Here's a Böckmann Portax L K. As with all Böckmann trailers, the Portax L K (or "PLK" for short) is 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!
A regular Portax 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 PLK 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.
The Portax L series was treated to a minor facelift in 2023 and this trailer reflects those changes. The PLK was already an attractive trailer, but the nose contours now form a smooth curve and there's a wider front window. The tack compartment was recontoured as well. By our tape, the updated tack compartment appears to be slightly larger (about 2" extra measured front to back).
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 great way for people to move in and out of the trailer. It's much more convenient than a step or running board. In addition, the Portax L K has as standard a 2-mode Ramp/Door at the rear. Lower it as a ramp or swing it aside for step-up loading (or for loading round bales or pallets). The rear ramp/door is 5' tall for a more gentle incline than is the case with the 4' ramps common on so many trailers. 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, torsion 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 has won numerous awards for their innovative yet practical designs. Böckmann trailers have been in production for over 60 years and are sold in over 30 countries. 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. Here in the States, most folks pull a Böckmann with a smaller SUV or truck with 6-cylinder or turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. These typically have well over 200 HP, so the horsepower requirement is easily met.
2. If truck or SUV (meaning a vehicle with a higher center of gravity than a car), must have a wheelbase of at least 100 inches. These days, even a compact sedan often has a wheelbase over 100 inches. We're not suggesting you tow with a compact sedan, but we use this example to emphasize that the vehicle doesn't have to be huge to meet the 100" wheelbase minimum. (Since we brought up the subject, compact sedans often meet or exceed Böckmann’s minimum horsepower requirement as well, but most are rated for little or no trailer hitch weight.)
3. Must be able to accommodate a loaded tongue weight of about 223 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 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. 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. Just use the handle of the (standard equipment) lug wrench to unscrew the appropriate exterior tie ring and the stall bar wall mount comes down, freeing the horse. How's that for thoughtful design? And that's just the stall bars!
Another thoughtful touch 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 PLK has two of these lights in the horse area and another in the tack compartment.
The Portax L K has walls of interlocking anodized aluminum panels mounted on a corrosion-protected galvanized steel chassis. The wall design is similar to how they stack the logs in a log home. The stacked panels create a double-wall structure that's cooler and quieter than a single wall. In case you're wondering about the significance of the term "anodized" in the first line of this paragraph, please note that the aluminum stacked panels are anodized 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. Completing the body structure, the roof and nose of the PLK are of durable fiberglass. If you've ever been on a boat traversing rough water, you can appreciate the toughness of fiberglass.
The PLK floor consists of interlocking extruded aluminum planks, with extra reinforcement 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 horse 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!
Here's a simple description of how the mechanical brakes work: As you slow your tow vehicle, the trailer's coupler assembly compresses slightly, pulling a rod, which pulls a short cable to each brake drum. (The cables allow the wheels to move up and down without interfering with brake operation.) The empty trailer compresses the coupler assembly with a certain amount of force. Load one horse and there's now the weight of the trailer plus 1000 lbs. or so of horse to compress the coupler assembly with more force, producing more braking force. Load a second horse and now it's the weight of the trailer plus 2000 lbs. or so compressing the coupler assembly to produce proportionately more braking force. While electric brakes are common here in the States, in most countries, mechanical trailer braking systems as on a Böckmann have been the predominant design for decades. They're simple, safe and reliable. No electronics to fail, no brake fluid to change, no brake lines to rust out.
Another cut-above feature you won't find on most trailers is the PLK'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. Wheel bearings are sealed, eliminating the annual task of packing bearings with grease recommended by most trailer manufacturers.
Portax L 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. The stall divider, post and chest & butt bars are easily removed without tools. Here's a link to a short factory-produced video showing ease of loading and unloading with the Portax's center-post divider:
The Portax L K has a lockable 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 storage net, telescoping broom and shovel, folding stool/step and a 5-place crop/whip holder. Other standard accessories include two flat-backed feed buckets that slip into low-profile wall mounts, wheel chocks, a lug wrench, hitch ball cover (it's recommended that you keep grease on the ball) and an anti-theft "ball." (The Portax coupler has an integrated coupler lock. Pop the ball into the coupler, turn the key and a ne'er-do-well can't just hook up and drive off.) Böckmann trailers are well built and well equipped!
If you prefer bullet points over paragraphs, here's a 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 or cargo loading. 5' tall for a comfortable incline when loading or unloading.
-Well-equipped lockable tack compartment easily accessed from outside the trailer.
-Center-pivot stall divider for ease of access at front or rear
-Chest bars with 2 height adjustments and fast-action latches. Stall hardware is quiet during travel.
-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 the bars are quiet during travel.
-Multi Safe System chest & butt bars - In an emergency, unscrew the associated exterior tie loop to release a bar from outside the trailer!
-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
-Walls of interlocking ANODIZED aluminum double-wall panels. (Panels are stacked as in a log house.) Durable fiberglass roof and nose.
-Rugged corrosion-protected galvanized steel chassis.
-Floor of interlocking aluminum panels, reinforced in high load areas.
-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 the standard exterior tie rings plus the optional external tie bar,
-Color: Subject trailer has Silver-Gray anodized aluminum walls with Dark Blue Metallic roof and nose. With small graphic on each side, "Competition" design.
Want to see some Böckmann features in use and Böckmann trailers on the road? Visit the 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 comments about photos. Exterior shots and most detail shots are of the subject trailer. In some cases where we had a better detail shot of identical equipment in another Böckman, we used that image.)
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