# Trailer With Living Quarters?



## horseponydogcrazy (Jun 8, 2014)

Hi All,
I'm praying no later than July I will have found a trailer with living quarters. I know I still have some research to do, though am curious of your opinions and/or experiences. 

I"m looking for no more than 2 horses, would prefer 1horse but don't think they make it for just 1 horse? 
Any brand better than the other? 
What is the lowest price a trailer w/LQ be around? 

I am in North Carolina. I have a 2000 Tundra V8 Engine. Thank you all for any info and advice!


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Well I have a 2002 Tundra, so I'll just start by saying you need a bigger truck. Best case scenario, your pickup has the 7,100 lb. towing capacity. I don't think you will find an LQ trailer that even loaded with one horse will still be under that capacity.

Also, those early years of the Tundra had a problem with the heat treatment of one of the gears in the transmission. If you forget to lock it out of overdrive while towing, you have an excellent chance of blowing your tranny. If you can't afford a different tow vehicle I suggest you start looking for a bumper pull with a dressing room big enough for a cot and porta potty.


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

Agree you're under trucked. An empty 2 horse 6'LQ gooseneck is 6200#. I wouldn't pull any horsetrailer with a Tundra but if you have no choice, don't look at anything larger than a 2 horse BP with dressing room. You need to come in under 3500#. Don't plan on heading to the mountains.


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## horseponydogcrazy (Jun 8, 2014)

Thank you both for your replies! I'm definitely not looking to head to the mountains quite yet. A couple reasons I'm looking for is 1. I want to be able to trailer my horse to shows and not have to spend money on hotels. Also, I have been looking for an apartment/house to rent for $400 or under, but can't find so I am thinking and know it will be a lot more than $400 to get a trailer w/LQ. I'm engaged and my finance and I feel as that will be our best thing to do.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

horseponydogcrazy said:


> I am in North Carolina. I have a 2000 Tundra V8 Engine. Thank you all for any info and advice!


When you add living quarters, it usually adds a decent amount of WEIGHT.

I would never pull a living quarters horse trailer with a 1/2 ton pickup.

A quick Google search says that a 2000 Tundra V8 engine pulls between 5,000 pounds to about 7,000 pounds. 

Even an aluminum 2 horse (gooseneck) trailer is going to weigh at least 6,000 pounds completely empty. You add 1 horse and a bunch of tack and put things in your living quarters and you are now VERY over your towing capacity. 

Sure, the truck will pull it. But it won't STOP it. And that's where you can get into trouble. 



horseponydogcrazy said:


> I'm definitely not looking to head to the mountains quite yet.


Doesn't matter if you aren't driving in mountains. It's important not to under-truck yourself because you won't be able to STOP in a tight situation..... or even make it up a big hill. 



horseponydogcrazy said:


> I want to be able to trailer my horse to shows and not have to spend money on hotels.


How often do you go to overnight shows?

Do you really NEED a living quarters?

If you can't afford a bigger truck, throw an air mattress in the dressing room of your trailer, and save the hotel fee and put that money away for a bigger truck and LQ trailer. ;-)



horseponydogcrazy said:


> Any brand better than the other?
> 
> What is the lowest price a trailer w/LQ be around?


Different brands are different quality. You are going to pay more for a good quality brand. 

A brand new 2-horse gooseneck could be anywhere from $22,000 to $70,000 depending on the brand and the options.


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

beau159 said:


> I would never pull a living quarters horse trailer with a 1/2 ton pickup.


After doing my research, even with my 3/4 ton diesel, there are many LQs I would not be able to (nor would I want) to tow. LQs are heavy. They require a lot of truck. Also, the width of the trailer beyond the normal (such as 8' wide trailers) add alot of weight to a trailer. Personally, I would rather be over-trucked than under-trucked when pulling a trailer. 

Do your math. Then make a decision.



Towing Horses - Learn the Proper Way
Towing Safety
Safety On The Road-Choosing A Tow Vehicle

As to price, of course it depends on what you want in an LQ. And if you go older trailers, typically they are steel, so would probably weigh MORE than your truck is rated to haul. 

Something else to check into is whether you'd have to upgrade your class of driver's license. Depending on GVWR of the trailer you haul, you might have to get a different license. I don't know NC laws, so just something to be aware of.

I agree with those who say to save for a larger truck to get an LQ later and just get a BP with a larger dressing room that you could throw a cot/sleeping bag in for now. Or see about sharing a room with someone at the shows. That could cut down costs, too.

I'm sure @horselovinguy will chime in; he always has great input on trailer threads. (for example, see this thread: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-trailers/risk-sounding-stupid-asking-so-many-746689/)


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Till you know what brand, what size and what amenities you want in a trailer no one can advise you on what size truck you need to purchase to tow that trailer safely and legally....

Living Quarters Horse Trailer....
Sounds like a affordable place to live....NOT!!!
First off you need a place to legally park it and live in it if that is your plan...
You need hook-ups for water, sewage and electricity....about $30 per night = $900 a month to start at campgrounds. 
You need insurance if you don't purchase outright as a loan has requirements needing met.
You still need a dually truck to tow a larger LQ trailer...these trailers are heavy. Far heavier than just a plain horse trailer since humans will want basics of heat and a/c inside, bathroom and a bed.:shock:

You need to do a lot of research yet and put pencil to paper and figure out seriously what you think you want and what you truthfully can afford.
Either way...the truck you currently have is _*not*_ going to be able to accommodate towing much "horse trailer" and absolutely _*not*_ a LQ of any type. 
$400 a month is a very small budget for what you dream of.
I looked here to see what they have as they are a large dealer of used trailers...
_Horse Trailers - Dixie Horse & Mule Co. :: Dixie Horse & Mule Co_
Every LQ I looked at started at $10,000.00 for very used and pretty old.

Time to really figure out what it is you need and can afford to do your horse showing fun.
You sound like so many of us...champagne taste and a beer budget.:icon_rolleyes:
Join the club...:wink:
:runninghorse2:.....
_jmo..._


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I've been looking at living quartered trailers for a couple of years now...three horse trailers mostly......for me, the entry point seems to be around $12,000 for a good used trailer, and one can certainly spend a lot more....

Most of the places I ride are on forest service roads and the bigger the trailer the more difficult it becomes to get there.....so I'd still trailer to those trail heads with my tag a long.....

Frankly, my issue is, I'd probably use it less than half a dozen times a year. I can rent a lot of cabins for $12,000....still, I'd love to have one.....


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I just came across this article...
A good read that is easy to understand and very practical knowledge given...
_The Horse | Tow a Horse Trailer Much? | TheHorse.com

_Hope that makes some of the questions you have now have some answers...
:runninghorse2:.....


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

horselovinguy said:


> Living Quarters Horse Trailer....
> Sounds like a affordable place to live....NOT!!!
> First off you need a place to legally park it and live in it if that is your plan...
> You need hook-ups for water, sewage and electricity....about $30 per night = $900 a month to start at campgrounds.


Wow, isn't that the truth! My brother and his wife travel with a modest bumper pull trailer (no horses) and I visited with them at their campsite at the Mustang Makeover in Idaho last summer. Lots of setup and takedown, expensive fees, heavy gas consumption -- they could stay in some really nice hotels and probably spend less money.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

As Beau said, if you are looking to save money on hotels on overnight shows, you can make a bumper pull work for you. A friend of mine would unload the horses and sweep the shavings to one end of the trailer, she had a 2 horse slant. She tarped the floors and sides and set up camp in there and it was comfy! She had air mattresses, a heater, a radio, I had no problem spending a night with her.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I have a truck tent, and have used my regular 2-horse trailer as sleeping quarters. There's no reason to buy a LQ trailer unless you have the proper truck. There are plenty of cheaper options if you're trying to save on hotel bills.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Did I understand from OP's second post that they want to have a trailer with living quarters in lieu of a more traditional living arrangement?


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Zexious said:


> Did I understand from OP's second post that they want to have a trailer with living quarters in lieu of a more traditional living arrangement?


_Yup.....

Here is that post...
_
Thank you both for your replies! I'm definitely not looking to head to the mountains quite yet. A couple reasons I'm looking for is 1. I want to be able to trailer my horse to shows and not have to spend money on hotels. Also, I have been looking for an apartment/house to rent for $400 or under, but can't find so I am thinking and know it will be a lot more than $400 to get a trailer w/LQ. I'm engaged and my finance and I feel as that will be our best thing to do.

_Sadly I don't truly know how to achieve this in honesty....
I can only imagine how large payments would be ...

If anyone knows the secret please let us all in on it. :clap:
I would love a LQ unit and I already *do* have the truck to tow it...

I know there are fantastic "deals" out there, you just need to be in the right place at that exact moment... 
Me, I'm *always* a day late and a dollar short..:frown: 
:lol:....that is me!
:runninghorse2:.....
_


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

You can make a simple three horse angle haul gooseneck work, without complete living quarters-I do
Good enough to have a queen size mattress on the over hang part, and lots of tack room.
At horse shows, there are showers and bathroom facilities available. A simple ice chest allows you to pack sandwich material, drinks, ect. Once the concession is open, that is where I eat anyways at shows, with no time to cook
I also sleep there on trail rides, during the warm seasons. We pack a coleman stove, and cook outside , using either pack boxes or we take a picnic table along
Unless you are getting very seriously into showing, you do not need complete living quarters


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## SusanH (Jan 14, 2016)

If you have 1 or 2 horses, you might consider a 5th wheel toy hauler with the stable boy kit. Equine Equipped 
I looked at some horse trailers with living quarters, and the 5th wheel toy haulers have much better living quarters.
So, aside from the towing vehicle, which seems to be the direction that this thread has taken, you need to figure out, as someone already said, if your focus is living quarters, or the numbers of horses you can bring along.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

SusanH said:


> If you have 1 or 2 horses, you might consider a 5th wheel toy hauler with the stable boy kit. Equine Equipped
> I looked at some horse trailers with living quarters, and the 5th wheel toy haulers have much better living quarters.
> So, aside from the towing vehicle, which seems to be the direction that this thread has taken, you need to figure out, as someone already said, if your focus is living quarters, or the numbers of horses you can bring along.


_Seriously....NO!

Take into consideration the height of those toy haulers...interior and the height of the trailer stance.
A minimum of 7' feet high when you need to walk up a ramp of this steepness.
I would not want to be off- loading my horse down such a steep ramp, backward. 
And now take into consideration how high the center of gravity is for a MOVING load, not a stagnant load of something secured that would be on wheels...

Aside from the cost for such a thing on a very limited budget.
This *IS NOT* affordable for those on such a budget as this poster is...:shock:
This was taken from the [order] button link of the website.
For a kit that needs placing inside a trailer already had.... you could buy a nicer already properly made to LQ for humans with horse accommodation attached...the real deal. 
My biggest deal-breaker is the floor structure per square inch not being built to beefier specifications from the get go...that IS a issue for me.
Do look at those prices...yikes!
Hope the link works or just click the original link then the [order] button.
_www.stableboykit.com/main/Order

:runninghorse2:....
_jmo.._


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## OldEnduranceRider (Feb 17, 2017)

For several years I just camped inside my horse trailer. Campstove, cot, home made 'PortaPotty', works just fine, and have one of those 'SunShowers' so I could take a shower too. It works just fine.


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