Our alpaca trailer is somewhat unusual but all the differences are there on purpose and for good reason.
Here is a guided tour of our alpaca trailer and some of its more interesting features.



The first thing you will notice is that the trailer has no windows. All the air for the trailer is drawn in through filters. This prevents any flying insects or debris such as cigarette butts getting in with the alpacas. It also means the trailer enjoys a fairly constant air flow irrespective of the speed we are travelling at.



Here you can see the rear door half open. The weight of the door is supported by steel cables running to strong springs in the roof of the alpaca trailer. What this means is that anyone can open and close the door without assistance.




Now the door is fully open. You can see the ramp is covered in tough waterproof carpet and held in place with wooden latts. This creates a non slip surface for the alpacas. The side gates are still in place so there is no chance of animals dashing out.



The side gates are now open and you can see they not only hinge outwards but also swing down onto the lowered ramp. This creates a good chute for loading and unloading alpacas.



Here you can see more clearly how the side gates also swing down onto the side of the ramp whatever angle it is at.



The interior of the alpaca trailer has a shock absorbing rubber floor which we cover in straw.
The floor isn't that easy to clean but it offers great grip for the alpacas which helps reduce their stress levels and excellent drainage so no one has to sit on a wet spot. The interior and rear ramp can both be illuminated at night. A sensor in the trailer relays temperature and humidity levels to a readout in the tow vehicle. Although there are no windows in the alpaca trailer there are always blue skies!



The interior space can be hard partitioned 60/40 to accomodate different groups of animals.



The trailer has a volume of about 1,000 cubic feet and the two ceiling mounted MaxxFans can move about 1,800 cubit feet of air per minute. So the entire air in the trailer is refreshed every 34 seconds, irrespective of vehicle speed. Now of course it doesn't matter how fast you pull the air through it can never be cooler (or warmer) than the ambient temperature outside the trailer.



A wide side door gives access to the front of the trailer. This is really useful when the trailer is partitioned.

Well that completes the guided tour.
It may look like an expensive custom job but it isn't. The trailer we bought used for a bargain price, no one wanted it because it was black and as hot as hell in summer! We had it painted white and made all the modifications described here in the summer of 2005 with the help of our Italian Alpaca breeder Gaia Dakalo.

By Adrian Stewart