Top Bumper Pull Horse Trailer Living Quarters Accessories

"There’s no way a bumper pull horse trailer with living quarters could provide proper accommodation and safe transportation of both horses and humans. It’s always better to opt for a gooseneck living quarters horse trailer instead.” Some horse owners honestly believe this is true, and they have a point. Bumper pull horse trailers with living quarters designed to carry two or more horses are most often too big to be towed and maneuvered effortlessly due to their excessive vertical tongue weight and larger size. They are prone to variable weight distribution and can cause reduced steering, meaning there’s a probability of putting yourself and your horses in a dangerous situation. The key to towing a bumper pull horse trailer safely is simple: they always require a well-equipped and suitable tow vehicle to be pulled trouble-free.

There are alternatives to choose from, such as the one-horse bumper pull with living quarters trailer designed by Double D Trailers. If you need a bigger living quarters horse trailer for two or more horses, just choose a gooseneck living quarters model. Goosenecks in this category often provide more interior space and are easier to tow and maneuver, although they might seem intimidating at first. 

If you need to provide accommodation for your horse and yourself, you can utilize the right bumper pull horse trailer living quarters accessories and end up having a well-organized, comfortable, and sufficient living space onboard your rig without sacrificing the horse area. To achieve this, you should have a clear understanding of the accessories you could add to your new or used trailer that can make the biggest difference and respond to your exact needs.

If you think that accessories could never transform a bumper pull horse trailer with living quarters, this article can change your mind. In it, we’ll describe the best and most important bumper pull horse trailer living quarters accessories you should consider, especially if you’re about to custom-order a new trailer or consider a complete overhaul of your existing one. Below, we’ll provide all the information you need to make the right choice when searching for the ultimate set of living quarters (LQ) accessories for bumper pull trailers.

Understanding the Living Quarters of Bumper Pull Horse Trailers

A bumper pull horse trailer’s living quarters provide living space for humans without compromising the rig’s horse area. Considering the size of an average tag-along model, the living area is typically not that spacious, meaning that every seemingly small detail can make an impact. When you introduce several smart ideas and conveniences to the LQ area of your bumper pull horse trailer, you can take its practicality and comfort to another level. What’s even better is that you won’t spend a small fortune doing so.

Don’t forget about safety when you’re chasing the ultimate comfort. The classic bumper pull living quarters horse trailer has its drawbacks, such as excessive tongue weight and dangers related to worse steering and handling because of the same reason. Horses constantly change the trailer’s weight distribution when moving, thus affecting its stability. As a precaution, you can make sure you have the right towing vehicle with enough tongue weight capacity. Also, make sure you are towing a perfectly balanced rig, and the LQ area is always a key part of the weight distribution equation.

Key Considerations in Choosing Accessories

There are several considerations to make when browsing the variety of living quarters bumper pull horse trailer accessories, as follows:

• Safety
• Size and space
• Durability
• Functionality
• Comfort

All these factors have a few things in common: they increase the trailer’s usability, practicality, efficiency, and value. Most of the accessories that enhance them are typically easy to add and are mostly affordable, making them worth the effort and expenses. 

Safety: Prioritize accessories that ensure the passengers' well-being in a moving environment

Safety is the top priority of every horse trailer, or it should be at least. To guarantee the safety of horses and humans, every part of the trailer must comprise rigid, non-toxic, and fire-resistant materials. This includes the walls, flooring, equipment, furniture, and all additional features. Horse trailers are often exposed to harsh weather conditions and heat, not to mention that an electrical fault or even a minor accident could cause a spark that could result in a fire. Also, fumes from specific materials can cause health issues, which is why everything you add to your trailer must be supplied by trusted manufacturers and dealers ensuring the quality of every product they produce and sell.

Additionally, you should avoid items that are prone to break or have sharp edges. Even if a specific piece of furniture or an accessory would be beneficial for your living quarters bumper pull horse trailer, they might not be as safe as needed, therefore, they should be avoided. The same goes for loose objects: when in motion, everything inside the living quarters of the trailer must be fixed in its place.

The bumper pull horse trailer living quarters accessories that can improve safety are as follows:

• Floor mats and carpets: Although these accessories are considered the type to improve comfort primarily, they provide extra safety by creating non-slip flooring that prevents accidents.
• Door latches and locks: Your living quarters bumper pull horse trailer will probably come with door latches, but they might not be good enough. To keep doors secured on bumpy and windy roads and in case of an accident, you need to install reliable, high-quality latches and locks. Some manufacturers (Double D Trailers included) equip their trailers with deadbolt latches, which provides the extra security you always need when travelling.

Size and Space: Choose accessories that fit and efficiently use the available space

In bumper pull horse trailers with living quarters, every square inch counts, meaning that you should consider all the space-saving accessories you can get. Even the most spacious bumper pull LQ trailers can be a challenge to improve, but introducing some of the most appropriate factory or aftermarket accessories available can help with the typically small living quarters size and the limited space inside. Don’t just go for a seemingly fitting accessory or a piece of equipment. Instead, make sure you have the exact measurements and opt for either a custom solution or another that fits perfectly. 

The most popular and practical examples of storage space accessories are as follows:

• Slim cabinets: Storage compartments inside your living quarters need to be adequate, but that’s often not possible in bumper pull horse trailers. This is where slim cabinets come in handy. They take less space, but still provide a bit more storage area, and that is priceless.
• Hidden storage compartments: You can utilize parts of the living quarters by adding a second function to them. Your kitchen bench can also become a trunk, thus expanding the valuable storage space inside your bumper pull living quarters horse trailer.
• Wall grid organizers: Wherever possible, consider adding one of these. Thanks to their clever design, wall grid organizers allow you to store various items that would otherwise be loose or take space you need for other purposes.

Durability: Opt for accessories that can withstand the rigors of travel

Horse trailers are exposed to the elements constantly. Even when they’re parked, they still experience wear and tear due to direct sunlight, rain, aging materials, and more. The interior might seem more protected than the exterior, but high temperatures, constant exploitation, and other factors result in all kinds of damage. Therefore, choosing top-quality accessories means that you will prolong the life of your trailer. Another perk of not allowing compromises with the durability and rigidity of the living quarters’ equipment and accessories is related to safety: the sturdier an item is, the safer it is to use in the long run.

Functionality: Select multi-purpose accessories to maximize utility

When you need to make the most of a limited space, such as the living quarters of a bumper pull horse trailer, you can benefit from 

• Lighting: This is another group of accessories that can improve several aspects of a horse trailer’s interior (mainly its practicality) by providing proper illumination in various areas of the living quarters. Not only that, but flush-mounted lighting fixtures save space and improve safety at the same time by not sticking out of walls and ceilings, thus preventing possible injuries.
• Toilet area sink: This solution is more of a feature than an accessory, but what matters more is that it makes good use of the available space in a bumper pull horse trailer living quarters’ bathroom. Choosing such a solution brings convenience by saving valuable space in the kitchen area. 
• Foldable dining table: This is the kind of accessory that saves plenty of space thanks to its design. A living quarters dining table is never used all the time, meaning that it could easily be folded when not needed.

The SafeTack 1 Horse Bumper Pull Trailer with Living Quarters by Double D Trailers offers a dining room table that folds into a bed to maximize space and usability.

Comfort: Prioritize accessories that enhance productivity during travel

Safety and comfort go hand in hand when a horse trailer boasts high quality. Very often, you can add extra comfort by introducing accessories and additional equipment to your bumper pull horse trailer’s living quarters.

• Soft interior walls: This must-have feature is more of a necessity than an accessory, but it’s not part of the standard equipment of all bumper pull horse trailers with living quarters. Soft walls provide extra protection for those inside the living quarters, but they primarily increase comfort. Accidentally bumping into a wall would feel much better when the latter is soft. Additionally, soft walls provide better insulation and reduce outside noise.
• Air vent with temperature control: Having a living quarters air vent controlled via a thermostat greatly improves comfort by extracting dense air.
• Window and door bug screens: Having these simple, yet practical accessories installed can transform your living quarters experience when the trailer is parked. It increases comfort by keeping insects out and still allowing air to flow freely.

Top Recommended Bumper Pull Living Quarters Accessories

The variety of bumper pull horse trailer living quarters accessories can be overwhelming, but it can be a lot easier for you to opt for the right accessories if you know the top recommended ones based on several categories. We’ll help you with this by suggesting the best products in each category.

Storage and Space-Saving Solutions

• Top recommended accessory: Slim cabinets (best for providing storage without wasting precious space). By adding this feature, you gain plenty of storage space without taking much of the living quarters area. Slim cabinets designed specifically for horse trailers have an optimized design and are not sharp and potentially dangerous. ($900+)
• Foldable table or counter extension (best for optimized dining inside smaller-sized living quarters): If you don’t have a dinette, you’ll still need a place where you can enjoy a meal. Opting for this accessory allows for more living quarters space when you don’t need it, which is most of the time. ($600+)
• Wall grid organizers (best for storing gear and belongings in an organized fashion): Storing miscellaneous items can be hard when you have a limited living quarters area. A wall grid organizer would be a fitting solution in such a case. ($350+)

Sleeping Area

• Top recommended accessory: Transformable sofa (best for providing a sleeping area where a traditional bed won’t fit). Bumper pull horse trailers’ living quarters are typically too small to fit a regular bed, therefore, you should consider getting a sofa that folds out into a decent bed. ($600+)
• Soft walls (best for adding extra protection in case you bump into a wall): Aside from their safety advantage, soft interior walls provide a dash of coziness and reduce noise. ($350+)

Kitchen and Living Space

• Top recommended accessory: A microwave oven. If you plan on being autonomous during horse events, a microwave convection oven would be the best addition to your living quarters. ($500+)
• Pocket doors (best for saving space inside the living quarters): Adding a pocket door to your bathroom’s entrance is beneficial for the living area because a regular pull bathroom door would require a lot of free living space to open and close. ($700+)
• Upright water tanks (best for providing autonomy): This is a great accessory to add that will help your kitchen (and bathroom) freshwater needs during longer voyages. ($300+)

Bathroom and toilet area

• Top recommended accessory: Toilet sink (best for utilizing the bathroom and toilet area). By adding a small sink, you make good use of this space and eliminate the need for a bigger sink, therefore, you free more room in the kitchen area where the bigger one would typically be fitted. ($400+)
• Cowboy/cowgirl shower (best for allowing taking a shower without a full-sized shower upgrade): This is the easiest and most compact way to have shower amenities in case you don’t have the space for a built-in shower compartment inside your living quarters. ($250+)

The Double D Trailers 1 Horse Bumper Pull Trailer with Living Quarters can be built with a full stand up shower (shown above). 

Safety and comfort

• Top recommended accessory: Flush-mounted lighting (best for providing comfort and functionality without taking up additional space). Flush-mounted interior lighting improves the mood of the living quarters and has the potential to illuminate every square inch of the premises without taking up any space. ($600+)
• Camper door and bug screen (best for allowing ventilation when parked and keeping bugs out): This is a clever way to enjoy fresh air inside your living quarters while preventing critters from getting in. ($900+)
• Air vent (best for providing fresh air inside): Most high-end models feature a thermostat and a rain sensor. ($800+)

Advice from Brad Heath (Double D Trailers' In-House Horse Trailer Expert)

Brad Heath, Double D Trailers’ dedicated owner and horse trailer expert, is always prepared to share his decades of industry-specific knowledge with everyone interested in building or custom-ordering safe, efficient, and extremely practical horse trailers.

His advice on adding the ultimate selection of accessories includes recognizing your own needs. Before you make a decision to buy a particular bumper pull horse trailer with living quarters, specify its design, and opt for any accessories, you need to identify the purposes you need the trailer for, prioritize comfort or convenience, and know the factors you’re willing to compromise on. 

Brad recommends paying attention to several important aspects of adding any options, features, and accessories to your LQ bumper pull horse trailer, as follows:

• Make sure you pick accessories manufactured by trusted providers (quality matters the most when it comes to usability, longevity, and reliability)
• Choose accessories that are easy to maintain (for example, floor mats are better than carpets, as you can simply take out the former and wash them with a hose, unlike the latter)
• Avoid sharp edges and loosely mounted objects (safety always comes first, and there are plenty of ways in which it won’t interfere with convenience or comfort. It’s just a matter of choosing the right equipment and accessories)

Transform Your Bumper Pull Horse Trailer with the Best Living Quarters Accessories

The way bumper pull horse trailers with living quarters are usually built allows for adding custom options and accessories during fabrication or further improvements. Most often, you could benefit from at least half a dozen gadgets and options that enhance safety, utilize limited interior space, increase practicality, and add value.

Opting for useful accessory will transform your horse trailer experience and elevate it to new heights without breaking the bank. With a few simple additions, you can add significantly more comfort to your bumper pull horse trailer living quarters and introduce functionalities you never knew you could have. Therefore, we strongly advise diving into the world of bumper pull horse trailer living quarters accessories.

Already been down that road? Excellent! Share your personal insights and stories of how adding custom touches and specific accessories transformed your horse trailers for good. First-hand experience is always the ultimate knowledge source. If you have yet to explore the possibilities of bumper pull horse trailer living quarters accessories and need advice on what to add to your dream rig before ordering it, Brad and his team can guide you through the process.