Posted 2007-04-02 10:42 AM (#58284 - in reply to #58283) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Expert
Posts: 2614
Vaquero,man,you know better than to open up that can of worms,don't you?
I've seen horses of ALL breeds blow up.You are enough of a horseman to know that it's not in the breed,necessarily.There are goofy quarter horses,just as there are goofy foxtrotters,Aps,Arabians,whatever.
And,I'm not saying her horse was goofy,either.I've seen the most dead broke horse ever go ballistic over something,who knows what? No one but that horse.
Hey,they're just animals!
This will probably get a whole "nother" big hullabaloo going,so,"I'm out of here."
Posted 2007-04-02 11:33 AM (#58291 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Location: Texas
Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I thought this thing had deteriorated to a general BS session and just thought I would offer up that I sometime take my horses behavior and genetically founded temperament for granted. I wasn't trying to offend anyone's higher sensibilities, or take shots at any breed or backyard breeding program which might perpetuate less than desirable traits. I sincerely appologize if it came across wrong and beg forgiveness.
Posted 2007-04-03 9:04 PM (#58422 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Member
Posts: 18
Location: Ocala, Fla
It's not just the Sport model having problems..it's any trailer made by Universal...the dealer I just bought my Trailet from stopped selling them due to very high customer dissatisfaction..the plain and simple truth is the trailers SUCK..I have a friend who is meeting with a lawyer next week because of all the problems with her Exiss...wants her money back and rightfully so. Word to the wise...get a competent mechanic to make sure that you have clearance between the wheels and the fenders so you don't have multiple blowouts and/or horrific accident..(trust me on this)...the trailers have significant structural flaws..or just do what Universal is probably telling the OP to do for her roof problem..get a giant roll of Reynolds Wrap(not the heavy duty kind) and re=wrap your roof..dont forget to tape the edges cause it is made to keep water out not horses in!!! Not a troll here, just stating the facts painful as that might be for Rodney and TJ...run screaming frm Universal Trailers...y'all have a nice day now!!!
Posted 2007-04-03 9:05 PM (#58423 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
New User
Posts: 1
Location: New York
I felt I should post after reading much of the discussion on the Exiss trailer in which the horse put its head through the rood. First I own a Exiss Event model and love the trailer. No problems with it, no complaints. I have walked on the roof when I was cutting an opening to put a air conditioner in. It was strong and sturdy. We happen to know the people involved in this incident. When my wife saw the hole in the trailer she had me go look at it, as she worried for our horses safety. We know the horse who was in the trailer and caused the hole. He is extremely quiet. I could not picture what I was being told. To say the least I was shocked...I thought at first that there must have been a split near the vent to have caused such a opening. That it had a weak spot. I wish I had kept the piece of roof I removed from our trailer as once I looked at that one, I was very surprised at how thin the roof was compared to my Exiss trailer. If this horse had been a very rank, wild horse, I can only image the damage he would have done to himself. Luckly he is quiet and sensible. Or it could have been much worse. My wife and I have had horses our whole lives and have been 4-H leaders for over 20 years. So we have seen many new horse people over the years. Many have asked me to go with them to pick out trailers as they don't know what to look for. But not all new horse people have anyone to ask. We love our Exiss..like I said no problems with us. I will say it did surprise me that when Exiss heard what happened that they didn't want a dealer to check it out. See if it was a defect. As no horse should be able to do this. I have since read on this forum that the Exiss Sport is a cheaper version and people are getting what they paid for. That you don't see that make at places like the Quarter Horse Congress. What many fail to realize..the people who bought this trailer thought it was a very good trailer. Why wouldn't they? Because their horse is not a World Champion is it any less valuable? That is pretty harsh. What would I have expected from Exiss? That they would have at least checked out the trailer to see if it was a defect. If it wasn't that they would be willing to look into why it was so easy for a horse to do this. These people paid $18,000 for this trailer...most people would think that was a very good trailer. Maybe..the Exiss Sport should not be on the market and Exiss should be helping people find used Exiss Eventers that are better made.JMHO But believe me if you knew this horse and saw this trailer..you would understand how these people feel.
Posted 2007-04-03 9:19 PM (#58427 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Member
Posts: 18
Location: Ocala, Fla
Thank you for letting everyone now that this was not a rank horse or a novice handler. The trailer that is going to litigation is a Event model so don't give them any more credit then the sport model. Wake up and smell the lawsuits Exiss..I don't know about other people on this site but $18,00 is nothing to sneeze at but the trailer I'm talking about went for $40+ grand so more money does not necessarily make it a better built trailer.
Posted 2007-04-04 7:18 AM (#58447 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
New User
Posts: 2
Location: PA
Its all plain and simple. Buy cheap, receive cheap. You only get what you pay for.So how much money did you save? Was it realy worth the few bucks you saved now?I wouldn't put my dog in a trailer made by Universal!!!
Posted 2007-04-04 9:24 AM (#58453 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Member
Posts: 18
Location: Ocala, Fla
I guess I'm still in the dak ages when I paid $6 grand for my Merhow 23 yrs ago and just replaced it with a new Trailet for $20. I thought $42 grand was alot of money
Posted 2007-04-04 11:28 AM (#58466 - in reply to #58422) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Location: CO
Sorry...
It's not just the Sport model having problems..it's any trailer made by Universal...the dealer I just bought my Trailet from stopped selling them due to very high customer dissatisfaction..the plain and simple truth is the trailers SUCK..I have a friend who is meeting with a lawyer next week because of all the problems with her Exiss...wants her money back and rightfully so.
Posted 2007-04-04 4:22 PM (#58488 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Member
Posts: 48 Location: Wadena MN
The saying "you get what you pay for" DRIVES ME CRAZY... Tell me how much does it cost for a “GOOD” trailer??? 10 thousand? 100 thousand? BIG BUCKS does not equal QUALITY.. QUALITY equals QUALITY. Look at the product, Is it manufactured well? Big name = Big Advertising mark up and a lot of GREED.. That over priced “GOOD” quality item is the same Quality item on the Clearance rack….MaryM
Posted 2007-04-04 6:03 PM (#58499 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Expert
Posts: 2689
Hmmm, I guess I got to THIS party very late (-:
I think I see the problem ("issue" ?) as one of conflicting goals, which I'll guess as;
Low center of gravity, for stability, hence lightweight roof - common practice.
Low cost, particularly on low end model - hence even thinner roof sheet metal.
Strength requirement to withstand impact of horse's head - perhaps ?
Need to cut holes for vents, compromising sheet strength.
Guessing even farther; Openings CAN be reinforced, the low cost goal might have overridden such "better manufacturing engineering".
Design effort to better place the vents and resulting weak spots would have added to project cost and perhaps time to market, although perhaps not to unit cost.
I doubt that this was considered.
I really don't think that trailer manufacturers generally consider roof strength to be important - or, "Yeah, its just there to keep the rain out".
Personally I think that "In a roll-over, its ALL over" - so don't, just DON'T !
So, what to do ?, what to do ?, what to do ?
I've added 1 inch foam and an even thinner aluminum "ceiling" for thermal insulation. I don't know if it represents approximately a bicycle helmet for the rearing horse case, but I HOPE that the aluminum/foam/aluminum sandwich is at least a little bit better than air/aluminum/sky.
I could do something better, I might do something better, I'll develop a goal set first (-:
Dissipate the impact of a model horse head weighing x and moving at y ft/sec ?
Under $0.50 a sq ft for materials ?
Under 8 oz per sq ft ?
Define the likely impact zone.
Posted 2007-04-04 6:16 PM (#58502 - in reply to #58488) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by marym on 2007-04-04 4:22 PM
The saying "you get what you pay for" DRIVES ME CRAZY... Tell me how much does it cost for a “GOOD” trailer??? 10 thousand? 100 thousand? BIG BUCKS does not equal QUALITY.. QUALITY equals QUALITY. Look at the product, Is it manufactured well? Big name = Big Advertising mark up and a lot of GREED.. That over priced “GOOD” quality item is the same Quality item on the Clearance rack….MaryM
I usually phrase it as "You almost never get more than what you pay for, often less."
I don't know that thinner material reduces the cost of each trailer by very much. It reduces weight and on the roof that IS important. It is slightly quicker and therefore cheaper to drill holes through. It requires a little less heat to weld, less energy to run the fork lift trucks to move each sq ft of it around, etc. When its all added up it probably saves the company a great deal, but per trailer I doubt that it is more than a couple of hundred bux.
Better design (design quality) and design for manufacture COULD save a lot per trailer,
but the manufacturers don't seem to believe they have the volume to absorb such front end costs {self fulfilling WHAT ?}
(-:
Posted 2007-04-04 6:32 PM (#58509 - in reply to #58505) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Veteran
Posts: 238 Location: West Coast
Originally written by Terri on 2007-04-04 4:21 PM
I wonder why most of the Exiss bashers are new posters?
Yah, I wondered that too. I also find it interesting that in this, and other posts, when the Exiss bashing starts, a great many of the Exiss bashers have never even owned an Exiss.
Posted 2007-04-04 7:15 PM (#58519 - in reply to #58044) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Expert
Posts: 2689
OK,
Pillow fight is ON !
I think the problem is potentially there in most aluminum trailers.
It is probably there in all lightweight roof trailers.
One of the reasons that I have what I have was a post WAY long ago in this forum (I think, but it might have been in a different forum/group) that said a horse had stuck it's head through a 'glas roof and got lots of shards in it's neck. MANY vet hours to pick them out, LOTS of blood, etc.
Anyway, I'm more interested in solutions than bashings and retributions.
Who's up for a "better" roof design ?
What do those honeycomb materials weigh & co$t, say in 1 inch thick sheet ?
Would that dissipate these sorts of impacts ?
or at least minimize injury and damage ?
Posted 2007-04-04 7:25 PM (#58520 - in reply to #58519) Subject: RE: Exiss Trailer
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
I don't think the roof of my steel trailer is all the thick either. Everytime I get up there I walk on the ribs, if I step on the sheet metal it flexes and "pops" and it makes me nervous.
Exiss Trailer
It's OK,no need to beg,and no apology needed.No offense taken!
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