To All That Has An Opinion

Help to all those trailer users. I am looking into purchasing my first horse trailer and I am at a stopping point. Please give me your insights, like, dislikes, and all the details of your opinion on the two horse trailers. I am looking at purchasing a three horse slant with dressing room. I am just not sure which is the better trailer. SUNDOWNER OR FEATHERLITE.

So Please tell me anything and everything you can about the trailers.

Dressing Rooms, stall dividers, tack compartment and saddle racks, flooring load, roof leakage, drop down windows, doors and hinges, and anything and everything else you can think of.

Thank you for all your help in this tough time of mine.

Thanks Kelly

Kelly

I bought a 2005 Featherlite 8541 3 horse G/N slant with the ,Platinum package  Norwthwest rear doors ,escape door, and a stud wall on the first stall. I love the set-up! Dressing room is plain but works for overnight camping and lots of room.Has a screen door and good ventilation.Stall dividers are nice but could use a better way to hold them open for loading(I use a bungee cord that works better that there setup).The latches are good. Flooring Load? I have seen no problem with the floor or mats it is clean with no protrusions.The saddle rack can be used in the tack room or in the rear colasbable area.I use the tack room for the saddles. Roof leakage...NONE, and I live in Oregon where is is raining as I type! Drop down windows are ok...the only problem I have had it the spacing of the drop down bars. I have a horse that can get his nose between the bars and push out the screen from the channel. If they were maye a little closer he couldn't do it. The other horse dosen't pull this trick(go figure)! Doors and hinges are super! I love there locking and laching system.As I said earlier I got the Northwest rear doors.They have a cam latch top and bottom with no center post! I hate obstructions! The only real problen I had was with the brakes(but it let me know how there service is). I bought the trailer 300 miles away from where I live because it was exactly how I wanted it. Running home I was a bit concerned about the brakes. Usally with electric brakes the problem is they are a bit on the touchy side (tire flat spots ect.). I could never get them to lock up! Well after I got home I concluded they were defective! They worked but I was getting about 45% of what I called good brakes. I ran it back to the dealer 300 miles away and had the stud wall installed some extra outside ties and had the brakes checked out! We could not find the problem! I didn't want to leave it there so I brought it home and took it to the local dealer(5miles away)! Well they jumped on it like they sold it to me!! The problem was fixed! You didn't ask about service. But I would put it at the top of the list! There are a few things I would do differently and add. A fold out step for the tack room would be nice. I'm 6'4" and it is a STEP up.A wall liner on the long wall so you don't ding the outside sheeting from the inside throwing things around inside, a 4'x8' sheet of anything will fix that potential problem. Well I hope this helps. I never compared one to a Sundowner so I can't say much about them, but I would still buy another Featherlite!

Dave

PS ......Well as the next post points out you didn't say G/N or BP ect and I spewed all over the place. anyway....you got the scoop on a 8541 G/N

Kelly,      My question would be, which one? Featherlite has a host of models, as does Sundowner. In order to garner good, accurate feedback I'd suggest narrowing your request to a particular model number from each manufacturer. Otherwise,......... Just my 2 cents worth.

RTSmith

Sorry, I didn't think of that when I was typing. I am looking at the three horse slant load goose neck with dressing room. No living quarters. I do not remember the model number I looked at in the featherlite, I think it was the 8541 though, and the Sundowner was the sunLite 727.

I am pulling with a F250 extra cab 4x4, not sure the motor size, but I do know it is the diesel. Any comments on the ease of pulling the trailer and how the gooseneck fits in the bed, etc...

Thanks so Much for all your input...

I own a '97 Sundowner 727 and am about to buy a new one.    When trailer shopping, both times, I looked at Featherlite as well as Sundowner.

The first time, the Featherlite windows were just too small as was the rest of the trailer. Although they appeared very well built.

Now Featherlite has a Warmblood size trailer that is larger and appears that the windows are larger too. But the stalls are still wider in the Sundowner and the Sundowner has a spray coated GN and some other small features that were attractive to me.

I, personally, prefer the look of the Sundowner and their price is better. They both seem to hold their value well though.

Hope this is helpful!

Good luck on getting any real info here. Last time someone started telling the truth anbout 'Umdowner we all got fussed at, the thread was frozen, and then it disappeared. Something about 'Umdowner advertising revenue.... Might try Chronicle of Horse's forum page. I'm thinking that's why the replies have been so light, 'cause I'm sure there are a ton of opinions out there.

H1

H1,

I remember that thread, still dissappointed in how that was handled. 

I'm shopping for a new trailer now, I prefer Featherlite over Sundowner.  I'll leave it at that.