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 Expert
Posts: 3534
   
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | So, I currenlty have a 3Horse Elite Mustang with a weekender. It's the smallest LQ package they make (toilet/shower combo, bed, furnace, a/c, sink, hot water, tiny fridge, micro, couple cabinets, water tank, outside water faucet and awning. no table or cooktop or seating, just the basic weekender big enough for me). Retail value is about $23K or slightly less. I owe right around $10K on it. I LOVE this trailer. I really really love it. the horses love it. I love having my own toilet and sink at the shows and place to lay down when I have a long wait between runs. That being said, I've owned this trailer 1.5 years and I've never camped over night in it. The previous trailer that I shared with my mom had the same LQ set up and in the 6 years we owned it, I camped in it for one 3 day weekend show. I basically haul within an hour of home anymore. When I was a kid, mom and I were weekend warriors. We were at shows 4-5 days a week and usually always camped on the weekends. I can remember before we had a gooseneck, her and I would sleep in our pickup truck, one of us across the front bench seat and the other would sleep across the back row bench seat and use the bathroom to clean up and change clothes in the horse trailer. I thought and still keep telling myself I'm going to get back into being a weekend warrior, but I enjoy spending time with my non horse husband and I have a very mentally stressful job so I usually don't have the energy, time or money to haul all weekend like I'd like to. I also only own 2 horses and I have set a 2 horse limit for myself. I keep thinking I could downsize to a nice 2 horse 4star bumper pull and haul a water tank in the truck bed and just use the public bathrooms (I have an anxiety problem so having my own bathroom is a nice convienence). Or I could get a 2-3 horse gooseneck with just a dressing room. I could have a mattress in there to lay down. My other issue is, my older mare will not back off a trailer (please do not post on here telling me to teach her and force her to back off, that is not why I'm posting). She is terrified to put her hind foot down off the back and I've realized she is to nice of a mare to fight her so I haul her in the front spot and let her turn around in the trailer and hop off. So I need to be sure I have room for her to turn. I also like having the third stall to haul extra's, like feed and hay.
All that being said, one of my goals is to get my mares going nice enough to enter and be competitive at the Quarter Horse Congress (I live in Ohio) so If I ever enter there again, I would want to camp on the fairgrounds. both of my mares are green and last year was the first year i seriously hauled the older mare so i keep thinking if I get them both finished and going and entering, I might be more likely to haul more and go to some of the 2-3 day weekend shows. Right now I set realistic goals and I won't waste the fuel, camp fees and entry money if I know I won't be competitive and I'm working on hauling locally to get my mares going and for us to improve. I have 'big dreams' and I'm trying to work to get there, but I have limited funds and still have to have a full time corporate job to be able to even afford to have the horses. (irony is I have more money now for the horses but I'm to exhausted to ride as much as I did when I was a kid). If I downsize my trailer, I want to be able to have a trailer that is paid in full. No more horse trailer payments. and I know downsizing could be temporary and I could always trade back up in the future.
If I downsize my trailer, I can also downsize my truck. Right now I have a F350 with 105K miles on it. I also really love my truck but I could downsize to something newer, less mileage and less/cheaper maintenance.
So, I need to know:
1. do you think I should downsize? Just for financial reasons only? Or keep what I have and enjoy it since I love it? Hubby is okay with me doing either and has no opinion as long as I'm not spending more money.
2. if you think I should downsize, what are my options:
a. do I need to sell my current trailer outright, private party, since I owe on it and I'm looking to downsize?
b. or will a dealer with a smaller trialer that I'm looking for, trade me? They would pay off what I owe on my trailer and then trade even? In this case, I'm thinking of smaller 2-3 horse trailers priced $9-12K already on a dealer lot, and they would trade for my trailer since it has an LQ and is backed by the Elite brand?
3. if I downsize, should I go bumper pull or gooseneck and 2 or 3 horse?
Sorry, this is long, but I've been thinking about downsizing for about 6 months and can't decide what to do. I LOVE what I have and I imagine the trialer I have now will last me a very long time, but I also know as my truck gets older, it could require a lot o maintenance. Plus hubby and I bought our first home about 1.5 years ago and with two vehicle payments and a horse trailer payment, it could help releive us a bit financially. Right now we pay all our bills in full and our credit cards are paid in full each month, but we feel like we are stretching the budget a bit more than we like. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | I think you should keep what you have. I DID downsize and found that I was very unhappy with what I downsized to, even though the girl I later sold it to thought it was great! I was just spoiled to what I had before. There was nothing wrong with the one I had; I just wanted what I had before. lol. If you can afford it, and your husband doesn't care either way, I'd just keep what you have. |
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Expert
Posts: 3534
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | dianeguinn - 2013-12-30 6:45 PM I think you should keep what you have. I DID downsize and found that I was very unhappy with what I downsized to, even though the girl I later sold it to thought it was great! I was just spoiled to what I had before. There was nothing wrong with the one I had; I just wanted what I had before. lol. If you can afford it, and your husband doesn't care either way, I'd just keep what you have.
Thank you Diane. I am worried I will be unhappy if I downsize. At first when I started looking at downsizing, hubby was all for it (he's not into the horses), but after a few months and saying 'well, what if I run at congress or what if I do this or do that", he said a month ago '"just keep what you have. you need your own toilet anyway!" |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | You can downsize your truck with that trailer. I pulled something similar for 14 years with 3/4 ton trucks no problem (8 wide, 6'sw LQ, about 7500 pounds empty). I wouldn't sell the trailer. |
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Location: OK | If you are not making long hauls into the mountains there is no reason what so ever that you can not pull the trailer you have with a 3/4 ton pick up. I had a really large trailer and a 1 ton and I was not really comfortable with it. I now have an Elite Colt 7 wide 8' short wall and a 3/4 ton Pick Up. Just love it and pulls really easy. |
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Expert
Posts: 3534
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | Three 4 Luck - 2013-12-30 6:50 PM You can downsize your truck with that trailer. I pulled something similar for 14 years with 3/4 ton trucks no problem (8 wide, 6'sw LQ, about 7500 pounds empty). I wouldn't sell the trailer.
My parents have always pulled with a 3/4 ton also. We were actually shopping for a F250 when we came across this F350 and it was to good of a deal to pass by. We've had the truck over 3 years and love it.
Are the maintenance costs that much cheaper with a 3/4 ton vs a 1 ton? |
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 It Goes On
Posts: 2262
Location: Muskogee, OK | Sent you a PM  |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I kind of went through the same thoughts as you have about my 3 horse with an 8 foot short LQ's. When it was all said and done..I wouldn't be money ahead and would have a smaller trailer and smaller truck so I ended up keeping what I have and don't regret it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 794
| I have a 6 horse that I really really really want to get rid of. I wish I could down size but no one seams to be buying right now.
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | barlracr429 - 2013-12-30 5:58 PM Three 4 Luck - 2013-12-30 6:50 PM You can downsize your truck with that trailer. I pulled something similar for 14 years with 3/4 ton trucks no problem (8 wide, 6'sw LQ, about 7500 pounds empty). I wouldn't sell the trailer. My parents have always pulled with a 3/4 ton also. We were actually shopping for a F250 when we came across this F350 and it was to good of a deal to pass by. We've had the truck over 3 years and love it.
Are the maintenance costs that much cheaper with a 3/4 ton vs a 1 ton?
Tires and brakes/rotors are your only maintinence savings. The engine and tranny are the same if they're both diesel. |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | Keep what you have. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 784
Location: USA | I went through the same thing too.... I did however downsize my trailer from a 3hr 14ft LQ to a 3hr 8ft LQ I reduced my debt by over 10k and lowered my payments by $100 a month.
I had even thought about getting rid of the LQ all together...... I may not do over nighters all the time, BUT having a "bathroom".... a place to get out of the weather...... fridge for my food and water.... I knew I would regret it if I got rid of it. I may not "Sleep" in it all the time... BUT I sure USE it everytime I haul with it. I would KEEP IT!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| Sell it to me for what you owe on it. 
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Well, it depends. I found some OLDER (like 1997-2006) trailers with a partial LQ (sink/cabinets) and they were around 10-13. Anything newer was at least 14k. I would take a look and see if you like what you see at your price point. We are weekend warriors and we survive a 4-day weekend without a toilet, sink, shower OR a/c. It's about as close to camping as I'll ever get. We bring a cooler, and jugs of water, and shower if given the opportunity. Otherwise, all 3 of us do just fine. We have 2 sleep up top on the bed, 1 sleeps on the bed we put on the lower level, and if need be, someone sleeps in the truck. If you think you can handle that, I would definitely downsize, as long as you are able to get what you want from the dealer. You should be able to go to a dealer or sell private. |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | Personally, what you have is so near paid for...the convenience is so nice.... i.e. extra storage, not stressing about your mare. I'd keep it. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| You have a nice trailer, and that bathroom is great even on 1 day shows 5 years from now it will still be,worth close to the same. I dont know what i would do with out my bathroom. I just upgraded my 8 foot sw i wanted a 12 foot sw but found a 14foot sw in prestin condition. I love it i am 55 years old my husband pass away last year and a couple of times had friends go with me. There are serveral of us old ladies above 55 go we park together and have a good time. I have a L-shape couch we all share. |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | When our kids were doing 4H and HS rodeo we bought a new 1 ton dually and a 4 horse with 14' shortwall and 10' slideout. Now my kids are graduated and no interest in continuing to travel with me so I'm on my own. It was time to get a different pickup so I told my hubby maybe I should just downgrade everything. Instead my hubby bought me a Freightliner and told me to have fun and be comfortable. He's right - I'd never be happy going to a smaller LQ even if its just for me and my dog. He realizes now he opened up a big can of worms buying me the semi because now I could get a bigger trailer since size isn't an option.  |
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Expert
Posts: 3534
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | Thank you all for the advice. This is basically the same thing a couple friends have told me, keep what I have. I guess I was worried that I was just living above my means and had more rig than I 'need' since I'm not camping in it. But thinking about downsizing made me feel like I would 'make do'. |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | If you were to sell and then pay off the old trailer, it wouldn't leave you with much to buy another trailer.....considering this, I would just keep.
Edited by hammer_time 2014-01-01 2:51 PM
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| barlracr429 - 2013-12-30 5:48 PM
dianeguinn - 2013-12-30 6:45 PM I think you should keep what you have. I DID downsize and found that I was very unhappy with what I downsized to, even though the girl I later sold it to thought it was great! I was just spoiled to what I had before. There was nothing wrong with the one I had; I just wanted what I had before. lol. If you can afford it, and your husband doesn't care either way, I'd just keep what you have.
Thank you Diane. I am worried I will be unhappy if I downsize. At first when I started looking at downsizing, hubby was all for it (he's not into the horses), but after a few months and saying 'well, what if I run at congress or what if I do this or do that", he said a month ago '"just keep what you have. you need your own toilet anyway!"
KEEP WHAT YOU HAVE ...!!
Your truck is not hurt at all at 102k miles and you will find the newer the truck the more
computer crap and EPA crap there is to go wrong ....
The small amount of money you owe is nothing compared what you will have doing all
this trading around ... and end up being dissatisfied ...
Just work out a plan and double up on payments and end your stress by getting it paid off .. lol
If it will make you feel better ... get your truck detailed out and trailer cleaned up and start
parking them undercover to keep them out of the weather ... I am always giving a 2nd look
to well cared for older trucks and trailers than I am at the plastic boxcar looking newer trucks
and trailers ... and I always feel good about owing nothing to anyone .. lol ..
BE HAPPY WITH YOUR RIG ... SOUNDS VERY NICE FROM HERE !!
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