Aluminum Cattle Trailer

[rdp58]

I am thinking about buying a new cattle trailer. Looking at a WW RoustAbout and the Kiefer Kruiser. They are two different kinds of trailers, is there an advantage to one design over the other? I think I like the RoustAbout better. You can get the roustabout with two swinging back doors or one big door with 1/2 slide. What is the advantage of either? Thanks for your input.

 

[Brute 23]

1/2 slide for cattle and two swinging for horses. You can use the two swinging for cattle also as long as they swing in to the trailer... which will cost you a some trailer space when loading.

 

[wbvs58]

Do your aluminium trailers have an aluminium chasis and drawbar?

Ken

 

[kenny thomas]

The Kiefer makes a great horse trailer but have not seen any of their cattle trailers yet. They are built in Sneedville TN so have it built to your specks. The WW seems ok also and the owner of Kiefer sells WW also.

 

[kenny thomas]

Oh, for cattle the full door works much better. With slide, I also like a slide in the center cut gate.

 

[cfpinz]

Oh, for cattle the full door works much better. With slide, I also like a slide in the center cut gate.

Different strokes for different folks, I hate the sliders in cut gates. Went as far as to weld both of them shut on my current trailer to keep them from rattling.

 

[Bigfoot]

Sliders on your cut gates gives you some options for sorting on the trailer. Sometimes I end up loading something that needs to stay at home.

 

[hurleyjd]

Had to repair a lot of corrosion on airplanes, will aluminum trailers have a tendency to corrode from elements in the weather.

 

[dieselbeef]

aluminum cracks,,iron rusts ...aluminum is way easier to fix....full door half slide..way better than butterfly's for cows...

 

[Bigfoot]

I actually prefer butterfly gates, but very few aluminum trailers have those.

 

[dieselbeef]

guess it depends on your setup they leave too much gap between the headcatch and the floor for em to get crazy...slide gate gets me inches from the headgate. having had both I prefer the gate

 

[True Grit Farms]

I actually prefer butterfly gates, but very few aluminum trailers have those.

I've had both and prefer the butterfly gates also.

 

[talltimber]

guess it depends on your setup they leave too much gap between the headcatch and the floor for em to get crazy...slide gate gets me inches from the headgate. having had both I prefer the gate

You load by running them through the squeeze/headcatcher?

 

[dieselbeef]

usually..its at the end of my chute. my sort gates are just up stream.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Sliders on your cut gates gives you some options for sorting on the trailer. Sometimes I end up loading something that needs to stay at home.

This is my favorite method for loading a crazy. Put a calm one with in her, load both, then sort with the slide gate and let the calm one back out.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I actually prefer butterfly gates, but very few aluminum trailers have those.

I've had both and prefer the butterfly gates also.

Why?
Have never used them.

 

[kenny thomas]

Also my rear door has a roll up instead of a slide. It is never in the way no matter how you load them. I pull a Wilson that I'd riveted instead of welded. After 15 years, 60,000 miles and several thousand head it has had no repairs except brakes and tires.

 

[Bigfoot]

I actually prefer butterfly gates, but very few aluminum trailers have those.

I've had both and prefer the butterfly gates also.

Why?
Have never used them.

You just have a lot more options on how to load. That may not be a selling point if you load in the same place every time. You can load from either side. Open them in if need be. Open them out if need be. Open one in, and one out. They have a distinct advantage, if your loading one on the end of a rope. A cow can crash in to the one big swinging door, and spring it back. The saloon style doors can both be opened in, eliminating all of that.

 

[Bigfoot]

It's probably a bad design, and I know it's a bad picture, but I load from here. It's also my sorting alley. It's 60' long, and ends here at 42". A swinging gate, your only option would be back perfectly straight in, and use the slider. I can back in at any angle, including straight back with saloon doors, and I'm still able to load.