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Stock trailers

4K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  webbalta 
#1 ·
Looking for Opinions on aluminum goose necks. Looking at a 24 by 7 or 7.5. I'm familiar with featherlite, Wilson seems like more money. I've looked at exiss as well. Hauling cows,Bulls, calves. Would like to hear good, bad, ugly. Thanks for responses.
 
#2 ·
They don't rust, need no paint and have floors that don't rot out. The 3 things that kill a stock trailer unless its the driver.

I bought a 24 x7' featherlight about 7 years ago and have had zero issues with it. The floor is kinda slick when the animals offload and they slip as they try to jump out. Not as big of issue as it sounds. After I bought it, 3 different cowboys stopped by and told me I should have bought a Wilson (a riveted trailer, not welded) as the welded ones break all the welds when pulled loaded thought the pasture. No issue for me yet. The featherlight has a 10 year structural warranty on it. I did add a heavy chain and latch link to the sliding tailgate so I can see that it is double latched from the truck mirror. Piece of mind mostly as it is easy to wonder if you latched it sometimes.
 
#3 ·
I run an Eby. When dad bought it 15ish years ago it was the most well built on the market, we thought. Crawl underneath and look at cross members, Eby used to have more. I've hauled a lot of cattle and the floor is straight yet, not wavy like the Featherlite of that era.
 
#4 ·
I have a Trav-a-long aluminum trailer. I've had good luck with it in the last 12 years except I had to fix the sliding door. My dad has one just like it a year newer and has to have a lot of welding done.

My first choice would be a Wilson. They are really good trailers from what I've been around. Being riveted they do seem to hold up very well. My second choice would be either a Sooner or Exciss. They both seem well built. The new Featherlite trailers I've seen I'm not impressed with. They seem to be much lighter built and not as good of workmanship as they use to be. My understanding is that Sooner, Exciss, and Featherlite are all owned by the same parent company. I've been told the top of their line is Sooner, second is Exciss, and Featherlite is their bottom line trailer.

It seems the weakest point on most aluminum trailers are the back corners around the gate. I would recommend paying attention to how well the back ends are built when looking at trailers.
 
#7 ·
She wants to spend some money! I'm not a horse person so I can't help you though I think they all custom design trailers for that application, I know Featherlite will do whatever you desire for the right amount of money. She better shell out the money for a big crew cab diesel dually to pull it around with, you know, you have to look the part.

On a unrelated note, Eby trailers home base is located in Blue Balls, Pennsylvania. Now really, how can you pass that up?
 
#11 ·
We have a Keifer trailer. Our roads around here the last few years have been in general state of destruction with the oil boom. As a result, the welded aluminum trailer has to be rewelded every year. I like the trailer, and the floor is the best I have seen as far as not being slippery. That being said, we will never own a welded aluminum trailer again, other than possibly keeping this one forever. The next trailer will be a Wilson. I haven't ever seen a Gooseneck Merritt before, but I bet they are nice as well.
 
#12 ·
We have a old featherlite (1987) and it has been really good. Way better built than the new ones. We were looking at something bigger and ended up getting a 30 foot sundowner. Really liked the travalong,eby and duralite but the sundowner was our favourite. Wilson and featherlite looked like pop cans on wheels. Too light and poorly made.
 
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