Maybe the Governor has an inflated sense of self-importance since he did those potato ads on TV.

 

By golly, I'm lucky! I do have the controller and it's a Voyager. Flares will be a safety feature since I'll be driving by myself. And I've learned I have to check each state for hay regulations and rest stops that allow horses to rest! I'll make sure that the trailer I'm renting for Saturday has the required brakes for Oregon. I can't imagine that it won't.

 

I suppose when you bought the truck you looked at that strange looking box with the funny name on it and said, "Gee, I wonder what this thing is?"

It sounds like you are a very lucky lady. The previous owner seems to have been pretty serious about towing. You may find a transmission cooler has already been installed as well. Pop the hood and peek in front and behind the radiator. I'm sure you'll see a small one (about 4 inches wide by 8 inches long), but that's for the power steering fluid. You are looking for a large (maybe 12 by 18 inch) radiator. If you see that third larger cooler, you are the proud owner of a vehicle that will take you and your horses anywhere in North America.

 

I am really lucky. I do have the cooler and the brake control already installed. The previous owners were emaculate with this truck. The test will be Saturday. I'm having a friend go with me since I'm so new at this. But, I'm a quick learner and not afraid to start on this adventure. All of your responses have been educating and I thank you. Now---I need to find a used 2 horse/slant trailer to buy so that I don't have to continue renting.

 

One other thing about towing trailers - you have to make wide turns, or you'll be bouncing over curbs, knocking down street signs, and maybe fire hydrants, etc...

 

Looks like Silverado has some decent deals on used stock. May not be a bad idea to pick it up and drive it back just to get used to it.

Silverado

 

I found out about making wide turns with my minivan! Took part of the parking garage with me. Lessons well-learned. I will keep you advised as to how the first towing went!

 

Debbie another thing to keep in mind, those horses are standing up back there. Anticipate your stops so you can start them earlier than you normally would and accelerate slower than you normally would. Your turns should be slow, wide, and steady speed (don't acceleate until your completely straight again). All this will keep your horses from getting bumped around any more than neccessary.

There are two opinions about tying horses in trailers. One says don't tie them at all, the other says tie them short so they can use the lead to help steady themselves or pull themselves up if they fall. If you do tie them down, its just like tying them anywhere else, don't tie them long unsupervised, they could get hung up in the rope.

I take an adjustable nylon tie-down strap to the saddle shop and have it shortened and a panic snap attached a to one end. They're good for securing the horse inside the trailer, and can also be used to tie him safely to the outside of the trailer. (especially since my wife and kids can't tie a slip knot in a lead rope.) You can buy bungee tie-downs designed to secure a horse in a trailer, but I've seen them break to many times.

Have fun on your trip!!

 

Your advice is well-taken. My trainer and her husband are coming with me, so I will be in good hands. The trailer is a 2 horse slant so that will help. We will be traveling on I-5 South from Portland area so there won't be too many curves. We plan to keep the mph at a steady 50 mph. Another question, my truck seems to be slow responding to brake pressure. Maybe it's just me not being use to it. My Windstar almost stops too fast.

 

Slow to respond with or without a trailer?

When I first bought my '98 I thought the brakes felt soft. After investing in new pads, shoes, turned drums and rotors....they still feel soft. Oh well, they get a clean bill of health from the shop. I guess that's just they way it is.

If the truck is slow to respond with the trailer attached then the brake controller may need adjustment. If you dont have the book you can get one online. The adjustment **** on the left side controls the voltage to the brakes. With the brake depressed turn the **** (BTW if the trailer isn't hooked up this won't work) The lights should go from green to orange/red. The more you turn the **** the "redder" it gets, and the more braking you get. The slider switch moves from left to right and is used for a "crash stop". It applies full power to the brakes and will cause lockup, but is great to use if the trailer starts to sway on the highway. A quick pop on the crash bar will briefly apply the trailer brakes and stop the sway.

Hope this helps.

 

Your truck probably feels 'slow' to respond because it is SOOO much heavier than the minivan. It's just one of those things that you'll get accustomed to with time. Personally, I think the F150 could use larger rotors and stronger calipers.

 

The '97 F150 I had and the '98 F150 my wife had both had poor brakes in my opinion. I believe its just the design.

Seems like around '99 or '00, Ford made a big improvement on the brakes. The '02 I have now will has great breaks (4 wheel disk)

 

I kind of thought the slow response was because of the truck's weight. I'm getting used to it. The trail ride was great. However, the trailer that I rented wasn't returned by the previous renters so I didn't get my chance to tow. I'm buying my own trailer this coming weekend.

 

Debbie,

Have you found a source for this information on the internet? If so, could you please post a link?

I'm hauling my horse and bird dogs to a field trial near Reno, Nevada, and was wondering whether I should worry about the hay regulations.

 

I was told to check with the Department of Transportation of each state you would be traveling through. At least they could point us in the right direction. I would even check with the parks/recreation department of the state(s).