I am preparing to get a truck/SUV and horse trailer for the first time. Driving a 3/4 ton truck intimidates me as to maneuverability and backing up.

Therefore I am investigating a used Silverado/GMC Sierra with quadrasteer or a Dodge Durango (5.7 liter 3.92 axle). Both vehicles give me a the ability to haul around 8500 lbs. with a turning radius of 37 to 40 feet. I have test driven each vehicle and both are nice. I prefer the handling of the Silverado with quadrasteer. The truck/SUV will be used to haul 2 horses and trailer (see comments below) to local riding parks with occasional trips over the mountains in the state of Washington. I would definitely buy a certified used car built in 2004, 2005, 2006 with around 25000 to 35000 miles.
My question is which vehicle is the better choice? I am a little worried about the long term maintenance of the quadrasteer.

Cars.com has several of both vehicles listed but all of the cars are 800 to 1200 miles away. Is there a reliable service that can help inspect vehicle quality?

Also, several Dodge dealers have said that they can just install the towing package on the used car (5.7l, 3.92 axle) and I would have the same towing capability as if the towing package was an initial installation. Is this advisable? I seem to remember reading that this is not a good idea.

As for a horse trailer, I am wondering which trailer offers maximum comfort for the horse. I am thinking of a 2 horse bumper pull probably slant load. I have an Icelandic horse who weighs 900 lbs (he is large for an Icelandic) but I may want to trailer a normal size horse from time to time. I am thinking a Brenderup, Silverlite, Featherlite or Exiss. My horse is a faily easy loader but seems to prefer the more open stock like trailers and the Brenderup seems narrow and cramped from the pictures. Any suggestions as to the trailer type? I am more concerned with quality, ease of hitching, and comfort for the horse.

Help from the group is greatly appreciated!

Hello Welcome to the forum... I know of the intimidation factor. I drove a Volkswagon for years before I got the 3/4 ton truck. One gets used to the different perspective after a couple of hours behind the wheel. There isn't much size difference between Durango or a truck.
Mr Truck has endorsed the Quadrasteer as much better towing control than conventional vehicles so I'll go with his thoughts.
As for trailers, the Brenderup is a straight load. I had a straight load and the horses seemed to scramble a lot. With a slant load and the same two horses there wasn't any scrambling. The Brenderup seems like a fine trailer otherwise although it's expensive.

Thanks for the confirmation about the Quadrasteer. I am leaning in that direction any way. It is a mental transition to go from a regular "car" to a "truck."
I am also tending towards the slant load. I have loaded my horse into various friends' trailers and even a commercial trailer for a cross-country move. He has always entered all trailers willingly except for the straight load.

Here is my article on quadrasteer, http://mrtruck.net/quadrasteer.htm here is an excellent forum on quadrasteer, http://quadrasteerclub.infopop.cc/eve here is my Brenderup review, http://www.booksfast.net/qstour5.htm

Based on your article and additional research, I bought a used 2004 GMC Sierra Denali with quadrasteer (low mileage). I found the truck via cars.com, which I searched on an almost daily basis for 4 months until I found a vehcicle with low mileage and a positive carfax. Thanks for the site recommendation for the Magoo's Inspection service. This service was invaluable in giving me a comfort level in buying a car sight unseen. Even though they did not put the car on lift, they did a nice inspection and provided a lot of pictures.
Now I have to get the car shipped from Tennessee to Washington. Forums on automotive transport discuss some real nightmare situations in which the vehicle shows up months late and/or damaged. I used some of the sites to get quotes for the truck shipping but when I checked most of them out on www.bbb.com (better business bureau), a lot seemed to have unsatisfactory ratings or had been in business for only two months.
I recommend the sites http://www.movingscam.com/ and www.epinions.com to read about some consumer experiences and get a ranking of companies. Experts have warned that various trucking transport companies have planted positive reviews about their own services and negative reviews about the competion. Make sure that the firm has a DOT license and carries insurance. Also discuss with the carrier what their insurance covers. For example their insurance will not cover a stone hitting your vehicle in an open trailer since that is not their fault.
We'll see how soon and in what shape my new truck shows up. I am very excited about this vehicle. I did get the extended warrenty for peace of mind.
I still have not decided on a trailer brand.
Thanks so much for creating this site. I read through a lot of the pages and forum discussions to discover a ton of unbiased and useful information.
Please finish your book as soon as possible!

Glad you like us, good luck with the truck. Thanks

Hello All,
My new used 2004 GMC Sierra Denali with quadrasteer was delivered a few days ago. I LOVE THIS TRUCK! I have been driving it around, backing up, and parking almost where ever I want. It is amazing. Coast to Coast delivered the truck in perfect condition and when they said they would. I plan on driving the truck for a few more days and then parking it in the garage until I get my horse trailer. Too bad the price of gas is so high. Otherwise, I am tempted to drive this vehicle all the time.
And I was the one intimidated about driving a full size truck.

I love them too. It was a sad day for towing and trucks the day GM dropped Quadrasteer.

Just to complete this story, last fall I ended up getting a Hawk trailer (2 horse slant load bumper pull with Rumber floor) based on info from this site and other sources. I am a complete novice to trailering but the combo of the 2004 GMC Sierra Denali Quadrasteer and the Hawk trailer make it easy to pull. (I am still working on backing up.) Several more experienced haulers have remarked on the ease of the combination.
As an FYI, I had a back up camera installed in the truck so between the back up camera and the Quadrasteer, hitching up is a fairly easy process. I also invested in sway bars for the trailer. The local dealer tried to convince me they weren't necessary so I switched to a different dealer.

Thanks again for all the info on this site. It really helped me make a more informed decision about which truck and trailer to select.

That's great, enjoy your rig.

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