# Bizzare Trailer Question



## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

So I am getting my 4 horse back from my dad. He has been using it the past few years for his buissiness and now that I am going to be showing again, I'm taking it back. 

It is an older 4 horse stock trailer (bumper pull). He took out the center divider for hauling junk. I am putting in a new floor on it and redoing the wiring. I'm going to try and see if I can add the divider that seperates the trailer in half (front and back) but I'm not sure if I can. 
So here's some questions

-Is there any way I could turn the front half of the trailer (where there is a side exit) into some sort of tack room? I was thinking I could put in a saddle rack and fix up the feeders to hold grooming supplies. Has anyone ever done this? I know it's a strange hick idea, but I thought you guys would know

-What would be the best way to trailer him in an open four horse. There is no divider down the center anymore to seperate the front half into two. He has been hauled in slant loads lately which I plan on saving for, but in the meantime, I usually just tye him towards the tail end of the trailer. Not sure if there is a safer way. 

-This is a big old heavy trailer. I have to add a trailer hitch and everything to my boyfriends van. It is a 84 GMC 2500 (i think) van. I was looking at the towing capacity for a class II hitch, and it said 3,000 pounds. My dad claims that it will be fine, but should I go for a class III? I've never done this before so I am clueless. 

-Has anyone ever installed a towing package onto their truck/van before? Right now, parts are coming out to about $250 am I going to need to take it to a shop to do it?


Sorry for all the questions:shock:


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## KTSpeedhorse (Mar 10, 2009)

Wow, you have your work cut out for you : ) Is he bringing this all the way from back east? I think that the trailer with your tack and a horse or 2 will not be safe to tow behind the van. But as long as you were not going too fast and not over passes and such it might work fine. I would start calling around to the trailer sales places to see how you could find a divider. I don't see why you couldn't add a tack room up front if you find a divider. Do you know anyone who welds? If the trailer is real old there may be some work to do, I am asuming it is a steel trailer... Just be careful pulling it with the van. I have seen many an accident because the vehicle was not made to tow.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Nope, it's already here and I was using it before, my dad has just been using it for the past year or so while I trailered with other people. I want to put the center divider in, and redo the front to house tack. What makes you say that it wouldn't be suitible for towing? 
I've pulled trailers with van's before


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## KTSpeedhorse (Mar 10, 2009)

I went back and read your post you say it is a 3/4 ton I was thinking a smaller van. I'm sorry. No problem with towing with that I wouldn't think. Sounds like a fun project. You should take pictures as you go : ) I wonder if you could find a center divider at a large junk yard like Spaulding or something like that to save some money.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Ah, alright. I was thinking I would be okay, but I thought maybe I was wrong  
I'm going to call around for dividers and the like. Hopefully I will be able to pull it off 

Thanks


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

Ok, as for the towing level things, I don't know, but I could easily ask Jared - he sold cars for three years, and he knows the ins and out of every package of every truck in the world. So he would know what would be best. I can get back to you what I find out.

As for the tack room thing, we have a huge saddle rack that holds six saddles and a bunch of other tack and fits in one half of our stock trailer (four horse) and can be bolted to the wood floor to keep it from sliding around. We have no divider at the moment, but I assume that to have the saddle rack, you need the divider, probably one that swings in and out of place? That would probably be relatively easy to install. 

We usually tie ours in the open, with no divider. They do just fine. Then again, we don't ever go long distances. I'm glad you're getting a new floor. We thought ours was fine and Daisy put her foot through the floor once (she wasn't hurt, but still). 0.o

Let me know if you need more info about the wiring, hooking up the trailer hitch, or any of the changes you want to do on the trailer - Jared will know exactly how to do any and all of it, I'm sure. Lol.


ETA: Also, he welds, so he could probably tell you how to modify the front, ha ha.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Hey Leah
Could you just ask him if I should go with a class II or III hitch? That's my biggest concern.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

I'm not sure about the rest of it, though I can ask my father about the last two when I get home, but for the tack room.... Just hit up a lumber yard for a 'wall' to separate the 'horse area' from the 'tack area' -- just get something thick enough that the horses can't kick through it and that you can drill a saddle rack onto. Assuming this is a stock trailer you have, get some more boards to board up the open slats, and you have an enclosed tack. Then go inside and hang saddle racks, hooks, etc. on the walls. We did this not long ago with one of our stocks, except the wood partitioning wall is removable, so we can open it up to haul cattle.
Also, if you know an open-minded welder, you could probably get some steel/aluminum/whatever the trailer is made of and weld in those walls. Or if you could find a shop that fixes up trailers, they could put one in for you, too.


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

He said he'd go with a class III to be safe. He also said that putting a towing package on often involves welding, and you probably won't be able to do it yourself.

On a different note, he said he's not sure an 84 GMC van would be able to tow that much weight, regardless of the hitch, but you said you'd done it before, right?

:\ Hope it works out.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Yep, we've done it before and it's fine. I double checked with my dad (Who is a mechanic) and he said it would be fine. I think I'm going to go for a class III. Thanks for all the advice, guys


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## bama20a (Nov 27, 2008)

The 84 3/4 ton van will pull it o,k, As said I'd go with the class III.
I've got a 2001 GMC van which I put a hitch on,Luckly it bolted to the frame without any welding or drilling.just check around,with some truck accessorie shops.


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