Trailer Help!!! Equitrek vs. Ifor??

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Javabb94

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Hi all,

After recently getting my self a new horse after a 5 year break from riding to do athletics I Now need another trailer :/ I did have a wagon but sold that and would prefer a trailer for ease of use this time :)

So i have been looking at Equi Trek trail treka's and
Ifor Williams hb506/511 mainly but on reviews etc have heard of flaws with both. Firstly with the equi trek have heard of bad after sale care and chassis
breakages and with the ifor I have heard off things
breaking on those too! My horse is a fussy traveller
and we would prefer to have the side opening
equitrek but don't want to risk it if it's going to
break! He is fine once loading it's just getting him in!
Any suggestions on Which trailer?
 
We have the older Ifor 510, which has been great for four years since we bought it new. I've not heard as good things about the newer models.

A livery on our yard had the equitrek, and it was great having the side load, and the tackroom bit, but my husband said that to make it bigger, they had to use thinner materials etc, so its not as strong. Her horse cracked the back by kicking. It worried me.

See if you can hire one of them, so you can try your horse in them. you'd definately find an Ifor to rent somewhere...
 
Yep, you will definitely hear good and bad on both sides. Also if you do a search on this forum, you will find lots of discussion about trailers. All I can do is give you my experience of my Equitrek.

I have had it for just over 2 years and used it for both long and short journeys. Horses have always travelled well in it. I have even camped in it (v cosy... :D) I am 5ft 2 and have never had probs manoeuvring it. It has to be done with a car, no doubt! Brilliant to reverse. So easy. I tow mine with a Shogun Warrior LWB. I have to say that this is the best combo I have ever had. So far the only issue I have had is the inside handle on the jockey door coming off due to losing the screw.
 
Thankyou

I heard of the chassis breaking with equitrek but ifor seem to have silly things breaking like handles ! Also it's an advantage if I go for ifor as the dealer is 10 mins away whereas the closest equitrek is derby house I like the look of the trail treka than a 506 as they look more sturdy
Hmm it's a hard choice :(
 
A friend's chassis broke on her Equitrek and struggled to get them to fix it, I've got the Ifor 505 and love it, they seem very robust! However not so sure about the newer ones, they look a little more flimsy!!!

Maybe have a look at some second hand 505s/510s? xxx
 
we take in trailer part x's, and have had or heard the following......

an equitrek where the floor wasnt in right, horses leg fell through, horse shot....equi trek paid her off to keep hush!!! (that is a friends friend and know it to be true)

ifor why do they unload into the road?! old styles very strudy and robust, newer styles look and feel flimsy.

Equitrek to me havnt got enough strengthing supports, its built like a box...... if you squish a cradboard box in your hands (like an impact with another vehicle ((dosnt apply to large boxes becuase teh impact zone is higher than a low trailer)) its collaspes, teh only think holding them is the side cant corner rail.....)

now traditinal style trailer (ifor/batson/rice/richardson/etc) have various other steel beams around the trailers/ramps etc.

p.s - what is the equitrek ramp made of? has it any steel on the ramp? or just GRP?

personally richardson rice and bateson have thumbs up from me.

we also hire out trailers and use the older indespension and bateson type - they take the hammer from the hirer's horses!
 
floradora09 said:
A friend's chassis broke on her Equitrek and struggled to get them to fix it, I've got the Ifor 505 and love it, they seem very robust! However not so sure about the newer ones, they look a little more flimsy!!!

Maybe have a look at some second hand 505s/510s? xxx
Click to expand...



I have been looking at the second hand Ifor HB05 and HB510, but for peace of mind, my mum said that she would prefer a brand new trailer with warranty which I have to say I agree with although there are some very good condition ifor's for sale!

I havent seen any equitrek trail treka's anywhere for sale second hand though
 
perfect11s said:
Bateson .........
Click to expand...


We used a friend's Bateson Deauville when he brought him home and it took a while to get him into the trailer as the bateson was very narrow and seemed dark, he has travelled fine in an Ifor in the Past with a lot less persuasion to go in, I agree they are a very good trailer but he doesnt like it :/
 
tinker88 said:
we take in trailer part x's, and have had or heard the following......

an equitrek where the floor wasnt in right, horses leg fell through, horse shot....equi trek paid her off to keep hush!!! (that is a friends friend and know it to be true)

ifor why do they unload into the road?! old styles very strudy and robust, newer styles look and feel flimsy.

Equitrek to me havnt got enough strengthing supports, its built like a box...... if you squish a cradboard box in your hands (like an impact with another vehicle ((dosnt apply to large boxes becuase teh impact zone is higher than a low trailer)) its collaspes, teh only think holding them is the side cant corner rail.....)

now traditinal style trailer (ifor/batson/rice/richardson/etc) have various other steel beams around the trailers/ramps etc.

p.s - what is the equitrek ramp made of? has it any steel on the ramp? or just GRP?

personally richardson rice and bateson have thumbs up from me.

we also hire out trailers and use the older indespension and bateson type - they take the hammer from the hirer's horses!
Click to expand...


Thanks for the ino will probably stay away from equitrek!

I looked at the Richardson and they seemed very good qaulity but are more expensive, have a budget or around 4700 so we are now looking at the larger Ifor Williams HB511 as we have a dealer 10 mins away which is handy.

The equitreks look nice, the trail treka looks well built, although i cant find any reviews as theu only came out early this year!

Anyone with an equitrek trail treka?
 
eriskaypony said:
The new Ifors actually have the same chassis underneath as the old. The first versions of the new Ifors had problems but our friendly local Ifor dealer now reckons they have been fixed.
Click to expand...



Thanks for the info, its looking like I will be getting an Ifor ! I am not risking the equitrek's, my horse doesnt like Bateson :( and the Richardson are quite expensive
 
Kirsty+Java said:
We used a friend's Bateson Deauville when he brought him home and it took a while to get him into the trailer as the bateson was very narrow and seemed dark, he has travelled fine in an Ifor in the Past with a lot less persuasion to go in, I agree they are a very good trailer but he doesnt like it :/
Click to expand...


why did you find the Bateson narrow and dark? if you have opened up the partitions you would have had more room and I load mine in with the front side ramp open so its very airy?
I would not ask my horse to walk into my trailer unless I made it more inviting and he just marches as, as does everything else I have travelled in it. My mare is 16.3 TB x cob and my boy is a full up m/w 16.2 and they are both very happy in it.

We have had a couple of the new 511's in the yard and both had problems - which considering the excellent reputation they had had was really surprising. When I was looking I did my research (as you are) and was told that the ifors (at that time) had a very eldery suspension and to try the Bateson. I also disliked the idea of unloading into the road in case of an accident and at that time, the Bateson had a clear "window" at the front which meant I could see my horse while travelling.

I have travelled horses in mine who kick up in an Ifor. If I had my time again though I would go for the Ascot and not the Deaville - Ascot has the external tack and having the sadde pegs inside is a waste of time -first they get covered in hay, secondly if you have a wretched horse like mine he does his level best to chew it, thirdly I need to take out my tack before I can get my horse off!

If you do look at the larger trailers - i.e equitrek, do take into consideration that they are a lot heavier than most trailers so you need to check what you can tow. Ascot Deaville is @ 950Kgs as a guideline. Also, the Equitreks to tend to be quite long (particularly if you have living). My friend has a new day trekka pulled by her landrover - comfy ride, highly luxiouous but actually longer than the 7.5 Ford 811 in our yard (which is not a short wheel based lorry).
 
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I have a 2010 Bateson Deauville and wouldn't swap it, mum's 2yo, 14.2, nervous traveller went straight in and travelled like a dream without a drop of sweat and my 16.2 TB loves it!!

I have seen the trail trekka which was nice and airy inside and the tack locker is a great design feature. It was also reassuring of the company that the prototype seen at Badminton etc was recalled and ameded before it even hit the market... more than can be said for Ifor!

My friend brought the new 511 which had the mould twice, the front and one side window fall out, the jockey door wouldn't open from the inside and then fell off going up the motorway, rusted on the metal work and she struggled to get them to admit fault and to get them to fix it!! This trailer was only a yr old and used maybe once every 6weeks max.

I went to a local dealer who had a range of trailers to get an idea of what I wanted and he is no longer supplying the new Ifors and had one to show people what to look out for... it was a very enlightening conversation!! Including the pole that holds the partitions was originally only inserted into the fiberglass roof (pole has gone through roof with horse weight), the faults my friend found, and the fact they came off the production line without any stablity to the structure. Stand inside the trailer facing the back and you will see a pole attached around the back of the frame above the ramp... that is because it swayed as there was no rigid support, the pole is a second addition - if it wasn't an after thought it would be manufactured within the original frame.

As this was a dealer and not a distributor of Ifor trailers, Ifor have tried to get their local distributor to buy back the new 506/511's that he has due to the fact he is honest and wants to keep his good reputation by informing people of the flaws who show an interest! He will get shot of it on eBay when he needs the space. His 505/510's fly out of the business.

Such a shame that Mr Ifor Williams has let his reputation slip by not designing the trailers personally any more. The 505/510's are so solid incomparison. My advice will be don't rush in with rose tinted glasses, research and making the effort to personally see the trailer in the flesh will help you make the best decision for you and your horse.

Sorry for the massive reply but hope it helps! :) Good luck and happy shopping!
 
Luci07 said:
why did you find the Bateson narrow and dark? if you have opened up the partitions you would have had more room and I load mine in with the front side ramp open so its very airy?
I would not ask my horse to walk into my trailer unless I made it more inviting and he just marches as, as does everything else I have travelled in it. My mare is 16.3 TB x cob and my boy is a full up m/w 16.2 and they are both very happy in it.

We have had a couple of the new 511's in the yard and both had problems - which considering the excellent reputation they had had was really surprising. When I was looking I did my research (as you are) and was told that the ifors (at that time) had a very eldery suspension and to try the Bateson. I also disliked the idea of unloading into the road in case of an accident and at that time, the Bateson had a clear "window" at the front which meant I could see my horse while travelling.

I have travelled horses in mine who kick up in an Ifor. If I had my time again though I would go for the Ascot and not the Deaville - Ascot has the external tack and having the sadde pegs inside is a waste of time -first they get covered in hay, secondly if you have a wretched horse like mine he does his level best to chew it, thirdly I need to take it out before I can get my horse off!

If you do look at the larger trailers - i.e equitrek, do take into consideration that they are a lot heavier than most trailers so you need to check what you can tow. Ascot Deaville is @ 950Kgs as a guideline. Also, they to tend to be quite long (particularly if you have living). My friend has a new day trekka pulled by her landrover - comfy ride, highly luxiouous but actually longer than the 7.5 Ford 811 in our yard (which is not a short wheel based lorry).
Click to expand...

We had the front ramp open on the Bateson and the partition moved, but he still wouldnt go in! He goes in the Ifor without too much fuss though! He doesnt rear or reverse rapidly just gets half way up the ramp and stops dead and refuses to go anywhere! Once he is in he travels superbly!

What problems have the 511's had as looking into those!

With the towing, we use my grandads Land Rover Discovery so that can tow pretty much anything although the Ifor 506 laden weight is 2600! Compared to the Equi Trek trail treka at 2000 laden weight with an unladen weight of 900 i think.

The main thing is to get a safe and sound trailer that isnt going to have major faults! I can work on the loading lol
 
archiesmum said:
I have a 2010 Bateson Deauville and wouldn't swap it, mum's 2yo, 14.2, nervous traveller went straight in and travelled like a dream without a drop of sweat and my 16.2 TB loves it!!

I have seen the trail trekka which was nice and airy inside and the tack locker is a great design feature. It was also reassuring of the company that the prototype seen at Badminton etc was recalled and ameded before it even hit the market... more than can be said for Ifor!

My friend brought the new 511 which had the mould twice, the front and one side window fall out, the jockey door wouldn't open from the inside and then fell off going up the motorway, rusted on the metal work and she struggled to get them to admit fault and to get them to fix it!! This trailer was only a yr old and used maybe once every 6weeks max.

I went to a local dealer who had a range of trailers to get an idea of what I wanted and he is no longer supplying the new Ifors and had one to show people what to look out for... it was a very enlightening conversation!! Including the pole that holds the partitions was originally only inserted into the fiberglass roof (pole has gone through roof with horse weight), the faults my friend found, and the fact they came off the production line without any stablity to the structure. Stand inside the trailer facing the back and you will see a pole attached around the back of the frame above the ramp... that is because it swayed as there was no rigid support, the pole is a second addition - if it wasn't an after thought it would be manufactured within the original frame.

As this was a dealer and not a distributor of Ifor trailers, Ifor have tried to get their local distributor to buy back the new 506/511's that he has due to the fact he is honest and wants to keep his good reputation by informing people of the flaws who show an interest! He will get shot of it on eBay when he needs the space. His 505/510's fly out of the business.

Such a shame that Mr Ifor Williams has let his reputation slip by not designing the trailers personally any more. The 505/510's are so solid incomparison. My advice will be don't rush in with rose tinted glasses, research and making the effort to personally see the trailer in the flesh will help you make the best decision for you and your horse.

Sorry for the massive reply but hope it helps! :) Good luck and happy shopping!
Click to expand...

Thankyou this certainly helps!!!!!!

I really like the Equi Trek Trail Treka but struggle to find reviews! Any thoughts!
 
Hi,

Just got a equitrek trail treka last week. Seems really well made, the head partitions a bit flimsy and everything needs a bit of wearing in to get loosened off a bit but my mare travelled really well in it. Especially with the wide ramp and i could increase the width for her seens she was the only one in.

The tack locker is a god send and more than big enough to store boots bridle first aid kit grooming kit saddle body protector hat not so sure if you had two saddles in . I even found a light in it which i wasnt expecting.

The ramp is a touch heavy to pull down but there is knack to it and we re getting there as soon as it starts moving its fine though.

Lots of space for a long body - even enough room to lift tail out of the way to go to the loo :)

So far I would reccommend it but then again i ve only had it one week so may have further comments the more we use it.
 
i have an IW 510, it's been great to tow and so far i haven't had any problems and i've owned it for 3yrs.

when i went to buy it i was offered the opportunity to upgrade it in anyway i wanted to at a bit more of a cost, i could have had the ramp on the left hand side instead of the right but because i was in a hurry (needed it within a couple of weeks) i decided to just go for the standard one.
 
Greenleaves said:
Hi,

Just got a equitrek trail treka last week. Seems really well made, the head partitions a bit flimsy and everything needs a bit of wearing in to get loosened off a bit but my mare travelled really well in it. Especially with the wide ramp and i could increase the width for her seens she was the only one in.

The tack locker is a god send and more than big enough to store boots bridle first aid kit grooming kit saddle body protector hat not so sure if you had two saddles in . I even found a light in it which i wasnt expecting.

The ramp is a touch heavy to pull down but there is knack to it and we re getting there as soon as it starts moving its fine though.

Lots of space for a long body - even enough room to lift tail out of the way to go to the loo :)

So far I would reccommend it but then again i ve only had it one week so may have further comments the more we use it.
Click to expand...

Thanks been waiting for someone who owns one!!!

There will only be one horse in there so the head partition isnt a major issue, then main reason for looking at the trail treka is the side load and the outside tack locker which saves clogging up the car! My horse prefers side load as he was a bit wary of narrow bateson. Can you poss let me know how the trailers doing in a few weeks? As i will be using it poss once a week so hopefully it will hold up well
 
Dont think i ll be going out for a few weeks again with the weather and exams at uni but i ll keep you updated by all means. :)

Oh and it looks pretty high when you see it in the flesh but had no stability problems and when you put it next to the ifor (even the trail treka L which we have) isnt that much taller. I think its just a trick of the eye :)
 
I too had a horsebox which I sold and the choice was between the Equitrek and an Ifor Williams 511.

The plus points with the Equitrek were that it is side loading which is handy and very roomy, but I decided not to go for one as our mechanic thought that the axles were in the wrong place to carry the horses weight, and that they were a bit flimsy. I also thought the basic was very basic and coloured paint and the like really hiked up the cost. Once I had seen the Ifors,my mind was made up, I thought they looked nice and sturdy, airy and plenty big enough and finished very well too, I think they came up lighter to tow as well.

I know with the 511's there has been probs with mould and stuff, but I guess I've been very lucky with ours!

My advice would be to view both and see what suits you and your horses the best!
 
I've got an Ifor 511 which I've had 2.5 years (selling now PM if intereested) and have had no probs with it at all, tows great, very sturdy, light and roomy. Had bigger front window which I love as you can see the horses through your rear view mirror.
 
Thanks for all the info!!

am i right in thinking the newer ifors ie if you bought one now, dont have the problems the original ones had?

and with the equitrek it seems to be the space treka upwards that have the problems,

not heard anything bad about the trail trekas yet fingers crossed!
 
no probs with mould only problem is bent rear left top oor must of caught it in hedge, but needed extra height for 16.3, wso shut that when travelling now. have 506.
 
I am onto my 2nd equitrek my first was the space treka which I had for 2 years I then upgraded to the show treka L. I tow with a long wheelbase shogun. Absolutely no problems with either of them. They tow very well even on the motorway on a windy day with lots of lorries. You often cannot tell you are towing
 
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