Here's a Portax K, one of Böckmann's most popular models. The Portax K (or "PK" when we want to save some keystrokes) is for 2 horses to 18 hands and is designed to be pulled safely by many of today's smaller, more fuel-efficient SUVs, trucks and crossovers. 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 (for horses and people!). It's loaded with safety and convenience features as well, which we'll cover shortly. If you like a quick read, we summarize key features in bullet points a little farther down the page, but we hope you find the more detailed text worth a read...
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 people to move in & out of the trailer. It's even more convenient than a step or running board. At the rear, the Portax has as standard a 2-mode Ramp/Door. Lower it as a ramp or swing it aside for step-up loading (or for loading pallets or round bales). 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 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 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 spring assist.
The Portax series was treated to a minor facelift in 2023 and this trailer reflects those changes. The PK 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).
Böckmann is considered by many to be Europe's premier horse trailer brand. Böckmann trailers have been in production for over 60 years and they're sold in over 30 countries. Their features have won numerous awards. Even though Böckmann's 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 198 lbs. for Portax models. (For comparison, domestically-produced horse trailers typically carry at least 10% of their weight on the hitch, resulting in 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, Böckmann trailers 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. No tools required; just move the bar to a higher or lower position. And to top it off, in the event of an emergency, each MSS bar may be released externally 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 loop and the wall mount comes down, freeing the horse. That's thoughtful design. And that's just the stall bars!
Another thoughtful touch is interior lights that illuminate 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! (We're showing pictures of a blue/white light in another model, but it's the same light as in the PK. There's a blue/white light in the tack compartment as well.)
The Portax K features walls of interlocking aluminum panels. The panels are stacked, like the logs in a log home. And please note that the wall 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. It's just one more feature that sets Böckmann apart from the rest. Further, the panels have a double wall cross-section, which is quieter and has better thermal properties than a single-skin design, The body structure rides on a robust chassis of corrosion-protected galvanized steel. The roof and nose are of tough, durable fiberglass.
The Portax 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!
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, because you don't 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 wires to break, no brake fluid to change, no brake lines to rust out.
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. Wheel bearings are sealed, eliminating the annual task of packing bearings with grease recommended by most trailer manufacturers.
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. 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 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 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!
Another thoughtful feature is the pair of removable flat-backed feed buckets. We forgot to take pictures of them in this particular trailer, but the bucket for the left stall slips into low-profile brackets on the groom door (shown on a silver PK in one of the shots). The bucket for the right stall slips into similar brackets on the tack compartment.
If you prefer bullet points over paragraphs, here's a 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 or cargo. 5' tall for a comfortable incline when loading or unloading.
-Well-equipped lockable tack compartment easily accessed from outside the trailer.
-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.
-Floor mat is bonded to the floor and edges are sealed. Great for durability of the floor and NO NEED TO LIFT MATS. Just sweep or hose it out!
-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 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 stall hardware is quiet during travel.
-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 / Fully Open / Closed with Mesh Vent open) Most owners run with it fully 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 subject trailer has standard exterior tie loops plus the optional exterior tie bar (that's the curved black thing in visible in some images; it's included in our listed price).
-Color: Silver-Gray anodized aluminum walls and Black Metallic fiberglass roof & nose.
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 the pictures: We had at least 2 identical PKs with black roof when these were taken and pictures may be a mix of both, but as indicated here, the trailers are identically equipped. For feature details, due to changing light conditions, we use the best pictures we have for a particular model, so some detail shots may be of identical equipment in another trailer. The picture of the horse front-unloading is courtesy of the manufacturer. That one is of a pre-facelift PK, but the front exit is the same.)
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