This listing was originally prepared as advance notice of an incoming Böckmann Portax K. The trailer has arrived and we will take pictures of it when we get a chance. In the meantime, we're using pictures of Portax L Ks we've had in inventory and a few pictures provided by the factory. These pictures accurately depict features on the subject trailer. The subject trailer has silver-gray walls and a fiberglass roof that's Black Metallic in color. As with all Böckmann trailers, it's designed to be pulled safely by smaller-than-typical tow vehicles, but there's much more to the Portax L K than easy towing. It has all the things people like about the front-ramp Portax K, plus:
25" of extra space forward of the chest bars
a standing height groom door on each side
2 large windows per side instead of the Portax's single window per side
a removable feeder on each side
an extra layer of mat under the horses' front feet.
As you may have guessed, the "L" in "Portax L K" refers to its greater length, but it's still easy to pull with a smaller vehicle. (While most owners in the States pull their Böckmanns with small SUVs, in many countries where fuel is expensive, the tow vehicle is often a car! See the picture!)
The Portax K has a generous head space of about 5 feet forward of the chest bars. The Portax L K increases that front space to over 7 feet, but the main reason for the stretch was to increase the storage space. The L K comes with a well-equipped tack compartment as standard and with that 25" of additional floor space forward, there's room to store hay or a tack trunk or what have you. (If you like to do a quick read, scroll down for a list of highlighted features. Otherwise, read on for the full story...)
The Portax L 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 addition to the ease of towing, the Portax L K offers the convenience of front-unloading (for horses and horse handlers). It's loaded with safety and convenience features as well, which we'll cover a little later in the listing.
If you have a horse that doesn't like to back off the trailer, you'll appreciate the Portax L 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. Better than a step or running board and it's easy to use! In addition, the Portax L K 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 L 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 L K could be the trailer for you!
On front and rear ramps, lift assist is provided by a pair of gas springs. 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. The front ramp is so well-assisted that it's a 1- or 2-finger lift for most folks. Super easy!
Böckmann is considered by many to be Europe's premier horse trailer brand. In addition to leading the sales charts, Böckmann usually wins several awards each year for their practical & innovative trailer and feature designs. Böckmann trailers have been in production for over 60 years, so even though their designs are advanced, they're well proven on roads all over the world. (They're sold in over 30 countries!) 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 torquey turbocharged 4-cylinders that have become so popular in recent years).
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 wheelbases 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 225 lbs. for Portax L models. (For comparison, most domestic horse trailers have loaded tongue weights in the 600 to 800 lb. range. The Böckmann's 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 predictable handling. Even small SUVs are often rated to handle 300 lbs. tongue weight, well above the 200 to 225 lb. maximum tongue weight of most Böckmann models.)
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. Just slip the bar into the position you need. There are 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, each MSS wall mount has 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 L K features walls of stacked aluminum panels mounted on a durable galvanized steel chassis. The wall design is similar to how they stack the logs in a log home. And please note that the stacked panels 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. Anodized aluminum is just one more feature that sets Böckmann apart from the rest. In addition, the stacked panels create a double-wall design that's cooler and quieter than a single wall. The roof and nose are of thick, durable fiberglass. If you've ever been on a boat traversing rough water, you can appreciate the toughness and strength of fiberglass.
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! Just sweep or hose it out! The Portax L K comes with an extra layer of mat under the horses' front feed for added comfort.
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. No electronics to wear out and no hydraulics to leak.
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 L K:
-25 inches extra space forward of chest bars for added storage space
-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!)
-Lockable standing-height groom door on each side
-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
-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
-Two 2-mode interior lights - illuminate in calming blue or bright white
-Self-furling 3-position rear curtain (1. closed / 2. full open / 3. closed with mesh vent open)
-Bright, quiet, well-ventilated interior
-Padded walls and stall divider
-Kick panels
-Rubber mat bonded to the floor and edges sealed - animal wastes don't reach the floor surface (great for durability) and post-trip clean-up is a snap (no need to lift a mat!)
-Extra layer of rubber mat under horses' front feet
-Removable feeder per stall
-Integrated coupler lock for security (and there's even an indicator to let you know it's properly secured to the hitch ball)
-The subject trailer has exterior tie rings as standard and is also equipped with the optional external tie bar
Subject trailer has Silver-Gray anodized aluminum walls and Black Metallic roof and nose.
The Portax L 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, storage net, telescoping broom and shovel, wheel chocks, lug wrench and folding stool. 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.
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!
Financing & test drives are available.
Traveled Lane Trailers - Quality products & helpful advice in a no-pressure-to-buy atmosphere!
(A few words about the pictures with this advance-notice listing: Most pictures are of an identically-equipped Portax L K we had in inventory recently. The images of the car & trailer, horse unloading and "roof off" were provided courtesy of Böckmann GmbH. The Portax L K and Portax K share many components, so we used some detail images of a Portax K where we hadn't taken equivalent views of the PLK. The two images of the rear view showing the stall divider swung aside are of a Portax K. We also used PK images to show the butt & chest bar wall mounts and the underside, which shows the floor & chassis design and the WCFPlus coil spring suspension.)
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