ for almost 2 yrs now. I have found an '07 Bison Stratus Express 8ftSW 3 horse trailer for 32,000. I have talked to a few folks around here that own one (older models) and they have not had an major problems with theirs. I have read some past posts and threads on them but seems to me like they are the older models Bison's with the problems...

I would appreciate any input on these trailers. I barrel race and am a "moderate" hauler..maybe 2 weekends a month but not far distances(200 miles round trip)and maybe overnights 5-6 times a year.

Also, I drive a Chevy 2500HD Duramax and was wondering if this is enough truck to pull this trailer, the weight of the trailer we estimated is around 7200lbs without horses.

HELP!!!

Gee...43 folks have looked and no opinions

For a little bit more money you can get a Lakota ALL Aluminum with all the bells and whistles.  I love my new Lakota, we got one with 12ft LQ, w/slideout, with actual Cherry wood interior, shower, and regular toilet in bathroom, big fridge and freezer, stovetop, the works for under $50k.  If you don't want a slide out you can get a nice Lakota in your price range with bells and whistles.  They are very good structurally.  Adam at Triple C trailers went over EVERY detail with us, including how they are made, they type of construction and type of beams are used etc.  They are very sharp trailers.  7'6 tall and 8 ft wide, and ours is insulated in the LQ and horse area.  I love all the storage area on them.  It is awesome.  The windows, doors, slants are all designed to be used one handed!  Very user friendly.

I have a friend who had a Bison and said she won't get another one.  She has an '05 model. 

Right now is the time to buy as everyone is trying to sell the '07 models.  Dicker with them DO NOT PAY sticker price...trust me!

I don't believe the stratus is.  If it is under 40k you can probably make a safe bet that it is steel frame with aluminum skin.  I would also ask about the Beam structure.  Lots of places won't tell you about the beams and how they are framed up.  I did ALOT of research for several months before we settled on a Lakota.  I definitely would stear away from Shadows, I have a feeling those trailers won't be around very long at all.  The biggest thing I have heard about Bisons were the size of the beams and the leaking. 

Also ask about what type of warranty you get with your trailer.  I believe it is standard with Lakota's to have a 7 yr bumper to nose warranty, and a 2 yr warranty on living quarters.  We upgraded and got the extended warranty which covers everything.  I absolutely LOVE my slide out!!

According to Bison, the Stratus is all aluminum. The Alumasport is the aluminum over steel.

The Stratus Express is an all aluminum trailer. as well as the stratus. the other lines are steel frame aluminum skin. I have read all the past posts on these trailers and seem to find what everyone talked about in the past has been resolved with these trailers. I am still on the fence and still leaning towards it but I am going to look at a few others as well

I own a 2004 Bison Aluma Sport with slide out. I absolutely love this trailer. Only problem I had with it, was a water leak under the slide, when I hooked the hose to the outside, if the pressure was too high, id get a leak, but all that was , was a loose fitting I fixed myself, I noticed that with the slide going in and out, the one valve was sliding on the floor as well and loosening it, I tied it up with wire ties and never another problem. I team rope, and many many friends all own different brands of LQ's..all have had problems one way or another, some serious, some easy fixes. Yes, the Stratus is an all aluminum trailer. People tend to think that because they are priced cheaper than most, they are made with cheap products and prone to problems. NOT TRUE! This company is owned by Monaco, which is the company that manufactures Class A motor homes and buses. They are able to purchase materials in bigger quantities, saving them money, with which they pass that on t the customer..ME and YOU.....Im pulling my $30K trailer, my roping partner's pulling her $50K trailer, and she wishes she had mine. It's all personal preference really, but Bison can certainly give you more bang for the buck...Good luck with your decision.

Never seen one I liked and never known of anyone having one that didnt have problems!

As others have said you'll find lots of similar discussions if you seach this forum. The Bison trailers seemed to take a drastic turn for the better in 2003/2004 era. *Most* of the problem trailers you hear about are older. I have a 2004 Alumasport and I've been very happy with it. Have I had a few problems? Yes. Have I been able to fix most of them myself (ie - tightening up a water line here or there)? Yes. Are the few problems I've dealt with worth it for the $10K+ price difference in the trailer I bought v/s other brands of similarly equipped trailers I looked at? YES - to me anyway. If I decide to buy another trailer, the Bison's are the first ones I'll look at. You get an awful lot of nice features for the money in these trailers. Just my $.02