When purchasing a horse trailer, there are numerous features to think about. One crucial aspect is whether the horse trailer will be of a bumper pull or gooseneck design. There are a number of reasons why you might gain from either design. Let's compare these two designs to see which will work best for your needs.
Bumper Pull Horse Trailers - Advantages and Disadvantages
Bumper pull trailers, also known as tag-along trailers, are horse trailers that connect to a hitch on the hauling vehicle. The trailer simply "tags along" following the towing vehicle and does not become a part of the whole vehicle.
Good Points
There are a few advantages of bumper pull horse trailers. They typically cost far less than a gooseneck design. It's not essential to use a 4x4 pickup for towing the trailer, and more people can tow this layout of horsebox with their usual car. Normal turns are frequently easier because the tag-along design will go along with the path of the towing vehicle. You don't need a large amount of space for the horsebox as you would for a gooseneck trailer. Lastly, the trailer doesn't have to be classified as a "commercial" vehicle for licencing as the total weight of both the horsebox and pulling vehicle is usually below 10,001 pounds.
Bad Points
There are several disadvantages as well. These style of trailers do not present as much room for clothing and tack. A few bumper pull trailers might not be sufficient for towing any more than two horses as a result of the style of hitch necessary for the load of the trailer. Also, bumper pull designs are more likely to to weave on wavy roads, which can be hazardous.
Gooseneck Trailers - Advantages and Disadvantages
Gooseneck trailers are different from bumper pull trailers in the way they are hitched. The gooseneck is joined from within the hauling pickup's load bed with a ball and coupler joint. This design provides a number of benefits. It won't sway or fishtail like a bumper trailer often does, and pulling is therefore more stable. They provide more room for living space, which can be suitable for camping and longer journeys. The gooseneck is more simple to reverse up to and line up with the ball whilst joining it to your towing vehicle, because you can see it without problem from the rear window. The gooseneck design is more secure without the worry of the trailer coming unhitched while travelling on the highway.
Negative Points
There's also some disadvantages. Gooseneck layouts cost more and are regularly bigger so they have to be towed with a pickup that is powerful enough to tow it. The hitching application is also more expensive for a gooseneck design. Another disadvantage is that during the hitching of the trailer, you normally have to climb into the load bay of the 4x4 to finalize the process. Also, you will have to detach your load cover from your pickup to pull a gooseneck trailer.
Choosing the Right Trailer
Whether looking for a bumper pull or gooseneck trailer, you can check online to look at a number of designs of each. If you're budget is limited, you can search for used horseboxes for sale and horse trailers for sale to find a bargain. Take into account the advantages and negative points of both designs prior to handing over any money. For more information and horses for sale, visit the Horse and Pony Directory
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