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Sprinting Into History

History must wait for another day.  On June 8th, owner J. Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neal announced that the chestnut colt they call I’ll Have Another would not be running the Belmont Stakes due to a swollen left tendon.  In fact, the heavy favorite and winner of both the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby was retired from racing entirely the day before he would sprint for history.

With history and sprinting on the mind, perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to disclose and discuss the Phoenix Sprinter Two-Horse Euro-Van.  Only recently introduced to our line-up, this two horse van is not only compact, fuel-efficient and stylish but also has in interesting history that aligns perfectly with the standard of quality that we hold dear at Phoenix Coach Works.

The Mercedes Benz 3500 series chassis is the product of innovative evolution dating back to 1896 when Gottlieb Daimler created the first truck.  That same year, another German engineer named Karl Benz created the first van which he dubbed a “combination delivery vehicle.”

To make a long story short, in 1926 the two merged to form Daimler-Benz AG and began producing commercial vans, trucks and busses under the name Mercedes Benz.  Add to that the corporate purchase of the U.S. based Freightliner Corporation in 1981 and you end up with the Sprinter Van chassis introduced in 1995.

The modern Mercedes Benz 3500 series Sprinter Chassis is available in 144” and 170” wheelbase models and comes complete with:

–          2,987cc 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine that delivers 188hp at 3,800 rpm and 325lb-ft torque between 1,400-2,400 rpm.

–          Rear-wheel driven 5-speed automatic transmission.

–          Rack and pinion steering for increased responsiveness, control and maneuverability.

–          Independent front suspension with reinforced leaf springs.

–          4-wheel disc brakes.

–          Streamline cabin that comfortably fits 3 people.

Using this chassis as a foundation, we take the reins and finish the job by constructing a spacious cabin with a 10’x7’ rear-facing two-horse stall, a spacious 3’x7’ tack area, 6’ spring assisted side ramp, four 24”x30” drop down windows and two 24”x30” slide windows.

With a total length of approximately 22’, the van has a turning diameter just under 55’ and in the case that you plan to haul additional cargo, this unit comes equipped with a hitch to pull a trailer.

Keep in mind that as with all our creations, you always have the option to customize your Phoenix Two Horse Van.

If you have any questions at all regarding any of our services or products (toy haulers, 4 horse trailers, 6 horse trailers, Phoenix Sprinter 2 Horse Van or enclosed trailers) please feel free to contact our team to schedule a consultation.  We look forward to speaking with you.

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Dream the Possible Dream

After months (or years) of shopping, you’ve decided to go with Phoenix Coach Works for your custom-built 2, 4, 6, or 9 horse van body or 15 horse trailer.  The color detail is not an issue since you’ve seen this trailer many times in your dreams streamlining down the interstate so you know exactly what it’s going to look like on the exterior.  What you haven’t quite figured out yet, is how you plan to optimize the use of space and guarantee that all horse-trailer necessities are accounted for.

As far as custom interiors, the most important thing to consider is the intended use of your trailer.  If you use a trailer for short trips between neighboring barns, a simple setup trailer with adjustable stalls will easily suffice.  However, if you travel long distances for shows or take your animals trail riding for days or weeks at a time, you’d likely want to consider a larger trailer with a tack-room.

Once you have decided the size and configuration needs of your trailer, it’s time to load up and hit the road/trail.  We understand that as you’re making the investment to purchase a horse van or horse trailer, you have likely been at this for many years, if not decades.  However, it is always nice to have a checklist to reference when packing in case you have forgotten or overlooked something important.

You will need the following:

Safety Items

–          Horse & Human First Aid kit (including a sedative, God forbid, in case of an accident)

–          Trailer Aid

–          Air Compressor

–          Dielectric grease

–          Gloves

–          Duct Tape

–          Cross-jack

–          Trailer chocks (anything from bricks to pieces of 2×4 will work)

–          WD-40

–          Heavy duty Coupler Lock

–          Tool Box

–          Warning Triangle and Flares

Misc. Items:

–          Large, durable tote

–          The Clip

–          Grooming Supplies

–          Fly Spray

–          Muck Bucket, Broom and Pitchfork

–          Treats

–          Extra halter & lead rope.

–          Extra Clothes

–          Twine

–          Tarps

Although this list is quite obvious, we can all agree that in the midst of both excitement and haste, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the most obvious items only to swat your forehead and curse yourself 40 miles into your trip.

Whether you’re the proud new owner of a custom trailer, merely shopping around and considering options, or looking to make changes to your existing trailer, please feel free to contact Phoenix Coach Works with any and all questions or comments regarding your horse trailer needs.  We offer a range of services from new construction to repair and customization.  If you can dream it, we can build it.

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Penny Pinchers Unite

Avoiding brand names while shopping? Running through the house like a maniac turning off switches and unplugging things that aren’t being used? Maybe you’re just wearing that ‘dirty’ pair of jeans for one more day before giving in to do another load of laundry. These are just examples but chances are, like many people, you’re cutting back in certain areas trying to pinch pennies in this soft economy.
But when will we bounce back? That’s entirely uncertain, but what is certain is that you’d rather sacrifice a few simple luxuries here and there than part with your grown up toys and favorite pastimes that may include motorcycles, RVs, and horses.
These things can bring joy even during the lowest of lows. Whether that joy comes from showing off your street bike at a national rally or hitting the trails with your four legged friends you inevitably need to transport said items.
Admittedly, these vessels are not ‘cheap’ by any means of the word, but even in a floundering economy, the excitement and overwhelming joy that you experience are worth a little sacrifice. For that reason, Phoenix Coach Works offers a wide variety of custom-built trailers and vans to suit your transport needs and fit nicely within your budget.
From two horse vans to 15 horse trailers, Phoenix Coach Works offers fully customizable, high quality products that put you in complete control of design and function. Our featured item this week is the Phoenix Euro-van
The Phoenix Euro-van is built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis which is a wonderful option for someone hauling two horses that doesn’t want to splurge on a truck and a trailer. This two-horse van will save you time and money in the following ways:

  • Our 188hp Mercedes Benz engine with eco-conscious technology gets 16-17 mpg fuel economy compared to 11mpg with a truck pulling a trailer.
  • Reduced maintenance costs compared to truck and trailer combinations.
  • Innovative safety gates, loading ramps, adjustable partitions, and a quick-release breast-bar make for efficient loading and ease of use.
  • Aluminum lined interior is fully insulated for the maximum comfort of your animals.

Whatever you do, don’t let the troubled economy get you down.  Be frugal where you must, but when it comes to the things that bring you happiness, don’t feel bad spending your hard-earned money on yourself and those you love (chances are it brings them joy as well).  If you have any questions regarding our products and services, please feel free to contacts us for all of your trailer and horse van needs.

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Traveling With Pets

Ever get the urge to add some excitement to your trip by bringing along a furry friend? No, we’re not talking about toting horses this time, nor are we discussing a road trip with your old college pal. But sometimes when you’re on the road for long stretches of time, you like to bring a pet along for extra fun and company. Especially when you’re at a rest stop and see others parking their rigs and then stretching their legs while they play with their four-legged cab companions.

Of course, there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration when you’re deciding whether or not to bring your cat, dog, ferret or bird along in your toy hauler, truck, van or RV.

1. Safety. Check your vehicle with an eye toward your animal’s safety. Depending on the size of the animal you may want to keep your furry friend in an area of your rv or trailer during the trip. The best way to learn the ropes is to take a short test drive before the long haul. And since your animal’s encountering new environments and new people, you should be sure that it’s up to date on all of its vaccines and shots. It’s also vital that you’re aware of pet stores and animal hospitals between your point of origin and destination—just in case.

2. Comfort. While it’s all right to let your pet roam if you’ve taken the correct safety precautions, you’ll want to be sure that he or she has a designated area, such as a crate. Make sure he or she has plenty of room to lie down, stretch out and sit up. You don’t only have to take into account your pet’s comfort, but your own as well. Fido might love to sit in your lap or Kitty might like to nap by your feet, but those aren’t the best options. And even the best-trained pets sometimes exhibit atypical behavior on the road; for example, your pet may be getting car sick or using the restroom in your vehicle, and you’ll want to think about any mess or smells that might make a long drive a lot more unpleasant. You also don’t want an animal that’s going to make excessive noise that can distract you while driving.

3. Convenience. Having a pet with you may limit which hotels, parking areas and camp sites you visit (with your Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler rv, enclosed trailer, or horse van). So before you take off, you’ll want to double-check any pet restrictions along your route. You also want to take into account the extra time and mileage for stops you might need to make to take your pets for walks to stretch and get fresh air.

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Horse Trailer Security

Not only is it a significant expenditure to buy your horse van or trailer itself, but most of the time, it’s full of valuable tools and equipment you need for your horses, shows and transport. Good people like you aren’t the only ones aware of the worth of a horse trailer and its contents—there’s unfortunately a large market for theft targeting this type of vehicle. That’s why insurance and other forms of protection are so vital to horse trailer ownership.

Security System

Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is installing a security system. There are many types out there for rigging your doors and windows, and a little research will go a long way when it comes to tailoring one specifically to your rig. From a simple auto-lock mechanism to an alarm to a GPS tracking system, there’s an option at every price point. Just remember, any additional security you add is going to pay for itself in peace of mind.

Locks and Bolts

You’ll also want especially strong locks on all of your doors—whether for people or horses. A thief with a simple lock-picking toolkit could make your life very difficult if you don’t start out with locks that deter thieves from even trying to break into your horse trailer. Compared to a security system, this may be a cheaper way to wisely protect your horse trailer while it’s parked on a lot and you may be too far to hear a siren (unless you’ve installed an alarm that also automatically notifies authorities, which may be wise if you’re often away from your trailer chock full of valuables). At Phoenix Coach Works, we always install high quality, theft deterrent locks on all of our horse vans and trailers. If you have a used horse trailer that needs an upgrade on its lock and bolting system, bring it by and we can help you install one.

Insurance

Phoenix Coach Works Inc. likes to think that our clients are smart enough to protect their investments with the proper vehicle insurance. But that being said, how covered are you really? Let this serve as a friendly reminder to review your policy and be sure you’ve got the coverage you need for your trailer on the road and parked in storage–for the vehicle itself and for the items inside. Is towing covered? What about natural weather damage? Stay safe and stay smart by reviewing and updating your existing insurance.

Next week, we’ll talk more about horse trailer insurance. In upcoming weeks, look for articles about other interesting and clever security ideas at varying price points. As always, feel free to call us or drop by to discuss the best protection for your horse trailer.

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Introducing the Phoenix 2 horse Euro-Van

We’re extremely excited to introduce the latest addition to our complete line of trailers, vans and RVs. Phoenix 2 horse Euro-Van is a premier two-horse van built on a 3500 Mercedes chassis. It’s compact, fuel-efficient and stylish—but big enough to do the job. Thoughtful touches that account for your comfort in every detail—from added storage to space flexibility and safety features—make this horse van an ideal choice for your transport needs.

With its 3.0 turbocharged diesel engine delivering 188 hp to its five-speed automatic transmission, the Phoenix 2 horse Euro-Van can comfortably haul two rear-facing horses. And should you need to haul a few more, it’s equipped with a hitch to pull a trailer.

And of course horses aren’t your only cargo. The cabin is a streamlined space that can comfortably fit 3 people. There are many ways to tailor both sections of the rear space to suit your preferences and needs for each and every time you use it.

Here are some specs for your consideration:
• With a total length of just under 22’, the van can turn a circle in under 55’—making it extremely maneuverable and easy to drive
• The horse section is a roomy 10’5” in length and 84” in width with an interior height of 8’
• Loading is by a large 6’ wide, spring-assisted side ramp
• The van sports four 24×30” drop-down windows in the horse area and two 24×30” slide windows in the tack area
• The rear tack room is 36x 84” and a walk-through door allows access to the horse section

But that’s not all we have to say about the new Phoenix 2 horse Euro-Van. Next week, learn about three more key features that we haven’t even mentioned yet.

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Phoenix Coach Works Can Help You Trick Your Trailer

Is your toy hauler, enclosed trailer, horse van, or even your truck in need of repairs and a much needed paint job? Phoenix Coach Works can help! In addition to building trailers from scratch, we also have a full service trailer repair shop. If you bought your trailer or RV from a manufacturer other than Phoenix Coach Works, we can still provide you with repairs and painting services. In fact, some of our clients have commented that after repairs with us, their trailers turn out better than they were brand new.

Whether your roof is leaking, you want a new coat of paint including striping, or you just want to upgrade some of the features of your trailer, Phoenix Coach Works will provide you with the highest quality service and the quickest turnaround time that you can find. And we guarantee your satisfaction! We treat every client just like they were our family member. Many of our clients start out with us for our RV repair services and then when it comes time to buy a new enclosed trailer, they come back to us for our exceptional work and customer service.

There is no trailer service repair too big or too small for Phoenix Coach Works. We even perform PA State Inspections! Call us today for a free trailer repair quote. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you.

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