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Almost from the day Traveled Lane Trailers opened for business, we received calls from people who owned small vehicles and good-sized horses. Many of these people were disappointed to find that they couldn't tow conventional horse trailers or transport more than one horse without exceeding their vehicle's tow capacity. Their vehicles were too light, too short, too low powered, etc. As we continued to receive calls from owners of sport utilities, cars and compact trucks, we figured there was a need to be filled. Rather than tell people to buy a conventional trailer, install expensive hitch hardware and hope for the best, we decided to find a trailer designed to be towed safely by a wide range of vehicles, small and large. We had seen Brenderup ads in magazines and noticed their claim that you don't need a truck to tow a Brenderup. We hadn't seen anyone else making this claim, so we called the good folks in Midland, Texas (the U.S. importer) and requested one of their videos. Brenderups are Different Because... Brenderups come from Denmark, and in Europe, as in most of the world, vehicles tend to be small and many of the horses are large. While the trend toward smaller vehicles in the U.S. is fairly recent, Brenderup has been dealing with the small vehicle/large horse dilemma for decades. Right from the start, Brenderups were designed to be towed safely by smaller vehicles. Because of this, you won't need a weight distribution hitch or sway bars or expensive add-on hardware to tow a Brenderup. This alone is enough to make a Brenderup worth considering if you don't have a large tow vehicle. But we watched the video and realized there's a lot more to like about a Brenderup than just its easy towing characteristics. Light Loaded Tongue Weight. The Theory. A Brenderup is light, but so are some other trailers. Now for the difference. A Brenderup is so well balanced that, when properly loaded, it only carries about 3. 5-5% of its load on the tongue. How does this compare to a conventionally designed trailer? A commonly used rule of thumb is that a conventional trailer carries about 10-12% of its load on the tongue. And the tongue load is what you'll be carrying on or near your back bumper. Light Loaded Tongue Weight. Some Numbers. What do all of these percentages mean in real world terms? It means a Brenderup 2 horse trailer will have a LOADED tongue weight of about 175 pounds. (Example assumes Prestige series with two 1200 pound horses.) For a conventional 2 horse bumper pull, expect a loaded tongue weight of 400 pounds or more. (Conventional example assumes trailer weight of 2000 pounds, two 1200 pound horses and 10-12% of trailer + horse weight on tongue. Be advised: Don't expect all two horse trailers to weigh as little as 2000 pounds. We gave the conventional trailer folks the benefit of the doubt.) For a dressing room trailer, the Brenderup difference is eve more startling. A properly loaded Brenderup Baron series, with dressing room, will have a loaded tongue weight of about 250 pounds. ( Assumes trailer loaded with two 1300 pound horses and 500 pounds of tack, supplies, etc.) For a conventional bumper pull dressing room trailer, expect a loaded tongue weight of 550 pounds or more. And remember, that trailer tongue weight is going to be carried on or near your back bumper where it will produce the maximum load on your vehicle's suspension. (Conventional example assumes 10-12% of load on tongue, 3000 pound trailer weight, two 1300 pound horses and 500 pounds of tack, supplies, etc. If you're considering other brands, we suggest you ask for specific weights and percentages to calculate actual tongue loadings. Expect the numbers to be close to our example.) Light, but Strong But wait, there's more. The walls, roof and floor of a Brenderup form a unitized structure, and when combined with the galvanized steel chassis, the result is a trailer that's light and strong. Most of today's automobiles use unitized body structures because they're light and strong. Brenderups are similar to modern autos in other ways, as well. You'll find out in a couple of paragraphs. How Big is a Brenderup? A Brenderup is very roomy. Many people assume that because a Brenderup is easy to tow, it must be small. Not at all. The Royal/Prestige series can easily accommodate horses to 17 hands and the Baron series can accommodate horses to 18 hands. Stability, Loaded or Empty You may be thinking, "with that light weight and light tongue weight, a Brenderup must be all over the road." Nope. Like modern cars, a Brenderup is aerodynamic. The shape helps stability. .As do the sophisticated chassis design and suspension (Brenderups even have shock absorbers!) Brenderups track great loaded or EMPTY. (Ever hear anyone complain about an empty lightweight conventional trailer bouncing all over the road? We have.) The shape also reduces the vacuum behind the trailer, which means you don't need a big-engined vehicle to pull a Brenderup. What's in a Brenderup for Your Horse? Brenderup didn't just concentrate on easy towability. The environment for your horse was given just as much thought. The interior is bright and spacious. Comfortable and quiet. Nothing loose to rattle or clang. Materials with inherently good sound-deadening and thermal characteristics. A long ramp so even a large horse doesn't have to decide, "do I walk on it or jump across it?" A chest bar that can be released from the outside in the event a horse gets hung up. The clever engineering just goes on and on . A Brenderup even has a parking brake so you don't have to chock the wheels ( we know it's not really a feature for your horse, but it's so neat we had to mention it somewhere). And They Lived Happily Ever After... By the time we had finished watching the Brenderup video, we were convinced that the concept was sound. But we had never seen one on the road. The construction and components looked good in the video, so we ordered a couple of trailers. We displayed one at a major show, and got lots of positive comments. We also met some long-time Brenderup owners. They were all very pleased with their trailers. Those first trailers were gone in no time. And we're happy to report that the Brenderups have continued to go off our lot in a steady stream ever since. Brenderups may look different, but people recognize a good thing when they see it. And better yet, when they tow it. We've only scratched the surface in describing Brenderup engineering and features. Want more info? Visit the Brenderup website by clicking on the link below. Want to see the real thing? We keep plenty of Brenderups in stock and we even offer test drives. The Fine Print, Sort Of: You can pull a Brenderup with a very wide range of vehicles. But you can't pull it with just anything. Some vehicles are just too small or underpowered. Even a Brenderup has to obey the laws of physics. The Brenderup minimum vehicle requirements are relatively easy to meet, but we want you to be aware they exist. You can find the vehicle requirements on the Brenderup website or give us a call. A Little More Fine Print: While the 10-12% tongue loading we use for conventional trailers IS a commonly mentioned guideline, we don't guarantee that it applies to every trailer that isn't a Brenderup. We don't want anybody's lawyers to say our generalizations are misleading consumers. If you're considering another brand, ask what percentage of the load they carry on the tongue. HOWEVER, if anyone claims to have a trailer that carries significantly less weight on the tongue, ask him or her to show you official manufacturer literature to prove it. Feel free to give us a call if you hear numbers that sound too good to be true.
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