This was originally prepared as advance notice of a Böckmann Portax K that was on order, but the trailer has arrived. It has Silver-Gray anodized aluminum walls and Silver Metallic roof and nose. Stop by and check it out! (If you like to do a quick read, scroll down the listing for some highlighted features. Otherwise, read on for the full story...)
The Portax K is for 2 horses to 18 hands and is designed to be pulled safely by many of today's smaller, more fuel-efficient SUVs and trucks. In fact, in Europe, many people pull them with cars! In addition to the ease of towing, the Portax K offers the convenience of front-unloading. It's loaded with safety and convenience features as well, which we'll cover shortly. (A few words about the pictures: Our lead photo is from the factory, showing the Portax K's front ramp in use. We've included a couple of pictures showing that you don't need a truck to tow a Böckmann. The rest of the pictures are of Portax Ks that have come through our dealership. The subject trailer arrived recently. We'll take some photos and add them to the listing, but it looks like the Silver-roofed Portax K in some side views already in this listing.)
If you have a horse that doesn't like to back off the trailer, you'll appreciate the Portax K's standard front ramp. Even if your horses don't need the front ramp, it's a convenient way for you to scoot in & out of the trailer. In addition, the Portax has as standard a 2-mode rear Ramp/Door. Lower it as a ramp or swing it aside for step-up loading. As far as we know, Böckmann is the only manufacturer in the North American market offering the versatility of a 2-mode Ramp/Door. With its front ramp and rear ramp/door, the Portax K offers a variety of ways to get your horses on and off the trailer. If you transport a variety of horses with differing personalities, the Portax could be the trailer for you!
On front and rear ramps, lift assist is provided by a pair of gas springs (those vertical black tubular things near the bottom of each ramp). On many trailers, conventional springs provide diminishing assist as the ramp rises, but a gas spring provides useful assist through the full range of motion. If you've ever struggled with a ramp because the springs weren't up to the task, you'll appreciate Böckmann's gas springs.
Böckmann is considered by many to be Europe's premier horse trailer brand. Böckmann trailers have been in production for about 60 years, so even though their designs are advanced, they're well proven on roads all over the world. The aerodynamic shape and light tongue weight (thanks to a well-balanced design) are just two aspects that set Böckmann trailers apart from other brands.
Here are Böckmann's easy-to-meet vehicle requirements:
1. Must have at least 125 horsepower. To put this in perspective, this level of power is achieved even by many of today's small 4-cylinder engines (although most Böckmann owners pull with 6 cylinder vehicles or the turbocharged 4-cylinders that are being offered in place of the 6-cylinder engines in many vehicles).
2. If SUV or truck, must have a wheelbase of at least 100 inches. (We're not recommending that you pull with a subcompact sedan, but for illustration purposes, many subcompacts have a wheelbase of about 100 inches and have 120 horsepower or more. The vehicle doesn't have to be huge to tow a Böckmann!)
3. Must be able to accommodate a loaded tongue weight of about 215 lbs. for most Böckmann models. (For comparison, most domestic horse trailers have a loaded tongue weight in the 500 to 800 lb. range. The Böckmann'ls lighter tongue weight puts much less load on the tow vehicle's rear suspension for a smoother ride. The tow vehicle also remains more level for more predictable handling.)
In addition to their ease of towing, Böckmanns are loaded with standard features, such as Multi Safe System (MSS) chest & butt bars. MSS bars slip into place quickly, minimizing your time in the kick zone, and they're quiet during travel. MSS stall bars can be adjusted in seconds, with 2 height adjustments on the chest bars and 3 positions on the butt bars. The butt bar mounts are angled so that as you lower the bar for a smaller horse, it also shortens the stall. And to top it off, in the event of an emergency, the MSS bars have an external release so you don't have to get in the trailer to release a panicking horse. How's that for thoughtful design? And that's just the stall bars!
Another thoughtful touch, recently introduced, is the interior light that illuminates blue or white. Flip the switch one way and let the horses travel in calming blue light. Need brighter light for working with the horses? Flip the switch the other way and the light's white!
The Portax K features tough stacked-aluminum-tube wall construction on a durable galvanized steel chassis. It's similar to how they stack the logs in a log home. The stacked-tube double walls of a Portax are of anodized aluminum for durability, ease of maintenance and long-lasting good looks. Anodizing is common in the boating industry, where components need to stand up to the harsh marine environment. It's just one more feature that sets Böckmann apart from the rest. Also, since the tubes produce a double-wall design, it's going to be quieter than a single wall.
The Portax floor consists of interlocking extruded aluminum planks, double-walled in high load areas. A rubber mat is bonded to the floor and the edges are sealed. This prevents animal wastes from reaching the floor planks. It's great for the durability of the floor, but it also makes post-trip floor cleaning a snap. No need to lift a mat!
Most trailers built in North America have electric brakes, which require you to have a brake controller in the tow vehicle. And many brake controllers need to be adjusted as the load in the trailer changes. With the Portax's inertia-actuated mechanical brakes, life is much simpler. Portax brakes apply braking force automatically in proportion to the load in the trailer. You don't need to fiddle with a brake controller. In fact, you don't even need a brake controller! The Portax's mechanical braking system has been in use for decades all over the world. It's simple, reliable and well proven.
Another cut-above feature you won't find on most trailers is the Portax's smooth-riding WCFPlus coil-spring suspension. That's right, coil spring suspension with shock absorbers, just as on automobiles. Radial tires (with spare) are also standard.
Portax models feature a center-post stall divider that lets you swing the front and back halves out of the way to facilitate unloading via the front ramp, putting on shipping boots or working with the horses. Here's a link to a short factory-produced video showing ease of loading and unloading with the Portax's center-post divider:
Here's a summary of key features on the Portax K:
-No Truck Required! Light tongue weight and low-drag aerodynamic shape
-Interior height of 7'6"+ accommodates large horses comfortably
-Front ramp with gas spring assist (it's a 1 or 2-finger lift for most people - super easy!)
-2-Mode rear Ramp/Door with gas spring assist - lower as a ramp or swing open for step-up loading
-Center-pivot stall divider for ease of access at front or rear
-Lockable full height groom door (across from the front ramp)
-Chest bars with 2 height adjustments and quiet fast-action latches
-Butt bars with 3 positions - as you lower the bar, it also shortens the stall - fast-action latches get you out of the kick zone quickly and they're quiet!
-Multi Safe System chest & butt bars - release a bar from outside the trailer in the event of an emergency!
-Roof vent/skylight
-Multiple windows
-Self-furling 3-position rear curtain (closed / full open / closed with mesh vent open)
-Bright, quiet, well-ventilated interior
-Padded walls and stall divider
-Kick panels
-Integrated coupler lock for security (and there's even an indicator to let you know it's properly secured to hitch ball)
The Portax K has a tack compartment conveniently located in the nose. It's roomy, has wide contoured saddle racks and the saddle rack support extends to offer easy access to the saddles from outside the trailer. Also standard are bridle hooks,a mirror, storage net, telescoping broom and shovel and wheel chocks. Böckmann trailers are well built and well equipped!
Want to see some Böckmann features in use and Böckmann trailers on the road? Visit the recently -updated Böckmann section of our website, which includes links to some short Böckmann-produced videos of the trailers in action.
To recap about the photos used here and to provide a bit more clarification, the subject trailerhas Silver-Gray anodized aluminum walls and Silver Metallic roof and nose. The subject trailer arrived recently and we haven't taken pictures of it, but we've included a few side views of a Portax K in that color combination. Other views are of Portaxes that have been in inventory and accurately depict features of the subject trailer. We'll take pictures of the subject trailer shortly.
Prices include freight to our dealership, but exclude tax, title and registration (which you pay to your state of titling and registration). No surprise dealer fees!
We install hitches & wiring and service most brands. Financing & test drives are available.
Traveled Lane Trailers - Quality products & helpful advice in a no-pressure-to-buy atmosphere!
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