Hi. I haul border collies to sheepdog trials. I started out with a three horse Sundowner with living quarters. When my husband got bored going to dog trials, I never felt comfortable going down the road in our Dodge dually diesel towing the Sundowner. The truck was ghastly to drive (not made for small, short women) and the trailer size intimidated me.
I want to purchase lightweight straight load two-horse with living quarters and have the manufacturer do some custom work with insulation in the back and a generator. I also want to be able to use a half-ton to pull the rig (2006 Tundra V8 four door).
This is very difficult to research because the trailer manufacturer websites tend not to list GVWR.
What suitable trailers are available from which manufacturers?
Posted 2006-04-05 6:16 PM (#40000 - in reply to #39541) Subject: RE: lightweight trailers
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
welcome. and to think ive been accused of being rude....someone could have replied with something.
youll have to excuse some of these fine people, but you have broken almost every rule they hold dear. giving up a dually in favor of a 1/2 ton????? come on people she said she will be hauling dogs, cut her some slack.
i know there are a few people with 1/2 tons and GN on this board. and if memory serves a few of those have makeshift "weekender" LQ.
Posted 2006-04-06 8:53 AM (#40021 - in reply to #39541) Subject: RE: lightweight trailers
Regular
Posts: 87 Location: Lavaca, Alabama
I have a Tundra that I use to pull a 2HGN with a 4' shortwall dresssing room that I am currently building a weekender package in. From experience, in my opinion, I need a bigger truck to pull a gooseneck with. The dry weight on my trailer is 3243#. I have figured up all the weights and with 20% of the trailer weight on the rear axle of the truck, I am over the gross vehicle weight rating of the truck. I am not over the towing limit or the gross combined weight rating. I have the 4.7L V8 in my truck with a factory tow package and my trailer is the lightest I came across when I was looking. I do not get anywhere in a hurry, and I am concerned about the brakes and transmission on my truck holding up. My plan is to limp along with this until January when the new 2007 Tundras make their appearance. Just my two cents...
Posted 2006-04-06 9:36 AM (#40023 - in reply to #39541) Subject: RE: lightweight trailers
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Southern Mississippi
No one was rude.
I tried to wait for 2007 Toyota. My knees just couldn't do it.
I am used to one ton hauling. With the half-ton, I will never pull anything that is too much for the truck. Getting a trailer started down the road is not the same thing as stopping one. Despite my nerves with the Sundowner, I have pulled trailers many, many thousands of miles. Enough can go wrong when the rig is just right without tempting fate by not having enough truck.
I was hoping that some of the newer two-horse with LQ were lighter than they were 10 years ago while still providing that wonderful steadiness over the axles along with quality in construction that toyhaulers and other rv-type towables never seem to match. I was hoping those Swedish trailers had made the jump to living quarters.
Thanks everyone for your help. I can see that I'm out of luck with horse trailers. Sigh.
Posted 2006-04-06 9:42 AM (#40024 - in reply to #39541) Subject: RE: lightweight trailers
Veteran
Posts: 225 Location: Kansas City
Check into the newer "sport event" RVs or whatever you call them. They are RV trailers with limited living quarters in the front and a drop down garage type door in the rear so you can haul your quad runners, bikes, etc. Perfect area for dog kennels. In some I've looked at there were even fold down bunk beds along the "garage" walls so you could sleep extra people in the space. I would suppose these are much lighter than horse trailers because of not needing to support 3-5000 pounds of cargo weight.
lightweight trailers
