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Quite frankly, if we treated our cars the way we treat our horse trailers,
they wouldn't last anywhere near as long.
We do not load our cars with 1/2 ton live cargo that kicks, shits, urinates,
scrapes with its teeth, etc.
We do not leave our cars parked outside 24 hours a day 365 days a year (some
of you may have garages for your trailer, but I don't).
Do we maintain our horse trailers in the same way that we maintain our cars,
or is a once a year repacking of the wheel bearing and an occasional
replacement of the floor the extent of our maintenance?
And. . .
Do we keep our cars as long as we keep our horse trailers?
I have a '72 Ford pickup and a '73 Stedham horse trailer. It is a toss up
between which has more rust on it. It is a toss up as to which has more
wiring problems. It is a toss up as to which leaks more. It is NOT a toss up
over which requires more effort (and dollars) to maintain in good working
order, the truck requires WAY more. Of course, the truck has an engine, which
is what requires the most maintenance, but I have also had to replace the
drive shaft, the entire front end suspension, shocks more times than I can
count, and the entire braking system. I have had to have it completely
rewired, and it is a source of constant frustration to me as I am continually
having to replace the head light dimmer switch when the rain leaks through the
air vent onto the floor where the switch is located.
Before you complain about the quality of your horse trailer as compared to the
quality of your car, think about the way you (and your horses) treat your
horse trailer, and then consider whether your car would hold up under the same
type of treatment. Lest you say, "but I don't use my trailer as much as I do
my car, it should last longer." If you left your car outside in a state of
disuse for most of its existence, it would fare no better than your horse
trailer.
Quite frankly, I would prefer that horse trailer manufacturers expend effort
of making something that holds up the to rigors of hauling horses (no small
accomplishment) and not worry about (and charge me for) whether the roof leaks
or not. My horses don't care if the roof leaks. I think the reason that
there are not "better" horse trailers on the market is that nobody is willing
to pay that much more for a better trailer. And besides, how much better can
you get than "it hauls horses?" If it hauls horses it's good enough for me.
As for the wiring problems. . . hands up anybody who has not had problems with
the wiring on the truck they use to pull the trailer??? As for how cars are
wired, cars have fewer wiring problems because the wires are all tightly
sealed into special wiring conduits (if they aren't, like in my '72 truck then
you will have the same kind of wiring problems that you have with your
trailer). The disadvantage to this is the fact that you can't fix it
yourself, and you spend a fortune paying an expert to fix the wiring in your
car, to still not have it work right (ask anybody who owns a Jaguar).
If, instead, we are talking about the "living quarters" portion of our
trailer, well. . . that's not really a horse trailer is it. It is now a
camping trailer. I have yet to meet one of those that didn't leak and have
wiring problems either. For goodness sake, you're CAMPING!! Your tent is
supposed to leak; that's part of the experience : ).
As I said, I have no complaints (but then, I'm easy to please). Am I the only
one?
kat
Orange County, Calif.
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