# Eby Maverick LS 16' BP or 4-Star Runabout 2H Straight-Load 9' BP



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

The 4 Star. You can't kill those things. And just fyi, I wouldn't haul either of them with a 1/2 T pick up, it's not about the hauling power, it's all about the stopping power.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

If you are primarily hauling cattle, the stock trailer. If you are primarily hauling horses, the 4-star. If your stock trailer has one of those plate aluminum floors, skip it. Those are not safe for horses. You will appreciate the tack room, even with your cattle. 

You can pull either with a half-ton, but it's not really ideal. If you have to haul anywhere with hills, snow, wet grass, mud, or gravel roads, you will want a larger truck. The first time you try to start your rig on an uphill slippery spot at a show grounds, you'll appreciate a 4 wd 3/4 T truck, and the first time you have to stop it, you'll REALLY appreciate the bigger truck...


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## stephenkratzer (Dec 1, 2017)

Thank you both. I'll probably get a 3/4 ton in a year or so. My truck has done just OK with a 16' steel stock trailer (probably about 3200 lbs.) carrying 2 smaller heifers 250 miles with some decent grades between PA and NY; not comfortable, but grade braking and taking it slow helped. Smaller margin for error, I imagine. If I had a 3/4 ton now, I'd probably opt for a gooseneck.

I want my horse to be safe and comfortable, but I'm not sure if the horse trailer justifies an extra $3,650 and 300 lbs. The 7'5" height isn't really needed, but the doors, windows, saddle/tack hangers, mangers, mats, etc. would be nice. I wouldn't want the horse to get hurt in a livestock trailer or stressed because of road noise and wind.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

They make livestock/horse trailers called 'stock combos' that tend to work really well. Most have a small tack room, and a removable slant divider. Some have mats, load lights, etc. Might be worth looking into. You get the niceties of a horse trailer without the cost of the stuff you really don't need. I've found most horses haul better in a stock trailer than in a horse trailer.''

Here's one if you want to stick with 4-star: http://http://www.4startrailers.com/combo-trailers/bumper-pull-trailers/stock-combo-trailers/2-horse-model-11-x-7-wedge-nose/

Quite a few people in our area pull with Titan Avalanche or Trails West trailers-- some have drop downs on the head side and slats on the tail side, although the most popular here is slats on both sides, with plexi for winter. They cost a fraction of what the 'fancy horse trailers' cost.

http://https://horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?id=1251790


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

stephenkratzer said:


> Thank you both. I'll probably get a 3/4 ton in a year or so. My truck has done just OK with a 16' steel stock trailer (probably about 3200 lbs.) carrying 2 smaller heifers 250 miles with some decent grades between PA and NY; not comfortable, but grade braking and taking it slow helped. Smaller margin for error, I imagine. If I had a 3/4 ton now, I'd probably opt for a gooseneck.
> 
> I want my horse to be safe and comfortable, but I'm not sure if the horse trailer justifies an extra $3,650 and 300 lbs. The 7'5" height isn't really needed, but the doors, windows, saddle/tack hangers, mangers, mats, etc. would be nice. I wouldn't want the horse to get hurt in a livestock trailer or stressed because of road noise and wind.


The reason for the extra height is mainly resale. That's Thoroughbred height and it's always a plus if you can get it. I say the 4 Star for the known quality and longevity of the trailer, they'll still be hauling when that stock trailer is a rusted out hulk in a scrap heap. It will also hold its resale better than the stock trailer. Here I can buy a brand new 16 foot stock trailer for about $5K. Nothing fancy but no big price tag and in 2 years it will be worth $2K. So, just bear all that in your mind when you're making your decisions.


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## RMH (Jul 26, 2016)

I have a 20' Eby Maverick aluminum gooseneck stock trailer. Eby trailers are used by commercial livestock haulers and there is absolutely nothing wrong with their quality. Eby also makes a line of horse trailers commonly used by the standardbred industry. When I bought mine I looked for a good deal on a used Eby for a while but thought they were all too high compared to new price. I ended up buying a new trailer and was able to trade my old rusty steel trailer in on it. The only thing I wish I'd gotten was the optional tie rings. As it is now we tie to the upright slats at the ventilation openings which is too high for some of the kids.



I've hauled all 5 horses on occasion but normally haul 2-4. I also haul eight 1400# beef steers with no problem. I haul my horses untied with half in front and half behind the divider gate. The floor is diamond tread aluminum which I bed with straw. The salesman said this would be fine for barefoot horses but recommended the optional rubber mats for shod horses. I did haul once on a bare floor and it was noisy. I'm certain some drivers could injure an untied horse in an open unpadded trailer but with careful driving I've not had a problem. 



If a 3/4 ton pickup is in your near future I'd strongly recommend you consider a gooseneck. A sizeable bumper pull is like a tale wagging a dog. The gooseneck attaches to a ball in front of the rear axle and is able to transfer some of the trailer weight to the front axle for stability. On a bumper pull you need to use a weight transferring hitch to get weight to the front axle. I'd argue that for a similar sized trailer with the same load within the truck manufacturers maximum limits a gooseneck is safer and more stable than a bumper pull. Pulling with a half ton pickup requires common sense driving.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

stephenkratzer said:


> Thank you both. I'll probably get a 3/4 ton in a year or so. My truck has done just OK with a 16' steel stock trailer (probably about 3200 lbs.) carrying 2 smaller heifers 250 miles with some decent grades between PA and NY; not comfortable, but grade braking and taking it slow helped. Smaller margin for error, I imagine. If I had a 3/4 ton now, I'd probably opt for a gooseneck.
> 
> I want my horse to be safe and comfortable, but I'm not sure if the horse trailer justifies an extra $3,650 and 300 lbs. The 7'5" height isn't really needed, but the doors, windows, saddle/tack hangers, mangers, mats, etc. would be nice. I wouldn't want the horse to get hurt in a livestock trailer or stressed because of road noise and wind.


IMO would keep using the 16' steel stock trailer until you upgrade the truck. I hauled one of those for 10 years and sold it for half of what I paid for it. Great resale value too! 

I turned the front part into a tack/camper/whatever room when only hauling two horses. Wasn't fancy but a little thick plastic duck taped to the slats and I was cozy. 

Horses hauled fine in it. I always tied mine and put a fly mask on to help protect from road debris. Mats and shavings on the floor. 

Put that 13-16K into a bigger truck, then decide what kind of trailer to get. The combo stock with tack area in front are really flexible.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

I think that both the Eby and 4Stars are nice trailers. I bought a used 4Star two horse GN recently and love it. It is ten years old and looks almost brand new. 
I think that either one would work for you. I would just go with the configuration that would be used most. The horse will probably not have a problem with either. The metal floor is fine until they pee or poo in there and then it gets slippery.

I never had problems pulling or stopping with my half ton pick up and a two horse bumper pull. That being said, I'm still much happier with my 3/4 ton and GN.


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## stephenkratzer (Dec 1, 2017)

Thanks all for the useful feedback.

The Eby and 4-Star are both all aluminum, so not too worried about corrosion or resale. Both should last and be easy to resell.

We only borrowed/rented the 16' steel trailer on occasion, and it's time to get our own.

The combo trailers look interesting, but they seem like a compromise both ways and not sure resale would be as good as an all stock or all horse trailer. The Titan is less expensive but looks to be steel.

I can't see adding a gooseneck hitch to my current truck, so I'll likely stick with a smaller BP for now and then sell/trade up for a gooseneck when I get a bigger truck.

So, I think I'm now leaning toward the 4-Star because I'll likely trailer my horse much more frequently than livestock, and I can always rent a livestock trailer. Also, the 4-Star is 14' total vs. 16', so likely a little easier and maybe less chance of weight shifts compared to the livestock trailer. With the livestock trailer, I could add mats, tie rings, use the front part for tack (but that would put the horse weight in the back), so it's very flexible, but that would also be a bit makeshift, especially the manger and tack. So, I may as well go with a horse trailer.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

you could always get mats to go over the floor in the eby.

not saying one trailer is better/worse than the other just that is an option to bring the ride comfort closer together. I know some people prefer to haul in stock trailers so their horse can have more space, others prefer the stock combo for the dividers that can be removed, others prefer the dedicated horse trailer for the "extras" 

currently have a 2H bumper pull and only reason I would go to something different is if we get a 3 horse trailer or a living quarters trailer. rather large exiss trailer and I've never felt at a disadvantage with it (actually advantage some times since it's shorter than many GN trailers so i can take a parking space others can't)

I don't think you can go wrong with either brand, and don't be afraid of looking at some used trailers too. you may be able to buy a decent used trailer today and resell it in a few years for the same price (minus upkeep)


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

stephenkratzer said:


> Thank you both. I'll probably get a 3/4 ton in a year or so. My truck has done just OK with a 16' steel stock trailer (probably about 3200 lbs.) carrying 2 smaller heifers 250 miles with some decent grades between PA and NY; not comfortable, but grade braking and taking it slow helped. Smaller margin for error, I imagine. If I had a 3/4 ton now, I'd probably opt for a gooseneck.
> 
> I want my horse to be safe and comfortable, but I'm not sure if the horse trailer justifies an extra $3,650 and 300 lbs. The 7'5" height isn't really needed, but the doors, windows, saddle/tack hangers, mangers, mats, etc. would be nice. I wouldn't want the horse to get hurt in a livestock trailer or stressed because of road noise and wind.


I'm still having a hard time understanding why you are buying a bumper pull now, when you say you would buy a gooseneck if you already had the 3/4 ton truck now. Then you say you will buy the bigger truck in a year. 


So by next year you will be looking for a gooseneck? 


I'd just keep using the stock trailer and put the 17K towards the truck. 


Btw my 16' steel stock trailer only weighed 2000 pounds, so the steel stock you have been pulling may not be as heavy as you might have estimated. 


Sundowner makes a really nice Sportsman line of trailers that would do double duty for you and still have a tack room.


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

Why not just buy a new stock trailer? For about $5000? 



Keep in mind horse trailers are not crash tested. Aluminum tends to tear and crumple in a wreck compared with steel. Many cars are adding more and more aluminum to improve gas mileage, but they still need a steel frame to maintain crash safety standards. 



In my area, there are plenty of all aluminum trailers, and while I like the idea of a trailer that doesn't rust, I prefer something with a steel frame. 



If you are only hauling 2 horses or a few cows, a 14 foot stock combo may be an even better option. Do you really need the extra length? 



Shadow has some nice (affordable) horse trailers that are all aluminum, but I'm not sure where you are located in relation to them. I believe a 3 horse trailer is about $10,000 off the lot.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Most aluminum trailers are built over a steel frame, otherwise they'd warp and twist. They really are not significantly lighter than most steel trailers. It is nice to not have to worry about the exterior rust, but the frames will rust if they are exposed to moisture.


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## stephenkratzer (Dec 1, 2017)

I think the Eby and 4-Star are both all aluminum including the frame. Looking at 16' specs, the all aluminum are usually at least 500 lbs lighter. A gooseneck aluminum 16' seems to be about the same weight as a BP steel, about 3200 lbs for the few I've checked.

I like the strength of steel but not the weight, rust, or resale, though I imagine if I sold it after a few years, I'd still get a good bit of my money back.

I see the 4-Star has a smooth aluminum floor under mats, and I wonder if it would bulge and corrode over time.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think my next step is to go look at some. Too bad the Eby dealer is 1.5 hrs away and the 4-Star dealer is 3+ hours.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I prefer a wooden floor or a rumbar floor to aluminum floor. Easier and cheaper to repair/replace. 


I don't mind being different though, as I haul a Brenderup :rofl:


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Having seen an all-aluminum shatter and shear into skewers in cold weather in what should have been a minor wreck, I will take steel any day, even with the added weight and maintenance. There are plenty of steel trailers out there 20+ years old still solid and safe and some aluminum that are corroded out and need new floors at half the age. You don't save much weight on aluminum vs stock until you get into the bigger trailers. If you are getting a bigger truck in a year or so, wait and buy a gooseneck.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

SilverMaple said:


> Having seen an all-aluminum shatter and shear into skewers in cold weather in what should have been a minor wreck, I will take steel any day, even with the added weight and maintenance. There are plenty of steel trailers out there 20+ years old still solid and safe and some aluminum that are corroded out and need new floors at half the age. You don't save much weight on aluminum vs stock until you get into the bigger trailers. If you are getting a bigger truck in a year or so, wait and buy a gooseneck.


I gotta ditto a lot of this for steel. I have a 3 horse, slant, Logan, steel trailer that was custom built for me in 1991. Still looks really good, but I am pretty anal about caring for it. I also prefer the lumber flooring, but you can put a Rhino liner over the aluminum too. Of course, I also have mats on my floor and up my walls about 1/2 way. I've hauled a few kickers in my time and those mats on the walls have saved me some dings.


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## stephenkratzer (Dec 1, 2017)

Just wanted to follow up and say that we ended up buying the 4-Star 2H BP slant. It has pretty much everything we want and nothing we don't. Very basic but quality materials and construction and pulls like a dream. Since it's the Runabout, it's about 700 lbs. lighter, so with 1 small QH, it's not much more than some unloaded 2H trailers. My 1/2 ton handles it just fine, though beefier brakes, suspension, and trans sure wouldn't hurt.

Happy hauling.


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