Is it worth it to have a slide out installed on a horse trailer?

[bazman82]

We have a 2003 Keifer genesis4 (could be wrong on the number). It is a weekend package so the interior is bare. Cabinets on the door side and a small closet on the long wall. We have cot bunks set up on the long wall for the kids. We were looking into options for upgrading to a living quarters trailer, still 4 horse but the weights of those are too much for our 2015 silverado 2500. (14500 gooseneck towing capacity). The max weight for our Keifer has 10.5k on the tag. The box of the trailer is 24' in length and is only 7.6' wide. Space wise, there is plenty and there is nothing but 2 cot bunks in the way of a slide out. I just don't know the cost of having one installed. I am sure the axles and tires would need upgraded among other things but it has to be significantly cheaper than the 80k trailers we saw that were 9k weight dry. Or, the cost of a 3500 diesel.

We had the Keifer for about 12 years now and love the trailer so we don't mind having to do some upgrades to it knowing that it is already really light and basically a blank slate to work with. The slide out we would use to have bunks installed in. More space in the trailer and more comfort.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I guess it depend on how much it would cost to have the slide out installed ... I wouldn't think it be much more weight ?? a few 100lbs nothing the trailer can't handle...

 

[2manyrocks]

Part of the risk is if someone fouls up the installation or if the trailer just isn't engineered for a slide out conversion.

 

[bazman82]

Well, I'd hope to take it to a reputable place that has done those installs before. Figured several thousand would be a worthy investment for a trailer we would use for another 10 years or so. Don't get me wrong, I'd much prefer the 80k trailer but it's not in the budget.

 

[Jimbrown]

Have you thought about something like this?

Vacation’r Room- 20' - 21'

Vacation'r Room- 20' - 21' - Carefree of Colorado 292000 - Patio Awning Rooms

www.campingworld.com

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

You can slide a tent out pretty easy and set it up.

 

[bazman82]

You can slide a tent out pretty easy and set it up.

Haha....Yup, but the kids are only 6 and 9 and the main place we go camping with the horses is fairly remote and bears are common in the area. It was one thing we talked about but were not there yet.

 

[JPRambo]

My wife used to work (in the office) for a RV repair company. She saw all the billing for repairs and maintenance of RVs. They also were capable of this type of modifications. She is talking about this being a 8 - 10 thousand $ 'mod'. Stiffening the floor and wall around the slide our.
Also is there enough room between the front wall and forward axle to install the slide?

 

[5030]

Back when we had horses we stayed in a motel and the horse trailer stayed a horse trailer. Who wants to sleep in a stinky horse trailer anyway? Not us.

 

[bazman82]

What the horse trailer looks like. That was our old truck we used, don't worry, it was a 2500hd and pulled the trailer just fine.