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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
   
Location: Phoenix | Casually searching for my first bumper pull trailer. I only have one horse. The 2 horse trailers seem so small and then 3 horse trailer seem too big. I'm liking how the Trails West Adventurer looks because of the openings in the trailer (air flow important in AZ) and the rubber mats on the walls. Most have a water tank too which I think is cool. Any tips or things you wish you thought of for your basic little bunper pull?? Tell me about your first trailer! | |
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Location: Stephenville, Texas | I had a super 2 horse slant made by Circle J that I loved. It had the water tank, swing out saddle rack. Trails West is pretty similar. I've thought about getting a little around town trailer like that. So easy to park and pull. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | I recently purchased a 2 horse platinum bp. It's my first trailer that I own myself and I've used the heck out of it and left my bigger trailer sitting. It has a drop window on the back door, which has to be my favorite add on. Definitely go as wide as you can. The only thing that I'd change about my trailer would be to have rubber mats in the front tack compartment instead of carpet. Carpet is a pita. I don't know why they think it's a good idea for a tack compartment, it's like Velcro.
I thought about getting a steel trailer, but for just a little more I could get an aluminum. The high end brand bumper pulls hold their value extremely well and you won't have to worry about rust or rotted floor. Even if I bought a steel I would want a 7x7, drop Windows, slants, rear tack, rubber matted horse compartment, etc
FYI you can buy a water tank for any trailer for about $100. | |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | We've been very happy with my Calico trailer. It is a two horse slant, or you can open the tack room divider and make it into a 3 horse stock (the saddle racks and such come out easily. Very handy little trailer, it is steel, so it is about 3500 lbs before horses, but so far a good trailer and a sturdy one. We are happy. It just has vented top sides, kind of like a stock trailer, no drop down windows, so the air flow is very good. No water tank, but I'm sure you could add one somewhere. Good luck! | |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Loved my Titan Avalanche. Pulled so easy. Almost zero rust at 10 years old when I sold it and just surface at that. I have a friend with a newer Trails West which is also a nice little trailer.
ETA - I found the 2 horse to be a nice length. I hauled a 3 horse with a front tack room once and found it to be quite a bit less stable behind the half ton I had at the time. I think the 2 and 3 horse Titans are the same length though, you just lose front tack space.
Edited by OhMax 2016-04-18 7:38 AM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 547
Location: Millington, TN | I love my 2 horse homesteader tralier. It doesn't have a water tank but the dressing room is big enough for one.
Edited by barrelracincrazy 2016-04-18 8:03 AM
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | mtcanchazer - 2016-04-17 10:28 PM We've been very happy with my Calico trailer. It is a two horse slant, or you can open the tack room divider and make it into a 3 horse stock (the saddle racks and such come out easily. Very handy little trailer, it is steel, so it is about 3500 lbs before horses, but so far a good trailer and a sturdy one. We are happy. It just has vented top sides, kind of like a stock trailer, no drop down windows, so the air flow is very good. No water tank, but I'm sure you could add one somewhere. Good luck!
The one I'm looking at has 2 large slats like a stock on both sides AND the rear door so good to know about the air flow. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| I have a 1996 2H slant made by CM that is all steel. It's heavy, but is 20 years old, and has held up well. Rear tack, with stationary saddle rack, and a dressing room that has been plenty big. I keep my feed and blankets in there, put a corner water tank in the wasted triangle space just to the inside of the door. Plenty of hooks for hanging. Bus windows on the butt side, drop windows on the head. I have fairly small horses, but the lady I bought mine from is a friend, and I know she hauled one of her little horses and a draft cross at the same time, so I think it's plenty big. Front stall has escape door, chest bumper, back stall has tail bumper. It's been perfect for me. I'm contemplating keeping it, but am looking for a different trailer just because I have 3 horses, and sometimes taking 3 at once is easier.
I personally believe slant loads, typically, have larger stalls that straight loads, so if you are concerned about size, compare the two. | |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | For myself, I'll never own a bumper pull. I find the goosenecks so much more STABLE.
But with that said, when considering a bumper pull, I would go with the 2-horse. Less length and less chance of it starting to fishtail.
While I have not owned a bumper pull, I've borrow a few. One was a Featherlight BP with a 3 horse slant and a decent sized dressing room. With 2 horses in it on a very windy day, I could go no more than 65 mph on the interstate or I was starting to fish tail a little bit. The other that I have used a CM BP trailer. Also a 3-horse slant but with a smaller dressing room. Haven't yet pulled it on a windy day, but I would imagine it would do the same.
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I had a dressing room 2 horse bumper pulls back in the day. It was a steel and very heavy. That thing pulled great. I pulled all over Texas in it. I loved it. I have also pulled my friend's aluminum 2 horse with a dressing room and I could feel it swaying some. I didn't like it at all. If I ever get another bumper pull it will be a steel. I just feel like the added weight gave a steadier ride. I | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| r_beau - 2016-04-18 11:35 AM
For myself, I'll never own a bumper pull. I find the goosenecks so much more STABLE.
But with that said, when considering a bumper pull, I would go with the 2-horse. Less length and less chance of it starting to fishtail.
While I have not owned a bumper pull, I've borrow a few. One was a Featherlight BP with a 3 horse slant and a decent sized dressing room. With 2 horses in it on a very windy day, I could go no more than 65 mph on the interstate or I was starting to fish tail a little bit. The other that I have used a CM BP trailer. Also a 3-horse slant but with a smaller dressing room. Haven't yet pulled it on a windy day, but I would imagine it would do the same.
I think a lot of the sway you feel is due to a lot more than just it being a bumper pull. My CM is a 1996 and is 100% steel. With two horses loaded down with tack, full water tank, etc. I've pulled it with my crew cab F250 diesel doing 70 on a straight, flat highway (easy for wind to blow across) and it doesn't move.
If you're talking about a steel frame/aluminum shell, or all aluminum, or only had 1 horse, or was pulling it with my 1/2 ton regular cab, it would be a different story. | |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | 4-star slant load | |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | OutlawsLastDance - 2016-04-18 9:31 AM r_beau - 2016-04-18 11:35 AM For myself, I'll never own a bumper pull. I find the goosenecks so much more STABLE.
But with that said, when considering a bumper pull, I would go with the 2-horse. Less length and less chance of it starting to fishtail.
While I have not owned a bumper pull, I've borrow a few. One was a Featherlight BP with a 3 horse slant and a decent sized dressing room. With 2 horses in it on a very windy day, I could go no more than 65 mph on the interstate or I was starting to fish tail a little bit. The other that I have used a CM BP trailer. Also a 3-horse slant but with a smaller dressing room. Haven't yet pulled it on a windy day, but I would imagine it would do the same.
I think a lot of the sway you feel is due to a lot more than just it being a bumper pull. My CM is a 1996 and is 100% steel. With two horses loaded down with tack, full water tank, etc. I've pulled it with my crew cab F250 diesel doing 70 on a straight, flat highway (easy for wind to blow across ) and it doesn't move. If you're talking about a steel frame/aluminum shell, or all aluminum, or only had 1 horse, or was pulling it with my 1/2 ton regular cab, it would be a different story.
For a first time bumper pull user, would you recommend steel for that reason? | |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I have a two horse slant load Kiefer Built. I really like it. I think it's the perfect size. It pulls very easy. I also haul only one horse, but I've hauled a friend's horse with mine and it pulls just fine with two as it does one. I would recommend a slant load instead of a straight load. I pull mine with a 7.3 F250, but my friend has pulled it with her F150 5.4 also. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| hammer_time - 2016-04-19 9:13 AM
OutlawsLastDance - 2016-04-18 9:31 AM r_beau - 2016-04-18 11:35 AM For myself, I'll never own a bumper pull. I find the goosenecks so much more STABLE.
But with that said, when considering a bumper pull, I would go with the 2-horse. Less length and less chance of it starting to fishtail.
While I have not owned a bumper pull, I've borrow a few. One was a Featherlight BP with a 3 horse slant and a decent sized dressing room. With 2 horses in it on a very windy day, I could go no more than 65 mph on the interstate or I was starting to fish tail a little bit. The other that I have used a CM BP trailer. Also a 3-horse slant but with a smaller dressing room. Haven't yet pulled it on a windy day, but I would imagine it would do the same.
I think a lot of the sway you feel is due to a lot more than just it being a bumper pull. My CM is a 1996 and is 100% steel. With two horses loaded down with tack, full water tank, etc. I've pulled it with my crew cab F250 diesel doing 70 on a straight, flat highway (easy for wind to blow across ) and it doesn't move. If you're talking about a steel frame/aluminum shell, or all aluminum, or only had 1 horse, or was pulling it with my 1/2 ton regular cab, it would be a different story.
As long as you have a big enough truck to pull it with you would be fine with a steel trailer. The catch is the 1/2 ton was too small, really, and after a while it took its toll on my transmission. So, if you already have a 3/4 ton or bigger, and you find a steel you like, you're fine. But the steel trailers have their own set of issues (steel rusts easier than aluminum from what I understand.) However, mine is 20 years old, and while it is a bit rusty, it's not to the point of being dangerous or unusable. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 109
| I have a 94 Keifer Built (aluminum)3H BP it’s a slant with drop downs on the head. It has a dressing room and rear tack. I love this trailer it has held up great. I have pulled it all over and it’s never missed a beat. I pull it a lot when taking the big trailer isn't convenient. | |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I have a gas F-250; towing capacity is 10000 lbs. With a horse loaded plus tack I'd probably be a little over 5000 lbs with the trailer I'm looking at. It's new, but I figure for the high prices of the used trailers I'm seeing, I'd rather pay a little more and get a basic little trailer that will fit my needs and will have everything I'm looking for. | |
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Bumper pulls.... 2 or 3 horse and best brand?