Posted 2008-03-11 12:04 PM (#79293) Subject: Blue Ribbon Trailers
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Rotan, TX
Have any of you bought one of these new trailers? I just sold my little trailer and am looking for a good stock/combo trailer with a dressing room. I have not been hauling for a year and I come back and there's a new trailer on the market. They are reasonably priced and that's a big factor for me. I want my horses in something solid and safe of course but my husband will be using this trailer to haul cows and he has a bad track record of being VERY tough on things so I don't want to buy him a very expensive trailer. The Blue Ribbon's seem nice but I have very little knowledge of them. Any opinions??
Posted 2008-03-11 12:43 PM (#79295 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Veteran
Posts: 282 Location: southcentral pennsylvania
I don't know a thing about Blue Ribbon trailers, but the cattlemen/horsemen at our local auction like Moritz trailers. They are built like tanks, functional rather than beautiful, and a good price.
Posted 2008-03-11 1:34 PM (#79298 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Veteran
Posts: 201
I have looked these trailers over carefully and would suggest you do the same and compare to other brands. There is usually a reason why the same products are less expensive
Posted 2008-03-11 2:41 PM (#79301 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Regular
Posts: 88 Location: Youngstown, OH
I have posted on this subject before and still stand behind my comments. When I sold my Elite LQ last winter I used a friend's Blue Ribbon to run to the trainers. It was a stock/combo with drops on the head and slats on the hip and nice size dressing room. Loved it! It hauled like a dream and I had no problems with it. In fact, I've moved up to a 3 horse deluxe trailer this year, instead of dragging my LQ around town. I have no complaints and the trailer is well built and sturdy. Considering what you will be using if for, I think you will be very happy with a Blue Ribbon.
Posted 2008-03-11 4:58 PM (#79310 - in reply to #79298) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Location: Tuttle, OK
Originally written by Duckman on 2008-03-11 2:34 PM
I have looked these trailers over carefully and would suggest you do the same and compare to other brands. There is usually a reason why the same products are less expensive
You're right, it's always good to compare.
When you looked, did you notice the ¼” tubular rear frame with ¼” gussets (top and bottom) on the stock and stock combo trailers, or the big 8” hinges, did you notice that they use 2 ½” X 1 ¼” .125 closed side posts, or 4” “I” beams on continuous 12” centers on top of a .125 thick, reinforced aluminum floor board?
Sometimes, a lack of big company overhead helps to keep the price down more than cutting back on material.
Posted 2008-03-12 1:08 PM (#79367 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Veteran
Posts: 201
I'm not here to start a war, but ironically a Platinum happend to be next to the Blue Ribbon I looked at. Platinum had 5X6"" corner posts welded to frame, not the floor, they had 5" solid retangular tube on the nose supports as well as the top rail, had a .040 alum. roof and 3X4X3 I beams for floor supports and marine grade alum. for the floor. This is the specs. I was given by the factory at that time. I'm not saying one was better than the other, but you could see the differences in material and welds pretty easily. I'm sure blue ribbon and other manuf. have different specs/reasons why their trailer is the best, but my point was to check for yourself, no matter what the price. Sorry if this came across the wrong way!
Posted 2008-03-12 3:22 PM (#79383 - in reply to #79293) Subject: Blue Ribbon Trailers
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Rotan, TX
I have started all the research to see spec wise who has the best product. I will compare all of those things. I didn't mean to start a war either, I was really trying to see if any one had actually pulled one. Some trailers just pull smoother and nicer than others. That kind of thing you can't always find out on a website. I do appreciate the information though...even if some of it did come from a Blue Ribbon employee!
Posted 2008-03-12 8:55 PM (#79398 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
One thing about it, cattle will push a trailer to it's limits as far as wall, roof, hinge, floor, and cut gate abilities. Whole nuther country. I have never seen a Blue Ribbon, so have no helpful opinions there either way, but when you get a stock combo trailer, and cattle and cattlemen are involved, stout construction becomes a necessity. Ask 58 of our cattle! Ease of washing out would be a nice plus, as it will sure last longer after the cattle are hauled if the wash out inside, ceiling to floor is done before the manure dries. Good luck with your purchase!
Posted 2008-03-13 7:43 AM (#79415 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Nebraska
Doesn't Stacy Westfall use the Blue Ribbon Trailer. Thought I read on her website where she was using a Blue Ribbon Trailer to take her horse to California for the Ellen DeGeneres show. You should e-mail her and get some first hand information.
Posted 2008-03-13 8:44 AM (#79418 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Member
Posts: 6
Location: jacksonville, florida
lets let everyone know that "reinergirl" also works for blue ribbon/ leonard truck and trailer. so of course she will tell you how good a blue ribbon trailer is, the truth is it's an all aluminum horse trailer, is it top of the line ??? NO, it is a copy of an exiss sport, mr. john clark used to work for exiss and took the sport design to blue ribbon with him. not to say that blue ribbon is a bad trailer, but lets keep it simple and tell the truth. we need an opinion from someone who has one and uses it everyday, not someone who works for them.
Posted 2008-03-13 9:35 AM (#79428 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Regular
Posts: 88 Location: Youngstown, OH
I do happen to use one regularly and find it to be a very nice trailer, well built and priced affordably. I'm simply giving my opinion of a product I use. "Everyone should Know", what kind of trailer do you use???
And that's correct, Stacey & Jesse Westfall pull a Blue Ribbon, well known Standardbred driver Keith Crawford, and many others.
Posted 2008-03-13 9:53 AM (#79435 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Member
Posts: 6
Location: jacksonville, florida
But do you work for leonard truck and trailer/blue ribbon trailers is the question ??? this forum was started for an answer to a question about a blue ribbon trailer, i think she wanted an answer from someone who has spent their hard earned money on the trailer, not someone who just wants the company they work for to sell as many as possable. We all dont have an endless supply of money, so the trailer we invest our money in is VERY important to us, as is the saftey of our horses.
Posted 2008-03-13 10:07 AM (#79442 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Regular
Posts: 88 Location: Youngstown, OH
That's right and I do spend my hard earned money on each and every trailer I use. The bank and I own them, I use them and know what I like and don't like. I put thousands of miles on a trailer every year and have had good ones and bad ones.
Posted 2008-03-13 10:19 AM (#79445 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Regular
Posts: 58 Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
I'll be upfront...I sell Platinum trailers. I've looked over the Blue Ribbon pretty good, and I would call it an entry level trailer, or an economy trailer. Nothing wrong with that. If we had a used one on the lot, I'm sure I could find a good home for it, just like every Exiss and Sundowner we've had too. It's like cars, not everyone can afford, or needs, a Mercedes, so they buy Chevy instead. A lot of people can't justify the expense of a Platinum, 4-Star, Elite, or C&C when they only are just getting into the horse business, or only use their trailer a few times a month.
Most of the time, you do get what you pay for, and if you do your homework, you can sort it all out and pick the best trailer for you and your budget. Obviously, professionals on the road putting endless miles on their trailer, and exposing their trailer and horses to all kinds of road conditions and hazards need the best trailer they can afford. Safety is a huge factor when you make your living with your horses. Here's an example of a pro rodeo trailer that wrecked a couple weeks ago on the ice in North Dakota. The truck and trailer rolled several times, the haypod was knocked off, and the drop down doors were tweaked, but still there. The people in the truck survived because they used seat belts. All of the horses walked out of the trailer unharmed. http://www.in-forum.com/av/asx/tvscripts/20381_80000.asx
Posted 2008-03-13 2:57 PM (#79494 - in reply to #79435) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Member
Posts: 7
Location: North Jackson Ohio
"Everyone Should Know",
I find your username amusing because of the facts that you are so eager to disclose about others but fail to disclose about your self. Your posts suggest that you are a horse and trailer owner. When you started your employment with Leonard Truck & Trailer inc. approximately 6 years ago you had no knowledge of the horse lifestyle or the trailer business. Up until March of last year, I do not believe you have ever ridden a horse let alone loaded one in a trailer, cleaned a stall, or driven a truck and trailer with horses in it. I know I can not speak for the experience that you have had since leaving our employ but even if you have become a horse owner in the interim less than a year hardly places you in the expert category to assist your customers in making an informed trailer purchase and commmenting about their horses safety.
Yes Reiner girl is in the employ of Leonard Truck & Trailer inc. and yes she does own a horse and hauls it all over the country to compete. She has invested her hard earned money in several different trailers that she has personally used.
We really should know, do you own a horse and a trailer? Or are you just a poser?
Another statement on your part that shows your lack trailer knowledge, is when you insinuate that Blue Ribbon is merely a Exiss Sport knock off. Any person comparing the two trailers will find that there are few similarities in the units.
The only truth in your statement about Mr. Clark is that in fact he was instrumental in the design of both trailers.
Your accessement of the two products being the same is so far from the truth it is absurd. I challenge you to supply details of how the trailers are constructed the same. The superiority of the Blue Ribbon design is self evident. Not to mention the long list of standard features on the Blue Ribbon that are options on other trailer manufacturers standard models.
Posted 2008-03-13 3:58 PM (#79504 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Member
Posts: 6
Location: jacksonville, florida
Mission accomplished, now the readers of this forum know the truth. The questions of this forum were about a blue ribbon trailer, not about horses, not about horse ownership, not about posers. now they get a chance to ask questions to a person who owns MORE BLUE RIBBON TRAILERS THEN ANYONE.
Posted 2008-03-13 8:24 PM (#79522 - in reply to #79293) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Member
Posts: 15
Location: Freedom, Pa.
You said you wanted it to haul cattle also, I was at a auction the other week and was looking in the parking lot and all I saw were Eby trailers out there, I was pulling a Custom Fab and I felt out of place I was talking to the owner of the auction and he told me that the people that hauled cattle preferred the Eby to the other makes.
Posted 2008-03-14 9:22 AM (#79557 - in reply to #79522) Subject: RE: Blue Ribbon Trailers
Elite Veteran
Posts: 720 Location: Never miss a good chance to shut up.
This might be a good time for us to amend the rules in the forum to make sure anyone with any professional affiliation with a trailer company/dealership disclose that fact. We like knowing where our information is coming from. Makes sense.
On the other hand, for those of you who post exactly who you are and what you do for a living in the trailer industry, we thank you and welcome you on our board. If we eliminated trailer professionals on this board who had a professional affiliation we'd be losing one hell of a lot of great expertise.
I've said this before. If you advertise with us, you have a right to come on this board as a professional respresentative and answer questions about your trailer line - when asked about your trailers. Even if you don't advertise with us, you have a right to answer specific questions about your brand. We encourage it. I just don't want non-advertisers to use the board to promote products, if nobody is asking about them. That's called free advertising and it isn't fair to those who do.
Once again, I encourage and in fact, invite anyone representing a specific brand, to contact me to arrange an online chat Q & A to help promote and answer questions about their trailers. THIS WILL NOT be a bashing opportunity IT WILL BE moderated by me. We need MORE information from the manufacturers and dealers not less.
Blue Ribbon Trailers
