3.5 tonne horsebox...how difficult are they to drive?

[riderroo]

Am looking at hiring a 3.5 tonne horsebox (can't afford to buy one!!) to get my boy out and about and was wondering could anybody tell me just how difficult they are to drive?
Thanks

 

[Ranyhyn]

Not at all.

I had an old bedford with no power steering and it was a doddle - and back then I'd only been driving 5 months.

 

[riderroo]

Thanks kitsune for your response - thats pretty encouraging!

 

[JoBo]

Well mine is easy. It’s a Renault Master 3.5 tonne (54 reg), and it’s just like driving a van. Obviously you have to be aware of the size but it drives just like a car.

 

[ShellCoburn]

They are nice and easy!

Here is our truck that we had a few years ago - we have since upgraded to a bigger one ..... the body for this one actually sits in one of our paddocks now as a shelter, and the truck itself is now a large flatbed ute and we sold that.....

This one was a 4.5 tonne........ drove it on just a normal car license......

This is our current truck - its still a work in progress and doesnt look pretty at the moment, but it works - thats the main thing

We had to raise the roof on it by 300mm to fit the big stallion in.

This one is a 12.5 tonne truck - need a different class of license for this one ...... two steps up license wise.

We have a big living area in the front section - queen sized bed, kitchen and table and bench seats..... Even an air conditioner in it

Just needs a paint job now and some more cosmetic stuff doing to it

Those photos were taken ages ago while it was still VERY much a work in progress - it still is, but doesnt look THAT rough right this moment! lol

 

[ShellCoburn]

Oh, and the red beast up there - this is what it looked like before the paint job - Hubby did it all himself.... Hubby has rebuilt the big one all himself too........... very handy having Craig who can fix stuff

Big truck before back was fixed on it:

 

[scotsmare]

I hired one to drive my girls 200 miles north when we moved house (figured it would be easier than a trailer!)

Really easy to drive - would do it again

 

[also_shasha]

Im thinking of hiring one in May for a sponsored ride. Do the 3.5t take 2 x 16.2hh horses comfortably, do you know?

 

[teresagarsden]

i have a 3.5 tonne transit and its easier to drive than my car bless it.
are you driving on a normal car licence as i think you will be overweight with 2 big horses. i can fit my 15hh welsh cob and a 14hh pony in mine with my equiptment but that takes it to the max.
Teresa

 

[ttt]

The new Renault Masters will easily take 2 x 16.2s in room but you will need to look at weight. What do your horses weigh? How many passengers? What else will you be carrying?
What weight will the lorry carry? The 3.5Ts seem to range from between 1T and 1.4T payload.

 

[also_shasha]

One horse is a MW and the other LW TB - not sure of their combined weight, will need to find out. It will have myself and friend and our tack/equipment that we need for the day. I will also check with BSH Horsebox Hire as they will be where we will be hiring the 3.5t.

Im used to a trailer, just never driven an `all in one' before.