Horse Trailer Buying Tips
When choosing a horse trailer, there are many features to take into account. One important aspect is whether the horse trailer will be of a bumper pull or gooseneck design. There are many reasons why you may gain from either design. We’ll compare the two layouts to see which suits you best.
Bumper Pull Trailers – Good and Bad Points
Bumper pull designs, also known as tag-along designs, are horse trailers that attach to a hitch on the hauling vehicle. The trailer “tags along” following the towing vehicle and does not become a part of the complete vehicle.
Advantages
There are many plus points of bumper pull horse trailers. They generally cost far less than a gooseneck design. It’s not necessary to use a pickup truck for towing the trailer, and more people can haul this layout of horse trailer with their current vehicle. Manouverability is often more easy because the tag-along design will follow the path of your tow vehicle. You won’t need as much storage space for the trailer as required for a gooseneck trailer. Finally the trailer doesn’t need to be labelled as a “commercial” vehicle for licensing purposes as the total weight of both the trailer and pulling vehicle is usually under 10,001 lbs.
Bad Points
There are several disadvantages as well. These type of trailers do not offer as much storage for tack and clothing. A few bumper pull trailers might not be enough for transporting over two horses as a result of the design of hitch necessary for the weight of the trailer. Also, these trailers tend to snake on curvy roads, which can be dangerous.
Gooseneck Trailers – Plus and Minus Points
Gooseneck trailers are different from bumper pull designs in their hitch style. The gooseneck is joined inside the hauling 4×4’s load bed using a ball and coupler mating. The gooseneck trailer provides a number of benefits. It won’t sway or fishtail like a bumper trailer tends to do, and towing is therefore more stable. They also provide more space for living quarters, which can be suitable for camping and long trips. The gooseneck layout is more simple to back up to and align with the ball while attaching it to your pulling vehicle, because you can see it clearly from the rear window. The gooseneck design is more safe without the fear of the trailer coming detached while travelling on the highway.
Negative Points
There’s also a few bad points. Gooseneck designs cost more and are generally larger so they have to be pulled with a pickup that is powerful enough to tow it. The hitching system is also more pricey for a gooseneck design. Another negative point is that while attaching the trailer, you must climb into the bed of the pickup to finish the attachment. Also, you will need to take off your camper top from your pickup to pull a gooseneck trailer.
The Right Design For You
Whether looking for a bumper pull or gooseneck layout, you can search online to check out a range of features of each. If you’re budget is limited, you can find many used horseboxes for sale and horse trailers for sale to find a bargain. Reflect on the advantages and negative points of both designs prior to making a purchase. For more information and horses for sale, visit the Horse and Pony Directory
