I had several trailers that had the cheaper and lighter made cabinets. They did not hold up well and were very hard to repair since you can't just sand and restain them. But, there was a upside to them...a dog crate rubbed the side of a cabinet and the wall. I was able to do a quick fix by using the simulated oak Contact Paper (TM). It matched perfectly.

Weight is not an issue to me so I prefer solid built conversions. I like my LQ to look like fine handcrafted furniture and not like a cheap truck camper. It does cost more up front but the trailers seem to hold their value much better.

It's been my experience that the reason the RV type of cabinets are heavy, is because of budget constraints. It is much less expensive to build a carcass and shelving out of MDF and wrap it with a covering, than it is to use a multi-ply laminate with hardwood veneers. Inexpensive cabinets sold everwhere, use the common sawdust and glue as their material choice. Upscale cabinets still are available with plywood carcasses. 

In custom aircraft and marine construction, where weight issues are critical, and moneys spent are through the roof, you will commonly find light weight construction with every type of exotic woods being used. Core materials that are constructed of various types of expensive honey comb materials, are then veneered with many finish materials. It is not uncommon for a 4' x 8' sheet to weigh only a few pounds and cost many hundreds of dollars. Curved panels are constructed and laminated to fit specific installations.

A 3/8" piece of Baltic Birch is as strong as a 5/8" or 3/4" MDF panel. It will weigh less, hold fasteners over time which particle board won't, and yet it will be rejected as a construction material, because it will cost twice as much to purchase.

The weight issue is the result of bean counters, trying to make the highest profit while using the least expensive materials. Lighter materials cost more than the heavier ones they replace. It is strictly a cost issue, born by the manufacturers and consumers alike.

Gard

Levi wrote: "but their still is alot of RVs out theirthat are 15 years old that have the same cabinets in them as they do now and look just as good, it is how you take care of them. now for my home of course I wouldnt have anything less than solid cabnets."

Hello..... RV trailers don't torque going down the road like a LQ trailer loaded with a few thousand lbs of  horses moving around in the back!

I think you are missing the point, most often the largest cost of a horse trailer LQ is in the actual construction of the horse trailer, not the LQ. Horse trailers are built much tougher than any RV and as a result have more raw material cost than a similar RV.

A few years back, I remember a guy in IN that said the same thing about buying a really nice RV trailer cheaper than a horse trailer. He sold his big LQ trailer and bought him a fancy new toy hauler 5th wheel. He then had a 3H straight load container like what the airlines use made that he winched into place in the back. He hauled his mules in it on a short trip but then hauled a car or 4 wheelers to AZ several times. He quite trying to talk us all into his way of thinking. Maybe he realized that it was not his smartest idea.

At one time I considered purchasing a LQ shell and having a conversion company install an interior. The interior's quoted price would have exceeded the cost of the trailer.

When you factor in the additional cost of a running gear, engine, transmission, rear axle, steering components and the suspension, which by themselves are all very expensive elements, it is difficult to justify a head to head price comparison.

Gard

It is hard to justify a head to head comparison...same reason we don't do head to head comparisons on mobile homes and custom built brick homes. Same reason we don't compare cars and trucks. They don't serve the same purpose.

Interesting posts.  We started off with a note about keeping weight in mind while building an LQ, and then went on to the cost difference between horse trailers and RVs.  Might as well stick my oar in the water, too...

I AGREE that there is quite a difference in the price between horse trailers and RVs, whereby it appears that you get everything including a hot tub in an RV for half the price of the horse trailer with LQ, which is not nearly so luxurious.  I too have commented on how strange it is that the trailer that is basically empty for more than half it's length would cost twice what the other does.  I've just decided that the manufacturers have us over a barrel here -- they have discovered they can charge us this much, and we will pay.  That said, I have found an increasing number of friends are buying themselves a nice used motor home and a tag along trailer and are paying HALF what the living quarter unit would cost, and are quite happy with this set up.

I totally understand what Levie is saying about the weight.

It was a big consideration in how I have been doing my 4' shortwall area. I have found some great cabinets and drawers from the SunCast Company that I used. They are resin and super large and have latches on the cab doors. While it may not be super deluxe wood-working and I'm disappointed that I couldn't find a drawer that matches the color of the cabinets, (I may spray paint them), they are very practical and lightweight.

Suncast makes all those great patio benches/ storage units and hose reels. They also make a great line of cabinets for Sears - for organizing the garage.

I have also been contemplating the use of automotive suppliers to create modular resin/ cast units that could be installed aftermarket into horse trailers.  It would require that the trailers have insulation and interior wiring etc., done first.  I can always dream.

If only ....