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Post by Sheryl on May 10, 2008 20:33:34 GMT -5
So, is an aluminum trailer really strong enough? I am still in sticker shock looking at them... but I really think that the low maintenance aspects make them a great choice for me.
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Post by Reds on May 10, 2008 20:35:19 GMT -5
Sticker shock is what made us get our Trailet in December. So far, so good. I love it.
It's a steel frame with alum. skin, so it knocked the price tag by MORE than half of what a sundowner of a similar model would have been. It was an easy decision.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2008 20:41:48 GMT -5
Ray had an older Featherlite years ago. It had, literally, over a million miles on it when he sold it, and it still looked pretty dang new. Going by that trailer, I'd say it was defiantely worth it.
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Post by Reds on May 10, 2008 20:45:41 GMT -5
Tee, was it alum. or steel? We have a steel featherlite that's already rusting, and it's only a few years old. Ok, well maybe a bit more than a few...
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2008 21:05:23 GMT -5
Stella, it was aluminum. Nine horse, I believe.
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Post by cynthia on May 10, 2008 21:26:00 GMT -5
I think that the all aluminum are pretty tough. My husbands dairy trailer is all aluminum. I got the license renewal the other day and was shocked to see that it was made in 1989. I think that Sooner made it.
It is used at least 5 days a week and has been hauled all over the state. We have a Sooner Aluminum 4-horse also. It is so easy to pull and quiet too.
They have a good resale value too.
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Post by Sheryl on May 10, 2008 21:40:45 GMT -5
That is confusing... the only featherlights available here are aluminum.
Trailets seem like very nice trailers, don't think they have them around here.
I don't know if the grass is always greener, but it seems like the midwest has better trailers for a good price then we have!
So what I looked at today was:
TrailsWest - very popular in our region, good reputation, all steel, 7' tall (shorter then the others I looked at). Bigger stalls in length then average since a little wider trailer. Seemed like a nice trailer, but being steel, heavier.
Hawk - not common around here, steel frame with aluminum, nice and big - everything done with quality and just looked heavy duty. She had a beauty that was a leftover from 07 - not much of a discount though. It was custom ordered so no rear tack (standard for their 2H), but stalls extra 6" wide. It was 7'4" tall, had the fiberglass roof, triple wall etc etc. Same weight as the TrailsWest steel trailer , but alot more trailer (taller, heavier duty). Comes with everything you might want except no swing out saddle rack. A possible downside is that the head dividers were solid... as huge as that trailer was, it didn't seem as open and airy as the circle j.
Circle J - they have steel, but I was looking at their all aluminum trailers. Heavy on features for the price, good reputation, nice 7'3" height. Light and airy trailer, a lot going for it, triple wall, fiberglass roof and very light etc, swing out saddle rack, nice tack etc... biggest downside I could see was that the aluminum welds and stuff just aren't as "finished" looking as the more expensive trailers. Basically, the way they offer so much for the money is that their finish work isn't as top notch. I still think it is a good trailer, just not in the same league as a Hawk.
Featherlite - even more expensive so I didn't really seriously consider them.
There is a new company out of Idaho called Royal T or something like that - makes aluminum trailers. They have trailers for even less then the Circle J - but I am nervous about a company only 2 years old! I still might go look at them....
Aluminum, especially the fiberglass solid roof and the baked enamel finish is appealing because I want something that can take the rain! What I really wish is that I had covered parking, but that just isn't realistic. I also like something on the lighter side, but I am okay with all of the trailers I looked at. The aluminums ran in the 2100-2500 pounds, add another 800-1000 pounds for the steel and steel framed.
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Post by Yip on May 10, 2008 22:06:38 GMT -5
I read in the 2 trailer buying Bibles that where steel meets aluminum oxidizes rapidly.
We are in sticker shock too. Esp. since we live in humidity all year and won't have a garage or barn available to house a trailer.
I want all alum. for upkeep and resale value - but I didn't want to go into debt to buy it. I was hoping to just pay cahs - but nto at th eprice of all alum.
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Post by Stephanie nli on May 10, 2008 22:24:23 GMT -5
I have an Equispirit and it is amazing. They are very similar to Hawks and Trailets, so if you can't go the Equispirit route I would get a Hawk or a Trailet. Equispirits designers literally wrote the book on horse trailers. Hawk and Trailet have borrowed a lot of their features from Equispirit because Equispirit has been made at both places. My horses haven't loaded better on any other trailer. Plus, I know Equispirits hold their value extremely well, and I have heard super good things about Hawk and good things about Trailet. Equispirit also has articles available on their website, that might help you in the decision making process, you should check it out. www.equispirit.com    |
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Post by Stephanie nli on May 10, 2008 22:31:35 GMT -5
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Post by dawnh on May 10, 2008 22:54:03 GMT -5
I have had my all aluminum Cherokee for years and love it (1996 trailer) it looks great, hauls easy (3H slant w/msall dressing room 2 ft shortwall) easy to park easy to haul just easy to own.
That said my BF has a steel Trails West 1999 that was left when his parents passed away and I would take it in a heartbeat too. It is an extremely well built steel trailer. 4 horse straight load stock type (which I prefer, more airflow) and a better fit for my huge horses than the slant load.
Featherlights are way overpriced for the quality you can do better/as well for less but I say the same about sundowners too).
Lots to consider in any trailer but when I bought mine, aluminum was something I wanted this is Michigan we have lots of salt on the roads in winter and such and just made more sense to go that route rather than steel which rusts.
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Post by Coyote on May 11, 2008 0:14:19 GMT -5
Yeah, the Sundowners have a problem of oxidation causing the connections to give whay where the aluminum meets the steel. It's been a big deal for people. The dealer here told me that Sundowner is going to an aluminum frame - maybe they already have.
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Post by Sheryl on May 11, 2008 0:25:56 GMT -5
I keep hearing about the problems with sundowners, but I don't think that is a general problem. What I mean is there are other brands that use a combination of materials in their aluminum trailers. Even "all aluminum" have steel and other materials in them. Maybe it is about how they construct it???
Stefanie, I have the book written by the Equispirit people. I don't think their trailers are even sold around here. Part of what makes the Hawks etc so expensive is the destination charges... costs alot to ship them to the northwest.
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Post by Mary Ann on May 11, 2008 5:34:20 GMT -5
I went with steel frame with an aluminum skin last time I bought. Too many horror stories of trailers in accidents that crumpled like aluminum cans. It amazes me; I'm a very careful driver but in my years of pulling have been in a couple accidents while pulling. They involved impatient drivers that didn't want to be behind the horse trailer. When my trailer was hit, I was so glad it was a big ol' steel one; my horse was okay, even though my trailer wasn't. Interestingly I was hauling home from the horsepital.  Chances are that aluminum trailers are made with better designs and thicker aluminum now. But once at a show I saw a horse set back and pull while tied to one, and much to my surprise it bent the roofbow of the trailer out of shape, and didn't break the halter or leadrope. I don't remember what brand it was. I've known people who have all aluminum trailers that are so phobic about it that they won't allow anyone to tie to their trailer. They have to hold them all day. Years ago a friend of mine was hauling horses and she didn't have the ball adequately attached. She was pulling onto the interstate and the trailer came free and passed her, flipping end over end. The trailer was totalled but the horses were fine; just a few cuts and bruises. The trailer was steel; old and heavy. While I'd admit that the cost of gas has gone up a great deal since then, I realized then that I sure want something strong around my horses. Steel rusts; aluminum corrodes. Both need care and maintenance. It's just a matter of personal preference, fuel economy, your horses, and your risks. All go in the equation. The design of the trailer can help; some are more aerodynamic than others, and save a bit on fuel. Oh, and mine is a 2007 Sundowner. There's a Sundowner dealership close to here, and they also sell Exiss and Trail-et. Lots of people in my area have Sundowners as a result. I've long heard about the reaction between aluminum and steel, especially between aluminum shoes and steel nails. But I've never heard of anyone having problems with their trailer because of it. I do recall the dealer saying something about how it's dealt with, but I can't for the life of me remember what he said; I just remember that it satisfied me. How's that for dumb? |
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Post by KaLioMele on May 11, 2008 6:11:51 GMT -5
Before you do ANYthing, go to this forum, and do a "Search this forum" (blue button to the upper right of where the messages start listing).... www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?f=74Search for "aluminum trailer" or "SUndowner" or Exiss or "aluminum steel trailer" - Or do them all one at a time. Even Featherlite I believe has an "oh sh!t" post in there (about a BIG time lemon, as the Sundowner and Exiss do, more than one I believe) Read ALL the posts to see just where and how an aluminum trailer can and does go bad. And make sure you list the brands that bite big rotten apples....Some of your 'most trusted' brands, as listed above, are uppermost. That all said, I prefer an all steel trailer as most people that build one can easily make a strong welded steel joint, whereas aluminum is harder and more costly (think repairs). I won't ever put my guys into a 'Coke can" trailer.... If you check the weight of two trailers you're comparing, you'll find that a well made aluminum (like 4 Star) and a decent steel are NOT that far off in weight. Read this book (BUY BEG OR STEAL) cover to cover: tinyurl.com/6ctbugHil |
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