anyone hauling horse trailers and would you recomend a dually and also at or mt

 

Without meaning to belittle your question, these things are all a matter of personal preferance and driving conditions. Each person that answers is going to have something different and nobody is right or wrong. I will tell you that I wouldn't own a dually and I pull Livestock trailers regularly and have a trailer business on the side. I like SRW because they are better in off road conditions and a pain to get in and out of tight spaces, but if I were just pulling down the highway and the truck was dedicated to a pulling I would use the DRW. The problem is now that I have said that 10 people will jump in and tell me I'm wrong. So listen to what people say, but then decide for yourself, based on your needs.

Forgot to welcome you to your new second home. Glad you could join us.

 

thanx for your input yeah its personal preference just looking to see what people suggest

 

I pull a 2000 Exiss 300xt (3 horse slant load gn with tack room) with my 3/4t never any issues. Main thing is do what you are comfortable for you. Different people different comfort levels.

 

I pull a 4 horse, 3 horse and a little 2 horse, We are looking at getting a 5 or a 6 horse because we are out growing everything. (25 horses will do that to ya) I don't have any problems with my 3/4 ton, would i feel more comfortable with a dually, especially with a 5 or 6 horse? heck yes. I also pull with an auto but thats just all personal preference. How big of a trailer are you looking at? Will the truck be hooked up all the time, weekends, every other week, or just every once in a while? Any other quesitons i will try my best to help.

Eric

 

I think the answer is really "situational". Bumper pull or Goose Neck? How many horses and how much equipment/tack? Where you going with it? Local or cross country? Flatland, mountains, etc?

I pull a 24' 3 horse GN Hart Slant load extremely well with my SWD rig with several cross country trips Colorado to California. I think the most important thing I would like, but don't have, is an Exhaust Brake. Once you get into mountains and long decents an EB is almost a necessity. I'm probably going to wait until the 07's come out and decide between an '06 or 07'. I will want the DC warranteed EB plus any other auto transmission options that may be available in '07.

Have you also tried:

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/for....asp?forumid=2

Lots of people there towing horse trailers with lots of opinions.

 

Horsetrailerworld.com is a great place. Lots of good info and people. The only complaint i have about that forum is 99% of the people think if you are towing more than a stinkin 2-horse bumper pull then you need a dually! My SRW does great....

 

Again, it's all opinions and what people feel comfortable with.

Me personally, I don't like pulling anything that weighs more than the tow vehicle with a srw. Especially if it is live weight (animals or liquid filled tanks) as it can move around and really cause problems.

My other concern has always been with horses, if you lose your trailer brakes, it's gonna be kinda hard to stop a 5 or 6 horse trailer with a srw (unless you have an exhaust brake - which most people around here don't have) in a panic stop.

It all boils down to, do what YOU feel comfortable with, as long as it is legal.

 

never really towed with a SRW, but im sure my dually is more stable. If your going to pull alot, id get the dually.

 

I agree 100% if your going to pull a lot and a heavy load and don't mind driving a dually then your absolutley better off getting a dually. do i recommend hauling a 5 or 6 horse with a SRW? no. BUT if your hauling a 3 or 4 horse slant or straight load trailer (head to head) then don't automatically count out a SRW. they can do the job just as easy with the proper care given. Slant loads are great and my preference for hauling horses because they keep the weight distributed great and the horse fully intact, that is unless your horse is coo coo. If you plan on hauling horses in a box stall or just opening up the whole trailer for one horse to ride free then you will DEFFINATELY feel safer with a dually, that is where the weight will move around (common sense). I have hauled a couple times with one horse loose in my 3 horse because of medical reasons, you just have to be prepared and be a lot more careful, in fact today i had to take a yearling down to the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington KY for surgery and he had to be loose in the trailer. Like i said i do agree 300% that a dually is a ton more stable for hauling than a SRW especially with heavy loads and live weight, BUT if you load the horses properly and be careful then a SRW will do you fine. Also, in a panic stop, it's gonna be just as hard to stop a 5 or 6 horse trailer with a dually. Thats why with any load any time, always give yourself plenty of room and be ready for the worst. This is why im hoping dodge lets the 05 autos get approved for the exhaust brake...
Sorry for going on and on this is all my personal opinion and it's only worth .02

Eric

 

Thanks very much horsehauler your advice has been very helpful in helping me make my decision i found a 2000 3500 ctd with 29000 miles and he is asking 21000 for it and its a dually so hopefully this truck will work for me

 

I am a chassis cab ton man myself; though I wouldn't be opposed to sticking a 80 disc-brake dually rearend under my flat when I find one.

I am not a fan of those pregnant-hipped dually-fender beds; but, there is no comparison between the stability of a dually compared to a single rear wheel.

Dual wheels will glide around curves that would have a single wheel screaming for mercy.

That being said, buy a dual-rear-wheel; but, for the livestock's sake, drive it like a load of dynamite.

Too many of these redneck hotrod drivers forget that.

 

Reedreiner - Is that 3500 dually you found an auto or manual? If it is a manual I would consider putting an exhaust brake on it assuming it does not already have one installed. Also, find out what brake controller it has. I would strongly recommend upgrading it to a BrakeSmart, if it does not already have one, now that they are available again . Regardless, that should be an excellent horsehauling rig!

 

When hauling horse in a trailer all that is needed is a SRW towing vehicle, due to the fact that a driver must always keep the comfort of the critters in mind. Slow some on curves and slow down completely for turns. Your horses will thank you and not hate getting into the trailer again.

With a 3/4 ton pickup I pulled a fifth wheel 24 foot trailer that stood 11 horses standing sideways with alternate horses facing the same side. The trailer also was loaded with hay and show tack. In the front of the bed was a 100 gallon slip tank and other equipment. When hauling horses I always imagined I was hauling barrels filled to the top brim with water and there was no lid on the top of the barrel. I drove carefully trying to keep the imaginary barrels from spilling or sloshing any water around, thus never did I have horses scrambling due to a jerky ride. The stops and starts were smooth and easy. Never being in a hurry, I always drove gently with no aggressive tendencies, and I always kept well back of the vehicle ahead of me. I did not drive over 60 mph on the highway, mostly because my gasoline engine sucked fuel greedily and gave me 5 to 6 mpg. By driving with my eyes steadily glancing a mile down the road, I was never caught off guard to have to make a panick stop. I always drove with a clear rested mind and paid strict attention to the driving conditions and traffic, because I thought more about the welfare of my horses than my comfort and habits.

On the other hand, when hauling 12 ton of hay on a flat deck with the same SRW truck, it presented an unstable condition at times on the highway. Even on gentle curves I had to slow down. That was not difficult to do as the engine did not have enough power to pull much over 45 mph. For very heavy loads at highway speeds, a dual wheel tow vehicle would be advantageous, but for horses a SRW tow unit will work out fine. DRW can be overkill at times.

 

Just putting my 2cents in . I have a 1997 dually auto and I pull a Exiss 400
( 4 horse ) . It pulls it like a dream.