Bison

We 2018 Bison horse trailer and we have had and continue to have issues with this trailer.

October 28, 2017:

- Trailer was delivered to owner
- Delivery driver and owner walked the trailer
- Driver and owner noticed trim coming off the slide out in living quarters
o Step was broken
o Holes in the roof above the rear tack

Trailer sat in the service shop for approximately two months
- Trim was repaired
- Step replaced
- Holes in the roof patched (therefore we will not get the full life out of the roof)

When trailer arrived back to owner:
- Major leak in living quarters (from slide, required 3 bath towels to dry)
- Leaked in horse area (first stalls, second stall, and rear door)
- Major leak in rear tack (where thousands of dollars of tack and equipment are stored)
- Siding coming off of trailer in two locations
- Thermostat not working
- Slide out was rubbing the floor
- Carpet coming off in the neck area
- Truck pulling the trailer gave signal that the “Trailer was disconnected”
- Door lock back was broken
- Handle caused damage to horse door (no rubber grommets present)

Joshua C stated that they would come and get the trailer and take it back to the factory in Indiana. *** Co. stated they would pay our expenses to go pick up the trailer when the repairs are completed. We sent a bulleted list of issues with the trailer prior to the trailer leaving with transport company.

These issues were:
- Thermostat not functioning
- Floor issues (slide out scarping floor)
- Major leaks (multiple locations)
- Carpet in the neck area
- Siding (coming off in two palces)
- Horse area door lock back broken
- Horse door handle caused damage to door

We arrived at the Bison factory in IN on May 4, 2018. When we arrived there were still issues that had not been addressed. The thermostat was not replaced, we had to wait about another hour after driving fifteen hours already to get there. The service tech (Gary) stated that the leaks were due to the fact that the slide out was not adjusted, he then stated that the floor issues was also caused by the slide not adjusted correctly by the factory. Josh then stated that they would not replace or repair the floor in the trailer that we had only owned for a few months.

After we arrived home with the trailer, we soon left for another horse show. At this horse show we continued to have issues.

- Another major leak in the living quarters of the trailer
- Rear tack leaking
- First horse stall
- Last horse stall door leaking

When we spoke to Mr. C again about these issues, he stated that the roof vent in the Living Quarters was left open. We stated that it was closed (actually never opened since we owended the trailer) and that we had witnesses in the trailer that night during the rain storm that would verify that. He continued to blame us for this latest issue, and became very rude.

After this we took the trailer to Winchester VA, to ***. This was about two hours (One way) from us. At this facility the trailer again sat for a few weeks and they found a leak around the roof vent that was not sealed correctly. The trailer was again returned to the owner.

On August 21, 2018. The trailer was at home in our driveway (with everything closed) and it was leaking again around the slide out.

Again, On September 8, 2018 the trailer had a substantial leak in the living quarters, as well as the first horse stall, and rear tack has continued to leak since we received the trailer in October 2017. We did not have time to send it in the service center during this time due to the fact that we were trying to prepare for the All American Quarter Horse Congress and could not be without our trailer.

We then traveled to Columbus Ohio for the All American Quarter Horse Congress. At the show a service tech from *** Trailer Sales or Bison had to come repair our trailer multiple times, this not only was inconvenient for us but cause undue stress while we were trying to prepare to show.

The issues that occurred at the Congress:
- The rail that holds the bench seat up in the dinette broke
- The connecter where city waiter is connected to the trailer broke away from the trailer
- The water heater stopped working ( at 10:00 p.m. when we were trying to shower after showing all day)

After we arrived home from the Congress we continued to have issues with the trailer. The sealing in the horse area was falling, this is where we haul very expensive show horses. Again the trailer was put in the shop to have these repairs made. As well as checking the trailer wiring and structure. Due to the fact that the truck continued to have the “Trailer Disconnected” message. When the trailer was picked up from the shop, they replaced the rubber seal on the rear tack of the trailer, they also stated that only one was trailer brake was working (only one was connected), and repaired the ceiling in the trailer.

Furthermore, since we bought the trailer when connecting and disconnecting the trailer there was a popping noise, as well as making noises while hauling. Another issues we had was that the living quarter door was not shutting completely, and the rear tack was still leaking significantly ( and still is presently). The jacks have also been not functioning correctly, they are making abnormal noises and not working properly.

In April of 2019, the trailer was again taken to the factory in IN, where they made the following repairs were made:

- Siding was repaired again in two different places from before, and the whole trailer was riveted.
- Broken weld in the bulk head area was repaired, and reinforced (this was from frame bulging and noises it was making)
- Living quarters door was readjusted (was not shutting correctly)
- Brakes were not functioning correctly (delivery driver also noticed) replaced both axels and brake assembly
- Rear tack bulb seal replaced (However, the rear tack is still leaking)
- Shower doors were readjusted
- Paneling near floor entering the living quarters of the trailer was coming off, re-secured
- First horse stall door bulb seal replaced
- Four new tires were put on the trailer
-
*The jacks were not fixed, Bison stated that they function fine.

Recently, when hauling from North Carolina the shower door fell off and broke the rollers and seals. Bison sent usp the wrong parts originally and finally received the right parts and we repaired that issue, due to the fact that we did not have time to be without the trailer. There is a wiring for the bulk area light that has come apart now, that also needs repair. Finally while we were at the last show in July of 2019, the water heater began to leak and left a lot of water over the floor of the trailer. Lastly, the oven and the fridge are not functioning properly. The refrigerator is not cooling enough to store food and the oven is not working at all.

We are currently trying to put the trailer back into the shop, but are very busy and needing to haul significantly. Bison has made it clear that it does not care about customer safety or satisfaction. This trailer is unsafe, unreliable, and should be replaced.

I purchased a 2018 Bison Horse Trailer in September of 2018. I have had the trailer in the shop multiple times for warranty work and bison is unwilling to trade this lemon out. It stays broken more than not. I paid to use the trailer not have it sit somewhere and be worked on. Why can they not be held responsible for terrible work and cheap work to boot.

I purchased a 2017 Bison silverado horse trailer and it has been faulty from day one! I have a video of underneath the floor of horse trailer where the horses stand. I have been really quiet about what happened to my horse on our move from Vegas to Kansas. but I feel like it is my responsibility to warn all horseman and women about this product that could potentially hurt and maim your livelihood. I have said from day one to the dealership that there was something really off about my new trailer. Between the dealership and Bison I have been told it was normal and that nothing was wrong with this trailer. My trailer has spent more days being repaired then I have actually used it, from leaking ceiling, walls falling, countertop cracking, generator gas container not seated correctly, exterior panel walls bowing out, faulty welds, floor bowing and slapping,doors not shutting correctly, window not shutting, bolts shearing in the roof, fans being sheared off, horse divider not staying shut, and locks being sheared off. But it all finally came to a head when my best horse tried to claw her way out of the trailer because she was scared for own life. She literally kicked through two sheets of metal and foam backing, almost kicking clear through the door, trying to get out of this trailer with a floor that falling through and slapping. I paid out of my own pocket to have someone help diagnose the issues even though my trailer is under warranty. The warranty manager at Bison treated me terribly and made me feel like I was crazy. He informed me that the CEO Bob Martin of Thor Industries does not care about his clients and could careless about my situation. I now own a 70k RV trailer that is useless and my best barrel horse is possibly crippled for life! Everyone is aware of how they treat their clients. All I want was for them to fix it but now I want them to buy back this LEMON of a trailer my livelihood is not worth the risk of going down the road in a trailer that was carelessly made.

We started a search for a new trailer over the winter. We have friends who had purchased Bison Premiers and were happy with them. We found one we liked. We bought it on April 20. When we got to the dealership, they were repairing items on the trailer.

We arrived early and they weren’t ready for us. The hot water heater did not work even after all their prechecks. They replaced the board in the hot water heater and that seemed to fix it. We hauled the trailer home. The blanket rack broke on the way home. Molding in the living quarters came loose. The shower faucet was not sealed. The hot water heater quit working again.

Every haul resulted in another problem. The joke every time I hook up is “What will break this time?”

Breaking screw heads, kick wall separating, light fixtures falling and breaking, caulking around the sink coming loose, seams separating.

We were told by Bison we needed needed to do the repairs and they would send the supplies. I told them no.

They then said we had to take it to a warranty center. That appointment took several weeks to get and 6hrs of driving by the time it was all said and done.

They were supposed to fix everything and do a complete inspection. That was in May. They fixed everything we told them to fix. They did not inspect the trailer.

We took the trailer home. IMMEDIATELY when I arrived home I had more problems. More kick wall separating, window latches breaking, and when we had our trailer repair guy out we found seams that were NEVER sealed and there was water leaking between the outer and inner walls.

Bison paid for our technician to repair the issues and sent the sealer for the seams to be repaired. That was in May.

In June, the handle in the shower fell off, more screws started backing out.

In July rubber was dry rotting and rubber grommets began falling off, the slide out began leaking, the closet wall completely failed and fell apart, the thermostat quit working properly, the seams on the gooseneck began separating, the pull out couch is breaking, the table bed supports broke, more molding broke, the outer skin panels on the trailer began separating.

We contacted Bison again. The trailer was now becoming unsafe to haul. The earliest appointment at their warranty center was August 27, that was in mid July. I set the appointment and told them they needed to have it back to me by September 6th as I have commitments. So the trailer sat for weeks waiting on the appointment.

My husband sent them another list of issues and requested the trailer be replaced or refunded as we are paying for an item we can’t use. The request was denied.

While we waited on the appointment date, an attorney recommended we have an independent trailer repair technician inspect the trailer. In addition to our list, the repair tech also found broken welds, screws that we never installed to bolt down items and other problems. He diagnosed the trailer with structural failure.

We dropped the trailer off at the warranty center on August 27th. We made multiple calls during the week to find out the status. The calls were not returned until August 30th and that was just to state they hadn’t looked at the trailer. On Friday, August 31, I decided to drive up there. My husband called about an hour prior to my arrival to find out the status on the trailer. They stated they were just getting ready to pull the trailer in. When I arrived an hour later (2:30pm) the trailer was still sitting in the lot. They were a little surprised to see me. I told them I would be waiting on the couch until they inspected the trailer that was dropped off for our appointment 4.5 days previous. It was not a pleasant conversation as my patience has completely run out. After about 30 minutes they came to get me to show me the issues.

They took me to the shop to view the problems with the trailer and explain why they could not repair it.

I appreciate the time they took and the honesty they had with me.

Some of the observations from The warranty center:

With the weight of only one person in the horse compartment and rear tack, the flooring was crackling. When the mats were pulled up the welds on the trailer floor are broken.

One of the main welds on the nose cone is cracked and shifting.

There is seam separation in the gooseneck on both sides and the external wall. They took pictures with me present while they were explaining to me how and why this happens. We also sent pictures and video to Bison.

There are broken welds from the nose cone all the way to the rear of the trailer. And those are the ones that can be seen without pulling the trailer apart.

There are welds broken under the mangers.

The skin is separating from the trailer in MULTIPLE locations.
All these separations are allowing water to get under the skin and more separated when I hauled it home from the warranty center.

The warranty center stated this is due to internal failure of the supporting structures of the trailer. There was no way to identify that defect without pulling the trailer apart to find the problem.

They also stated they had previously told Bison that this sounded like a structural failure after they had spoken with my husband regarding the issues. I was told by the warranty center that Bison told them it was NOT structural failure and they would just need to replace the skin and apply more glue. That Bison would be sending new skin pieces for the nose cone with glue. The warranty center told me they could do what Bison suggested but they were not going to as it was just a bandaid and would NOT address the “UNDERLYING STRUCTURAL PROBLEM”. They told me this trailer would have to go back to the manufacturer, be broken down, structural items addressed.

The warranty center was very direct about the issues (which I appreciate) and stated the cracked weld in the nose cone is indicative of a structural problem within the trailer. That those do not fail without problems internally. They also listed several of the structures internally that could be causing the issue. However, without tearing down the trailer he could not tell me where the problem was located.

When you get in the gooseneck to get to the bed, the floor under the bed now crackles with the weight of only one person.

This also resulted in 6 more hours of driving to return with an unusable trailer. Bison was called (no answer and the call was 45 minutes prior to the close of business). They were sent an email with the warranty center copied as well as the dealership. The warranty center immediately denied they had told me there was a structural problem.

This has cost us tons of $ in just hauling the trailer to and from the warranty center. I have a very expensive trailer with less than 10k miles that we bought new in April that can’t be used due to it literally falling apart at the seams. I have not even listed ALL the problems we have had. I have a manufacturer that has been extremely difficult to work with, unresponsive to many phone calls and emails and extremely rude in many interactions. We are paying for a trailer we can’t use. Repair appointments take over a month to get in.

We have hauled one horse at a time in this four horse. It had two horses in it for 90 miles. Over 5000 miles the trailer was empty. It has never been

DO NOT buy a BISON. RUN

We are from KInsman, Ohio and drove down to Grimsley TN to purchase a 8309 Bison Trailer 2018. Brand New.
We purchased the trailer and everything seemed fine there. The owner of the dealership caulked some of the places that we had seen that the caulking was missing. She replaced the keys that would not work and was very pleasant. We drove the trailer back to Ohio and began to wax the trailer from front to back. This when we found many missing or broken screws on the trailer. There was also many places that the caulking was missing or very loose. This would have definitely led to water leaks and damage to the living quarters in our trailer. We called customer service and explained the situation to them. They were very uncaring and did not feel like they needed to send caulking to us to fill these gaps. They did end up shipping us the caulking at full price including freight that was $5.00 more than the product itself. Costing us a total of $33.40 for two 10 oz. tube of caulking. The next, and much larger issue came two weeks later when we went trail riding and while unloading our horses my horse stepped out and slid his front hoof down over the rubber bumper. This was a smooth unload and there was nothing more than a slide across the bumper. The bumper was bent or bowed and hung down in a "u" shape in the area where his hoof slid. The bumper is directly behind where the horses unload and is in a location the majority of the horses will slide their front hooves down over it. When we called them they said it was not built for a horse to stand on and they were not responsible. First off, our horse did not stand on it and secondly where this bumper is located I am quite sure horses make contact with it probably 75% of the time. It is exactly in the location where every horse will unload. Completely ridiculous for them to say that. The customer service department was rude and did not care about the bumper. After refusing to replace the bumper from a company that guarantees their product from Bumper to Bumper, (How Ironic) , we had to order the bumper at our expense. They did agree to sell it to us at reduced price. The cost was $63.00 plus a $6.09 charge for using our credit card and freight costing a mere $139.88. Never did they mention the freight would more than double the cost of the product. While we were waiting for the part we took the bent bumper off our trailer to find a piece of rubber with only a very very thin piece of metal running through the entire length of the rubber bumper. The metal was so thin you could bend it with your hands. And they don't think that a 1000lb horse would bend it by bumping it. It is completely a ridiculous design for the location of the part and the lack of ackknowledgement by the company customer service is even more shocking. We emailed the upper ceo and any one else we could find an email to and have never received a single response. We are going to try to return in today (7/24/2018) but I am not sure what the shipping will be to do that. We have put in a dispute with our credit card also.