Equitrek vs Ifor Williams??

[nomini]

I'm looking to downgrade from my 7.5tonne lorry to a trailer. I don't use the lorry enough to justify all the extra insurance, plating, tax etc. I've been looking at the ifor williams 511 trailer and the equitrek show treka as this has a bit of living in it...but just wondered which trailer people would recommend for safety and which trailer the horses travel better in. Obviously I would love an equitrek as it does have the living but need to think of my horse and which will be best for him!

Also, what cars do people tow either trailer with? I only have a rav4 at the moment so I'm fully aware that I will need a heavier car to tow with...

Thanks in advance for your advice

 

[Tern]

Ifor all the way.

When we had ours we used a V8 Landy Defender.

 

[blitznbobs]

I agree stick with the Ifor - I also toe with a landy... It's the dogs for towing but is slightly agricultural in its comforts - i drive lots of miles so have another car as well.

 

[nikanita]

I've had both an ifor and an equitrek. Currently got an equitrek star treka as we spend weekends away with the horses. I love it and horses seem to travel better backwards. I love all the extra storage and can keep certain things always in the trailer. Wouldn't go back to an ifor unless I was only using occasionally.

 

[sonjafoers]

EquiTrek! Have a search on here for all the problems with the Ifor 511s before you make your mind up.

I traded in my great 510 for a 511 and had real problems, the horses didn't travel well in it at all and were coming out sweaty. To cut a long story short it had so many issues that even after going back to IW in Wales weren't fixed. I never had these problems with the 510. When I traded it in for my EquiTrek the garage gave me a price without seeing it and the day I turned up they were a bit surprised - they thought it was a 510 and had they realised it was a 511 they would have given me £1,000 LESS.

I now have a Space Trekka L which I love and more importantly the horses love too, they virtually load themselves and travel very comfortably. They don't get wet when it rains, I can tack them up still in there with plenty of space and I love the storage section.

There are downsides, some of the cosmetic bits aren't greatly made and I've had door handles pull off. Sometimes the side load is a nuisance when space is limited but you're probably used to that with a lorry.

There are plenty of posts on here saying good & bad about each make so maybe spend some time searching. However imo I know IW have by far the better reputation but I wouldn't swap back for anything.

PS I tow with a Land Cruiser

 

[sidewaysonacob]

Ifor now do one with living called the Eventa, I had a look at one at Great Yorkshire and they were well thought out http://www.iwt.co.uk/products/eventa

 

[ArabianGem78]

Neither - get a Bateson!

I use a Nissan Terrano 3.0 to tow with.

 

[mega spoilt ponies]

I got a space treka L after loading and travelling issues with an ifor, never had a problem since. Horse loves it and its huge inside. I tow with a nissan navara

 

[PorkChop]

I'm on my third IW trailer, just got a new 511 = btw it's the mk1 models that they had problems with.

Can't fault them and they hold their money so well it's ridiculous

I tow mine with a defender (Ermintrude)

 

[MagicMelon]

I second a Bateson. Brilliant trailers and really lightweight.

 

[DragonSlayer]

Ifor all the way.

When we had ours we used a V8 Landy Defender.

This. We still have our Ifor 510 (have a lorry now, but reluctant to sell! Will have to though, it's stood doing nothing.... )

 

[Street_Skill]

I've got an Equitrek Space Treka which I use for my 17.0 Thoroughbred. It's the standard size and he has plenty of room in there which he didn't have in the Ifor. I tow it with a Land Rover Discovery TD5 (which admittedly does have a lot of "grunt" and costs a foutune to run!) and barely know it's there most of the time, even with a big horse in the back. I go out on my own all the time and, with a bit of practice, have found it really easy to reverse and move around. Went for a coffee with my instructor after a lesson the other day and managed to park it in the car park without any problems...!

I would never, EVER go back to using an Ifor Williams trailer. The last time I used one the breast bar came down during a journey resulting in my horse panicking, ripping open both his hind feet and we later found out he had fractured both his pedal bones. The broken parts of which dropped out through the holes in his feet at a later stage. He was incredibly lucky to survive the initial accident and the infections and months of box rest that followed afterwards. Playing with the trailer afterwards I discovered that if you roll the breast bar in a certain way the retaining pin becomes dislodged causing the breast bar to fall. I'm not sure which model I was using (someone else's trailer) but I have tried moving the breast bar in the new models and the retaining pin can still be dislodged despite the design having been changed. I have spoken to another Ifor owner about this and she said "I often find the breast bar down when I arrive at a competition" so it does not seem to be an isolated problem..... Granted the Equitrek does cost more, but I think it's a testament to Equitrek that the same horse involved in the accident now loads himself and travels like a dream.

Purely personal experience and preference, but good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[nomini]

Thanks everyone, it seems there are pros and cons to both trailers then! When I was younger we had a IW505 and never had any issues with the breast bars coming out but I guess this is something to bear in mind then...my yard owner took me out today with his IW511 as I'd never towed anything before and didn't even notice the trailer on the back but I guess this is the same with lots of different trailers...!

I have a little while to think about it as my lorry is being plated at the moment and will then need a good clean up etc before being advertised, plus I also need to take my B+E test...which I'm hoping to do end of March time.

 

[Tern]

Can't fault them and they hold their money so well it's ridiculous

Soo true! We sold ours for more than we bought it and it needed a new breech bar and outside panel. (HB505r and was advertised on eBay)

 

[windand rain]

try each with your horse mine will not under any circumstances travel backwards they hate it falling about all over the place

 

[CIJ]

Thanks everyone, it seems there are pros and cons to both trailers then! When I was younger we had a IW505 and never had any issues with the breast bars coming out but I guess this is something to bear in mind then...my yard owner took me out today with his IW511 as I'd never towed anything before and didn't even notice the trailer on the back but I guess this is the same with lots of different trailers...!

I have a little while to think about it as my lorry is being plated at the moment and will then need a good clean up etc before being advertised, plus I also need to take my B+E test...which I'm hoping to do end of March time.

Have you thought about getting a 3.5ton lorry? I've had both IW & Equi trek, loved the IW but no storage and horse didn't load well. My horse travelled better in the ET and there was more space for everything but I got rid of it as the build quality wasn't good. I now have a 3.5 Boss lorry, which I can sleep in it as well as a back bit which I can put a camping stove etc in, there's plenty of storage as well. My insurance is fairly low, my tax is cheaper than my mums 4x4 and the mileage is fairly good. The only thing you need to watch is your weight if you need to carry 2 horses.

 

[nomini]

Thanks CIJ. Yes I've had a look at the 3.5 tonne lorries, but it's another vehicle to keep on the road and keeping going in the winter...I've made the decision to sell my 7.5tonne lorry purely for the fact that I just don't use it enough and it's been sitting most of the winter with the occasional run for a lesson or clinic. It's now in the garage having lots of work done which the mechanic said could easily have been prevented from giving it more runs...although I love the idea of a 3.5ton lorry I can see the same thing happening! So that's why I've decided to go down the trailer option for now. It's heartbreaking having to sell my lorry as it's got a full living and I can just pitch up at an overnight show, put my horse in his stable, cook some tea and go to bed...so a trailer will definitely take some getting used to which is why I am toying (sp?) with the idea of an equitrek...! They are just so much more money though and from what I've heard the build quality isn't brilliant. I'm going to take my horse out in the 511 and see how he travels and then decide from there I think

 

[jules9203]

We had a similar situation to you - an awesome, reliable lorry but couldn't justify the ongoing costs. We now have a Star trekka and have to say the horses love it. We tow it with a landrover defender. Yes we have to organise the storage better than we did in the lorry but we've had no leaks or other problems which I've heard about previously. Very pleased with it and would definitely buy another

 

[AllTheBees]

Equi-trek. The TrailTreka (black, forward facing) has been superb. Same external dimensions as an IW but a foot wider on the inside, as it's built over the wheels. Side loading, makes it really easy, especially on your own and the horses seem to love it. Also has a tack locker.

 

[sidewaysonacob]

If part of the op's problem with high lorry running costs is down to it standing idle during the winter, don't forget you don't need a horse in it to take it out! I know that costs diesel but I see it as an investment in maintenance so it goes out for 30-45 mins once a fortnight without fail during winter, including a blast down a dual carriageway and some very sharp braking on a quiet private lane to keep the brake disks clean.

 

[Harplat]

I just sold my 3.5t lorry because of costs and bought an Equitrek space treka L because I thought it would be similar to the lorry ie travel backwards, side load etc but its not for me or my horse! I don't think the build quality is as good as IW I find it bounces about, really noisey and just feels flimsy because of the fibreglass body. I test drove a 511 and could believe the difference (towing with an x5) so although I'll miss the extra space think I'm going to go IW.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Ifor all the way! Wouldn't have anything else. I have had my 505 for 12 years and has only had the usual maintenance requirements - brakes, tyres, bulbs. It goes out every week fetching hay as well as out competing all summer and never fails.

 

[Annagain]

I have an IW but the second I have the cash (almost finished paying off car loan and then that money start to be saved for horse transport purposes!) will be trading it in for an Equitrek, if not a lorry. My friend has an Equitrek and the horses travel so much better on it, we don't hear a peep out of them. There's nothing wrong with the IW but I prefer the Equitrek. As others have said, get a late 510 rather than a 511 if you do get an IW.

I tow with Defender (Wilf). I've towed with a lot of cars over the years and wouldn't tow with anything else now. Towing with it just feels right. I only do 4 miles to work though, I'm not sure I'd want to do huge journeys in it everyday!

 

[npage123]

Just another thought OP: if you're not regularly going to shows/clinics, then why not simply hire a 3.5T horsebox on those days that you do want to go somewhere? Sit down and think realistically how many times a month you are planning on travelling with the horse. Also remember that the running cost of a large 4x4 will be much more than a Rav4. Maybe add up how much you're going to spend on a new trailer and new car, deduct how much you're hoping to get for the Rav4 and lorry if you sell it, and then divide that by say £100, roughly how much it would cost you to hire a nice new little lorry for a day. Just so you know how many times you could hire a horsebox before you break even money-wise with selling and buying things. Obviously if you've got enough money to spend on whatever you want, then my way of thinking to compare these costs are irrelevant.

 

[BlueEyes97]

Agree with tern ifor all the way

 

[mischamoo]

IW511 and Kia Sorento for me!