Horse Trailers with Living Quarters

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Horse Trailers with Living Quarter

When adventure calls, be ready to respond at a moment’s notice!  You need a safe horse trailer to haul your animals AND a comfortable living quarters where you can prop up your feet after a long day in the saddle.  

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What are Horse Trailers with Living Quarters?

Just like the name implies, horse trailers with living quarters provide the best of both worlds.  They let you take your horses with you to shows, weekend events, trail rides, and rodeos.  Plus, the fully outfitted living quarters act as your home away from home.

Stock your living quarters area with every amenity you can imagine (and afford!)  Most brands include a basic kitchenette, sleeping area, and some sort of bathroom.  

Stock your living quarters area with every amenity you can imagine (and afford!) Most brands include a basic kitchenette, sleeping area, and some sort of bathroom. The fancier brands add in leather sofas, full entertainment systems, slide outs, and custom cabinetry that would rival any luxury RV.

 

Join us as we explore some of the top horse trailers with living quarters. We’ll dive into the important topics every horse owner wants to know about: safety, towing, interior design, and even where to find the most luxurious trailers on the market!

Best Horse Trailers with Living Quarters

Gooseneck Horse Trailer with Living Quarters

Most horse trailers with living quarters come with a gooseneck configuration.  This includes a ball mount hitch secured in the back of your flat-bed pick-up truck.

The coupler on the front of your trailer then hangs over the back of the truck to connect to the ball mount.  This type of hitching system is best for any living quarters horse trailer or any trailer for more than three horses.

 It’s safer because it distributes the weight towards the front of the tow vehicle to add more stability on the road.While driving a gooseneck trailer might feel intimidating, it’s actually much easier than you’d expect. In fact, it’s a bit safer than driving with a bumper pull trailer. You’re less likely to have the hitch “pop off” after improper hitching because the weight of the trailer pushes down on the back of the tow vehicle.

Another added benefit of a gooseneck horse trailer is space! The front area of the trailer that hangs over your tow vehicle is “the gooseneck.” This area is the perfect place to include sleeping quarters for your living space.

Popular gooseneck horse trailers with living quarters come from brands like: Double D Trailers, Featherlite, Lakota, Exiss, Sundowner, and SMC Trailers.

Bumper Pull Horse Trailer with Living Quarters

Bumper pull horse trailers with living quarters are much less common… and for good reason!

In most cases, this type of trailer has a very heavy tongue weight which pushes down on the rear of your tow vehicle.  Just like a see-saw, when the back is pushed down too much, the front tires of your tow vehicle tend to rise up.  This can reduce your steering capability and lead to unsafe driving conditions.

Every trailer needs to have some tongue weight pushing down on the tow vehicle’s hitch, but it’s a balancing act.  You’ll want to make sure the tongue weight falls within the safety limits of your tow vehicle and hitch capacity.

The reason that bumper pull living quarters have such an excessive tongue weight has to do with the living quarters.  Simply put… they’re heavy!  When you combine the weight of your kitchenette, sleeping area, and bathroom with the variability of one, two, or three horses, you’re asking for trouble.

Lakota Trailers and Montana Horse Trailers are two of the most popular brands for bumper pull living quarters trailers for multiple horses. But be aware of the safety concerns mentioned above.

One exception is from Double D Trailers.  They have a single horse trailer with living quarters that is safe for the road.  Limiting the horse area to just one horse means they can better balance the load from front to back and limit the trailer tongue weight.

Two horse trailer with living quarters

One of the top models in this category has to be the Double D Trailers Trail Blazer two horse trailer with living quarters.  

This trailer features a 7’ to 9’ short wall with vinyl wrapped cabinets, fold out sofa, and fully customizable living quarters.  It’s the less expensive of the models available form Double D Trailers and a perfect option for anyone who wants a trailer with top horse safety features at an affordable price.The trailer comes standard at 80” in width with an optional 8’ width for larger horses or extra space.  It also comes in either forward or rear facing configurations so you can choose the direction of travel that works best for your horses.

Three horse trailer with living quarters

When it comes to a three horse trailer with living quarters, you’ll definitely want to check out the Safetack Reverse LQ from Double D Trailers. This model actually comes in a two horse size as well, but it’s the three horse model that is most popular… and for good reason!

This patented design is available for up to six horses and comes with forward or rear facing layouts. The side entry and exit ramp along with the wide open loading area in the back of the trailer makes for an easy loading experience for nervous horses.

This is the perfect trailer for larger breeds like Warmbloods as the height and width of the trailer and individual stalls can be customized to fit your horses. The interior of the living quarters can be built with a 10’ to 13’ short wall and includes real wood cabinets, wood crown moldings and slide outs available for more space.

Overall, it’s a fantastic option and you can’t beat the horse safety features including Z-Frame, Safebump roof, temperature control in the horse area, synthetic and durable Rumber flooring, and the Safetack storage compartment.

One horse trailer with living quarters

Sometimes you only need to haul one horse on a consistent basis.  In this case, a one horse trailer with living quarters from Double D Trailers is the perfect option.  You’ll notice that we mention this brand fairly often.  That’s because the safety features on the horse area of these trailers are far superior to other options.

This company actually has a Safetack one horse trailer with living quarters that comes in a bumper pull configuration.  Unlike other bumper pull models with living quarters, this model is safe because limiting the load to one horse means they were able to fully account for the load distribution when hauling.

Four horse trailer with living quarters

Several brands offer four horse trailers with living quarters. These models tend to be slant load trailers because they make better use of the floor space without creating a super long trailer that is difficult to maneuver on the road. Look for a trailer with a wide open loading space in the rear of the trailer.

Many of the brands have a rear tack storage area or only a side loading ramp that create a confined space for a nervous horse to pass through. Plus, you never know when something unexpected happens during loading and unloading. Give yourself (and your horse) as much room as possible to get on and off the trailer.

The Double D Trailers Safetack Reverse LQ comes in a four horse option and provides the best loading and unloading experience with their patented design.

Featherlite also has several living quarters models that can be built to fit four horses. They come in a variety of sizes and configurations.

Five horse trailer with living quarters

If you’re looking for a five horse trailer with living quarters, you’re going to want to look towards a brand like Featherlite. They have an 8’ wide and 7’6” high slant load trailer with tubular head dividers, escape doors, and pop up roof vents.

These trailers feature 0.040 white aluminum exterior with stainless steel front sheets and corners. Customize your living quarters by choosing from one of three standard décor packages.

These trailers have a stationary rear tack storage area that leaves a narrow rear loading door for the horses to pass.

Six horse trailer with living quarters

For six horse trailers with living quarters, we’d once again recommend that you look to Featherlite. One thing to consider is the size of the stalls. When looking at the floorplans for their six horse model, you’ll notice that the stalls near the wheel wells are a little shorter in length from nose to tail. The stalls don’t span the full 8’ length advertised.

You’ll want to load your smallest horses into these spaces. This type of trailer may work fine if you have smaller horses like Quarter Horses.

However, if you have larger animals, especially 17+ Warmbloods, you’d be better off hauling fewer horses in a smaller trailer with customizable stall sizes. Something like the Double D Trailers Safetack Reverse LQ would provide more space for your animals.

Stock trailer with living quarters

When it comes to very large stock trailers with living quarters, there are a few brands that cater to your needs. Stock trailers are different from the other trailers we’ve discussed because they do not have individual stalls and dividers for the animals. Like the name implies, these trailers are often used for livestock animals including horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, or other animals.
If you’re planning to haul horses, we’d recommend you get a trailer that is specially designed for horses. But if your load varies between the great and small critters, a stock trailer might be better suited to your needs. In this case, you have a few options for great stock trailers with living quarters.
Exiss has a STC 8030 and 8032 living quarters model that comes with a 32’ length, side loading door, mid tack area and nice living quarters area. This trailer is all-aluminum.
Lakota trailers has stock trailers with very nice living quarters area. They have lots of options including various sizes of stock animal area.
SMC Trailers offers several stock trailer with living quarter models which include escape doors, bunk beds, mid tack storage and a variety of living quarter options.

Horse Trailers With Living Quarters for Sale: [Shop New & Used In 2022] -

There are a variety of resources out there if you’re looking for used horse trailers with living quarters. Still there are a few things to consider if you’re trying to decide to buy new versus used.

Advantages to Buying a New Trailer

  • You’ll get the warranty so you’re covered if anything breaks.
  • A new trailer can be customized to meet all of your needs.  You won’t end up paying for bells and whistles that you don’t want or need.
  • A new trailer will last longer with less maintenance at the beginning.
  • Trailer building techniques are constantly being improved.  A new trailer will include all of the newest safety features like rivet-less sidewalls, synthetic flooring, temperature control, and safety.

Advantages to Buying a Used Trailer

The main advantage to buying a used trailer is easy… price!  

You can sometimes get a really great trailer with very few miles on its bones for a price that is much lower than what you’d pay brand new off the lot.  We recommend you take extra time to vet your seller to make sure they are reputable. Don’t take their word for it when it comes to things like towing safety, trailer safety features, or maintenance.

Instead, do your research!  Look into the model and make sure you are aware of specific problems that you might encounter.  

Take time to inspect the floor.  If the floor is metal, look for pock marks or other signs of corrosion that indicate the floor is weakening.  You will need to remove the rubber mats to get a good look. If the floor is wooden, look for any signs of rot or splintering.

Next, expect to change out the tires right away.  It’s often the case that tires “age out” rather than wear out on trailers.  Constant exposure to the sun and weather make the rubber dry and brittle.  Trailer tires should be replaced regularly to avoid blow out on the road.

If possible, have a trusted mechanic look over your trailer from top to bottom.  Have them look for signs of rust and check the braking system.  Make sure all latches are in working order and there aren’t any major signs of damage.

Double D Trailer Horse Trailers with Living Quarters for Sale

Of all the brands out there, Double D Trailers is unique in their extreme focus on horse safety. Their trailers are built with a patented Z-Frame chassis that is resistant to rust and extremely strong.  Then, the horse area is insulated with an exterior layer of rivet-free aluminum and an inner layer of zinc-coated Galvalite metal.

The interior horse area of all Double D Trailers is designed to limit the extreme temperatures you’d find in all-aluminum trailers.  They keep things cool but using a single piece fiber composite SafeBump roofing system.  The interior is painted white with bright windows and roof vents.  Unlike the metal floors on other brands (which are prone to rust), Double D Trailers only uses either treated lumber or synthetic Rumber floors.

The most unique feature from Double D Trailers is the patented Safetack design.  Their slant load trailers come with a fully enclosed Safetack storage area that swings out like a second door.  Once opened up, the rear of the trailer is fully open leaving an unusually wide area for loading and unloading.  This, coupled with a side door and ramp, means that these trailers are great for problem-loaders.

Double D Trailers is also one of the only brands you’ll find with a reverse load option.  Many studies have found that horses travel with less stress and fatigue in the rear-facing direction.  

The living quarters on Double D Trailers are fully customizable.  Choose from a 10-13’ short wall living area with standard features like hardwood cabinets, wooden crown moldings, and Soft Touch Walls.  Since these are custom built trailers, you can work directly with the company to design a trailer with all of the features you want or need.

Featherlite Horse Trailers with Living Quarters for Sale

Featherlite horse trailers are one of the oldest brands out there with nearly 50 years of experience.  They specialize in all-aluminum trailers which are well known for resisting rust and being lightweight.  They feature a “uni-body” design that makes the trailer stronger and improves durability.

One of the features that sets Featherlite apart is the “pierce and roll roof system.”  It involves high strength rivets that are driven into the aluminum on the trailer’s roof.  A secure, water-resistant crown then encases the top of the trailer to prevent water leakage.

The floors on all Featherlite trailers are covered in a ¾ inch thick rubber mat to give the horses secure footing.  These mats will need to be removed and washed periodically, allowing the base floor of the trailer to dry to proven floor corrosion and failure.

Featherlite has a number of horse trailers with living quarters for sale with 11’, 13’, 15’ or 17’ options.  The widths of their models vary from 7’ to 8’.  Their trailers can accommodate up to six horses with slant load configuration.

A variety of floor plans are available including options with slide outs to increase the floor space inside the living quarters. The finishes are high quality and include a large variety of options including everything from sconce lights to an electric awning.

Lakota Horse Trailers with Living Quarters for Sale

Lakota horse trailers with living quarters are available in either the gooseneck or bumper pull configuration.  As mentioned earlier, the bumper pull option is not recommended due to towing safety concerns.

These trailers are designed and built all within one facility.  This is unique because many other brands use a 3rd party conversion company to build out the living quarters.  They are advertised as having the “most horse trailers sold in the industry in 2019.”

Unlike some of the other brands, Lakota seems to focus more on the living quarters area of the trailer with less concern given to the horse’s safety and comfort.  The tack storage space on these trailers is also a bit limited.

The options for living quarters from Lakota is large and they advertise high-end luxury horse trailers.  However, we should mention that we found several customer reviews voicing concerns over unsanded metal edges in the horse area.  Another concern was space in the horse area with 7’ ceilings actually measuring more like 6’9”.

Exiss Horse Trailers with Living Quarters for Sale

Exiss specializes in aluminum horse trailers with aluminum wheels.  They are built out of a facility in El Reno, Oklahoma and are often priced 20 to 30 percent below other competing aluminum trailers.

You get what you pay for though! While all-aluminum trailers may look great, every purchaser should be aware of the safety concerns that come along with this type of construction.  Aluminum trailers tend to be very hot in the horse area since aluminum is a good conductor of heat.  Plus, the metal is not as strong as some of the steel or alloy metal options on the market.

The trailers from Exiss come in either standard configurations or with custom designs.  They have gooseneck horse trailers with living quarters to accommodate up to four horses.  The roof of their trailer is a single piece of aluminum and the floor is made from interlocking extruded plank flooring with 2”x4” I-beams on 16” centers.  A rear tack storage area creates a narrow loading door for horse and handler.

Overall, these trailers are not as high quality as some other trailers we mentioned on this list.  They claim to focus on safety as a main selling point, but the all-aluminum construction, metal ceiling, metal flooring, and customer reviews leave us a bit disappointed.

Sundowner Horse Trailers with Living Quarters for Sale

Sundowner trailers were some of the first aluminum horse trailers on the market.  They offer gooseneck trailers for up to eight horses with two types of living quarters trailers.  The company works with their customers virtually to design and build out custom designs. 

Many of their models are slant load trailers that come with a removable rear tack storage area.  The disadvantage here is that you have a narrow door for loading and unloading that could be an issue for some problem loaders.  It is an option to collapse this tack area, but many people will find that to be too much work especially with the space filled with heavy equipment.

The living quarters on these Sundowner trailers can be included in two to ten horse models.  They come with many of the features you’d expect including a shower, toilet, small kitchen, boot box, sofa and air conditioning.  The company has living quarters with up to a 14’ short wall which makes for a spacious trailer.

FAQ

What kind of truck should I buy to pull horse trailers with living quarters?

Most horse trailers with living quarters are built as goosenecks so you’ll need a pick-up truck with a ball mount in the flat bed.  Learn about the towing capacity of your truck including the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) to find the maximum amount of loaded weight allowed on the vehicle.  The Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR) is the maximum weight allowed for the combination of your fully loaded truck and trailer together.  Then, the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the amount of weight your truck’s axles can safely carry.  

 

Study all of these values and compare them to the weight of your intended trailer.  Often it makes more sense to buy a truck to match your trailer’s needs rather than trying to buy a trailer to match your truck.  That’s because trailers are more expensive and last much longer.

Which Horse Trailers with Living Quarters brand you should look at?

There are many different horse trailer brands with living quarters.  Double D Trailers is the brand with the best horse safety features.  Their patented Safetack loading system makes it easy for horses who are nervous about loading to walk onto the trailer.  Plus, the living quarters on these trailers are fully customizable.

Which Horse Trailers with Living Quarters brand is better? Double D Trailers or Featherlite?

Double D Trailers is the best horse trailer with living quarters brand when it comes to horse safety features.  The Safetack feature means the horses can safely load onto these trailers with a fully walk-on-walk-off configuration. Plus, these trailers come in a forward or reverse facing configuration.  The living quarters on Double D Trailers are fully customizable and trailers can hold up to four horses.

 

If you are looking for a living quarters horse trailer for five or six horses, you will want to check out a brand like Featherlite.  The main difference here is in their all-aluminum construction. Aluminum trailers tend to overheat in the horse area and are not as strong in the case of a roadway accident.

Where to buy used horse trailers with living quarters?

There are a number of places to buy used horse trailers with living quarters.  Try searching on HorseTrailers.net, TrailerTrader.com, HorseTrailerWorld.com, HorseTrailerTrader.com, HorseClicks.com, or EquineNow.com. 

 

Do we want to list the DDT Horse Trailer Forum too?  Or the other DDT trailer sites?

Used Horse Trailers with Living Quarters Vs New Horse Trailers with Living Quarters, What's a better deal?

If you can afford it, you’ll usually get a better deal by purchasing a new horse trailer with living quarters.  That’s because these trailers come with the latest trailer safety technology that will last long into the future.  Older trailer building practices mean that older trailers will not be as safe and durable as newer models. Plus, new trailers come with warranties so you are covered if anything malfunctions.  

What are some disadvantages of buying a used horse trailer with living quarters?

Older trailer building practices mean that older trailers will not be as safe and durable as newer models. Plus, new trailers come with warranties so you are covered if anything malfunctions.  

 

If you do decide to buy a used horse trailer with living quarters, make sure to have it fully inspected by a trusted mechanic.  Pay special attention to the integrity of the horse area floor, chassis, and tires.  The living quarters area should be inspected for any leaks or other sources of water damage.  Water is “enemy #1” when it comes to living quarters.

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