Best Trailer?

Firewell

Firewell

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I'm thinking of getting a trailer!

I never normally like trailers but my OH has said I can have one and after having old horseboxes that cost an absolute fortune to maintain and break down (on the M4 once for 12 hours :o), i'm thinking this might be the best bet.

We already have a vehicle we could use for towing and it is a Jeep Cherokee, 3.7ltr petrol, automatic. It says in the manual it can tow 3.5 tons, will this be enough for a trailer and one 16.1hh horse? I'm assuming this 3.5 ton towing capacity includes the weight of the car as well?

Trailer wise i'm really not sure about the ifor williams. They look so rattly and tinney. Ideally I want something thats really secure and stable to tow. I like the look of the equitreks because I love the side ramp. Ive always had side load/unload on my lorrys and I find the horses really like this. They also look a lot smoother ride for the horses. I dont want my baby in some rattling trailer with the noise of lorrys flying past! I also like something that has plenty of room in it.

Another trailer I thought looked nice was a bateson.

Thoughts? Also would I be able to get a 2nd hand equitrek for 4kish as that will probably be around where the budget is.

Im also going to get my trailer test eeeeeek! My dad is a dab hand at towing a trailer so I thought I would get lessons off him to learn how to reverse and do all the necessary and then just get 1 or 2 lessons before the test to learn the protocols, is that a good idea? Or would a short course with a test at the end be better?

Sorry for all the questions! :)
 
Hi

I used to have an Ifor Williams...until it got stolen :rolleyes: It was ok and did the job.

However, to replace it I have Bateson Ascot which I think is fab! My Discovery will tow it and 2 16hh horses no prob. It has a large window in the front so you can see the horses whilst travelling and it also has an internal tack locker. Would definitely have one of these again. :)
 
I like the Batesons too, used to have a friend who had one, they are very inviting and smart looking and seem quite hard wearing. Ifor's seem to be very popular around me, am looking for a trailer at the moment, will probably end up getting an Ifor as they are easiest to get hold of! I also really like Pegasus trailers although they are rarer and more expensive. Not sure about the equitreks, have heard bad things about them! Also they are heavier, though your jeep could easily tow one plus your horse. It is quite easy to look up the trailer weights if you look on the various websites which is what I did. I also liked the sound of the Cheval Liberte though again these seem quite hard to find.
 
I have to say that when I'm at shows the amount of Ifors amazes me. Although this obviously vouches for how good they are, I've only heard good things about Batesons and, having had my Ifor stolen, I like the fact that my Bateson looks different to everyone elses! Just my opinion, hope you find a trailer you like :D
 
trailers are a matter of preference, I just wanted to let you know that 3.5t towing capacity doesn't include the weight of the car, it means simply that your Jeep can tow 3.5t behind it, so all you need to be concerned about is the weight of the trailer itself and the horse in it - 3.5t is plenty :)
 
Hi

Thought I would throw in my 2 pence worth - I dont own a trailer but 2 friends do and have regulary been in them.

They have equitreks older show treka and M model - have to say the design and concept if fab, lovely and roomy for horses and very inviting, but the build quality is very dissapointing.
One lady has had 3 wheel bearings go in the space of 18 months, and now needs a 2nd axle replaced.! She is mainly on motorways and only once a week!
When the horse pee's it goes under the floor into tack lockers! and into the jocky/grooms area.

They are very unhappy with it to say the least.
 
Cough cough* I dislike trailer mucho grando after our horrid experience but the only option I would have been swayed by is the equitrek space treka... There is one on the yard and it is fabby! Anytime you need a lorry though or going to the same place as us, we will happily squeeze j in ( and steal him away) :-D xx
 
I've currently got a Wessex Clubman on hire for 3 months and it's great. The guy who runs the trailer place reckons they're easier to use (e.g. hydraulic ramps) than the Ifors with fewer problems - this is the one I'm using: http://www.southerntrailers.co.uk/trailers/wessex-clubman-horsebox-trailer.php I think it is wider than the smaller Ifor (506?) though it really is max 16.2hh, you'd need to get the bigger one if your boy is taller.

Re: the test, I don't think your dad can teach you unless he's also taken the test (I think that's what the fuss was about a while back re: "grandfather rights", though I could be wrong). I'd recommend getting a couple of days of training anyway, they'll tell you exactly what to expect and give you lots of good tips for the reversing. I did a 3 day course with the test at the end (4 hous a day) but you may be able to get your dad to show you the basics then just do 1 or 2 days.
 
I used to have a jeep cherokee 2.7d and used it to tow an ifor williams 510 with a 16'2 suffolk x and a 16'3 irish x and I had no probs whatsoever.
I bought the Ifor 510 after rather alot of looking and research and without question it would be the only (or one of the only) trailers I would ever go for again.
 
I like my equitrek. Mine's now 18 months old, we use it a lot and i've never had any problems. I think the problems you read about, seem to be with the older ones, so E-T must have improved the build quality with the later models.
 
If I had to go back to a trailer I would have a Bateson again. I had the Deauville model and absolutely loved it. Looked brand new after 2 years of use and I sold it for a good price.
 
Wouldn't personally touch an equitrek with a bargepole - I'm aware of axle problems, and on BD forum, someone says they are now recalling some models. I've heard their customer experience isn't great when things go wrong either.

Also please consider, side ramps on a trailer are great in concept, but in the event of an accident a trailer will invariably end up on its side. And if it's the ramp side, you are not going to get them out in a hurry.

The New Ifor Williams is now getting a good write up - there were mould issues in the first ones, so watch for that.

Another robust trailer is the Fautrus Oblic.
My mum would like a Bochmann Top Master, but she now back to umming about selling her lorry, plus she would have to source from Europe as they nigh on impossible to get 2nd hand in the UK. You can get a big master for less.... if you can get your head round rear unload (it does have safety advantages)
 
I have always liked Ivor Williams trailers but recently borrowed a friends Wessex trailer and loved that one.

A big reason for that is the front unloading ramp is on the nearside of the box wheras on the Ivor Williams it is on the offside.

Say for instance you had a problem whilst out and you had to unload your horse, with a wessex you can unload using the front ramp away from the traffic rather than into it without having to cross a lane of traffic with a limping car/box.
 
I havn't explained that very well sorry.
Friday afternoons my brain packs up and heads home around lunchtime!!
 
I have a Bateson Ascot with the boston doors so no ramp. Is a brill trailer, really sturdy and tough no matter how big a tantrum a 16.3 youngster who'd never been in a trailer before has! A lot of though has gone into the design, with the tack locker and down to things like the rubber mats are individual under each horse so can easily be removed to clean underneath and left up to dry after use.

I wouldn't have anything else.

ETA unload ramp is kerb side too!
 
Don't people like / use Rice trailers anymore? They haven't had a single mention yet!
The old ones, although heavy, were very robust and seemingling larger than the ifor (although looks can be deceiving!?) I thought Rice had made better, lighter versions in more recent years, but maybe time has flown by too fast and I don't know what the hell I am waffling on about!!!
Personally, I like Ifor, as an Ifor 401 owner, I can't praise it enough!!
 
Thanks everyone :D

Thanks Winklepoker! (can't say that name without laughing lol), I've got my friends lorry I can use whenever I want still but it just seems ridiculous paying £40 a time to use it plus diesel when I have a perfectly good 4x4 sitting at home..

Thanks for the advice. I would NOT want to buy an equitrek and then have those problems :(. The reason I'm even considering a trailer is because they are easy to maintain!

I think the Bateson is top of my wish list at the moment, I could get a new one for the price too :D.

I'm going to go to a trailer dealer and have a look around them and practise towing one. Also I need to double check my horse will go in a trailer! He travels and loads perfectly in front, rear and herringbone lorrys so hopefully will be OK :D.

Yes we used to have an ancient rice trailer! It was SO old but it was snapped up for £500 when we sold it! It was fab, my dad used to tow my old horse to and from my uni in it all the time, a 5hr round trip it was great! We only sold it because my madam of a late mare refused to load in it! We got a lorry but then she refused to load in that as well lol.
 
We have a Bateson Ascot and its brilliant , it has a large tack locker built into the front which is really usefull and the partition is jointed in the middle so you can get either horse out easily.

Would definatly reccomend it ! :)

Personally I dont like the equitreks, I could imagine that if you had a naughty loader it would be a nightmare to get them up the ramp and then get them to turn , especially if you were on your own!
 
j1ffy said:
Re: the test, I don't think your dad can teach you unless he's also taken the test (I think that's what the fuss was about a while back re: "grandfather rights", though I could be wrong). I'd recommend getting a couple of days of training anyway, they'll tell you exactly what to expect and give you lots of good tips for the reversing. I did a 3 day course with the test at the end (4 hous a day) but you may be able to get your dad to show you the basics then just do 1 or 2 days.
Click to expand...

This isn't the case! Grandfather rights still apply for B+E at the moment, it's only larger vehicles this doesn't apply for.
Re: the trailer, we've got an Ifor HB510 and both our two travel really well in it - not a peep out of them! never had anything different though so can't really comment on comparisons.
If you buy second hand, make sure you get one with an aluminium floor (I'm not sure if anyone still makes them with wooden floors anyway)
I did a 3 day course with the test on the afternoon of day 3, I think you would be best learning with your dad for general driving, (that part is pretty easy if you've been driving a car for a few years) and then spending a few hours with an instructor learning the "tricks of the test"
Good luck!
 
I have a Wessex Clubman and I bought it after doing quite a bit of research about suspension etc. Ifor Williams at the time (5yrs ago) didn't offer the same level of ride comfort and the aluminium floor was reputed to cause problems with vibration/sound resonance. A dealer told me the reason they appear so popular is they are cheap and cheerful, and with loads of dealers offering them, there were lots of discounts as they had to sell so many a month. Maybe the latest models have better suspension & flooring so it would be worth checking it out. Anyway back to Wessex I have had no problems with mine in and would recommend them or the bigger Olympian model if you want more space. At the time I was looking, Bateson was also on my list to buy but a Wessex became available sooner. I think Rice are a very good make but the initial purchase price probably puts people off so there are not so many around secondhand either, apart from the heavy, older models.
 
Love our Bateson Ascot, wouldnt have anything else. Any tiny issues we've had we've gone straight to Bateson and they are so quick to help. My ONLY gripe (which they may have sorted by now, ours is quite old now!) is that you cant undo the breast straps from the outside. Ifors can be unbolted from the outside which drops the breast bars. I used to have a horse who jumped over the bar on a few occasions - trying to lift the bar out of its hole with 1/2 tonne of horses tummy on it isnt easy!!
 
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