Like most amateur riders, I've often toyed with the
idea of having a second horse. I can't begin to count
the number of times I came off of a less then honorable
dressage or cross-country ride, wishing I could do it
all over. After much cajoling (including a forced
vacation to Hawaii), I was finally able to convince my
highly skeptical wife that I'd never make it to the
Olympics on one horse, and reluctantly, she acquiesced
to my obtaining a second horse. What I failed to
mention, however, was the fact that our trailer was too
narrow to ship two horses comfortably and that our
13-year-old truck was incapable of pulling my dream
trailer.
Upon discovering these facts, my wife
suggested that I sell my Preliminary horse and use the
proceeds to pay for the new truck and trailer.
Scratching my head in awe of her non-rider logic, I
tactfully tried to convey to her that if I followed her
advice, I would once again be riding one horse, making a
new truck and trailer unnecessary. In the end however,
she correctly recognized the futility of persuading an
event rider to change course, and reluctantly agreed to
my plan. The hunt for the perfect truck and trailer was
on.
Selecting the best truck and trailer
takes a fair amount of time and effort, but if you do it
right, its worth while. Now if you have money to burn
and don't mind spending it, go buy a big truck with a
diesel engine and gooseneck; you'll have plenty of power
and room to spare. However, if you’re eventing on a
budget like I am, the day to day operating cost of a rig
is almost as critical an issue as its initial cost. You
don't get ribbons for having a nice rig, you get them
for your performance with your horse. Thus, any money
you can save and put towards lessons, or a new horse,
will move you one step closer to that ever-elusive blue
ribbon.
Based upon how much money you have to
spend, you may want to consider buying used equipment.
There are a lot of good used trucks and trailers out
their, and as noted in Sophie du Pont's article in the
January/February issue of US Event Horse, with a little
paint you can have an eye catching rig for a fraction of
the cost of a new one. If you're new to the sport, this
route is probably preferable, especially if one day you
may wake up and come to your senses. If, however, you're
like most Adult Amateurs and are irreconcilably hooked
on this sport, as you gain experience, you'll get a
better idea on what you ultimately want in a truck and
trailer, and someday down the road, select your perfect
rig.
Whether you go new or used, selecting
a truck and trailer is an iterative process. The first
thing you need to decide is whether you want a gooseneck
or a bumper-pull. This choice, more then anything else,
determines your towing vehicle. If you go with a
gooseneck, you have no choice but to go with a truck.
However, with a bumper pull, any vehicle capable of
towing will do. If you only have one horse, and intend
to keep it that way (which means you still have some
semblance of sanity), by all means go with a bumper-pull
trailer. Fourteen years ago this advice was given to me
by a friend and for fourteen years my bumper-pull rig
has been both extremely economical and functional.
Goosenecks on the other hand, while more expensive, do
handle better and provide much needed storage space.
Once you select the style of your
trailer, you have many options as to the materials it's
constructed with and its internal design. If you're
really on a budget, go with steel construction; it's
cheap and reliable. Manufactures of steel trailers have
come a long way in their fight against rust, and while
you may have to repaint it six or seven years down the
road, the cost of the paint job won't come close to what
you'll save over the cost of an aluminum trailer. On the
other hand, if you have a little more money and don't
want the chance of even a little rust, go with an
aluminum trailer. Many manufacturers also make trailers
with a steel frame and aluminum skin, which is a good
middle ground.
Aluminum trailers and fiberglass
trailers are much in vogue today, and like most
innovations, involve trade-offs, beginning with their
higher cost. Aluminum are clearly lighter then all steel
trailers and improve your rig’s fuel efficiency, but
are not, contrary to popular belief, maintenance free.
Fiberglass trailers, for all intents and purposes, are
maintenance free, however they are heavier then steel
trailers, decreasing your rig’s fuel efficiency. Based
on the sheer number of them at events, if you have the
money, they are definitely a good option to consider.
Slant load trailers are also in
vogue, but the cost versus benefit jury is still out.
You can figure paying anywhere from two to five thousand
dollars more for a slant load trailer then a regular
rear load trailer. In addition, because of their
configuration, slant load trailers are longer then rear
load trailers, which significantly increases their
weight and translates into poor gas mileage. Most 'on
the lot' slant load trailers are sized for quarter
horses, and are too narrow for big thoroughbreds or warm
bloods. A local neighbor of mine who owns a three-horse
slant load can only 'squeeze' two thoroughbreds in her
new rig. While this shortcoming can easily be rectified
by purchasing the 'wider option', a wider trailer will
significantly increase the weight of the trailer and,
once again, costs more.
In my case, after years of squeezing
in front of my horse to get dressed, watching my
equipment get rained on, and yes, drooling over the
gooseneck parked next to me, I opted to buy a two horse,
rear load gooseneck with a dressing room. A steel
gooseneck was ruled out of the question due to weight
concerns, the all aluminum was ruled out due to cost. In
the end, I settled on a Kingston. Its frame is made of
steel, which significantly reduces the cost, while its
skin is aluminum, which reduces overall weight. In the
end, the trailer I've ordered weighs slightly over 3400
lbs., 300 lbs. heavier than an aluminum, but about
$4,000 dollars cheaper.
Throughout my search for a trailer, I
kept in constant contact with truck dealerships. My
selection of a trailer was based to a large degree on
how much weight my new truck would pull. The other
significant consideration in my selection of a truck was
the gas mileage it would get hauling a given weight.
Every dealer I contacted tried to convince me that I
need a big V-8 with an automatic. However, in talking to
owners of trucks with this configuration all expressed
dismay over the fact that while they could pass just
about anything, rarely could they pass a gas station.
After several fruitless forays into dealerships, I
finally got my hands on some truck technical manuals and
worked my way through the maze of power train options.
Trucks come in both heavy duty and
light duty configurations, with the light duty obviously
cheaper and more economical. In general, your selection
of a truck should be based first and foremost upon the
amount of weight you intend to pull on a regular basis.
If your trailer is a bumper pull and you'll only be
pulling one horse, a light duty truck such as a Ford
F-150, or Dodge/Chevy 1500, with a six cylinder engine
and a manual transmission will provide sufficient
pulling power while simultaneously providing you the
highest gas mileage. If you'll be pulling two horses
more than about 20% of the time, consider going with a
V-8. If your bumper-pull has a dressing room, go with a
big V-8 and an automatic, since the light duty clutches
can't handle towing loads over 3500 lbs.
If you've selected a gooseneck, you
have no option but to go with a heavier duty truck like
the Ford F-250/350 or the Dodge/Chevy 2500/3500.
Heavy-duty trucks offer a wider range of power train
options. As to engines, depending upon the weight of
your trailer, you can go with medium (e.g., Ford's 351)
or big (Ford's 460) V-8. While bigger engines give more
power, they eat a lot more gas. So while with a big V-8
you'll never feel under powered, you might not be able
to afford to drive it. However, if you go with the
medium V-8's, you'll get adequate gas mileage, but might
sometimes feel like your truck's get up and go has got
up and left. Diesels of course provide the most power
and greatest gas mileage, however, they cost about
$4,000 more, and if you only drive the truck 10,000
miles yearly, it will take you eight years to earn back
the difference on what you will save on gas.
Fortunately there is a middle ground.
The last part of the power train, and the probably the
least looked at by purchasers, is the rear differential.
Most stock Ford trucks for example come with what is
called a 3.55 rear end, which means the engine will turn
over 3.55 times for every revolution of the wheel. For
only one or two hundred dollars more, you can order a
truck with higher gear ratio, such as Ford's 4.10. Now
while the 4.10 rear end will require the engine to run
faster for a given speed, it will provide a bigger
'sense' of power. Adding a manual transmission to the
equation, like I did, enhances your ability to always
have the power to climb any hill.
In my book, manual transmissions are
the only way to go. Manual transmissions in heavy-duty
trucks can pull as much or more then automatics and are
much more reliable. Based upon the number of people I
know who have had to replaced automatic transmissions,
having a manual was a given for me. A manual
transmission gives you better control of your rig's
speed, especially when you're going up hills, which can
translate into increased gas mileage. Manual
transmissions are also cheaper and can reduce the cost
of a new truck by about as much as $800 off the regular
base price. Now be prepared; the salesmen will try to
tell you automatics haul better, which is a bunch of
garbage. If you think about it, how many
tractor-trailers have automatics? One million long haul
drivers can't all be wrong!
Whether you go with a 4-wheel drive
or 2-wheel is up to personal preference, and of course
your pocketbook. Four wheel drive will add up to about
$4,000 to the sticker price, while simultaneously
reducing your gas mileage and increasing your
maintenance costs. Since almost all event organizers are
thoughtful enough to have tractors ready to pull you out
of the mire, a four wheel drive isn't really necessary.
If most of your driving is on the highway, go with a
2-wheel drive; you will significantly increase your gas
mileage. However, consider purchasing a 'limited
slip-lock' rear end. Limited slip-lock causes both rear
wheels to drive, as opposed to only one wheel, thus
helping to prevent spinning. This option only costs
about $200, but it will immensely improve your truck’s
handling ability, especially in bad weather.
After months of searching, I selected
a 1997 Heavy Duty Ford F-250, with a 351 V-8, 5 speed
manual transmission, and a 4.10 limited slip-lock rear
end. To keep the cost down to the bare minimum, I passed
on most of the options offered for the truck. In
selecting the options I did take, I weighed their price
in the 'number of lessons' I would have to give up. For
example, a sliding rear window cost the same as 4
lessons while the cost of air conditioning was equal to
30 lessons. The way I figured it, I need the 30 lessons
more then I need air conditioning. The cost of an
extended cab was equal to 100 lessons, etc. Remember,
anything you save in the cost and operation of your
truck is money available for lessons. The more lessons
you take, the more you'll increase your fun and safety,
not to mention your chances of winning!
Lastly, if in the next few years your
may even remotely consider buying a new truck, apply for
a either a GM or Ford Visa card. The rebates are rather
nice, and in my case, the price for the F-250 I just
ordered was reduced by $2500 after I made my best deal.
With free money, you can't go wrong.
While I've tried to go into as much
detail as I could, the rig you buy will depend upon your
unique circumstances. The key to being successful
however is to take an iterative approach to your search.
Look at the cost, weight, and size of your trailer, then
look at what will tow it, then go back and look at
trailers again. Eventually you'll focus in on a rig you
like. Just remember, always err on the side of power and
size, for there is nothing worse then ending up with a
rig that you dislike. My new truck and trailer should be
delivered in mid-May; I'll let you know how I make out!