Choosing a trailer? Single/Double?

[Charbeebee2020]

Hello everyone

I'm hoping you can offer some advice for if you were picking a trailer for 1 x 400kg 14'2..

How do you go about picking what is best/suitable secondhand?

Ifor Williams 505 is one of the most obvious choices but what else is an equivalent? Would be looking aluminium floor...

Any ideas how you would go about picking and where you'd look?

Thank you!

 

[Widgeon]

Having just bought a trailer for 1 x 520kg 15.1, I went for a 2003 IW 401 (i.e. single). I bought it from a reputable local dealership who knew the previous owner, serviced and tidied it up prior to sale. The horse is always right behind the car (if that makes sense), it tows well, and is slightly narrower than my car so I can be confident about the gaps I can fit through! I like it, it's a nice solid trailer and there's loads of room for one horse in there. I can hitch it up myself and (crucially) I could afford it. It has an aluminium plank floor which is what I wanted.

I would start by deciding what width and weight you and your car are happy towing, how much you can afford to pay, then find a couple of well regarded local new or second hand dealerships and have a chat to see if you feel you trust them to give you reliable advice. Also think about how well your horse travels and what he might like (if you know), e.g. Batesons can have barn doors that some horses find much more acceptable for loading than a ramp.

Personally I didn't want to buy through a private sale because I don't know enough (anything) about trailers to spot a problem; so I trusted the dealership because they have a very good local reputation and a warranty.

 

[Hazkirbo]

I’ve just bought an IW 505 (2005) last weekend. I bought it privately and has been sat on the persons drive unused for a year. Was £1900 which is a good price as i’ve not seen any of a similar age for less than £2500 (my budget) and even then they’ve sold in no time!

Had a trailer company come out to inspect the box. It needs new tyres desperately (which’ll set me back a few hundred) and few niggly bits, but floors, sides and partitions are solid. Trailer company said £500 tops for everything. I’m getting it serviced next month as that’s the soonest they can fit it in, but they’ve said once tyres are sorted it’ll be okay to travel in.

I’ve tried to buy from dealers but they just seem to go within hours of them being listed; so just went private sale with a prepurchase and service. Just make sure to account for the cost when buying. Also URO trailers have some excellent tips on their facebook page.

 

[Hazkirbo]

And also don’t forget to consider what your car can tow; ROG on the forums is most helpful for towing weights & licensing.

 

[Batgirl]

Consider what you want from it.

I'd always go mare and foal or double even with a single horse. Means I can tack up inside, I can whizz him straight in the trailer of I finish in pouring rain and un tack in shelter.

 

[Wheels]

I have a bockmann uno - people call them single trailers but they are really mare and foal trailers and about 30cm narrower than a standard double trailer so they should really be called 1.5s

When I was changing my trailer last time I really wanted a bockmann and whilst I would have preferred a double at the time this one came up at a good price, was it fantastic condition and I only wanted to travel one horse anyway so I went for it and couldnt be happier with it. The only time I wished I had a double was when I had a SWB tow car, for stay away shows I really had to cram everything in and had to buy shavings and haylage on site rather than take my own in the spare side but other than that I dont miss a double at all.

I can tack up inside and I prefer towing it than a double because I can see easily behind me both sides and fit through smaller gaps. The bockmann also is a brilliant trailer, the floor is double aluminium so it has a slatted / bar aluminium base floor with aluminium planks on top then rubber, the suspension and braking systems are fantastic

 

[Xmasha]

I’d rather go through a dealer than private . Leave them your details and what you want and they can always let you k ow when they have something in stock before it gets advertised. Let them have the hassle of checking if it’s stolen / needs servicing / brakes / trues / soft panels etc etc . It’s much easier to take it back to a dealer and get it fixed than from a private sale .
I do t like single trailers , they just don’t look inviting to me , so I’d always go for a double . At least that way if you want to take a friend out with you , then you have the space

 

[White Horse2]

What hazkirbo says, and I THINK?? that if you're GVW is less than 3.5t you won't be restricted by licensing, depending on age of driver, and I wouldn't worry about friends, they can make their own arrangements

 

[Fluffypiglet]

We have a Cheval mare and foal size. Chosen because I won't ever have a tow vehicle that can pull two horses so don't see the point in buying a double. The 1.5 size gives me room to tack up inside and is more spacious for horse than half of a double. Plus as noted above, nice to tow as horse is central and trailer is no wider than the car. I was lucky enough to be able to buy new from a dealer, but was a similar price to a second hand IW510/511 that were available privately.

 

[Widgeon]

URO trailers have some excellent tips on their facebook page.

Yes this is very useful! Or you could just take the mega-easy way, phone URO and ask them to find you a trailer (....other second hand trailer dealers are also available)

Just to add, for info, I paid £2400 for mine. The singles seem to hold their value very well and although I could have found one for a few hundred less privately, I decided that as someone who knows nothing about trailers, buying from a dealer was worth the extra money to me.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

We have a IW 403 which is great - the stall width is 1.5 x the stall width on a double so there's plenty of room and I think it's a lot more inviting for the horse as it's nice and airy. There's plenty of room to tack up inside, there's never any problem with it feeling unbalanced while towing and we've had some horses travel very happily in there when previously they've been extremely unhappy travellers. Being new to towing, I didn't ever want to be responsible for transporting someone else's horse as well and I love knowing that as long as the car gets through a gap, the trailer definitely will too! The downside is lack of space to store stuff but my car has an enormous boot so that's fine. Mine was 3 years old when I got it and in immaculate condition and was £3300 from a dealer - I've seen trailers the same age recently being advertised for more than that so they keep their value very well

 

[rabatsa]

I would always go for a double. I once came across the aftermath of an accident when a horse had a hissy fit in a single trailer. The trailer had lacked stability and overturned. It was a good 40 years ago and trailer design will have come on a lot since then but I will now always go for the wider based trailers.

I am happy with my Cheval Liberte which has aluminium planked sides as well as floor. The ramps will also open as doors so I can have pallets of bedding and feed loaded by forklift, which is very useful.

 

[Annagain]

Do you have your towing licence? If you do or intend to do the test, ignore the rest of this!

To avoid doing the test, the car's Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and the trailer's Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) together cannot exceed 3500kg.

So, for example, if you buy a car with a GVW of around 2100kg (lots of small SUVs or estate cars are in this area) and a lightweight trailer (a Bateson Derby is about 675kg, an IW401 or 403 is about 770kg) either with a MAM below 1400kg or downplated to 1400kg (a simple process where you contact the manufacturer and ask for a plate with a lower MAM on it) you can tow on a normal licence.

If you downplate the trailer you have to ensure you have enough leeway to put your horse on and still be within the MAM (so say you buy a IW 403 that weighs 770kg, and it's downplated to 1400kg, you can put 630kg of horse on it). The only other consideration is the trailer's ACTUAL weight (so the IW403 example I used with your horse would be 770kg+550kg=1320kg) with the horse on it cannot exceed the car's towing capacity.

Obviously, the figures involved could change as long as the overall total doesn't exceed 3500kg, so 1900kg of GVW and 16000kg of MAM or 2000kg+1500kg etc.

 

[sunnyone]

Many years back I could borrow trailers from friends, which was really nice although we often had to give them a service before use. I duly borrowed a single with no front ramp. Not a good idea, horse refused to back out. I tried leaving her to work it out for herself, no that didn't work in 4 hours. She had to be physically pushed and shoved and was therefore quite stressed by the time she was out, and this was a horse who self loaded! Never again.
In a 1.5 or double, she could always turn round.

 

[Widgeon]

Many years back I could borrow trailers from friends, which was really nice although we often had to give them a service before use. I duly borrowed a single with no front ramp. Not a good idea, horse refused to back out. I tried leaving her to work it out for herself, no that didn't work in 4 hours. She had to be physically pushed and shoved and was therefore quite stressed by the time she was out, and this was a horse who self loaded! Never again.
In a 1.5 or double, she could always turn round.

I don't think I would fancy anything with no front ramp, or trying to turn a horse around even in a double trailer. And definitely not by myself. But to be honest I don't think there are that many genuine single trailers in the UK? When I say single, I mean mare and foal really, so 1.5 width. The only genuine singles I've seen are in Europe, and I must admit they do look a bit skinny to me!

 

[sunnyone]

I don't think I would fancy anything with no front ramp, or trying to turn a horse around even in a double trailer. And definitely not by myself. But to be honest I don't think there are that many genuine single trailers in the UK? When I say single, I mean mare and foal really, so 1.5 width. The only genuine singles I've seen are in Europe, and I must admit they do look a bit skinny to me!

As I said: this was many years ago when she refused to leave the trailer but only a few doubles at that time had front ramps. Your horse went out backwards, or it didn't get out. Maybe it was something to do with weight or strength as they were mainly wood on a metal frame?
I think the singles here in France have generally just lasted better than those in the UK did but you do see the odd modern one around too. I've even seen French owners insist their horse steps backwards to get off a double with a perfectly good front ramp.

 

[PeteJS]

I had an IW 505 and we only changed it when we got a bigger horse and wanted a Lorry. IW operate a good scheme to check if the trailer is stolen you just need to phone them with the chassis number which on the draw bar and they will check it for you. If you purchase it there is a fee to register it in your name I think it was £15 but it seems a good scheme. With aluminium floors alway check it on both sides. Aluminium with corrode of in contact with steel.
On the model we had you could release the brace bar from the outside with an Allen Key. The newer models have a loop on the outside that you fit the wheel brace into to unwind the bolts. Make sure you know how the release the brace bar and it is not seized in case of an emergency.
I have had to do it once and I am glad I had the tools to hand.

 

[LJF0664]

If you are only ever going to tow one horse I would highly recommend a single trailer (as someone has already said these all seem to be mare and foal in the UK). I had an Ifor 401 for a few years and loved it. My 16.3 WB x travelled perfectly in it, and I loved the extra space around her to tack up and change rugs if the weather was bad. I never understood the comments about them looking unstable, they are not much narrower than a 505 (79% of the width), and the horses weight is in the centre, rather than in one half of a double.

I only sold mine as we got a pick up truck, which meant I had to take my B+E test anyway, and now generally always take a friend so it's worth having a double. It is a Cheval and I love it, and I do have a friend with the single Cheval who also rates hers, so I would have a look at theirs as well as the Ifors and make a decision