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[RC] Horse trailer with LQ questions - Sue Brown

This is sort of long, but I need help on this subject -- so if you have or know anything about horse trailers with living quarters that you'd like to share with me...please do and thanks.

The time is here finally for my purchase of a horse trailer with living quarters. We have been hauling with an old (but beefed up) RV and it's time to retire it so that it's still usable on non-horse related trips by family. I have a couple of questions, looking for recommendations, and sending out a feeler if someone knows of a rig that will fit my needs.

Since I teach riding, I never seem to have a shortage of students who want to go to the rides -- most of them teenagers or pre-teens riding one of the horses in the barn, or crewing when they're not riding. The plan is for the teenagers to put down tarps and sleeping bags in the horse part of the trailer and the youngest ones (who don't have much body surface yet and are more easily chilled) will sleep in the LQ part on a bed converted from a dinette or a couch. I (the queen <g>) get the bed in the GN section (Aarene convinced me that since I was paying for the rig, I've earned the right to keep that space to myself and quit trying to figure out how to get twin bed mattresses in that spot! ;-))

*Which would work better in this situation (sleeping a couple of 8-12yo kids) -- a 4 person dinette or a couch?

We will be having the pre-ride meeting in the LQ section with up to about a dozen people...not all sitting, of course. There will also be a fair amount of traffic and the meals will be cooked (in my case, heated up <g>) in that kitchen area. Eating in shifts is very do-able and happens frequently already, so seating that many people is not really an issue. I'm already nixing the small refrigerator and I know how much space is needed for setting food out (a table and counter.)

*I went to an RV show last weekend and looked at the different floor length in the campers and thought a 9-10' short wall should be sufficient...is this reasonable?

Aarene and I have been discussing the necessity of a mid-tack area. We have quite a few combinations of horses and riders that could be going to the rides so everyone (horses included) has their own medium-sized Rubbermaid style box with their "stuff" in it. We also have feed, water buckets, and hay boxes (I'm WA...it rains so our hay goes in large Rubbermaid boxes) that need to be loaded. The rear tack room will handle the tack, but we'll need more room than that. We would also like to take a 3rd portable paddock.

*Would a good sized bathroom conceivably hold some of the stuff (but not all, especially another pen)? Any suggestions on this?

*Those of you who have a mid-tack area, what should we consider? Would a 4-horse slant be easily converted to a mid-tack area...would a stallion divider be sufficient? If you had it to do over again, what would you want...and would opt for no mid-tack area to shorten the trailer length and only have the minimum possible?

*And speaking of trailer length...what would you consider the maximum length for ease of getting in and out of ridecamps in the mountain foothills?

*I'm looking for an aluminum trailer (used, built after 2000) and plan on hauling 3 horses in it. What about storage on top of the trailer? And if you like it, what do you usually put up there? How about loading and unloading (usually with teenagers available to do the work?)

*Water tank...where does it go? I don't like the idea of one on top of the trailer and have the corner units in my regular horse trailers. We currently are using the corner models in the other tailer dressing rooms. Mid-tack area? Truck bed? Rear tack area?

*What about the generator...size recommendations and where do you keep them? And which is the best and quietest brand?

And the bathroom -- I want it to be fairly good sized -- I'm not sure I like the idea of a toilet/shower. It's such a heavy use area I'm thinking that might create a bit of a mess. It's not like just using it for yourself...others will be in and out on a regular basis.

*Any thoughts on the toilet/shower concept?

*Also, what about doors leading to the bathroom -- do they come with pocket doors on a regular basis?

I drive a 2yo 1T, crew cab, long bed, turbo-diesel with 4x4 Chevy Silverado so I shouldn't have problems hauling it. We will be putting on new heavy duty tires in rear (it's not a dually.)

*How much clearance in the truck bed will I have for extra storage...and what containers would you recommend?

Since I've never owned one of these before, what things should I watch out for? Any other suggestions? I'm going for a good used trailer since I have a reasonable budget but probably not enough for a fancy brand-new one. Any bits of wisdom will help me right now! I'll be looking for info this weekend also at the PNER convention.

Sue



Sue Brown
suebrown1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Marysville, WA




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