# if you could build your own custom trailer, what would you want?



## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

I may someday have a custom trailer made, I do see what I want around every so often, but never for sale.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I want a four horse slant, basic living quarters (Mostly I just want the bed, sink, a mini fridge and cupboards. Bathroom is a plus.)

Front, rear, and mid tack. Gooseneck. Front slot have an access door.

I prefer to have it open and as ventilated as possible, for long hauls in the summer, and because I like to tie my horses in from the outside if possible (I have some nerves in the trailer after many accidents involving horses panicking in their slot after being tied in, so I thread the rope through now, shut divider, and walk to the outside to tie in)

Would be nice if I had a hay rack on the top too...


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

I'd love to be able to load from the side near the front, to end up with horse being able to ride facing backwards, which is what they prefer. Not an easy option with the 3 horse slant trailers on the market. Easy enough to turn them around in an open stock. Apparently it's easier for them to balance and/or they prefer riding as much in a backwards position as can be provided. 
It could have a rear door to unload, or let them turn and go back out the side/front.

Fay


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Ah, my dream trailer which I have never seen before:

I would love a trailer with essentially 2 horse "compartments" with a solid, removable divider. Each compartmant could be an open box stall or a two-horse straight, side loaded so they ride backwards. Or the whole thing can be opened up as a big stock trailer. (basically 3 removable partitions). Tack room up front.

I am sure that made exactly zero sense.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

An airy aluminum two horse slant load with adequate front tack room. At least one escape door. Divider would be removable and be able to tied back. There will be a walk through from horse area to tack room. Side loading option would be nice as well... I haven't entered the world of trailer ownership yet, so I'm sure there's a lot more that I'd eventually come up with. 

But, most importantly, it'd be under $4000. And could be pulled by my Honda civic so I don't have to buy a truck. And the gas mileage would be phenomenal. Seems possible, right? :lol:


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Ok, since posting this, I've thought about it and If I build it it'll be a few years in the making. 

I got some ideas I really like, some that are just for fun and some that'll test my abilities to build. 

But to heck with it! I'm gonna build a big a $$ wagon the way I want. 

I like side load option a lot.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Well, I don't really want living quarters because I would hate to lug around a monster like that every week to lessons and day shows. I really like the trailer I have now, except I wish the swing out saddle rack was deeper, if I put my western show saddle on it with it's cover, it's hits the side of the door when you swing it out or in, I have to tilt the saddle up, pain in the rear. Other than that, I am satisfied because I got this trailer brand new for Mother's Day three years ago, I love my husband!


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

We thought about having a custom trailer built and realized that there is no one trailer that would fit our needs.

We basically need three trailers.

One stock trailer about 16 X 6 maybe a very small tack room in the front, perfect for cowboy stuff and heading down to friends to go rope and ride in their arena but still be able to beat around in the brush and haul cattle in.

Someday I would like a living quarters trailer but not until we buy a house otherwise if my husband had his way we would live in it and I would never get a house with a foundation! LOL.

So the third trailer wouldn't be too far off of what we have now. 
Aluminum gooseneck, large tack room with plenty of storage. An access door out of the tack room into the back, and an escape door.
So here is the coolest thing I have seen in a while that cattle show trailers have:
A cut gate that slides on tracks the length of the trailer! So you can use it as a stud wall for the first compartment or a feed room at shows or slide it back for a mid cut gate, or all the way to the front against the wall if you don't want to use it, where ever it is handy. 
I seen Sundowner makes them but I don't like Sundowner trailers and I am curious as how they hold up, but very cool idea!

Also show cattle trailers have ramps into the tack and dressing rooms which I like instead of stepping up and down lugging tack.


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## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

It would be some combination of these things and then I'd just get some step-in poles and live in it. Like, forever. House? What house?


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## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)




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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I been kicking ideas around. Scraped a few and will build on others. I'll try to draw up some designs soon and share with yall to critique. 

I tend to think outta the box so bear with me. 

One idea I had was dividers that could either be slid through the wall or carried out to the side of the trailer to create stalls outside. 

I like most of that layout foreversunrider.


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## Kristyjog (Nov 11, 2013)

We are in the market for a living quarters trailer right now. More of a day living quarters, I need something for the kids to hang out in and relax. I don't need and shower or stove. We want a four horse, could possibly make do with a three horse, a middle tack, and aluminum.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Can I ask, why does a lot of people like the mid tack and rear tack areas so much? Absolutely nothing against those who do, but it seems wasted space to me. 

Wouldn't a better use of limited already space be, to have the tack in the living area? If the living area is mouse free and dry why not keep tack in there? Just my angle on it. 
Like I said, I'm way outta the box lol. 

I as well am not wanting a "camper" per say. More of a place to get outta the sun or rain. Though running water from an on board tank would be nice for trucker baths and watering the horses.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I hate rear tack, just a personal preference.
But if I had a living quarters I would put the tack room directly behind the living quarters with a door to use as a mud room.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Phly said:


> Can I ask, why does a lot of people like the mid tack and rear tack areas so much? Absolutely nothing against those who do, but it seems wasted space to me.
> 
> Wouldn't a better use of limited already space be, to have the tack in the living area? If the living area is mouse free and dry why not keep tack in there? Just my angle on it.


Our trailer is a slant-load, so the rear tack space wouldn't be used for horse travel. And we have WAY more that just the saddles and bridles in that space.

I know for me, having to sleep with my sweaty/wet/muddy/etc tack would not be appealing.. half the time we wind up hanging our wet/sweaty/filthy clothing back in the tack compartment as to not stink up the LQ!

We also camp with 3 dogs, which take up plenty of space in and of themselves.. can't imagine trying to deal with up to 3 sets of tack (plus all the other stuff in the tack area) with us in there too. :lol:


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

Phly said:


> Can I ask, why does a lot of people like the mid tack and rear tack areas so much? Absolutely nothing against those who do, but it seems wasted space to me.
> 
> Wouldn't a better use of limited already space be, to have the tack in the living area? If the living area is mouse free and dry why not keep tack in there? Just my angle on it.
> Like I said, I'm way outta the box lol.
> ...


In a slant load the triangle between the last horse and the door is already wasted space anyway. You may as well use it for storing tack instead of having it sit empty. 

That said, I dislike them. I prefer horses to have a much wider seeming area for loading. At least, mine seems to prefer the more open area.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

DuckDodgers said:


> In a slant load the triangle between the last horse and the door is already wasted space anyway. You may as well use it for storing tack instead of having it sit empty.
> 
> That said, I dislike them. I prefer horses to have a much wider seeming area for loading. At least, mine seems to prefer the more open area.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Same here.

I actually use that "lost triangle" to stack hay in. I have had trailers with a rack on top and unless you have a tractor to load it, it's a pain to load and feed out. Usually I am gone for a night or two with a couple of horses so stacking a couple of bales in the corner is easier and the horses don't mind loading and unloading past it.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

But the only thing that forces a trailer (other then width) is, a slanted front wall and a rear tack. Our stock has a slanted front wall, and can still load front slanted and 3 behind any way ya like. Rear tack eliminates the option of open stock type trailer. Even when folding it takes up space. Idk, not my thing. But I see why so many sell, yall can and obviously make good use of em. 

As I mentioned earlier, I want an open stock type livestock area.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I don't need anything very fancy. My ideal trailer is a stock combo. Small tack room in the nose (who needs living quarters, just get a little mattress to throw in the nose :wink. Big enough to hold 3-4 horses; 4 smaller ones or 3 if one is huge. 

The biggest thing I want is specialized dividers. I want the option to have removable dividers so I can either have a slant load or a regular stock with a full gate mid-way through. That way, if I know I'm going to be loading a cow, I can put it in the front and still have a solid divider between it and the 1 or 2 horses in the rear. Given the option of one or the other, I'd take the full gate, I can always just haul my horses tied in slant position without dividers.

The problem is finding a trailer with that gate that still has a slanted tack room in front. :?


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Smrobs, you'd like my stock trailer I think. It's got a tack area in the front, though small for a mattress, the front wall runs from the back side of the escape door to the end of the round nose. 
But has a cut gate so we can isolate one between the tack room and the cut gate. Leaving room for 3 behind the cut gate. Or 5 total with cut gate open.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

Phly said:


> But the only thing that forces a trailer (other then width) is, a slanted front wall and a rear tack. Our stock has a slanted front wall, and can still load front slanted and 3 behind any way ya like. Rear tack eliminates the option of open stock type trailer. Even when folding it takes up space. Idk, not my thing. But I see why so many sell, yall can and obviously make good use of em.
> 
> As I mentioned earlier, I want an open stock type livestock area.


I see where you're coming from... For a person that is strictly using their trailer for moving the specified number of horses, wants a slant load, and isn't concerned with the narrow loading area the rear tack makes complete sense. If you want the flexibility of a stock trailer then I can see why even a collapsible tack area is problematic.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I like a larger tack area that could double as a small dressing room; something big enough to climb in and sit down in the shade if you want ;-).

Truthfully, I've been eyeballing this trailer right here. I could pick the right options and get almost exactly what I'm looking for....but the paying for it makes my teeth hurt LOL.
Horse Trailers - Gooseneck Horse Trailers - 8417 Combo Trailer


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I'm really honestly glad we are having a good thread about this. I honestly have only owned stock type trailers and input from others is exactly what I'm looking for. 

It may sound as I'm stuck with what I want, but I'm far from it! Little things make the difference. 

Appreciate all posts thus far and hope for more. 

I'm thinking it may end up as a 5th wheel. So let's keep it 13' tall and 8'6" wide lol.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I like that trailer as well smrobs. The advantage it has over my current stock is the over the high area. But picture it as a bumper pull is what I currently have.


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## Kristyjog (Nov 11, 2013)

Phly said:


> Can I ask, why does a lot of people like the mid tack and rear tack areas so much? Absolutely nothing against those who do, but it seems wasted space to me.
> 
> Wouldn't a better use of limited already space be, to have the tack in the living area? If the living area is mouse free and dry why not keep tack in there? Just my angle on it.
> Like I said, I'm way outta the box lol.
> ...



My three kids would most likely be hanging out in the living quarters to telex, change show clothes and eat. Having at least 5 saddles and numerous bridles, blankets and all grooming products just wouldn't make sense for us. I'd rather have a completely separate area.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Our current wagon. I built the tack wall. It works well, but as I said we need a bigger wagon.


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## Gossip (Sep 26, 2011)

Gooseneck with a tack room and living quarters. A four horse slant.


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