Is a “Slide Out” Living Quarters Horse Trailer Right for You?

If you’re the type who likes a bit more elbow room in your living quarters horse trailer, than a slide out feature may be your best bet.  It can turn your seven or eight-foot wide trailer into a spacious retreat-on-wheels with enough room to dance the night away!

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the things you should know if you are thinking about a slide out on your living quarters horse trailer.

What is a Slide Out?

Just like on an RV, a slide out is a moveable compartment that can be extended to enlarge your trailer’s interior.  Think of it as an opened drawer that allows for more room on the inside. 

Slide outs can be used to extend any portion of a trailer.  We’ve even seen RV’s with up to four slide outs extending the length of their rig.  Talk about a palace on wheels!  Even a kitchen can be made into a slide out – although it’s not the best idea given the water and gas lines involved.

For Double D Trailers, we typically like to include the slide out in the sofa sitting area or the dinette area.  Although we’ve had customers ask for quotes on multiple slide outs, we typically build trailers with just one extendable portion.

Look at the blueprint example below and you can see how the small addition of a slide out can make a big difference on how you use the space inside your trailer. Suddenly you have more room to stretch your legs, help with meal preparation, and invite more friends over to enjoy your space.

Brad Heath, owner of Double D Trailers, shared, “I really like the extra space the slide creates…heck, there’s enough room for dancing!”

How Does a Slide Out Function?

If you have dreams of dancing the night away in your slide out trailer, then there are a few more things you should know.

First off, operating your slide out is easy.  Extending or retracting your slide out can be done with the press of a button.

We use a brand called Liftco that uses a screw-drive mechanism powered by a 12-volt motor.  This type of slide out creates a raised floor area, which eliminates any holes or cuts in the trailer frame.  This means the slide out will not weaken the main structure of your Z-Frame trailer. (Check out a video here.)

In a pinch, the slide can also be operated manually.

While a slide out can give you lots of extra space when it’s extended, it does tend to make things snug when it’s retracted.  If you install the slide out on an 8-foot wide trailer, you will still be able to use the trailer with the slide out in a retracted position.  However, if you have a 7-foot trailer, the bathroom door will not be accessible unless the slide out is extended.  This could be a bit of problem if you pull over for a quick bathroom break.

(Photo Right/Bottom - View of the slide out in travel position.)

Maintenance for your Slide Out

A horse trailer slide out feature is easy to maintain.  In fact, we were hard-pressed to think of anything you really needed to do to keep it working.  But here are a few tips to consider just in case:

• Make sure nothing is blocking the slide out on the inside when are stowing it for travel.
• Check for trees, posts, or other objects that may block the slide out when extending.
• Inspect the side wipe seals regularly for damage or debris.  These seals will prevent water from making its way inside the trailer’s interior.
• Keep the slide out roof clean and free from debris.
• Be sure not to pinch anything – such as tree branches – when retracting your slide out.

Other than these common-sense tips, any regular maintenance or repairs can be done during your annual trailer inspection.

(Photo Right - Inside view of the slide out during construction.)

Which Horse Trailer Models Have Slide Outs?

We have three living quarter horse trailer models that are available with slide outs.  Our most popular option, by far, is the SafeTack Reverse LQ trailer.  This 8-foot wide combination forward or rear facing trailer is our top seller.  It can be built to fit up to six animals and will easily work for large 17+ warmblood horses.

The living quarters on the SafeTack Reverse LQ can be built with a 10-foot or 13-foot short wall, so you’ll have plenty of room for your hardwood cabinets, soft-touch walls and ceiling, kitchen, and spacious bathroom.  The slide out on this trailer will work well in the dinette or sofa sitting area. 

Since this trailer comes standard at 96-inches (8-foot) width, you will be able to use the trailer comfortably even during a quick stop when the slide out is not extended.

Our next most popular option is the Trailer Blazer Living Quarters trailer.  This model has all of the same safety features found on our SafeTack Reverse including the Z-frame technology, Galvalite walls, options for forward or rear-facing design, and SafeTack storage area. 

The main difference for this trailer is in the smaller living quarters.  It comes with a 7-9’ short wall and a few cost-saving features like vinyl wrapped cabinets and paneled walls and ceiling.  Once again, the slide out feature will work well on the sofa or dinette area.  This trailer comes standard at 7-foot in width so a slide out can be a great way to extend your inside living space without upgrading to the 8-foot wide trailer.

If you are trying to decide between our horse trailers with living quarters, you may want to check out this helpful article.

Just remember, we create custom horse trailers, so we are ready (and excited) to work with you to build your dream trailer.  Let us know what questions you have and we’ll be happy to help you design your new slide out living quarters horse trailer!