Posted 2011-01-16 5:58 PM (#128964 - in reply to #128956) Subject: RE: trail rider horse trailer - comments?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 379 Location: Missouri
We bought our 17' Trail Rider in May 2010 and love it! I gave them quite a grilling prior to purchasing the trailer since I was doing it sight unseen. After picking it up at the factory, I was more then impressed by the quality and attention to detail. I have not found anything that has disappointed me. The buying process couldn't have gone more smoothly. They even meet us on a Saturday and gave us a tour of the plant.
Posted 2011-01-16 8:33 PM (#128968 - in reply to #128956) Subject: RE: trail rider horse trailer - comments?
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Newnan, GA
not knowing anything about them and the specific model you are looking at, their floorplans look perfect and i love the bar layout. the painted fiberglass one? SWEET! the $70K trailers i see online have steel frame and painted steel in the horse area? imho, since i grew up with rust buckets, i would not buy a steel/aluminum trailer - especially with steel anywhere that I could see it. for the long haul, resale etc., again imho, i would buy something a few years older with a big brand name, a little shorter and all aluminum. you asked... :)
Posted 2011-01-16 8:57 PM (#128969 - in reply to #128956) Subject: RE: trail rider horse trailer - comments?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 379 Location: Missouri
While I shared your concern for a steel trailer, as I've owned rust buckets before. The entire frame top to bottom is painted with the hardest paint I've ever seen, I was invited to scratch one at the factory with a steel chisel and couldn't. In fact when I tried to weld some hooks in the side compartment a steel wire brush on a 4" grinder wouldn't cut the paint. I had to use a disk grinder. On top of that any exposed metal that isn't covered by the aluminum skin is protected with "Line-X" type coating.
Posted 2011-01-17 11:05 AM (#128977 - in reply to #128956) Subject: RE: trail rider horse trailer - comments?
New User
Posts: 2
Hornet, what are you hauling your trailer with? I have a 07 Dodge Ram heavy duty 2500, diesel turbo and TRX4 off road. Iam wondering with airbags if I would be good to haul?
Posted 2011-01-17 12:05 PM (#128979 - in reply to #128977) Subject: RE: trail rider horse trailer - comments?
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
Originally written by countrykim on 2011-01-17 12:05 PM
Hornet, what are you hauling your trailer with? I have a 07 Dodge Ram heavy duty 2500, diesel turbo and TRX4 off road. Iam wondering with airbags if I would be good to haul?
You're talking about a steel frame trailer with a 17' LQ.... How many horses? Any mid tack, hay rack, hay pod...? You got any idea what the pin weight is on that trailer? I know I wouldn't want to tackle that trailer with a 3/4 ton truck, air bags or no air bags....
Be sure you can handle it with that 2500 Dodge, cause that sucker will be heavy after you get all of your "stuff" loaded..!!!
LOL!! Yea, those thing were nothing more than a glorified 4 wheeler/ATV!! Even with that truck, one may need to use of one of these.... http://www.mrtrailer.com/safetyhitch.htm
Theres a farm near me that uses several of Suzuki's and the Geo Trackers. They hitch them to the rear of the combines, then hitch the header trailer to the rear of the Suzuki or Geo when moving to other farms. Once the move is complete they use the Samurai/Tracker/Raider to get back home for the grain truck. They keep a pretty good parts inventory in the fence/hedge row... Feel free to shoot me for hijacking this thread.
Posted 2011-01-17 5:50 PM (#128989 - in reply to #128956) Subject: RE: trail rider horse trailer - comments?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 379 Location: Missouri
countrykim,
A 3/4 ton truck will not handle this trailer. I scaled the trailer, tongue weight is 5,300 lbs, axle weight is 11,940 lbs. We pull it with a GMC Kodiak C4500. It's a breeze to drive with our truck, but I wouldn't want anything less underneath it.