Horse Trailer Expanded Living Quarters

[carl meyer <carlmey@citrus.infi.net>]

> Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 13:44:20 -0700
> From: "Janet Baca" <horsetrl@ctaz.com>
> To: <mabbott@oro.net>
> Cc: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@endurance.net>
> Subject: Trailer opinons wanted
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> There are a couple of us that are interested in finding out about trailers.
> I am so wondering about sleeping the goosenecks and the dressing rooms of 3
> horse slant bumper pulls.  I have heard that they are very cold and that you
> need to insulate them.  Is this true, do any of them come insulated?  I'm
> not looking to spend a lot of money but would like to get something 
that
> will last and be comfortable.  I have a 1T Chevy with a 350 and don't have
> any trouble pulling.  I have a camper shell on though and would have to
> delete that if I got a gooseneck.  Has anyone ever heard of dressing rooms
> with a door into the horse part of the trailer to be used as a bigger living
> area when you're not using for the horses?  Any comments or notes will be
> appreciated.  I will start looking around December 1998 in northwestern AZ
> and near Vegas.
> Janet Baca
> 
> ------------------------------

Janet,

We bought a very reasonably priced gooseneck horse trailer (not alum.)
and had some things changed in the "floor plan".This was a new trailer;
We paid under $7500 for it...we live in NW Central Fl.; trailer was
manufactured in Ga...it is well balanced and safe, although the paint
job looks terrible, it works. Here's what we did, that might interest
you.
1. this model,as most today, was designed to be a slant-load (for 4
   horses); it is a gooseneck;
2. we like to ride our horses "backwards" and had the slant load theme
   eliminated;
3. we had them divide the horse-carrying section in half with a double-
   door arrangement;...it is like a solid divider with steel bars
at 		   the top; very safe.
4. the idea was to be able to load and ride (backwards) 1 or two horses
   up front (behind the double doors), and have room for storage in 
   the  rear compartment, or ride another horse there.
5. In addition, we had them cut a door into the horse box area from the
   gooseneck quarters so that access COULD be had to enlarge the living
   area...I call it my apartment...
6. I used the entire area of my  former little stock trailer for this
	same purpose and wanted the same thing in this new trailer...it
	works very well for us;
7. After arriving at a ride/camping site, I pull the mats out, clean
	them off, set them to dry; hose out/sweep out any residue from the
	horse box area, let it dry, put mats back in, lay down a piece of
   carpeting, add area rugs, cot/bed roll, porta potty, curtains!, etc.
   and walla! the apartment is ready...and when my husband snores (and
   he does) I just close the door to my compartment and sleep soundly.
8. I find the gooseneck claustrophobic and love the LARGE area I have
   created for myself..looking at the moon & stars or enjoying a breeze
9. When it's cold or rainy, we put up wooden coverings we had made to
   fit over the stock openings, and I hang one or more horse coolers
   as curtains from the ceiling with those heavy clips..
10. I have a propane camp heater and am as cozy as can be...sometimes
   you need two camp heaters, but no worries mate, it's cozy..I leave
   them on all night too, and have for years.(be sure to have extra
   propane cannisters INSIDE with you, as the small ones will burn out
   before morning).
11.Bonus: you have so much room to move around, stand up, look in the
   mirror, put on your face, hang your clothes, etc...and this is just
   in the FRONT HALF (where our horses ride); I keep all sorts of equip
   ment in the other half..
12.In addition to the door into the gooseneck, I can access outside
   from the rear door of the horsetrailer from my "apartment".Lots of
   options here.
13. Much, much more could be done for comfort if needed...depending on
    climate and needs..I think this rig is 27' long.
14. I have a little fan mounted in there...wonderful.
15. How do the horses ride?  wonderful!
16. How do we load two horses on this way...easy: (I had this planned
    when we "designed" these changes, but only recently tried it myself
    with a second horse...I was a little nervous, but it went beauti-
    fully).
17. Open the right side of the double dividing doors, pulling the open
    one back as flush to the side of the trailer as it will go; 
    Load the first horse  into the front compartment and turn
    him around to face the rear; secure him and straighten his body;
    Load the second horse AND TURN HIM BEFORE YOU GO THROUGH THE OPEN-
    ING IN THE DOUBLE DOORS and back him in beside horse #1; hang 2nd
    horse's hay bag, secure him, close and secure double doors and
    finish loading supplies, feed, hay, etc. in the rear compartment.
    *note: we do not put a ton of stuff in this rear compartment; I
    always want to be able to get the horses free in a hurry, should we
    ever have to...don't want them boxed in with a lot of heavy equip-
    ment...when I travel alone, I've often loaded extra "stuff" into a
    large garden cart (you know,those with the big wheels) rolled it up
    a home-made ramp onto the back part of the horse trailer (remember
    I said I used this arrangement before in my  smaller stock trailer)
    secured it with bungie cords to a side fastener, and I know that I
    can quickly wheel out the supplies in one move if I have to get to
    the horse(s). Plus, it just used to make it plain easier for me to
    do that, and I had the bonus of that large cart at the ride..some-
    times, the stuff never came off the cart...it stayed dry and off 
    the ground, and got wheeled up again to go home.Necessity IS the
    mother of invention!

    Didn't mean for this to be so long, but maybe these ideas will help
    you and others...I actually have to say, that after I traveled
    to Australia 11 years ago, and did a few endurance rides and saw
    very respectable people set up housekeeping in their "floats", I
    knew from then on there'd be no embarrassment for me in doing so!
    
    
    Good luck!

    Deena Meyer
    Inverness, Fl.