Today I did some measurements. I laid a board flat on the trailer floor and measured the distance to the ground where it extends out past the rear of the trailer. This measurement would be called the height of the trailer floor. I stopped by my distant cousin’s trailer sales lot yesterday. He volunteered that most trailers floor are 13 inches high. Parked in the same location where Magic has been loading so good, the height was 11 inches. The height was caused by the low spot for the trailer wheels. I moved it where it was parked last week when Magic did not like to load. The height was 19 inches. I found a more favorable position to park the trailer yet very near this bad position / location which resulted in a floor height of 14 inches. I got Magic out of his stall. He showed some reluctance to approach the trailer. He remembered what happened when we were there last week. This was what I was wanting, the old memory but now with a lower trailer height. Everything the same except the key factor I wanted to test. He walked up to the trailer, looked it over and said “John, this is cool. No problem.” then stepped up in the trailer. We did it again but I was convinced. The solution to this problem is to park the trailer in a favorable position (not always possible) or a ramp might work. In the future, after I build some obstacles like Clinton Anderson’s, Magic might load in a bob truck. But I need a right now solution.
I parked the rig on a level area and measured 18 inches. I made some 4″x6″ blocks that I could drive the rear wheels up on and drove up on them. It took 4 wheel drive and low range gears but it raised the rear wheels 4 inches. This lowered the step up to 16 inches. Not enough.
So I will build a loading ramp on the trailer. I have wanted to try a two horse trailer style stocks in this trailer for some time. It is a bumper pull trailer and this will best position the horse weight in the trailer. They will have to back out and I think a ramp will help with this. I went by Miller’s this afternoon and got the steel. This will give me a very large 2 horse trailer with tool and tack storage up front. In the 70’s I hauled 4 horses in this trailer. My horses are bigger today and not even one will fit in the back compartment.