Which Bumper Pull Horse Trailer is Right for You?

Bumper pull horse trailers can be a great option if you are looking for a trailer that you can quickly ‘hitch up and go.’  Where gooseneck horse trailers require a pick-up truck and a larger investment, bumper pull trailers can be hauled by a wider variety of vehicles at a lower cost.

Here at Double D Trailers, we offer both straight load and slant load bumper pull trailer designs.  Although, if we’re really being honest, our SafeTack Slant Load design is really the star of the show.  Here are a few questions to consider when choosing which bumper pull horse trailer is best for you.

Do You Want a Straight Load or Slant Load Bumper Pull Horse Trailer?

This can sometimes be a complicated question, so we’ve already written a full article comparing slant vs. straight load trailers. 

In our experience, here are a few reasons you may wish to choose a slant load trailer:

• Our SafeTack slant load horse trailers provide a safer and lower stress loading experience than on a bumper pull trailer.  The swing-away SafeTack compartment eliminates any tight squeezes and the trailer configuration can work well for horses who want to walk on and walk off without ever needing to back up.
• The Double D Trailers slant load trailers can easily be built with side loading doors and ramps for safer unloading in the case of an emergency.  You’ll have better access to your individual horses if one is in distress.
• Slant load horse trailers are often built on a shorter wheel base for easier towing and maneuvering.
• Larger 17+ H horses can easily be accommodated in our specially designed slant load horse trailers.  There’s a misconception that large horses work better in straight loads, but our trailers are different.  We can add footage to your design so that horses like Warmbloods and other large breeds can fit comfortably.
• Slant load horse trailers may be a better option if you are looking for a 3 horse trailer.  Straight load trailers don’t typically work well to haul three horses.

A few ways they are similar:

• The cost differences between straight load horse trailers and slant loads is not significant.
• Horses do not travel with a significant difference in fatigue with a straight load or slant load trailer.  However, there are advantages to a reverse load slant load design.

Slant load horse trailers may be the best option for you if your horse prefers that type of loading configuration.  Otherwise, we’d encourage you to check out our SafeTack slant load models instead.  Our designs are quite different from conventional slant load trailers on the market.

Which Slant Load Horse Trailer is Right for You?

If you’ve chosen to purchase a slant load horse trailer from Double D Trailers, great!  The next question you need to ask is about your horses.  How many do you intend to haul?

That’s a pretty easy question, right?

We have slant load horse trailers that would work for 1, 2, 3, or 4 horses.  For instance, the 2 Horse SafeTack slant load horse trailer comes with:

• SafeTack compartment for safer loading and equipment storage.
• Z-Frame construction with 16-guage Gavalite exterior construction for strength and light weight hauling.
• Insulated design in horse area for temperature protection and a safe, quiet ride.
• Fiber composite one-piece, no-leak SafeBump Roof.
• Full customization options to accommodate your 17+ hand horses.
• Options for Combination Forward or Reverse Facing orientation
• Dressing room for equipment storage.
• Horse friendly interior with air flow, plenty of light, and rivet-free construction for less noise.

All of these same elements would be available on the 3H SafeTack Slant Load (which can be modified for 4 horses too.)  Or, if you are interested in a single horse trailer, you would have access to all of these options in our forward facing 1 Horse SafeTack trailer.

1 Horse Bumper Pull with Living Quarters Model Now Available

Our one horse bumper pull with living quarters trailer is unlike anything else that you'll find on the market. In the past, our company has boldly expressed the dangers of bumper pull LQ designs. The common issue with 2 and 3 horse bumper pull living quarter designs is overly heavy tongue weights, which causes a see-saw effect when towing. This can easily create a dangerous situation on the road for both you and your horses.

Our team of expert designers decided to fix this issue and launch the only safe bumper pull LQ design in the horse trailer industry.

This model is perfect for any "equestrian-on-the-go" who just wants to hitch up and take off whenever you are ready. The trailer weighs in at only 5100 lbs., and has a tongue weight of 600 lbs. This means that you no longer have to find a large truck to tow your living quarters trailer. The 1HBPLQ is light enough to be towed with half-ton trucks or full-sized SUVS. 

Double D Trailers Slant Load Trailers Can Work Well for Large Breed Horses

Remember that all of the custom horse trailers we make can be designed to fit your specific horses.  That is one important way that our trailers stand out from other conventional slant load trailers on the market.

The SafeTack slant load trailers come standard with an 80” width and 7’4” height, which would fit a horse that is up to 15.3 hands or 1,100 pounds.  However, they can easily be enlarged to fit your large breed horses.   

We would fit a 16.2 hand horse by simply adding 1-foot of width to the stalls.  Or, we could increase the overall trailer width to 90” and the height to 7’8” along with the trailer stall width increase to fit a 17+ H Warmblood comfortably.

This chart below lays out all of the features available on our four Bumper Pull Slant Load Horse Trailers.

(Click for a larger view.)

Which Straight Load Bumper Pull Horse Trailer is Best?

Double D Trailers also has a number of straight load bumper pull horse trailers that you may way to investigate.  These models all include:

• 72” width, 7’6” height standard with options to add footage for large breed horses.
• Padded butt and breast bars.
• Forward facing design.
• Z-Frame construction with 16-guage Gavalite exterior construction for strength and light weight hauling.
• Insulated design in horse area for temperature protection and a safe, quiet ride.
• Fiber composite one-piece, no-lead SafeBump Roof.
• Full customization options.
• Horse friendly interior with air flow, plenty of light, and rivet-free construction for less noise.

Once again, start by asking how many horses you intend to haul.

For many, the 2 Horse Straight Load Horse Trailer is a good place to start if you are looking for a straight load horse trailer.  Choose this model if you want:

• Dressing room with walk through door back into the horse area.
• Optional side loading ramp and door.
• All of the features mentioned above.

The V-Sport 2 Horse Trailer is similar to this first model with the exclusion of a dressing room.  Instead, it has two full size escape doors at the front of the trailer and an optional front saddle rack in the horse area.

The Townsmand 2 Horse trailer is our smallest trailer option with a manger and half height tack storage area in front of one horse stall.  This model does not include a dressing room or side loading door option, so it also happens to be our most affordable model.

Check out the chart below to see a breakdown of the straight load horse trailer options from Double D Trailers.

(Click for a larger view.)

You may want to take a look at our FREE Printable Brochure about Bumper Pull Horse Trailers here.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Brad Heath for help.