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 Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
    
Location: Way up North | Opinions on trailer brands to avoid or common issues to look for when shopping for a living quarters? We are starting to shop for a small, used weekender/LQ and I have told to stay away from Hoosier, Bison, Logan. Any others to avoid? Good mid-level brand suggestions? Anything you love hate in a trailer? I am just a weekend warrior so I don't need anything big or fancy but I want functional and durable for resale. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Going to an 8' wide is worth it. I had a 2000 model Sundowner with 6' shortwall, 8' wide. The width made it feel so much bigger and the size was very livable for 2 people. Or one person and a large dog. It held up well for the 13+ years I pulled it, and was very functional. (I've heard the newer ones aren't as good a trailer as what I had)
I went from that to a Cimarron, which has a LQ put in by an aftermarket company. The trailer itself as well as the LQ are way way nicer, but it was still more affordable than a comparable Platinum, Elite, etc. It's a 2006 model, I'm still pulling it, and it has held up impressively. I love it and would buy another Cimarron in a heartbeat.
Do get one with a built in generator. Look at lots of different trailers at a dealer lot if you can to get an idea of what size and floor plans you want. Even if you buy used from an individual, it helps to know what you're looking for. Don't let sparkles blind you to functionality. Go for the toilet. You don't have to have a full bath, but definitely get a toilet. |
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Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
Location: Way up North | Three 4 Luck - 2017-05-07 2:08 PM Going to an 8' wide is worth it. I had a 2000 model Sundowner with 6' shortwall, 8' wide. The width made it feel so much bigger and the size was very livable for 2 people. Or one person and a large dog. It held up well for the 13+ years I pulled it, and was very functional. (I've heard the newer ones aren't as good a trailer as what I had)
I went from that to a Cimarron, which has a LQ put in by an aftermarket company. The trailer itself as well as the LQ are way way nicer, but it was still more affordable than a comparable Platinum, Elite, etc. It's a 2006 model, I'm still pulling it, and it has held up impressively. I love it and would buy another Cimarron in a heartbeat.
Do get one with a built in generator. Look at lots of different trailers at a dealer lot if you can to get an idea of what size and floor plans you want. Even if you buy used from an individual, it helps to know what you're looking for. Don't let sparkles blind you to functionality. Go for the toilet. You don't have to have a full bath, but definitely get a toilet.
Thank you! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 747
| Depending on the truck you're using to pull it, pay attention to the nose of the trailer. We pull with a shortbox chevy and I'm glad our trailer has a tapered nose on it. A few people we know have trailers without a tapered nose and they even have to be careful about turning them in their longbox trucks. The Featherlite's seem to have really wide noses on them. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: on the fine line between insanity and geniusness | Look for efficient storage space! I know that sounds random, BUT we just spent four days in ours. When I say we I mean me, my fiancé (he's 6'2" and weighs about 280!) my 5 month old, my mom, 3 small dogs and three kittens my mom rescued on the way! My trailer only has a 12 ft. Shortwall and we were never just miserably crowded! Spend the money for a generator- you will never regret it. I don't like buying hookups because I don't like being parked in a pile. We run our generator and park where we please. |
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Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
Location: Way up North | Thank you! Do you feel like you have to go to a dually at 8' wide? We have a 1 ton Ford diesel with extended cab so I am not too worried about nose and I am looking at a smaller trailer so power isn't an issue but I am apprehensive to go 8' wide beings it isn't a dually.
Edited by AllAroundRider 2017-05-08 12:10 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | We JUST upgraded from a 7 wide to an 8 wide with a slide
Ironically, our 8 wide is alot lighter than our 7 wide was (steel vs aluminum frame), and although we do haul with a dually, a single wheel would haul this trailer no problem.
Our 7 wide was a logan and a great trailer... but HEAVY.
Our new one is a bit older (2009) Lakota and it is well made. It's definitely not a platinum or elite, but great bang for our buck and we got a wicked deal. I also have several friends with Lakotas and everyone loves them!
Some things that we added to our must have list over the years;
- large fridge (6cu). 3cu is way too small.
- 8 wide
- awning
- hay rack
- dinette -- we liked our couch but a dinette is so much nicer for visiting or just sitting when it is cold out.
- more than 2 tie rings on each side (sundowner is infamous for this and we actually walked away from a trailer because of it... as silly as it sounds)
Edited by jschipper 2017-05-08 1:31 PM
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | AllAroundRider - 2017-05-08 12:07 PM Thank you! Do you feel like you have to go to a dually at 8' wide? We have a 1 ton Ford diesel with extended cab so I am not too worried about nose and I am looking at a smaller trailer so power isn't an issue but I am apprehensive to go 8' wide beings it isn't a dually.
No, the weight of the trailer determines whether you need a dually. I pulled the Sundowner I mentioned above with a 3/4 ton SRW the entire time I owned it. It weighed about 7500 pounds empty. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Length IMO will also play into the SRW vs DRW trucks. We had a 3/4T duramax short bed when we got our 8' wide 3H Lakota with a 9' shortwall. It's 23' on the floor and in higher winds the tail was wagging the dog for sure. We're in Iowa, it's almost always windy.
The dually handles it like it's not even there. We also punched the rear window out with the shortbox, even with the tapered nose we could not get it jackknifed enough being 8' wide to get turned around in the driveway.
I like our Lakota, i would second the larger fridge, I regret not getting one. I got a dinette vs a couch so I have a table to set my laptop up on and work while on the road.
I tend to crawl through trailers at expos etc any chance I get. We will likely out grow this one at some point whether in the horse area or the human area so I'm on the lookout for all the little things I want in the next one, we'll likely go big enough to hopefully not buy another one for a while. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 823
Location: East Texas | So many options and depending on what you like and how the trailer will be used are almost too many to list. I would by a brand that hold its resale value. I bought a 2000 elite a few years ago and sold it recently for what I paid for it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
Location: Roping pen | I would say, make sure (if you finance it), you can pay it off with in a few years. LQ trailers depreciate very quickly. There are a lot of upside down (owe more than they are worth) out there.
Yes, banks/credit unions/loan companies will go 15 years, but don't!
Good luck! |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Spin Doctor - 2017-05-08 2:59 PM I would say, make sure (if you finance it), you can pay it off with in a few years. LQ trailers depreciate very quickly. There are a lot of upside down (owe more than they are worth) out there. Yes, banks/credit unions/loan companies will go 15 years, but don't! Good luck!
I recently bought a 2005 Trails West Sierra with slide, that I'm pretty sure I paid the same amount for it now (12 yrs later) as what is was worth new......I have no intention of paying this trailer off and am definitely hoping to get what I owe on it when I sell. Advice-make sure if you're buying from a dealer that they have everything ready when you get there (I'm assuming an individual would have it set up and ready) The dealership said it would be ready to roll when we got there (9hr drive) and said they had all the things that needed to be repaired done-ya-yes we will replace the batteries and fill the propane-NOPE-we are still waiting for the check for the batteries......2 weeks later. Don't let them hurry you-if you want to see the temp in the refrigerator-make sure they have it running and a thermometer in place to view....refrigerators are expensive to replace. Awning should be pulled out-holes are normally close to the trailer -so not visible when rolled up. water leaks will show if you hook a hose-they are not so expesive to fix-unless of course they drip constantly and ruin a floor/cabinets etc. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1286
Location: Mississippi | AllAroundRider - 2017-05-08 12:07 PM Thank you! Do you feel like you have to go to a dually at 8' wide? We have a 1 ton Ford diesel with extended cab so I am not too worried about nose and I am looking at a smaller trailer so power isn't an issue but I am apprehensive to go 8' wide beings it isn't a dually.
My trailer is 8' wide and I don't pull with a dually - I haven't had any issues. It is my first LQ so I don't have anything to compare too but I would definitely recommend a bathroom if you can budget that - that wasn't on my lists of musts but I am SO glad that I have a toilet and shower.
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LQ trailer buying tips