“2003 Dodge 2500 towing a Featherlite horse trailer.”

Kent

11 years ago

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All new 2003 Dodge diesel
pulling a
2003 Featherlite 3 horse slant bumper pull.

Picture Page

This is the factory
receiver hitch bolted through the end of the boxed hydroformed frame.

New Tracking bar (drag
link) mounts to the frame under the shock tower and the front axle, has
eyelets on each end.

You might need the lift
handles to get into the tall Dodge trucks. Or at least you’ll need them
if you ride with me on test drives up Poudre Canyon!

The truck was full
of gadgets like these adjustable cup holders.

Every truck should have
this big arm rest. foldable gates on the inside with a 12v outlet and a
large working space on top, good for writing notes. This model had
comfortable cloth wide seats for wide test drivers.

The power trailer mirrors pleasantly
surprised me. My experience with a single arm mirror in the past is shaky.
But when you fold this mirror out the rear vision is great, I had no problem
seeing around the 7 ft. Featherlite and the mirror was very stable even over
75 mph. These mirrors both have spotter mirrors which you need in multi-lane
traffic and were I drove in the Colorado Rockies.

The rear seat folds up
with some storage underneath and an optional steel shelf folds out from
underneath the seat.

The rear doors open
straight out 85 degrees, makes the Chinese fire drill a snap.


This is the receiver hitch bolted through the rear of the frame to apply pressure to both sides of the square tubing hydroformed frame.	This is one of the pipes welded inside the hydroformed frame where the bolts go through for the receiver hitch.	Everything is welded on the new hydro formed frame. Including axles. You can void the warranty if you weld or drill holes in the frame. The earlier owners manuals left that out. So see your dealer for the latest info from Dodge.	Another picture of how the rear bumper and receiver are attached to the hydroformed frame. With this new frame, you are going to need a factory receiver hitch to be attached properly.


This is the new way the receiver hitch is attached to the frame and next door is the old way.	This is the way we are used to attaching the receiver hitch to a truck frame. Yes it’s a Dodge, compare the two receivers.	The pre-launch version of the all new common rail Cummins diesel had more clutter under the oil filter. This production model was very accessible to the oil filter. A few decades of changing oil might cause deterioration on the ac compressor and wiring harness.	Is there enough wires hooked to the battery? I’d use a Optima battery so you don’t have corrosion with all those wires on one terminal.

Rubber on the front
bumper makes climbing up to check the oil easier, just don’t kick the
radiator fins too often.

You can reach the fuel
filter, you need to drain the water with the valve on the side anyway.

4″ exhaust from the
factory.

Here is the engine control
brain, all those wires, some for the solenoids that fire the injectors.


Here’s a cutout of the internal oil cooler.	This shows the high pressure common rail coming into the injector from the side with the electronic solenoid on top the injector.	Here is what the wastegate looks like inside the turbo, to dump extra exhaust the turbo can’t use.	The engine timing gears, wish gas engines had them.

A good looking well
balanced 3 horse slant with a dressing room model 9408 with a new color
for 2003

On this Featherlite
model below, the center post, comes out quickly as the rear tack wall
folds to the side so you can haul your 4-wheeler, hay and your brother
in-laws furniture when the horses are home.

New patented slam
latches have key locks, saddles aren’t cheap and padlocks are a pain.

Screen door on dressing
room, with two windows inside with screens. This trailer has 10 windows
on it. Their should be no problem getting circulation.

This is a well thought out
trailer backed by one of the pioneers in horse trailers. From what I’ve
seen you can get parts and help from Featherlite on 30 year old
trailers. Not many companies can say that. That kind of support tells
you something about future resell value! It should out last a few
trucks.

Sharp looking trailer
for decades!


Well made corners.	The dressing room has 2 windows with screens like the door.	Heavy duty aluminum floor with a thick rubber mat on floor and walls.	Even screened windows in the rear doors. Ten windows will be a breeze on those hot summer days.

Look at the diamond deck
plate protecting the trailer, it’s sharp and shiny.

Come visit me at
www.MrTruck.com, a special thanks to
Robert Lilly with Business Link Fleet Services, DaimlerChrysler for the use of the truck and Max-Air
Trailers www.max-airtrailers.com in Ft. Collins for the Featherlite trailer.

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Kent

First 32 years on the farm, moved to the big city to sell trucks to save the farm AD (after the divorce) sold pickup trucks for 10 years in Denver. Last 12 years I review trucks, trailers and towing accessories in horse magazines, Farm Journal, Fence Post and on RFD TV

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