I would be curious as to what the tongue weight of the 'newer' models are.  Somewhere back there was stated the tongue weight was 1200# empty.  If they move the axle back, fill the propane and water tanks, and with less weight removed when the horses are loaded (due to the more reward placement of the axles) how much is the tongue going to weigh then? 

Lakota itself has been in the RV business for a long time.  As far as making horsetrailers, I believe it is 2005.  They did make prototypes before that.  I also recall Exiss and other trailers having "issues" and having a similar recall situation.  I fully expect Shadow trailers to be recalled as well.  I was really shocked when I looked at them closely and saw how they are put together.

I fully stand behind Lakota, and I am typically a Featherlite/Exiss person.  I had a Featherlite for quite some time and loved it.  I love my Lakota GN LQ.  For the GN is the way to go. 

Hi everyone

Just want to update all of you wonderful informative people that I was able to take the money I received from Lakota and purchase a g/n trailer with l/q yesterday.  I was getting frantic trying to find one (used) within my price range and persistance paid off.  An ad was placed yesterday in some small local paper, I made an appointment to be the early bird and catch the worm, which I was; and it had most of the features I wanted plus it leaves me enough money to purchase a generator, electric motor to crank her up and a step to get inside the l/q more easily.  Remember I am over the hill.

So all is well that ends well.  It has been a roller coaster but using this chat room has given me the motivation and knowledge to handle these problems the right way.  As my Dad always said "the right thing is always the hard thing to do".  Thank you Dad.

Sincerely

Good for you Terri!!! I hope you spend much enjoyable time in your new trailer. I bet you will like the way this one tows.

Gard

I bought a Lakota HUT last summer (2007) and pulled it without a weight distribution hitch on an F150.  I did not have problems with swaying. However, the tongue weight was too heavy for my truck.  After installing a weight distribution hitch initially the trailer did sway.  A small adjustment to the weight distribution bars resolved the swaying issue.  The adjustment is simple and is necessary because when the horses load, weight shifts off the tongue.  The trailer pulls great. My horses only weigh around 1,800 - 2,000 together and even with the larger/heavier horse loaded at the back, it still doesn't sway. The dealer I bought my trailer from hauled an 18 hand cart horse in my unit and had no problems. Personally I don't think the slant load has enough stall length for two large horses but that's a different concern.

Do you know if your trailer was one of the first models?  Did you actually have any measured tongue weights?

Do you know if your trailer was one of the first models?  Did you actually have any measured tongue weights?

Lakota web site says the first year model for the HUT was 2006.  My unit is a 2007 model.  The labels on my sofa cushions had date around June 2007, but that doesn't mean anything about when the actual trailer was built. 

The Lakota advertised tongue weight is 950 lbs. and that is what is printed on the trailer as well.  As I recall, the payload of my F150 is 1,500#.  Pulling the loaded HUT with an F150 is at or slightly above the manufacturer's suggested weight limit for MY truck's configuration. My truck is a short bed, 4 doors, with 18" wheels, and 4X4, all of which cut into the towing capacity of the F150 advertised 10,500 #.  Each truck should be evaluated for weight capacity based on its specific options. 

I'm very conscientious about adding extra weight and balancing the load on my trailer because it does make all the difference in the world and like everyone else, I want a safe and comfortable trip. Before owning the HUT, I owned a Brenderup which is completely a dream pull trailer. I've towed other trailers with other tow vehicles,  including pulling a ski boat with a Honda Accord short distances. I've had a 24' F450 chassis RV that I pulled the Brenderup behind and would not have ever known it was back there.  I will tell you very sincerely that my truck is pulling the Lakota without an issue.

Also, I've had great experience with Lakota concerning my warranty items. A part on the electronic jack broke and they replaced the entire jack with a newer model.  There were never any doubts from them.  They were always polite, cooperative, and ready to quickly resolve the issues. The problems we reported were a leaky outside faucet which they replaced, a broken part on the jack which they replaced with a new year model jack, and difficult fit on one of the back doors caused from the center divider that the door latches on. I didn't want to take the trailer to a dealer for repairs as my boyfriend could fix everything and they helped him through it.

I wonder what the final analysis was for the woman's trailer?

I am the woman that owen the Lakota and the final alalysis was a bent axle.  Also, someone asked if you weighed the tongue weight...I did and it was 1,200# when it was empty.

From what I read, your trailer is different than mine and I purchased mine in March of 07 so I probably got one that was made at the end of 06.

I am happy you have no problems with yours and yes, Lakota did stand behind their product is why they purchased it back from me.  Due to the bad experiences I had, which were many, I would not go back to a bumper pull and wanted a gooseneck which everyone spoke highly of.

I am waiting to take ownership within the next two weeks.

LOL!!! CRG..... Here we go again. First they're bent, then they're not, no they are, yes they arn't. Ya'll still ain't tellin everything....... Are you?!!!

facts are not changing.  Instead of getting into all the details to someone new that is not having my problems, I just repeated what Lakota told me on the phone to simplify the explaination.  As far as my problems...they were real and if anyone has such problems with thier trailer...believe me they will get the detailed facts as I would not want anyone to risk their safety because of a trailer.  Believe me, I know the truth....I was the player in all of this.

well,neither does anyone else that is a regular on here,want anyone's safety risked.No one is disputing the truth,yours,theirs,or anyone's.I just remember what I read was: the axle was not bent,in bold letters.And you post that it was,so,hey,apparently,it was.

All of the design flaws aside,or whatever Lakota decides to do with their HUT trailer from here on out.You yourself are the one that said  that you were told that one of the axles was bent. 

Clarification......I received a phone call...after the fact....from the main office in Indiana.......from someone who did not inspect the trailer that the axle was bent...this is what Lakota said not what I said or believe or heard myself.

\

Wonder what made them say that?

that answer would have to come out of the mind that composed the words.  And that was not me. 

Just a guess, but it might be a better response than to say the trailer had a design flaw...

It could have been that particular trailer had a flaw but, I doubt there is a flaw with the HUT design on the trailer that I have.  It rides perfectly.  It seems that if there was a design flaw, everyone who bought one would have a problem and be requesting refunds.  Also, it would seem that Lakota would have redesigned HUT which, it doesn't appear to me that they have.  The Lakota web site is different from the last time I looked at it more than 6 months ago.  It has been amended to say that a weight distribution hitch is required for the trailer, that was not there when I bought my trailer in '07. 

I wonder if the trailer owner had a weight distribution hitch?  We may have already reviewed this topic though...

Unless your trailer was among the first seven of the series, you may be enjoying the lessons learned from their problems. As Paul alluded to, it may be easier to place blame on a bent axle, than to say that the axle placement was incorrect. Today's society now specializes in pointing fingers at someone else and saying, "it's not my fault".

Gard

Like Usual you said it well Gard