# Horse trailers with living quarters



## Kwarren (Sep 24, 2013)

What brand horse trailer and type of living quarters does everyone own. What do you like and dislike about it.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Back in 2006 I bought a nice LQ trailer in hopes that my wife would join me for a few camp out and rides each year. Didn't work. I decided it was too big to drag down all the forest service rides I frequent. I kept tearing off the holding tanks under the trailer. So I sold it and bought roughly the same trailer but with no LQ. 

I sleep up on the bunk. I find a tree to do my business, I heat some water in a pot over my coleman stove and dump over my head to get ride of pillow head in the morning. My friend who often comes with me, usually sets a cot up under a tree or if the weather threatens, he sweeps out the horse are and puts the cot in there.

I'm pretty comfortable roughing it as long as I room to leave the camping gear I bring in the trailer and have a draw place to sleep.


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## Kwarren (Sep 24, 2013)

We started with a two horse with a dressing room. Then we graduated to an Exiss three horse with a seven foot short wall. We got to were we enjoyed the camping and riding so much we traded for a eight wide Lakota and have really enjoyed the trailer


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

I go along with Painted Horse. "Living Quarters" is a tent, and a fairly small one. (Though it's the larger of the two I use for backpaking/bike touring, 'cause the dogs want to come in and curl up next to me.) Trailer is 2-horse with a tack room, which I think is a bit overkill. But since it's my friend's, I don't complain.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

We have a '01 Sooner with full living quarters. It has required very little maintenance but then we don't abuse it either. I have no real complaints but if I could wave a magic wand or win the lottery the things I'd change are:

Removable center post at the back door.

Preferably a hydraulic jack but an electric one would do. Hand cranking that thing up gets harder to do every year.

3 horse instead of 4.

More storage but if I had more it would get filled up too and I'd still be complaining about it. LOL Hubby, NOT ME, thinks we should take everything but the kitchen sink along with us.

Larger fridge (ours only has the small under the counter type).

Slide out because even at 8' wide when the 2 of us plus the 88 lb. dog is in there, you cannot move around.

Dinette instead of couch.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

We have a CM 4 horse slant with just a dressing room. Living quarters= futon mattress or tents and camping gear lol

Love that its easy to pull and park. Hate that I have no heat 

I did use my friends w/living quarters once and I got completely spoiled. Only thing bad about it was my F350 could barely pull it. Almost need a bigger truck for it.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

My biggest complaint with the two LQs that I've owned was how low the holding tanks were and how easy it was to damage them. If I ever get another LQ, it will be lifted a couple of inches and hopefully the tanks will be tucked up higher.

If you hang out at Rodeo and Fairgrounds and never leave the paved road. then this won't be a problem for you. But if you drive on Forest Service or BLM roads to access trail heads. It will be a big deal.

Ask yourself the question of where you will camp? If it is at primitive camps where there are no hook ups. Then you will need a generator. The next question is how big a generator? To run the A/C in most LQs you will need a little over 2000 watts to start it. The only time I ran my A/C was at home while cleaning or loading the trailer. Microwave also needs a lot of electricity. If you want to run Microwave and A/C at the same time, You will need almost a 4000 watt generator.

Look at the trailer and see how they heat the water. Is it an electric hot water heater or a propane heater. Again that will make a difference in how much electricity you will use. Most fridges are a Two Way or Three Way. The choices being that they can run off Gas, 110volt Electric or 12 Volt. Decide how you want to run the fridge. 110 Volt is only available when you are parked. Gas and 12 volt are available when you are driving. Probably won't use much 12 volt when the truck is turned off as it would run batteries dead.

I really think a 7'6" high ceiling is important if you sleep in the Gooseneck Bunk. Sitting up in the middle of the night because you hear a noise outside and banging your forehead on the ceiling is not fun.

I had a Classic Weekend trailer that was 6'10" wide and a Logan LQ that was 7'3" wide. Wider is better. I suspect I would like an 8' wide if I ever tried a LQ again.

Go Hydraulic on your trailer jack. No comparsion between it and electric.


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## ahop (Feb 7, 2011)

We have a 8' wide Featherlite stock with a weekender package. Love the bathroom. Other than that our old Exiss with a 3' shortwall that was factory insulated but had no built-ins or bathroom did the job just fine. Agree with the above posters about the tanks. First time my daughter and her husband borrowed the trailer they tore the tanks off just going through a field that had a very slight rise. Sounds easy to fix, but let me tell you it isn't and it is expensive. When you add LQ's you also add a lot of weight. We had a 3/4 ton diesel that sank pretty bad when we dropped the LQ trailer on it. Had to upgrade to a 1 ton duel wheel to pull that sucker. If I could have a do-over I would go back to no LQ's BUT would get it factory insulated - makes a heck of a difference and no condensation problems.


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## womack29 (Oct 30, 2011)

I also have a weekend package Featherlight 3 horse living quarters. I have never torn off a tank. Hope that never happens. I use a 3/4 Duramax to haul it with and have no complaints. I have had it 5 yrs and camp 1 to 2 weekends a month and have never had an issue. I will admit I would love to have a little bumper pull for day trips.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I have a keifferbuilt with a makeshift living quarters. We have heating and AC, use an air mattress and a cot, hang a cowboy shower in the back, cook on a grill and mount a TV on the bridle hooks.

We are looking at the Lakota's for our upgrade. Those are so nice and affordable. I'm in love with them.


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## womack29 (Oct 30, 2011)

A friend of mine has a Lakota and loves it. I admit I pretty much just sleep and shower in the trailer the rest of my time is spent outside


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## Paradise (Jun 28, 2012)

A lot of the trailers with living quarters I've seen could have me a down payment on a house. I'd rather rough it 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I'm another tent camper but have been thinking about a small 3 horse with living quarters. Maybe a weekender. I haven't looked much.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

We use my trailer for vacations and camping trips as well as horse shows. That's why we are considering the upgrade to the Lakota. The shows I go to are 2 and 4 days so staying in the campground saves tons of money and my husband and son get bored. Having a living quarter would make their lives much easier. This summer we spent two weeks in the trailer when we went to SC for vacation. We loaded the rhino, two dirt bikes, three bicycles, and a bbq grill in the back and had a blast. Even the dog came. It did get a little messy near the end of the trip but I think in the two weeks we spent goofing off, it only cost us about 2K tops and that includes gas and food. We have a national park pass that gave us discounts on campgrounds. 

I think if you were to buy one it could definitely be worth the money. The Lakota we looked at is 46k but has 2 pull outs so it's huge.


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## Kwarren (Sep 24, 2013)

We used to do the tent camping or sleeping on the ground. The older I get the more I like all the amenities.


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## Mingiz (Jan 29, 2009)

I started out in my 16ft stock trailer. Then got my first 2h with a 4ft dressing room GN. It was better than that cold stock. I now have an 03 Exiss Event 3h with an 8ft LQ. The only things I would change would be a slide out, a bigger fridge and a curb side door. But it's paid for so I can't see replacing it. It has been a good trailer with no issues. I bought a hydraulic jack for it. But haven't put it on yet.. Yes I does get harder to jack up the older you get. :lol:


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

I've always been a bit of a minimalist. :rofl:
My "trailer" (or horse...it's interchangeable :lol, which carries me into pretty much any terrain I encounter (the distance determines how many days it takes to finally get there) and space big enough to park in is seldom a problem :rofl:. My "living quarters" (unless the weather is suppose to be nice...i.e. not rain...in which case I don't bother with the tent and just roll up in my blanket which doubles as my saddle blanket). The tent is my luxury (this is the "large" one :lol: since the dog came along and it was only a couple days out)....use to just use a ground cloth staked over a cord, but I've gotten old and now I prefer more cover if it rains.
Oh, the dog is just there because it was just a local bushwhacking trip for training (no actual road miles) so she was allowed to come along.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Have a 3H sundowner with weekender Not big but serves my needs well:wink:. The first stall I use mostly for storage,generally only hauling 1-2 horses. like that it is easy to haul with 3/4 ton.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

If the trailer is designed for lqs at the factory the holding tanks will be even with the supports under the trailer so you don't have issues with them dragging the ground. That's the way ours is made and we've had no problems but, yes, if they place the holding tanks under the supports it is. Make that one of your things to watch for.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I travel light too, not as minimalist as lbs, but no living quarters! 

My first trailer was a 16' stock. Some plastic & duct tape turned the front into a nice big sleeping area & the horses used the back. It worked great but I got a bigger horse & needed a taller trailer. 

So now I pull a 2 horse Brenderup, the smallest model without a tackroom, with my 2003 F150 4.8L 2 wheel drive. I have a truck tent that goes over the bed of the truck, or I set up a cot right in the horsetrailer. I have a solar shower for washing up, and eat food that doesn't need cooking :wink:

I recently purchased a 1999 custom van that has an actual folding bed in the back. It's very comfy to sleep in, and once my teens move out I plan to pull out the middle seats for more space for tack 'n storage. I also plan to put an awning on it. 

I love my Brenderup because it is so lightweight, and easy to manuver anywhere, but tall enough for even large horses. 

Those big living quarter rigs look neat, but they are very pricey, plus needing a biger truck, plus more parking room, just too much trouble just to go ride & camp a night or two.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Kwarren said:


> We used to do the tent camping or sleeping on the ground. The older I get the more I like all the amenities.


Ever stop to think that it might be the other way around? The more you get used to those 'amenities', the more you show your age. Though I do admit to buying an inflatable mattress pad last year 

Here's a shot of living quarters and horse transport - and one of the dogs, too.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

For the past 4.5 years hubby and I have camped in my Brenderup. Put an A/C in the groom's door, shut the top over the ramp door, inflatable mattress. Had a tote of cooking utensils/electric skillet etc. 

I just purchased a small used 2 horse converted trailer. It does have ac/heat, fridge, microwave, sink and cowboy shower in the horse compartment - little portapotty. Has an awning which is nice and a bed in the gooseneck.

Going camping in it this coming weekend for the first time. It is a 94 Softouch.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

How did you hook-up the a/c Denise? And what kind did you use?


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

The former owner installed it. It is on the top of the trailer so I do not know what kind it is. 

In the Brenderup - it was just a little small window unit! We were ghetto fabulous but very cool in the hot Texas heat!


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

I started out with a small 2 horse bumper pull (no idea what brand, other than ancient) and a tent. Moved up to a slightly larger bumper pull (Trailers USA 2 horse straight load) that didn't leak, so would sweep it out and slept there instead of the tent. 

Then I really hit the jackpot when I married my DH, as he already owned a lovely 3 horse Sundowner with living quarters. I thought things like a fridge and being able to shower after a ride were the best things ever!

Then the universe showed me what really mattered when it came to trailers:






































There is no doubt in my mind that the excellent construction of that trailer saved my horse's life, as she was standing right beside the wall pictured last, right beside the impact point. I don't even want to think about what the outcome would have been had that been my little 2 horse being pulled by my little truck..

Amenities are great.. but they are not the most important thing. While I love having a comfortable place to sleep and shower and sit when its raining.. I love driving down the road and knowing that I am doing everything I can to keep my horses as safe as possible. If it came down to a choice between a good-quality trailer and a tent and a questionable trailer with LQ, I would be sleeping in the tent every time.


[For those that may not have seen those pics before.. all 3 horses in the trailer and the driver of the SUV walked away from the accident, though the driver had to crawl out the back hatch as none of the car doors would open. My mare was stuck on the trailer for a bit because the impact jammed the stud wall partition closed. The accident was a result of the driver texting and driving too fast because he was late for work.]


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

A trailer with LQ's costs as much as my truck (did--we bought it one year old), and we paid $38K for that, (orginally $48K.) It's a 2007 Dodge Cummins full ton, doolie, 4 x 4, Syrius radio with all the bells and whistles. We bought it for CW reenacting, and then quit the hobby. The truck was a GREAT purchase.
We use a 14yo, 4 horse steel Ponderosa gooseneck. The overhang is great to sleep, and we bought a full size normal mattress for that. The small changing area has 4 steel hooks for anything you want to hang up, and we often take a portable bucket toilet, rarely used, except in an emergency. I keep a rug there and a small trash can. We have been camping in it for riding vacations since 2000. We also have 7 canvas tents, Coleman cooking stuff and other cooking stuff, and we often set up an A-frame tent for supplies.
IF I was showing, this would be enough for two people to sleep in and change and hang show clothes. After all, you are at a horse show, NOT to be sitting around watching tv or playing video games!
I think if you are on the road showing over 10x/year, THEN a trailer with LQ would pay for itself. For ME, it's an unneccessary luxury.
Phantomhorse13, I am impressed that your aluminum trailer is build THAT W
As an aside, I have talked to big rig drivers who tell me that these idiot sedan/suv, whatever drivers that shoot in and out of traffic scare the beejesus out of them bc they can't always stop and many of them have driven OVER these small cars, when it was the small car driver's complete fault, as YOUR accident was.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

phantomhorse13 said:


> I don't even want to think about what the outcome would have been had that been my little 2 horse being pulled by my little truck..


Judging from the picture, you would have pulled out and been in the other lane, the SUV driver would have obliviously zipped on by in his/her lane, and nothing would have happened.

As with many another thing in life, sometimes it's not how much armor you wear, it's not making yourself into a great big target.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

jamesqf said:


> Judging from the picture, you would have pulled out and been in the other lane, the SUV driver would have zipped on by in his/her lane, and nothing would have happened.


jamesqf, you can think that if you want to. In my 28 years of trailering I am MORE afraid of stupid drivers like the one that caused _this_ accident, and I don't think the type or length of trailer would have prevented this.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Phantomhorse13, I must have deleted some. What I MEANT to say was that your aluminum trailer is making me rethink about getting one. I didn't know that they were built that well. I hope the driver's insurance takes a bit hit!


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

jamesqf said:


> Judging from the picture, you would have pulled out and been in the other lane, the SUV driver would have obliviously zipped on by in his/her lane, and nothing would have happened.
> 
> As with many another thing in life, sometimes it's not how much armor you wear, it's not making yourself into a great big target.


That would be passing on the right, which is a violation of the law. And a car just tried to do that very thing when my hay delivery truck pulled into the other lane to make the wide turn into the driveway...the suv driver blared her horn and tried to squeeze by in what was left of the right lane. She wound up slamming into the right wheel on the truck, bending the tie-rod. 

As I told the officer, country folk stop, city folk blare their horn and try to pass on the right...the problem is that some drivers do not give other drivers respect.

after all, what is a minute out of your life if you can wait and prevent an accident? I see folks after accidents all the time in the hospital, and it isn't pretty. 

PH13 was very fortunate, as were the others involved in the wreck.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

AnitaAnne said:


> That would be passing on the right, which is a violation of the law.


I don't see how it could be passing on the right. As I said, I'm only going by the picture, but it looks as though the (very long!) truck & horse trailer were pulling out of a side road or driveway on the right and turning towards the camera, crossing the lane in which the SUV was travelling. The SUV driver didn't see* it in time to slow or stop, swerved, and hit the end of the trailer. If the trailer had been shorter, it likely would have been out and on its side of the highway before the SUV got there, so no collision. Worst case, the SUV's last-second skid would have taken it onto the shoulder, and maybe off into the ditch.

*Or, not paying attention to driving, unthinkingly assumed that the vehicle pulling out of the side road was just a pickup. People tend to see what they expect. And vice versa: if you forget for a second that you're pulling a very long trailer, you might be tempted to pull out onto the highway when you see that you'd have time enough to get out with just the pickup.


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## Herosbud (Dec 14, 2013)

Phantom, Those are some scary pictures for sure! I am certainly impressed with the quality of the trailer. I gave you a "Like" but just on the quality of the pictures - But you know what I mean. My 1993 Kiefer Built is aluminum and is almost as heavy as a steel trailer of the same size. I hope that it holds up as long as I do because I want the strength.
Jamesgf, There are other things that enter into the aging process besides how you feel mentally - One being arthritis. My days of sleeping on the ground are over, however I have done it and slept in a mountain tent that I thought was Heaven at the time. One more thing - We have big trailers - little trailers - and those in between because we might like that particular trailer. That, my friend makes the world go round!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

My daughter just bought a brand new Bison with very posh living quarters. She hasn't used it yet, her hubby has used it for hunting season, no horses, he put his quad in the horse part. I will staying with her this July at the provincials, usually I just get a hotel room, lol.
This is her trailer


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Waresbear - my cousin has a similar Bison. It is a 3 horse with a 17" shortwall with 16" slideout. It is humongous. Very nice too!


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

I looked at the bison trailers when we were shopping price was definitely right ,LQ where nice but then we looked closer at construction of it & were not impressed,we walked away :-(


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## color01 (Aug 12, 2013)

We have now a Kiefer Built 2+1 with 4ft dressing room, we are very happy with it...but I want more comfort for when the weather is not so nice , and we are thinking about to upgrade to the Bison Stratus LT, with the 8ft LQ.


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

We've had two LQ trailers. First one was 36 ft on the floor, and the current one is 40 ft on the floor.

IMO, any LQ trailer that is going to go anywhere, but on superhighways, needs to be raised 4 to 6 inches higher than normal. Plus, the holding tanks and piping under the trailer needs to be protected with plates, beams, or something, so if you drag(and you will drag sometime, if your off the super highways) there will be no damage.

Then the next question. Do you need a loading ramp when you raise them? I've never needed one and prefer not to have one. It only takes a bit more training to train them to step up and down a bit more. On occasion, you'll find yourself in a situation where you have to unload and the step down is really excessive(30" inches or more). If we are going somewhere where that might happen, I always have one horse trained to do that, and they are always the last horse in. Then the others can turn around a come out head first.

Ditto, construction of the Bison. The Featherlite, Sundowner, Barrett, 4 star, Sooner, American Spirit, and Kiefer, to name just a few, are better made trailers.


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## Herosbud (Dec 14, 2013)

Nice looking trailers! For my type of use they wouldn't work because of the problems mentioned about the holding tanks etc. Plus, when we do the dispersed camping thing the turning around can be a problem too. However the showers and inside toilet are pretty sweet especially when there is snow on the ground.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm just drooling over all these lovely trailers.

Color--That is a beautiful trailer! Looks brand new :O


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I agree on the Bison. They are considerably less expensive than say a Bloomer. My other cousin recently purchased a 4 horse Bloomer with a huge LQ and slideouts. That rascal was $160k. OMG that is pricey. That cousin ropes competitively for fun. Dang...I would take that trailer in a flash.


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