3.5 ton boxes

[kassieg]

I've finally got the opportunity to get myself a 3.5 ton! I'm in no rush as my youngster is not yet broken (job for the spring) so realistically will do limited outings this year, most likely just a couple of schoolings & camp in October so I can hire something to cover these... So I have plenty of time to research & make the right decision!
I'm weighing up van conversion vs coach build
Clearly there is a very obvious cost difference, but I want value for money & safety.
I can have a decent budget (I currently pay 350 a month for my lease car through work) & some cash to put down initially as well. But I don't want to spend it if I don't have to.
I will have 1 15.2 to transport & likely be travelling up to 2 hour journeys 1 way in a day. My main focus is mechanical soundness & horse safety so I'd rather put the money into that than a pretty paint job, although that would be nice ?
I would love a coach build, but I don't know if it's worth the extra money for what I will be doing?
Very interested to hear from anyone who has had both, which you preferred?
&any must haves people have found since having them?
My must have is top barn doors
Any experiences or recommendations of companies very much appreciated!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I was going to sell mine, it’s pretty ancient and we thought time to upgrade slightly before it started needing a lot spent on it.
Sadly I can’t remember the name of the guy but there were several clips going round on FB some months ago. If anyone can point you in the right direction they are so informative and helpful. I decided off the back of watching to keep mine as it’s apparently very well built.
He strips conversions back and points out good and bad bits. So useful if your looking.

 

[onemoretime]

I was going to sell mine, it’s pretty ancient and we thought time to upgrade slightly before it started needing a lot spent on it.
Sadly I can’t remember the name of the guy but there were several clips going round on FB some months ago. If anyone can point you in the right direction they are so informative and helpful. I decided off the back of watching to keep mine as it’s apparently very well built.
He strips conversions back and points out good and bad bits. So useful if your looking.

Are you meaning Wayne Henning of Henning Horseboxes, he has a Facebook site. Yes he is an excellent engineer and will travel up and down the country looking at boxes and giving you his expert opinion on them. He has some horror stories to tell you and frightening pictures/videos to show you. Well worth having a look on his FB site if you do FB. Good luck and please be very careful, its as dodgy buying a horsebox out there as buying a horse.

 

[kassieg]

Are you meaning Wayne Henning of Henning Horseboxes, he has a Facebook site. Yes he is an excellent engineer and will travel up and down the country looking at boxes and giving you his expert opinion on them. He has some horror stories to tell you and frightening pictures/videos to show you. Well worth having a look on his FB site if you do FB. Good luck and please be very careful, its as dodgy buying a horsebox out there as buying a horse.

Thanks I'll have a nosy ?
Yes that's what I'm concerned about! I'm v.experienced buying horses.... But very inexperienced at buying boxes! My dad will come with me who's very good with vehicles, but it's just so much money to get it wrong!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Are you meaning Wayne Henning of Henning Horseboxes, he has a Facebook site. Yes he is an excellent engineer and will travel up and down the country looking at boxes and giving you his expert opinion on them. He has some horror stories to tell you and frightening pictures/videos to show you. Well worth having a look on his FB site if you do FB. Good luck and please be very careful, its as dodgy buying a horsebox out there as buying a horse.

Yes! Pretty sure this was the guy. So worth looking at his page op

 

[poiuytrewq]

A lot of his videos enabled me who knows nothing to look at mine and see which bits he was talking about etc. I’d be half confident in deciding on first impressions if a box was worth pursuing or not. Several I know I wouldn’t touch.

 

[PeterNatt]

My advice would be to get a purpose built one built by a reputable manufacturer which is built on a chassis pan cab.
Reputable manufacturers are Bloomfield, Boss, Marlborough Oakley, John Oates and a Good Chassis is a Renault Master as it has a low centre of gravity.

 

[L&M]

Depends on budget but a new build van conversion can be nearly as much as a decent 2nd hand older coach built model.

I have had both - only ever travelled my 15hh cob and an occasional other and the van was more than adequate. Easy to drive, maintain and very economical. The only real limitation for me would be if I wanted a larger horse, as wouldn't feel happy travelling a horse beyond 15.2hh in one, regardless if how they are advertised to take larger.

I recently bought a coach built from Warwickshire horseboxes - photos still on website (white new build). The stats aren't on the ad but because of the lightweight build the payload is 1260 kg. The roof height is a lot higher than a van so will never have that as a limitation. The grooms area is far bigger too and everything just feels more spacious, airy, and less 'crammed in' than the van, so possibly a nicer environment for a horse.

So for me, and although it meant I had to spend a little more, the coach built wins hands down over the van, but only in hindsight and having experienced both. And I was lucky to find one with such a good payload - a lot of the older coach builds will have around 1000kg but if you only want to travel one, won't be an issue.

Which ever you do decide on, the things to look for are a collapsible breast bar and if a coach built, a wide enough jockey door that could be used as an emergency horse exit.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I really like the Marleborough Hunter. I’ve two friends with them. One was a new build bought with her pension lump sum the other older but a really good buy. They sell really quickly too.

 

[blodwyn1]

I had mine built by Marlborough in,2006 and it's still going strong. It is a Marlborough cob built on a ,02 vauxhall movano chassis cab. I would not want van conversion as I don't think they are as safe

 

[MissTyc]

Henning Horseboxes did the pre-purchase inspection on my old Renault Master coachbuild. Not when I was buying it, but when I was selling it! Was like sitting an exam, I felt anxious and defensive lol ... but it passed with, maybe not quite flying, but age-appropriate colours. Phew (also reassuring to know I hadn't been driving around a deathtrap for the last 4 years).

I had a new coachbuild custom-built by Travel Two and the cost worked out very favourable compared to the big brands. The company's reputation was what attracted me and the experience was overall good. I did have a few teething problems, but the customer service was excellent so that ended well. I did have it checked by our local big name builder and he confirmed that it a very high quality build. I feel very safe and really enjoy driving it. The freedom during the various stages of lockdown has been wonderful and I am much happier on my own in this one than in any previous build since I designed it with me and mine in mind. I did check out loads of second hand and new builds, but in the end I wanted what I wanted (and got it cheaper than branded ones, even second hand!). I also tried out some van conversions and I did not feel as safe even on the test drives so I ruled them out quickly.

I had mine made super simple to save some payload but also adaptable to suit my horses and their travelling preferences. I rarely travel more than one although my two ridden horses do both fit with just me, weight-wise (14.2hh and a petite 15.1hh). My rising 3yo monster ISH will definitely need to travel alone!

 

[FFAQ]

I took out a loan to buy my Renault master conversion and the following month was gifted a shire horse! She's only 16.2 and does fit inside if i take the partition out, but if i'd know she was coming my way i'd have taken the test so i could tow a trailer or drive a bigger lorry and got something else!
As for the Renault master, mechanically it's brilliant. I use it as a car so i drive it everywhere and it's amazingly economical on fuel. The MIT guy is always telling me how brilliant it is underneath for its age. However, the conversion was definitely not worth the money i paid! I bought it from South West Horseboxes and paid 10k. I won't be buying from them again. There was no jack included, sharp bits on rivets, the roof vent leaks, the hydraulic arms on the ramp stopped working within a few weeks, the edging by the ramp leaked and rotted out the boards under the interior lining. The paint job started flaking within a couple of months. Catches on the ramp are very flimsy and on the top door the catches are awkward. Of course, when it's shiny and new these things aren't obvious if you've never bought a box before.
They did replace the rotted boards but didn't fix the leak so now it all needs doing again and of course it's no longer under warranty. They were awful to deal with when it came to complaints ?

So, moral of the story - Renault masters are lovely vans, but beware of the person converting it!!