Buying a new trailer - recommendations?

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Sam_J

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I think I've persuaded OH that it's time to get a brand new trailer - yay! Sooo, we've been looking at the various brands but before we splash out does anyone have any recommendations?

OH quite likes the look of the French ones - Cheval Liberte and Fautras - so feedback on those would be particularly welcome.
 
Don't go for the cheval libertes! They are smart but the frame that supports the floor was designed by an ape! Bateson deuvilles with the smooth ride suspensions are very nice trailers! I fell in live the the equitrek trail treka!! But ended up with a 505 ;-)
 
Bateson Ascot (same as Deauville except with built in tack locker which is fab). Great trailers and very well designed.

Go round a few dealerships and compare :)
 
i have a friend who has issues with the bateson floor - and when she bought it a few people commented they'd had issues. Not sure if they've changed now though :)
 
coss said:
i have a friend who has issues with the bateson floor - and when she bought it a few people commented they'd had issues. Not sure if they've changed now though :)
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Is that recent? there a article in H&H which says there was a batch that have been recalled?
 
We bought our fautras new 4 years ago and it's a dream to tow with I was slightly concerned about having no ramp but mine walk in and out as though it's perfectly normal. They are expensive but they hold the resale value. I did try and find a second hand one but they are like gold dust!
 
We need it for a 16.2 ISH and an 11hh pony - although as daughter gets older the ponies will get bigger! OH would like some form of living in it :rolleyes: but I think that's probably going to make it too expensive.
 
galaxy said:
Is that recent? there a article in H&H which says there was a batch that have been recalled?
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the trailer is between 5 and 7 years old I believe. She uses it for storage and moving hay etc but says she wouldn't trust it for carrying a horse. the trailer came with a "lifetime guarantee" on the floor :(
 
coss said:
the trailer is between 5 and 7 years old I believe. She uses it for storage and moving hay etc but says she wouldn't trust it for carrying a horse. the trailer came with a "lifetime guarantee" on the floor :(
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that surprised me. Today is the first time I've heard any issues. People always highly recommend them on here. Mines about the same age and have floor checked every year with no issues.
 
galaxy said:
that surprised me. Today is the first time I've heard any issues. People always highly recommend them on here. Mines about the same age and have floor checked every year with no issues.
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it surprised me as well when i was speaking to her about it. She said she knows of 2 people who's horses have had a foot go through :eek:
When she used to use it (regularly) for horses, she's clean it and lift the rubber for it to dry and to keep the water off the bottom. I don't know the further details.
 
I have a cheval liberte and love it. Alot of people have commented on how nice it is. The older ones had wooden floors but the new ones are aluminium and are fine.
 
I've just bought an Ifor Williams HB506 and I love it, loads of space and easy to park and a smooth ride. Our pony was a bit funny about going into trailers before but he goes in fine in the new one.
Had 1 on order from 1 dealer who quoted 3-4 weeks delivery, which then turned into 5-6 weeks, after which we cancelled it and phoned another dealer and found they had them in stock.

My advice...phone a few, get the best price (the prices I got were very similar) and most importantly, do they have it in stock!
 
I'd go for either an Ifor or an Equitrek.
An Equitrek as they give the feel of a box or an Ifor as you can get the bigger model (my horse is big and prefers the space) and they retain their value very well.
Above it, the floor should be the main concern.
The Bateson (I think) has an article about it in the H&H after a horse fell through the floor of a 2(?) week old trailer.
 
With the new ifors, make sure they are the mark 2! The first lot were a disaster! They tried to make them so light they drop basic safety things. The mark 1 roof was all plastic and one piece of metal running through the middle of the roof which meant the roof cracked and split and offered no stability if, god forbid, the trailer went over, and the grab bars at the front, people were using them to manoeuvre the trailer and the front was splitting! So they released a mark 2 with a metal frame on the inside of the roof and improved the front!
 
Sorry ROG, meant to reply to this - yes I passed my test in...1989. Gulp! So that means I'm okay towing, right? OH does most of the towing (I haven't got a vehicle that will tow) but I can if I have to.
 
Sam_J said:
Sorry ROG, meant to reply to this - yes I passed my test in...1989. Gulp! So that means I'm okay towing, right? OH does most of the towing (I haven't got a vehicle that will tow) but I can if I have to.
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You have a B+E so no probs with the strict B licence towing rules

You just need to comply with the LOWER of these weights
Vehicle towing capacity
Trailer MAM
 
I love my equitrek space treka, very roomy, i only tow one horse usually and if its wet its big enough with the partition opend back to tack up inside.
The tackroom holds all my stuff easily and i change in it, plus its big enough to hold a porta potti and fold up table and chairs if away for the day
 
Another vote for the Bateson Ascot.

Re: the floor. The 2003 and earlier ones came with a composite wooden floor, which will need to be replaced in the end (as pretty much all older trailer floors did before manufacturers started using plastic and aluminium). I replaced mine last year - got the parts from Bateson and all went smoothly. Also did the front ramp. The floor is now v strong plastic and won't need to be replaced, but let's face it, you can't expect not to have to maintain trailers in some way. To the person who doesn't trust the floor in theirs - replace it! TBH, having had 8 odd years service out of the wooden floor, then having to replace it at a cost of about £150 or so didn't seem to unreasonable, as the rest of the trailer is fab.

It is light, welcoming and airy and repels the heat in the summer being white throughout. It is user friendly - the barn doors at the back are brilliant and my horses seem to like the step up rather than the ramp - never have to use the small pull-out ramp. I carry two 16.2hh horses with no probs - the trailer is light at just one ton in weight. It tows really well with a smooth ride. I would check them out - I much prefer them to Ifors which seem heavy and clunky in comparison.

PS - just read the H&H article about the horse going through floor - they had a dodgy batch of plastic floor at Christmas from a different supplier - recalled all 50 trailers that had it in and replaced with normal supply.
 
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I'm a big fan of the Equi Trek Space trekka too. I love the side loading and rear facing travel. I have never had a horse refuse to go in. My cob isn't keen on an Ifor but walks up the ET practically on his own.

I also like the partition and gates. I feel safer putting the ramp up when these are in place.
The ramp on my Ifor came down far too quickly, knocked me down and caused an accident.

Although my cob is only 15.2 I have the L version. It means I can often tack up inside and move around him freely should I need to. The day living is great for getting changed or having a cuppa out of the british weather. I often take my niece and her pony places and they travel really well together.

Biggest horse I have carried was my friends new clydesdale mare (quite a big girl!) and she travelled fine having only previously been in a wagon.

I bought mine second hand but it was only a few months old and had only been used a couple of times. (the jockey discovered boys and ditched the horses). The lady I bought it from was very considerate when she planned the extras on it and everything seems to have been carefully placed.

I wouldn't have anything else.
 
I really like the ifors, we had a 505 before and have got a 510 now. Before we bought the 510, we were just looking for any trailer that was big enough for our horse. We looked at a bateson but felt it was quite dark inside as it didn't have the window. We also looked at another one which name escapes me and thought the build quality was a bit shoddy.

We like the ifors as everything seems to be thought of, it is basic but effective. My dad likes it as stuff like the suspension is basic so less likely to go wrong!! We got our 505 cheap when it was 6 months old for £2200, we sold it a couple of years ago as a 7 yr old trailer for £2000. We got our 510 for £2600 and it is a year older than our 505 but I don't think we would struggle to sell it for what we paid.
 
china said:
With the new ifors, make sure they are the mark 2! The first lot were a disaster! They tried to make them so light they drop basic safety things. The mark 1 roof was all plastic and one piece of metal running through the middle of the roof which meant the roof cracked and split and offered no stability if, god forbid, the trailer went over, and the grab bars at the front, people were using them to manoeuvre the trailer and the front was splitting! So they released a mark 2 with a metal frame on the inside of the roof and improved the front!
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ditto this - i had one of the first lot and hated it, it went back the next day and i bought a 2005 505 classic which i wouldn't part with now, its fab. The old style 505's are basic, but the classic adds a couple of features, sliding windows, lockable doors.. I can't see past Ifor's but wouldn't have had a new version, haven't seen the mark2's up close so can't comment
 
Thanks for your responses so far - it's really interesting that the ones with the most recommendations are the Bateson and Equi-trek and these are the ones I'm least inclined to go for. I don't want to turn this into a 'bashing' thread, but hasn't there been a lot of bad publicity for the Equi-treks over things going wrong with them and poor customer service? And does anyone have any thought about their stability, with the wheels being underneath them rather than at the side as with conventional trailers?
 
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