Nov. 7, 2012, 08:25 AM
#2
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Nov. 10, 2012, 10:38 PM
#3
I've had my Eclipse trailer for about 3 years now so I have some more thoughts on it than I posted in the past. I have the warmblood 2h BP with tack room. I put some things below and while I have more cons than pros listed it doesn't mean that it isn't a nice trailer. I like the trailer- it does the job, it is light, and has tons of space. But there are some things that I wish I'd known before I bought it which I've listed as cons. I might buy another Eclipse in the future, but I'd be aware of the deficiencies in the standard configuration and get certain items customized.
Pro's
1) The weight is great- it is light and my truck pulls it easily and stops well
2) It is really spacious
3) Generally the trailer does everything very well
4) I like the overhead air vents
5) The tack room is large
6) I don't have any moisture issues inside the trailer when it is closed up while parked
Cons
1) Some horses don't like the gap at the back between the ramp and the trailer- I could see someone getting a shoe caught. Some horses don't like the feeling of steeping into the gap and don't want to get off the trailer.
2) The swinging divider between the tack room and trailer is nice, but you can only swing it in front of the escape door. It is not meant to swing the other way as there is no where to hook it so that you could not access the tack room door.
3) Having just one escape door is dangerous and I will never again buy a trailer that doesn't have two.
4) I have the newer version of the butt bars, but the connector is sharp and juts out in a way the can cut a horse or catch a blanket on the way in or out.
5) My two right side LoadStar tires had failures in the valve stems (luckily when parked). Not sure if that is a problem from sunlight on that side or what.
6) The standard bridle racks are hard to reach...and I'm 5'10" so I'm not vertically challenged.
7) The trailer is hot in the summer for standing horses on it because there is only a single escape door.
8) The cable connectors that come with the trailer seem inadequate in the event of the trailer separating from the truck. They are very stretchy. I think chains are better.
8) There is some black grime that comes from the roof that just will not scrub off even with special cleaner. RV's get this same problem apparently.
9) If a horse pees on the trailer it is possibly going to run right into your tack room if you are parked downhill
10) They tell you you can use the trailer as configured for transporting horses in a loose box. I wouldn't. The escape door could be opened/unlocked by clever horse lips. I was lucky that I my horse locked the door instead of opening or unlocking it, but it is possible. I think you'd be better with a cam lock for this type of use.
11) My trailer didn't come with a manual or really any written information. I think that is really strange since much less expensive items come with documentation.
12) Water does pool in the rear doors and when I swing them open I often see water coming out of the hole in the bottom of the door. I'm hoping this isn't a problem since the trailer is aluminum.
13) The trailer is squeaky. The dealer swears they don't hear anything, but an assistant at the dealership had no problem hearing the squeak. They were unable to fix it. No idea what causes it and it doesn't seem to effect performance.
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