Safr Aluminum Horse Trailers fill the void left by
Brenderup for fuel saving trailers
Easy Towing Rock
Solid Rugged Aluminum Horse Trailer
Part One
is about the Drive, Part Two will have more Details.
Click to see
the RFD segment
Building Trailers now for select dealers, for release to the public
September 2011
It's
all about shape for fuel economy, slant roof sides, radius nose and
rear wing. Like a HD Brenderup, similar weights and tongue weights.
The Safr aluminum horse trailer two horse straight load with ramp, weighs 2300lbs with a
light tongue weight and a 6000 lb. GVWR. Their trailers are low to the ground, axles are spaced for
stability and weight distribution which prevents teeter totter
action and
protects hoofs from getting stuck between the tires. These
days we all want better fuel mileage towing our trailers. Even if
fuel prices go down, we know they'll go back up. An all aluminum
horse trailer that's light and aerodynamic for easy towing,
may be part of the answer to affording our horse passion.
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Why not build a trailer to be aerodynamic, lowering wind resistance
to improve fuel mileage and using the air to stabilize the trailer.
It should be a priority with trailer manufactures now and if not now
when, when fuel is $10 a gallon? It's about function not just
beauty. But Safr is a good looking trailer, no one will call it the
"outhouse trailer." It's time to change the way horse trailers are
designed. And handling should be a design function.
Safr Trailers tows similar to
Brenderup's European design with no sway. I tried making Safr sway
without horses on curvy mountain roads. The swing was two times and
back to center. With horses at 60 mph and 45 mph wind gusts, Safr 2h
was very stable, tracked well and didn't move the GMC Acadia towing
it.
Safr uses
Solidworks 3D modeling
and Auto CAD. Solidworks modeling can simulate a virtual wind tunnel
to help determine the shape that tows easier to improve fuel mileage
and to stabilize how a trailer moves with air pressure. Safr
trailers are designed to withstand a roll over. With the philosophy
of safety that make seat belts in cars, the law. What has been
proven, keeping you in your car is better that letting you fly out.
Same for horse trailers, keeping your horse inside is better than
letting them fall out in a crash. The controversial shape of a
Brenderup with the rear wing is similar to Safr's rear spoiler to
deflect air down at the rear of the trailer to brake up the vacuum
at the rear of trailer that lets semi trucks suck a trailer off
course when they pass you. The Safr shape tows easier which is
why mid-size SUV's can tow them. |
http://safrhorsetrailers.com/
All
marine grade aluminum, this light weight and shape allows Safr Trailers to
be towed by smaller vehicles like this mid size GMC Acadia SUV. The
skin is thicker aluminum than most trailers. All aluminum frame, ¼ inch thick
frame under the
floor. It’s a heavy duty solid trailer and it tows that way with
very little flexing for structural integrity. I just towed it 300 miles with the GMC Acadia
in the Rockies, on winding windy mountain roads. It tracked well,
cornered well, was easy to control with two big quarter horses.
I
was surprised when the Acadia didn’t squat when I first hooked it
up. This was my first proof of how low the tongue weight is. The GMC Acadia is 4 wheel independent SUV that means rear
independent coils not leafs. That type usually sways more than the
sold mono beam axles with leaf springs. But the Acadia towing the
Safr didn't sway.
The axles are Dexter
EZ Lube torsion, spread apart for better handling and less flats.
The Dexter torsion axles are soft tuned at 3000 lbs. each. This trailer is a straight load ramp, they
will offer slant loads
and a unique reverse load I want to try next. The ramp lift is a
torsion rod like newer truck tailgates have. The top door is
European style with struts. There is a double door option.
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The trailer is tall at 7’6”
, 7'8" to
top sheet, 6 ft. wide so you
can see around it with regular mirrors. The ramp has one cam latch
and is a low angle. On the
inside it’s double walled up to the stall pads. All the lights
inside and out are LED. Picture
left, Safr parked next to a Brenderup Baron L. Big
difference, the Safr is taller, wider and lower to the
ground. |
Two brake options, electric or mechanical
surge. All the
wiring is two wire, which is unique so the ground goes to the same place in junction
boxes. A good thing to have, ground wires can be a constant problem
in trailer wiring. Safr has the ground wire going only to
the truck so it's always grounded when coupled to the tow
vehicle. I don't know of anyone else doing that. There are
also two junction boxes. The inside lights are red with hi and low intensity. Red is
suppose to sooth your horse.
Horses
are color blind, red is green, a soothing color. Red preserves your
night vision which is why cockpit lights are red. Truckers I know
put red lights on the floors of their trucks to get their eyes
working and not get hypnotized by the white lines in the road. All LED's. |
This 15.3 hand Quarter Horse has lots of room and great
ventilation space above, stall and head divider are made for
ventilation.
The
ramp is a slight angle, low to the ground. Safr is built low
to the ground to get it's center of gravity as close to the
ground as possible for stability. European top door with gas struts.
The ramp uses a torsion rod like newer truck tailgates use instead of struts.
Picture right, the Quarter
Horse has more than enough room in the heavily padded
stalls. You've get to see how thick and large the pads are. |
Tack room is a large tack
locker, not a dressing room. Has saddle racks and blanket
bar. The tack locker hides the spare under the floor.
Safr tires are balanced, now there are three
horse trailer manufactures that know why all tires need
balanced to last. I guess horses don't tell on them,
about vibration from unbalanced tires anyway.
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The adjustable breast bar and butt bar
snap in place with spring loaded ball bearings. This is a safety
factor as a lot of horse wrecks in straight load trailers are from
horses climbing over the breast bar. With Safr Trailers, you can
adjust the latch pressure from 200-250 lbs of force to drop the bar
down. So a horse jumping over a breast bar will just push down the
bar not get tangled. Spring loaded ball bearings are the latch.
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