The Road Home

The Road Home
There is no place like home.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The Versatile Stock Trailer

Hello, Frank here.

When Fern and I returned to Oklahoma from Alaska, we were nine years older than we were before we left. Our last dealings with goats and sheep, had been using a nice metal cage that slid into the back of a pickup truck. While this worked fairly well at that time for transporting animals, which didn't happen often, a couple of times a year maybe, it was still difficult to lift a 200 pound ram, that was not at all interested in cooperating into that little cage. We have lots of funny stories about loading lambs and kids. You lift one up and put it in while three escape.


So, when we returned here, we decided to invest in a small stock trailer. In our area, you see brand new aluminum ultralights that are 30 feet long. You also see old, rusted, about to fall apart pull behind trailers. If you wanted to shop for a trailer, you could go down to the livestock sale barn any day, and there are the great big fancy ones, and the not so big not so fancy ones. Well, we decided on a 10 foot, pull behind, general stock trailer. Nothing fancy, no bells and whistles, a nice white color to match our vehicles. In this part of the country, most vehicles are white for solar reasons.


This little stock trailer will haul all the goats we want to haul, ever. It has a step up from the ground into the trailer of about 8 inches, which means one person can step in the trailer and encourage the goat to jump in while another person stands behind the goat and encourages it to jump in. I won't discuss these techniques here, but they work. So, on that rare occasion we buy a new billy, the stock trailer comes in very handy.


We've also transported a few pigs in it, too. Shortly after we moved here we decided to raise a couple of baby pigs. To make the story short, they were easy to load. Just park the little trailer inside their area, put their food and water inside of it for a few nights and one morning we would slide the gate behind them. And a few days later, we would have pork chops and sausage. If this wasn't a trailer story, I would tell you the pig story, but it's not, it's a trailer story.


So, here are some of the ways we use the trailer. When we pick up new animals to bring home, which is seldom, maybe once a year. When we pick up the animals, we give them all the medications they will need at that time, which is a general vaccination, heavy doses of Safeguard (fenbendazole), which is a wormer, and sometimes a big shot of LA200, which is an all purpose antibiotic. The next day, I give them a healthy dose of another type of wormer, Cydectin. I watch these animals closely for three or four days while they are still in the trailer with food, water and hay. This whole process has been done with the trailer in the barn, out of the sun, and near the other goats. When I feel the animal is relatively safe, I will move it to an isolated pen. I put a wether with the goat for companionship. If it's a female I will leave it isolated for a couple of weeks, then put her in with the other does. If it's a billy, we keep him separate with the wethers until it's time for breeding.

Back to the trailer. After we let the animals out, the trailer is cleaned inside and out, put back outside to dry in the sun. We also use the trailer for an occasional hospital. Again, we put the trailer in the barn, and if the animal needs to be confined, we do food, water, hay and whatever appropriate medications are needed. We've only had to do this a few times, but we have had a couple of down animals. It gives them a nice safe place out of the weather, and still around the other goats. After the hospital stay is over, the trailer is again cleaned, inside and out, and left to dry in the sun.

Now this next part may surprise a few people. My stock trailer is clean. I can go out tomorrow and hook it up, pull it to one of the big box stores, like Sam's Club or Costco, and it will haul a tremendous amount of supplies. Now, it's not water
tight by any means, so it has to be on a nice day, but it works great for that purpose. I have two padlocks on my trailer, one for the back gate/sliding gate and one for the side entrance, which will keep out just about anybody. I know sometimes it surprises people to see a stock trailer at the big box store. It's clean, it's tidy and it's secure. More than once, I have parked my truck and trailer in front of the house, and unloaded it the next day.

When we bought this trailer this was part of the original purpose. It also comes in handy when I want to go to a store like Lowe's and buy multiple heavy items. If need be, I can haul two or three large cows. If need be, I can haul two good sized horses, but I doubt if either one of these ever occur. But I can haul 7000 pounds of assorted supplies, 10 foot in length, and sometimes longer sticking out of the top of the gate in the back.

It's a plain, white, simple, multipurpose stock trailer that just doesn't draw attention. In this part of the country, you will see stock trailers everyday, and there's nothing fancy about mine that will attract attention. I think it's one of the best buys we have made. It saves our backs and it means I only have to go major shopping once or twice a year. The truck and trailer will fit in two lengthwise parking places. It will go through most drive through windows. It's the same width as my pickup and it does not attract attention, and it works. I could hook it up right now and drive it everywhere I want to go for the next couple of days and few people would even notice it. This is just one more way to make life more simple and better. Hope you enjoyed the story.

Something I forgot. Safety. A small trailer like the one I just described above, you can just about forget it's behind you when driving down a highway. Since I only pull a trailer a handful of times a year, it would be easy to forget that it's back there. My point here is, when you pass somebody going down the highway, and you forget your trailer is behind you and you pull over too soon, you can hurt yourself or you can hurt somebody else. Other points to consider. Most small trailers like this, empty, weigh about 1000 pounds. Going down a flat road, on a dry sunny day, it still takes more braking distance. Where I live we have lots of hills and some small mountains. Let's say I have a payload of 2000 pounds. My trailer weighs 1000. Okay, I've got 3000 pounds behind me, going down a hill, trying to brake can very easily get dangerous not to mention if there is sand, gravel, rain or snow on the road. I avoid driving a trailer on wet roads. This is one of those cases, if you don't know what you're doing, don't do it.


You can very easily find yourself off the road. Or like a friend of mine lately, found his trailer hanging off the edge of the road with his vehicle still attached. It's not a joke folks, you can kill yourself, or you can kill somebody else. When you're turning a corner, give yourself extra room. When you're leaving a parking lot, that trailer will follow you when you turn, but it takes a slightly different path. And backing a trailer can be a real learning experience. But for the most part, where you go the trailer goes. People do make mistakes. Example: A friend of mine managed to hit a tree in his own yard with his trailer. Around here they have a name for that, but we'll go on from there. So, no joke, a trailer can be a great tool, just don't let it get the best of you. So, again, take care, may God be with you.


We'll talk more later. Frank


14 comments:

  1. A trailer can help, that's for sure! I have gone down to a large deserted area and spent an honest hour backing a trailer, that skill (for me) is lost soon.
    I am a fan of electric trailer brakes. I'm not going to go into my trailer brake stories but they can be worth what ever extra you paid for them. FWIW I like electric over surge.

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    1. Rob, thank you for reading and thank you for the comment. You are definitely right about brakes. If you're pulling any load at all and your trailer has the ability, then please use brakes. Electric brakes, adjusted properly, can make a difference between daylight and dark.

      Frank

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  2. Hi Frank and Fern, I have been reading your blog for some time now and really enjoy what you have to say. This is my first post. I have a small 13ft camping trailer. In reading your safety list, Frank, I was reminded of one of my first times towing. The trailer came off the truck/pull vehicle. I had not ensured the trailer was properly coupled with the truck. Thank goodness for the safety chains. And, I might add, the city fire truck who was right behind me when the trailer came loose, on a hill. The firefighters helped get my trailer back on the truck. Talk about a learning experience! Now when I put on the trailer, I jump on the hitch to make sure it is attached..lol. Some time could you post about how you picked OK from Alaska? Thanks so much for your blog. SJ near Vancouver BC Canada

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    1. SJ, I still jump up and down on my trailer hitch. I don't know where I learned that, but I just do. And I always connect my chains.

      Why Oklahoma? We lived in a different part of the state before we moved to Alaska. When we decided to return, this just seemed like the perfect place to be. Not many people and no snow to speak of. I joke about it, but now I shovel snow with a kitchen broom.

      Thanks for the comment.

      Frank

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  3. I have pulled the big cattle trailers, Gooseneck tandems and bumper hitch, they all have advantages and disadvantages. Showing cattle I had 7 x 20 Featherlite Gooseneck that was divided into two 10' sections. It was really good to load, stable, easy to pull and super to clean. Ralph asked me about a farm trailer and I think we will be getting a Tandem 16' flat deck bumper hitch [ My truck is a Dodge 4x4 with the Cummins motor]. I decided the bumper hitch over a gooseneck because we will need to be able to use the floor of the pickup without a hitch in the way. I have a good plan for stock racks to fit the trailer for hauling livestock and being a flat deck without the stock racks we will be able to haul hay and all sorts of other stuff. Lets face it a trailer is a big purchase and has to do more than sit around! I love the fact you keep your trailer so clean....it will last so much longer that way never mind the health benefits for livestock you purchase and haul.
    Is the floor treated wood?

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    1. Fiona, we also have a 16' utility trailer. It has one foot sides on it. To answer your question about the floor, it is wood, and I am going to guess it is treated wood. When the stock trailer came, it had a painted floor. The 16' flatbed trailer was part of my farm tractor package. It's not my favorite type of trailer, but for the most part, it gets the job done. And you are right, both of my trailers sit a whole lot. The last time I used the flat bed was to haul hay. Currently, it is still holding the shed I tore down and replaced. Thanks for the comments.

      Frank

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  4. Your parking lot scenario is true: a man hauling a long trailer drove too close to our parked truck and sideswiped us. As for me, I'm still learning how to back up with a trailer, and I try to avoid that situation if possible.

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    1. There are a whole lot of people out there that just don't pay attention. As far as backing up the trailer goes, it just takes a lot of practice. And go slow.

      Frank

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  5. First post. You probably know this about backing but just in case...
    Two key tricks. First slooooow is good. Second, put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. The rear of the trailer goes in the direction you move your hand.
    The professionals are probably laughing at me about now but it works.
    Found your blog at Patrice's.
    Terry
    Fla.

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    1. Thank you, that's a great idea. Next time I'm connected, I will certainly give it a try. Since I pull a trailer so seldom, when I start to back up, I have to stop and think which way the wheels are going. Thanks again.

      Frank

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  6. You might want to pay attention to what type of trailer your backing up...bumper hitch trailers react different than 5th wheel or gooseneck trailers. Also tandem can back in a tighter turn than tri-axle. Watch the side draft on your wheels. Keep those axles in proper alignment...watch the way your tires wear!

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    1. Fiona, that is great advice. It applies to big trucks and trailers, too. I once had two rear axles that were out of align and my trailer was about a foot more towards center than my cab. I pulled that from Washington state to Indiana, then switched trailers. Good advice we should all follow.

      Frank

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    2. Hi Frank
      Is there anywhere on your trailer that says who actually made the trailer? I see it was purchased through wwtrailer.com but your trailer is the perfect size, color and style we need! Thanks!
      Mindy

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    3. WWtrailer.com is the manufacturer, Mindy. I like the trailer for it's small size. We rarely use it to haul animals. When we bring new livestock home it is our quarantine pen. Most of the time it's used to haul supplies from big box stores. It pulls directly behind a full size pickup. I think it's considered to be a 10' version. It has a half door, front side entry, no storage area in the front, and no dividing gate in the center. The 12' version of this same trailer has a full size, front side entry door and a storage area. It's also 2' longer. I like mine, it works well. Hope this helps.

      Frank

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