some trailer questions

[Gem's Mom]

I have some trailer questions...

In the horse compartment of our new trailer there's a slide open window at the head and a slide open window at the butt. Plus two of those two way roof vents per stall. The back door is in two parts, you can take the top part off. With the slide windows and all the vents open and that door section off will that be enough ventilation for the horses traveling in the summer?

For our long trip (6ish hrs down to Eminence MO) in August we leave at the butt crack of dawn (4am-ish) to get the traveling done while it's still cooler out.

With all those pop up 2 way vents... which way do you pop them up? I'm thinking face them forward unless it's cold (winter time) or it's raining. Put some forward some backward? I've never had that kind of vent so I'm clueless :P

While looking for other random trailer parts I came across screens for the swing down doors. The kind you mount so you can leave those head doors open and the horse can't stick his head all the way out the window. Is that something I should look into? Or is it enough to have the slider window open? We drove behind someone once who had those head windows open and one horse has his head waaay out... every time another vehicle came down the road (was a narrow blacktop) the horse trailer moved over practically on the shoulder because the horse was sticking his nose out to smell the other vehicles! There was nowhere for the guy to pull over to put the window back up for several miles. I about had a heart attack just watching. So I don't want that to happen to us!

If we want to leave those drop down windows open, we'll need new door catches... where do you find those? What kind to use? The ones that are broken off are the kind that have a nub sick out on the window and then a rubber O on the trailer wall that holds that nub. I've also seen the kind where one side is a little bar shaped like a t and the other has a catch for it. What would work best for that kind of window?

Is there any website that is your "go to" site for missing/broken/replacement trailer parts? Right now I'm looking at rvsurpluss.net and they seem to have a lot of stuff but not the horsey stuff.

I'm sure I'll have more questions later lol Thanks in advance for any help!!

[WashingtonBay]

IMHO, if you're using a trailer in summer, you can't have too much ventilation. I'd always opt for more. I'd probably opt to have the top door off for most summer trips, put it on for winter.

[Gem's Mom]

I had figured on that part of the door coming off. Not sure about the drop down windows or which way to put the vents though.

[TLC97]

Open towards the front lets air in, open towards the back lets warm air out.

[WashingtonBay]

If it's warm out, open them forward so they scoop air in as you move. - I thought it sounded like you answered your own question there :)

I think I need pics to know what you're talking about with the windows... I do agree with you that the horse shouldn't be able to stick a head out... I don't even like it stopped, let alone going down the road.

[JackieB]

What WB said. Scoops facing forward and as much ventilation from windows as you can possibly get without horses being able to put their heads out.

[Gem's Mom]

OK, here's some pictures. You've pretty much answered my vent questions, thanks! For the front though... just open the window or get the screens (kinda pricey) and open the doors too?

front of stall with roof vent and manger door open
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_53YAnhL9yaw/TBKAglGwoaI/AAAAAAAAGqg/zLwNVUlpEGI/s512/front%20of%20stall%20inside.JPG

back of stall with roof vent and butt window (no screen on that one... watch out for flying poo!)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_53YAnhL9yaw/TBKAjLdGsXI/AAAAAAAAGqo/k-2YWGijK9I/s512/back%20of%20stall%20inside.JPG

manger door shut, window open, is that enough? (yeah, hubby broke that latch... added to list of stuff to fix)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_53YAnhL9yaw/TBKAm_Xn7jI/AAAAAAAAGpw/5L98t3Ukxpo/s640/manger%20door%20inside.JPG

We're removing the solid section of the manger dividers. More air flow, they can see each other, share hay and if anyone doesn't get along they can just wear a basket muzzle. We cut that out with a borrowed plasma cutter (I did part of it woo!) but the electrode wore out (just our luck) so now we need to replace that part before continuing. I should be out there grinding the edges now while it's rainy and cool.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_53YAnhL9yaw/TBKAlEae54I/AAAAAAAAGqs/nFqxfXNjhuY/s512/one%20cut%20out%20manger%20divider.JPG

back door, planning on removing top section whenever we haul horses
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_53YAnhL9yaw/TBKAwWr977I/AAAAAAAAGq0/rEvtL-rcXr0/s512/back%20door%20inside.JPG

[WashingtonBay]

Well, ride in it on a hot day when it's been sitting in the sun all day and see.... see how much wind flow you get with just the windows... and how much you get with the whole door open. I can see some days when it's hotter than blazes in summer, the little windows not being nearly enough. See for yourself! Then you'll know where the cutoff is... from personal experience. :)

[AUEquine]

I'll admit I was never a fan of the horses heads out the window, but with my new trailer it's the lesser of two evils. My new trailer doesn't have roof vents, and if I only slide the window's open the horses are covered in sweat when I get somewhere. So if I'm not getting on the interstate (which I usually don't have to) I open their window's fully and Fiddler sticks his head out... Cash tends to just stick his nose out. Fiddler pulls his head in when we get up over 50 usually. Even on narrow roads I've never been nervous about someone hitting him, his head doesn't stick out farther than my tires.

So from my experience with ventilation in the trailers... more more more! Fiddler still sweats some even with the windows fully open. So open the roof vents, open the top back doors, any thing you can. With the mangers... can you horses still get their heads out the window, or just their noses? If you're traveling interstates and they can get their heads out, I'd leave them up and only slide them open. You may want to put a fly mask on them to prevent things from flying in their eyes (dust, bugs, etc).

[vicklynn]

I would have the vents open where the air comes IN the trailer so it can help circulate and help push the hot air out.
The head windows, leave up and open.
Leave the back windows open. Looks like you will get plenty of air flow.
Just went and looked at your trailer again.
Leaving the head windows down, anything can hit them, ie flying rock, just anything.

Can you put bigger vents in the top?

[Gem's Mom]

I don't think I can put bigger vents up there. There's already 8 of those 2 way vents. I'm looking into window screens... they're like $30-50 each though. I emailed the store about the more expensive ones and she said they are nosey horse proof. I'm still gonna shop around though.

[vicklynn]

Screens would be cool! Then you could leave the windows down and not worry about flying objects.

I was wondering about the vents, beings you had 2 per stall. That should be fine.

Are you eventually painting it? Lighter color may keep it cooler...I duh know???

[WashingtonBay]

I don't think I can put bigger vents up there. There's already 8 of those 2 way vents. I'm looking into window screens... they're like $30-50 each though. I emailed the store about the more expensive ones and she said they are nosey horse proof. I'm still gonna shop around though.

Maybe you could make something like I made for my truck, to be dog proof. Dogs are probably just as hard, or harder, on screens than a horse nose would be! Had the same problem, didn't want dogs sticking their heads out, or climbing out, but wanted to be able to open it up when it's hot.

It's a strong wire mesh you can get at any hardware store, we made a wood frame and screwed it to the canopy, you could do that, or even make something with a hinge that could open... would be cheaper than $30-50 EACH! :huh:

Searched around in my photos till I found one that showed what we made... I think this does...

[pasolover2]

Have you checked into something like these:
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=eb05e4ac-3d5e-45cb-a6a6-8f2cc5cc2f68 made for horse trailers, I see many people with them here and I don't see horses heads stuck out when they use them. The Sundowner we had had the bars over the opening when the window was down, so I haven't used them but looks like they would work and aren't too pricey.

[Peggy Sue]

When the head door are down while traveling it warps your hinges :) Mine actually has a little warning sticker saying NOT To do it

[cowboyup3371]

I know at one time horse.com at stuff for the trailer; did you look at them? Otherwise, you can talk to your local dealer or even a trailer supply (the kind for regular trailers) and they might know who you can get stuff from.

[Gem's Mom]

I ordered cheap ($7) screens from horse.com. I figure we'll put them up and if someone ::cough:: Gem ::cough:: tears theirs down then we'll stop and pop up his window. No air for you! I'm on the fence about putting fly masks on them too, I have in other trailers because not all the windows had screens but on this one the only non screened part is the butt window and that top door at the back.

I also have new door holder opener things coming, we'll try to put them more in the middle of the door so the hinges have less stress when driving around with them open. I didn't think about that when I had the open window idea... If I need to I can get 2 holders for each door and have them really secure and padded when they're open.

I have the solid metal cut out of the manger dividers, ground down and a coat of rustoleum primer on the whole inside. Next is the silver paint. It will be daylight in there even in the middle of the night lol. I painted the inside of Big Blue silver when I had it and it made a huge difference.

[Gem's Mom]

I love silver paint :-D

before, taken outside, broad day light
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs560.snc3/30625_596822990142_36100638_34281476_3958332_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs560.snc3/30625_596822980162_36100638_34281475_6164803_n.jpg

after, taken with the trailer in the barn in the shade
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_53YAnhL9yaw/TBu5ZtRVj0I/AAAAAAAAGxM/okN918s4jgM/s512/CIMG3969.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_53YAnhL9yaw/TBu5bcyye-I/AAAAAAAAGxQ/RZ6i8slpvHI/s512/CIMG3970.JPG

[WashingtonBay]

That cleaned up beautifully! :cheers:

[Gem's Mom]

I was gonna do 2 coats of silver but it was such a pain in the butt I may leave it at 1. We had to use everclear to get the paint off of me. Guess it's a good thing we have part of a handle left over from our wild parties lol.