Comments from horse peeps in the east frequently appear on Chronicle of the Horse forums <<<
There is also a facebook group, although not very active.
Happy Trails!
Monday, December 16, 2013
A dealer's update on what happened to Brenderup and comments about Böckmann trailers.
This note was received from a reader who received it from a former Brenderup dealer in Dec, 2013:
Attached is the spec page from the Brenderup brochure. Brenderup Real Trailers (the U.S. distributor) had one brochure to cover all of their long-offered models. The Horseliner was offered for a few years in the States and was not available when the brochure was printed. I tended to think of the Horseliner as a decontented Prestige (for horses to 16 hands), so the Prestige dimensions apply. If I recall correctly, the Horseliner empty weight is 1400 lbs. and the GVWR is 3500 lbs. If you look at the Horseliner, you should be able to verify the GVWR on the ID plate for the trailer.
I forgot to answer your question about whether Brenderups will again be offered in the States. The door is open, but I doubt it will happen. Brenderup has been owned for several years by Thule, the company well known for car top carriers and sport racks. Brenderup Real Trailers (the folks in Midland, Texas, that Americans thought of as Brenderup) was actually an independent distributor. They imported parts and assembled the trailers in Texas. They did all the North American marketing and created the informational DVD you may have heard mentioned. Trailer manufacturers are tiny compared to auto manufacturers. A trailer company that produces 1000-2000 horse trailers a year is actually a good-sized manufacturer. I estimate that Real Trailers sold about 400 Brenderups a year before the economy crashed. Considering that fuel in the States is relatively inexpensive, 400 units a year is a pretty good total (in my opinion) for a niche product. Which brings us back to Thule. Sales weren’t good enough for them. They threatened to appoint a new distributor, so the folks in Texas built a much larger facility and moved into it in the summer of 2008. And we all know what happened in September 2008. I suspect that a combination of higher cost structure and near-depression economy are the reasons why Real Trailers closed, although I’m sure we’ll never hear that from either side of the Atlantic. The running gear on the North American trailers was the same as that of the European trailers (chassis, axles, brakes, Inertia brake mechanism in the tongue), but the Solid Phenolic Core (SPC) walls were a North American innovation and lights and safety chains were arranged for North America. Since some details were different for America, apparently Thule decided to see if someone would step in to fill the role of Real Trailers rather than perform the modifications on the European production line. Even though we’re a big country, because of cheap gas, I think Thule sees us as a small market (and I can’t fault them for that). (However, we dealt with another trailer company that Thule bought, so we had two different windows to see how Thule operates. I was impressed, but not in a good way. Their racks are excellent, but if I need something and have a viable other-than-Thule alternative, I’ll buy the other product.)
Since we discussed the Böckmanns briefly (“Boeckmann” if no umlaut available), I’ve included a scanned image of a 2-page flyer so you can see some of the models I mentioned. The Champion R (for horses to 17 hands) caught on for us this year and has been very popular. It’s about the same size as the Brenderup Royal series. The Portax (for horses to 18 hands) was popular for us from the start and is still popular. They’re showing the 2012 style Portax on this flyer. The design changed slightly for 2013, but overall, it’s very similar. (Also, they’re showing the Portax AK, which has a front unload ramp. The most popular Portaxes have one or two front doors instead of the front ramp.) The Big Master is Böckmann’s Baron-sized trailer. All of the Böckmanns are about 4” taller than the Brenderups. The body length of the Big Master is about the same as that of the Baron and the Big Master is about 4-5 inches wider.
The trai are assembled in the German factory, so they’re not reliant on a North American assembly facility. The trailers have been imported into Canada for about 10 years, so there’s an established support infrastructure, which we thought would be reassuring to folks who might have been skittish after the sudden closing of Brenderup Real Trailers (after nearly 30 years in the North American market).
This Böckmann info was intended to be informational, since you seemed to be curious about the trailers. Hope it didn’t sound too sales-pitchy. I wasn’t trying to talk you out of the used Brenderups, as a good one can provide many years of excellent service.
I enjoyed our conversation. If you have any questions, feel free to email or call.
Regards,
Jon
Question about interior lights on Brenderup Horse Trailer
HI Jeff,
I am the second owner of this trailer. When I bought it, I was not able to get the interior lights to work, but the running lights are fine. A phone call to the dealer, and I was told that I needed to turn the interior light cover in the tack room to turn it on. This didn't work. The dealer had no idea about the interior trailer light. The wiring has a flat four plug - is this the problem, do you think?
Thanks,
Cathy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 3:22 PM, <jeff@kurtzinpa.com> wrote:
Thanks for writing, Cathy.
I am not certain about the lights in that particular trailer. On ours (Baron) the dome lights turn on by turning the covers... not a simple task. Then there is a light in the tack compartment that has an on off switch that turns.
The Brenderup lights aren't very impressive. The bulbs (if they look like a little torpedo) are available at most places that sell auto parts. They are used by BMW, Mercedes and AUDI for interior lights. Eventually I want to convert mine to LED lights with either a switch or just the stick on lights that you press to light. Available at Lowe's and Home Depot.
The flat four plug isn't the problem.
You could call Traveled Lane Trailers in MD and ask Suzie or John. They really know each model.
Let me know how you make out with this!
Happy Trails.
Jeff
~~~~~~~~
Thanks, Jeff!
I finally did get a reply from the dealer, will cut and paste it for you:
"If you have the wiring correct in your vehicle for all the lights to work including the one inside on top of the entry ramp then that light in the tack room should work too. If it doesn't work then the bulb might be burned out. You just twist the outside of the light and if it doesn't turn on then you push in and turn it and the plastic plate will come off and you replace the bulb. Have you checked your floor? The Brenderup floors are one solid piece so if the mats aren't picked up and off the floor then the floor will rot. To test the floor ( which is more of a concern to me then the lights) Take a screwdriver and poke it into the edges of the floor. If it penetrates then you need to start considering a new floor. If it doesn't then do yourself a favor and get some waterproof decking sealer and seal the floor. Pam"
I am the second owner of this trailer. When I bought it, I was not able to get the interior lights to work, but the running lights are fine. A phone call to the dealer, and I was told that I needed to turn the interior light cover in the tack room to turn it on. This didn't work. The dealer had no idea about the interior trailer light. The wiring has a flat four plug - is this the problem, do you think?
Thanks,
Cathy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 3:22 PM, <jeff@kurtzinpa.com> wrote:
Thanks for writing, Cathy.
I am not certain about the lights in that particular trailer. On ours (Baron) the dome lights turn on by turning the covers... not a simple task. Then there is a light in the tack compartment that has an on off switch that turns.
The Brenderup lights aren't very impressive. The bulbs (if they look like a little torpedo) are available at most places that sell auto parts. They are used by BMW, Mercedes and AUDI for interior lights. Eventually I want to convert mine to LED lights with either a switch or just the stick on lights that you press to light. Available at Lowe's and Home Depot.
The flat four plug isn't the problem.
You could call Traveled Lane Trailers in MD and ask Suzie or John. They really know each model.
Let me know how you make out with this!
Happy Trails.
Jeff
~~~~~~~~
Thanks, Jeff!
I finally did get a reply from the dealer, will cut and paste it for you:
"If you have the wiring correct in your vehicle for all the lights to work including the one inside on top of the entry ramp then that light in the tack room should work too. If it doesn't work then the bulb might be burned out. You just twist the outside of the light and if it doesn't turn on then you push in and turn it and the plastic plate will come off and you replace the bulb. Have you checked your floor? The Brenderup floors are one solid piece so if the mats aren't picked up and off the floor then the floor will rot. To test the floor ( which is more of a concern to me then the lights) Take a screwdriver and poke it into the edges of the floor. If it penetrates then you need to start considering a new floor. If it doesn't then do yourself a favor and get some waterproof decking sealer and seal the floor. Pam"
Monday, November 25, 2013
Floor repair photos.
I get lots of floor repair questions. This was one that arrived this morning:
"Hi, I live in southwest Florida (between Sarasota to the north and Fort Myers to the south). I purchased my brenderup new in 2008. The floor has water rot damage in the front of the trailer. Do you know anyone in Florida that does floor repair?"
One of my readers this spring returned the following photos of a really nice repair job:
https://plus.google.com/photos/108474721505505420021/albums/5950217411802742417
Click the link to see the other photos of that repair. I believe this was done by a boat dealer.
If you have photos of a successful repair please send them to me at Jeff@Kurtzinpa.com
Happy Trails! Jeff
.
s
"Hi, I live in southwest Florida (between Sarasota to the north and Fort Myers to the south). I purchased my brenderup new in 2008. The floor has water rot damage in the front of the trailer. Do you know anyone in Florida that does floor repair?"
One of my readers this spring returned the following photos of a really nice repair job:
https://plus.google.com/photos/108474721505505420021/albums/5950217411802742417
If you have photos of a successful repair please send them to me at Jeff@Kurtzinpa.com
Happy Trails! Jeff
.
s
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Someone wrote to me moments ago and the email vanished... Judy, if you are out there, please write again to jeff@kurtzinpa.com.
Her question was,"with all the options provided with my Jeep towing package I'm confused. Which tow bar do I use?" (paraphrased)...
This is a simple answer: Put 250# of weight in the bed of your tow vehicle. That's likely to be two of your average friends or a few bags of oats.
With the trailer empty and connected to the 2" hitch ball, the top of the ball should be at about 18" above the ground. With our Honda Ridgeline truck we use a straight bar that does not drop down at all. A taller vehicle would need a hitch bar that drops down the appropriate amount for the ball to be at about that height.
If you are shopping for the right part the people at most auto parts stores should be able to help.
If the ball is way too high your tow vehicle will be carrying extra weight. If the ball is way too low the trailer will not follow properly and there is a chance that the trailer will pop off of the balll.
I hope this helps. Please call or write if I can further explain.
Jeff Kurtz
www.Brenderhelp.com
570-401-4843
Her question was,"with all the options provided with my Jeep towing package I'm confused. Which tow bar do I use?" (paraphrased)...
This is a simple answer: Put 250# of weight in the bed of your tow vehicle. That's likely to be two of your average friends or a few bags of oats.
With the trailer empty and connected to the 2" hitch ball, the top of the ball should be at about 18" above the ground. With our Honda Ridgeline truck we use a straight bar that does not drop down at all. A taller vehicle would need a hitch bar that drops down the appropriate amount for the ball to be at about that height.
If you are shopping for the right part the people at most auto parts stores should be able to help.
If the ball is way too high your tow vehicle will be carrying extra weight. If the ball is way too low the trailer will not follow properly and there is a chance that the trailer will pop off of the balll.
I hope this helps. Please call or write if I can further explain.
Jeff Kurtz
www.Brenderhelp.com
570-401-4843
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
I had an email today about annual maintenance on a Brenderup. Most of what I am posting here is included in earlier posts, but it's fall and a good time to take a fresh look at the end of the season. Here are my suggestions:
Semi-annual -
- Grease three fittings (grease zerks) on hitch assembly. Two are obvious on top. Third is below the brake release lever underneath where the lever pivots. This is the only lubrication point on the entire trailer.
- Check the brake release lever for excessive travel. This is likely only to need to be adjusted every couple years. With the trailer not connected to the tow vehicle: Push the button on the break lever and move the lever to the lowered position so that the parking brake is not engaged. Now, lift the brake lever until it springs up, engaging the brake. Count how many CLICKS you hear as the lever is rising. You should hear two click and not more. These are two loud and fast clicks. If you hear three clicks, or more, the cable adjusting the brakes needs to be tensioned slightly. Below the lever assembly, under neath the trailer tongue you will see where the cable going back under the trailer is connected to the break lever with a threaded bolt that has two nuts against each other controlling the length of the cable. Hold the bolt from turning, loosen the first nut and then TIGHTEN the second nut to effectively shorten the cable and take up some of the slack going back to the trailer brakes. Test the lever again for clicks. When you release the lever and only hear two clicks then the cable is adjusted properly. Tighten the first nut against the second nut to hold the adjustment in place.
This cable also controls the brake being properly by the telescoping trailer tongue which creates what is called the Inertial Braking system. Failure to have this adjustment proper can cause the trailer brakes not to be applied and the trailer will push the tow vehicle when the tow vehicle is trying to stop. We learned about this the hard way when the loaded trailer pushed us down a mountain. \
This adjustment is not an indication of excessive brake wear. It is normal.
Annual -
-inspect brake shoes for wear. This DOES NOT REQUIRE removing the wheels!!! There is an inspection port (a small observation hole) in the backing plate of all four wheels. Scroll through my photographs and you will see what I am speaking of. This is exactly how brakes on a 1959 ford were inspected. You can see the brake show material through the opening and it is save until it wears down to a 2.5mm thickness. Then you need to start a replacement job. Not insurmountable. The brakes are adjusted in the hole just below the inspection port but they should only be adjusted when replaced. The brakes are self adjusting at all other times.
- Inspect wheel bearings for wear. Jack the trailer up so the wheels on one side are off the ground. Grasp the wheel at the top and wiggle it in and out to see if there is any side to side play. If the bearings are bad the wheel will be loose and you will probably hear a grinding noise when you spin the wheel. Bearings will likely last the life of the trailer unless you leave the parking brake engaged and drive 100+ miles. That's how our adventure all began. By the time we returned home the wheels were grinding when we turned a corner. Not good.
That's pretty much it for maintenance. I suggest propping the floor mats up so that the flooring can dry during the off season or if you find a lot of rain getting in thru the back door. Floors do rot and are a pain to deal with.
The interior light bulbs are available at any auto parts store. They are the same as used on the interior lights of AUDI and BENZ automobiles.
Happy Trails!
Jeff Kurtz
570-401-4843
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)