I had friends look at a 2 horse Lakota BP LQ at the Equine Affaire last year. When the dealer went to pull it out of the building on Sunday it tipped a forklift up on the front wheels. This was the same forklift they were moving big LQ's around with.

My friends killed the deal right there, because they didn't have the opportunity to test drive it. The dealer working the show was unsure of the tongue weight and wouldn't/couldn't make any promises about the ability of the F250 Superduty to haul it.

Lakota is owned by a former big wig in the RV industry, which probably explains the unique design of these units. But I don't believe he/they have correctly engineered a trailer that is going to be empty behind the axles sometimes and carry a load sometimes.

Hope it works out for you!

Jubilee, those bumper hitch numbers for the DRW 350 dually are 6000# and 15,000# and that's with the tow boss option. The big dually difference come it when you start figuring the weight you're going to sit in the bed, fifthwheel, gooseneck, pallet of cement etc, the weight you are carrying. You'll get it all figured out and all this will be good info for others considering a setup like you got.

By the way....Sharp rig!!

The Chevy 1500 Avalanche with a 5.3 engine is good for 7000#-7200# towing.

Somewhere in between are the numbers for the 2500 series with the 6.0 gasoline engine.

The 2500 is rated at 12,000# with the 8.1 engine. These are numbers using a... Weight distributing hitch and anti-sway devises.

So, a properly equipped Chevrolet Avalanche is capable, to tow between 7000# and 12,000#.

I have a reese hitch on this truck...no bumper.  I have always been afraid to hook right onto a bumper when towing horses.  The truck I have is F250, Diesel, Super Duty 4X4.  when towing I don't even feel the trailer, loaded or unloaded.  The sway is the only time I notice it is behind me.

I have an appointment this week to see a hitch person about heavy duty anti-sway bars (2).  I want to be sure I need a weight dist bar as some design changes have to be made to my tongue because it holds the battery and electricial wires for the rig.

Ive been following this thread and havent really disagreed with any advice youve been given. I applaud you for your calm and educated approach to the situation.  I remember the thread retento mentioned where the girl just went ballistic with no information. I have made some observations, you claim a loaded trailer weight of 8000#. That would require a loaded tongue weight of 800-1200#. The 1200# tongue weight you mentioned, is that loaded with the horses? If it is not, I can almost certainly guarantee both horse are behind the axle pivot point and will unload from that 1200# tongue weight. Whether or not it would go below the required 800#, I dont know. That trailer is setup similar to an rv (specifically a toy hauler), the axles are placed in such a manner as to balance the load to keep the tongue weight in check, forward axle placement is the primary reason for sway. From an engineering stand point I have no doubt the axle are placed properly, but sometimes in the real world things dont pan out like they do on the drawing board.  Weight behind the axles allows for the pendulum effect to get started, allowing sway.  The axle could be placed farther back, but the tongue weight would be excessively high. A typical 2h BP cant "sway", a 3H can much more easily......and the one you have looks like a prime candidate to sway. There is no reason a diesel truck cant handle 1000-1200# of tongue weight (assume the receiver is rated that high in WC mode) without a WDH. However a WDH with sway control is a good insurance policy with a trailer of those weights. I will say that using sway control just to make the trailer "towable" is a recipe for disaster. If it takes sway control to just pull down the road, what is going to happen in an emergency? You need to determine the problem, make the trailer towable without assistance, then use the WDH/sway control as backup.  Personally I wont pull a BP horse trailer that is longer than ~14 feet, beyond that a GN has considerable advatages.  Good luck and be safe.

The manufacturer is sending their rep to install a weight distribution/sway system.  We will then test it for sway and hopefully it will pass.  If not they will help me find a solution.

I want to thank you for your compliement and if it is any help to anyone else I have learned not to get upset and angry because no matter what you have to find a solution.  Problems do tend to find us and without solutions we cannot move on.

Thank you

First I want to say I did not forget to give everyone a follow-up, it just takes time to test a change especially when you work full time.

Anyway, I put a "solid" hitch with a 4" drop on my truck.  My husband felt that the trailer was not level.  We took a level out and he was right.  With the 4" drop, (the solid hitch, which I did not know exsisted was easy to find when my attention was focused on that product), and measured on the bumper and then on the step into the living accomodations and she was level, a little bit high on the front before the hitch but then again it was hard to find a level surface to do it correctly as the battery and wiring is in the way.

We did expect some weight to come off the tongue when we loaded two horses but wanted to be sure (empty 1,200 #'s) it did not go below 800#'s.  I have to say it is not going under 800#'s but I need to have it weighed to confirm that. 

When I load 2 horses the bubble on the legel moves forward indicating that the load it taking weight off the tongue...but she is still in the level area which is what it should do as I don't want more weight than what I have empty.

Now - from these responses from everyone, one thing that stayed with me...fix the problem and then go forward and put devices on to provide "safety".

Today I am dropping the unit off for a reese equalizer with antisway bars.

I will notify Lakota that all dealers should sell this unit with this attachment for our safety.

P.S. the hitch place says (and he has been doing these installations for over 35 years) - his opinion....- this trailer is made correctly but should never be towed without safety bars on it.  So why was I sold a trailer that was not safe to haul two horses in?

I'll let you know the difference when I drive it with the equalizer on it.  I'll also let you know the model # of reese hitch.

Again, I cannot thank all of you for your help - what a group of knowledgable people I have met.

I can tell you that I have the 2 horse HUT version (not the round nose and not the 8 wide) I have had no problems pulling it. It came with a weight distribution hitch and sway bars. I do not use the sway bars unless I am going on long trips on the highway. I have pulled it with a 1500 and a 2500. The only real difference I could tell was the 1500 squated in the rear end, not real bad, but some. Don't see that in the 2500. Both pulled and stopped well. Of course the 2500 pulled easier. Lakota has been great to work with, for any little problems I have had. None have had to do with pulling. For some reason, people love to knock this trailer, despite not ever having owned one or pulled one. One story when they first came out with it where somebody got a lemon seems to have impacted lots of people. You have to dig deep to find the outcome of that story where a lady had one and it swayed with and without horses in it. Mine is a 2011 model.

Check this site, I typically see several for sale, course they might be a bit far away for you!