# Bison LQs?



## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

Good morning! I'm shopping for a used LQ horse trailer and doing some research. I heard quite a while ago that it would not be good to buy a Bison. Then I read somewhere that Bison had been bought, or was going to be bought, by another company and their quality might improve. 

Does anybody have any input on the quality now? There are lots of used LQs out there to look at and quite a few of them are Bisons. They layouts and the LQ portion look nice in the photos but I'd heard that there was a problem because they were aluminum trailers on a metal frame and there was something wrong with how they welded them.

I want something that's going to last.


----------



## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

I have a 2005 Bison which I bought used. It has a steel frame and aluminum skin. I like that. Whoever told you that there was "something" wrong because of how they were welded, obviously didn't know what they were talking about considering mine is 17 years old. Aluminum and steel are not welded together. They are bolted. But if you don't trust the idea, Bison also makes full aluminum trailers.


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

My daughter had a Bison LQ. She bought it brand new 7 years ago. It was nice! Had a pull out and all the bells & whistles. Unfortunately, she didn't get to use it much and sold it 3 years later for more than she purchased it brand new. If I was in the market for one, I wouldn't hesitate on a Bison.


----------



## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

Thank you! They're quite a bit less expensive than the other brands but they look nice.


----------



## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

That's what we have and we really like it. I've been all over it and I can't find anything wrong with it and I had heard the same stories you have. If you get deeper in the reviews you will find many more that are pleased than unhappy. If you want to take a closer look at ours we are just up the road. Thor bought Bison in 2013 and they are one of (if not the biggest) rv manufacturers out there. Thor owns several different rv brands.


----------



## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

Check the ceilings in the LQ. I looked at 2 before we bought our trailer and they both had water damage and the ceiling was falling down in parts. 

We ended up going with a Lakota which we love (as do several of our friends). I looked at the newer Bison's this year at the Midwest Horse Fair versus the new Lakotas, SMCs, Merhows, and Logans and the quality of the interiors is just not as nice.


----------



## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

I feel the opposite of the interior, I think they are real nice. When I was looking I looked at a Lakota with water damage and a Merhow that the interior would have to of had torn out and completely rebuilt. As an owner of many 5th wheels and trailers over the last 40 years I don't think it is any manufacturer that has major leak problems over another. All rv's (and LQ trailers are RV's) have to have regular mantainence on roofs and structural visual inspections. I check my roofs every 3 months if setting outside or being used. There is an incredible amount of twisting and stress on these roofs including expansion rates between differing materials ,with the moving and hauling they do. I bet most LQ owners check the oil in there pickups but don't give a thought to checking the top, the bottom and wheel bearing on their trailers. The main places RV's leak is at seams (outer edges) and air conditioners. On the seams I use a 4" wide Eterna-Bond tape that is wonderful at preventing leaks and the air units have 4 bolts that periodically need to snug up to seal the gasket on the roof. Then all that is left is periodic inspections for separations. You can't have a roof that is never inspected and think it won't develop a leak.


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I have no idea on a LQ horse trailer, but camping trailers need to have roof joints checked and resealed as a common practice..
My husband had a enclosed car hauler that the roof vents needed to be resealed or leak they did...
Then we had a boat with cabin and hatches that opened for ventilation...again, must be resealed or leak terrible they did. 
I know my semi-stock horse trailer needed the roof sealed or inside my trailer dripped...
Now, no drip and cheap fix where if ignored it could be costly as my trailer is steel = rust here it comes. 
🐴...


----------



## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

ksbowman said:


> That's what we have and we really like it. I've been all over it and I can't find anything wrong with it and I had heard the same stories you have. If you get deeper in the reviews you will find many more that are pleased than unhappy. If you want to take a closer look at ours we are just up the road. Thor bought Bison in 2013 and they are one of (if not the biggest) rv manufacturers out there. Thor owns several different rv brands.


Thor is a good company. They make nice motorhomes. I wonder if they quality of the Bisons has changed since they took over. I'm going to keep doing my research. Lance likes to sit at a table when he's relaxing so we really want one with a dinette and it seems like most of the ones I've seen with dinettes, that weren't huge, were bisons. We don't need a really big one - just a dinette, bathroom, bed, tiny kitchen, and pass-through door.

We might have a look at yours some time if you don't mind! When did you get it?


----------



## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

We got it last July or August. Shortly after I was diagnosed with severe mitral valve leakage and they scheduled me for surgery in Nov. so it slowed us down on using it some. We've taken it out camping on bow shoots and it was great. It's not a 34' 5th wheel with 3 slide outs though. LOL The 5th wheel feels like an apartment on wheels but, this is plenty big enough for us and the dogs and it does have a toilet and a shower and it works great! It has either a 9' or 11' short wall I'll have to measure but, it is great. I bought it off Craig's list near our place at Table Rock and really got a good deal after some negotiating. It has all the things you are wanting.


----------



## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

ksbowman said:


> We got it last July or August. Shortly after I was diagnosed with severe mitral valve leakage and they scheduled me for surgery in Nov. so it slowed us down on using it some. We've taken it out camping on bow shoots and it was great. It's not a 34' 5th wheel with 3 slide outs though. LOL The 5th wheel feels like an apartment on wheels but, this is plenty big enough for us and the dogs and it does have a toilet and a shower and it works great! It has either a 9' or 11' short wall I'll have to measure but, it is great. I bought it off Craig's list near our place at Table Rock and really got a good deal after some negotiating. It has all the things you are wanting.


If you bring an apartment with you, it doesn't feel like camping.


----------



## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

ROFL! If I'm going camping, I have a 36 foot motorhome, all the comforts, and yes, That's what I'm taking! 
I did the tent thing, at my age, not interested in doing it again.


----------



## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

Zimalia22 said:


> ROFL! If I'm going camping, I have a 36 foot motorhome, all the comforts, and yes, That's what I'm taking!
> I did the tent thing, at my age, not interested in doing it again.


 I've lived in an RV so I need something a little less than an RV to feel like I'm camping, but there's no way I'm ever sleeping in a tent again!


----------



## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

newtrailriders said:


> I've lived in an RV so I need something a little less than an RV to feel like I'm camping, but there's no way I'm ever sleeping in a tent again!


I did too for a short time. I figured I would be living in it a long time so that's why I bought as big as I did. Now I wish it was a good deal smaller so it would be easier to take when we want to go somewhere.


----------



## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

A few years back, I was shopping for a horse trailer. I don't remember reading that the Bison had the problems with the steel frame and aluminum skin. I know that the Sundowners did. It had to do with whatever they used to keep the steel from touching the aluminum and it would wear and then start rusting the frame. This problem started with the early 2000's to around 2008-2009. Not sure on the exact dates so double check.

I looked at a few Sundowner's that happened to be in dealer lots and yes, it was true. Some were pretty badly rusted. I did see one Bison in my search and it looked pretty nice. I just wasn't what I was looking for.

I ended up getting a 4 star from a private seller for a great price. Glad I got it when I did. I feel like I couldn't even touch a trailer in the market now. I would probably buy new now. Seems that over the last couple of months, used trailers have been coming down a little bit though.


----------



## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

@LoriF, You are correct. Steel to aluminum connections must have and isolation product between them to keep them from touching each other . The two metals can be connected with Stainless steel bolts or a comparable material.


----------



## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

ksbowman said:


> @LoriF, You are correct. Steel to aluminum connections must have and isolation product between them to keep them from touching each other . The two metals can be connected with Stainless steel bolts or a comparable material.


Do you know what Bison puts between them?


----------



## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

When we put the two metals at work we had a plastic type pad that went between the two metals. The only horse trailer manufacturer I know of that had problems was Sundowner. The rv industry has had aluminum upper frames setting on steel frames so I'm sure Thor is well educated in what was necessary as they have been doing it for many years with no problems I have knowledge of. I've inspected ours several times both rv and horse trailer ( both are 2016 models) and they look much like new. The horse trailer is like new, the rv that has been to the Florida and Texas coasts shows a little surface rust


----------

