3.5 tonne lorries

[lilpinkdonkey4]

Ok so i know people have different opinions on their safety etc etc. But i was wondering if anyone had any experience with select horseboxes (www.horseboxes.com). They Build the chaigley 3.5 tonner... whats it like? what is andrew saywell like to deal with? had any problems...? or can anyone also recomend any other good 3.5 tonne lorry builders!?!

(Im too young to tow, too young to have a 7.5 tonne lorry and my only option is to travel my ONE horse in a 3.5 tonne lorry (parents not horsey, ive taken the year out to event my mare so need to travel her and not rely on freinds (as i have done for the last few years...!))

 

[custard]

A friend of mine has just had a new build Chaigley on an 04 Renault Master at just under £20K and I'm seriously jealous!

I've had a good look and a drive and have to say it's a super box. Masses of head room, low ramp and it flies. She's had a bit of bother with the ramp/door rattling or something but they've picked it up and sorted it with no quibbling.

I reckon with two fullup 16.2's in it you'd be near the weight limit but she rarely travels her two together.

 

[lilpinkdonkey4]

Thats fab thanks, yeh i would only be traveling the one horse... do you know how she feels with the breast to tail length as i was nosey this weekend at addington and saw one and thought this length looked quite short... what size horse does your friend take?

 

[custard]

I think you can specify however long you want. Friend has an ISH which is at least 17hh, big black beastie that wouldn't look amiss outside Buckingham Palace, he's mahoosssive!

 

[lilpinkdonkey4]

hehehe ok then i expect my little 16hh mare will be fine then!

Thanks for your help!

Bx

 

[Stella]

I'm sure you will be fine. My mare is a smidge short of 16.3hh and she travels a treat in mine. I bought it from Northern Horseboxes in Darlington last year. It is a conversion on a 2003 Renault Master chasis.

 

[welshies]

Hi, i actually have a 3.5t box for sale made by select horseboxes! PM me if you want details. You mention you thought the one you saw looked a bit short, i thought that when i first saw mine i was really worried it looked like a pony box but it takes 16.2hh. My boy is 15.2 but a big one, he takes a 6'3 rug. Would deff recommend them, i love it but i unfortunately can't afford to keep it. It's a lot more ecconomical than a trailer and box, and i think as safe if not safer, mine is very stable. It is very very low so easy to load and also makes it more stable, plus it's very nippy and easy to handle. I don't like the van conversion things they do but the coachbuilt are great!

 

[PeterNatt]

The issue with 3.5 ton vehicles is that they do not have sufficient payload to carry a horse tack etc as they can easily go overweight. The chassis/cabs are designed for a weight of no more than 3.5 tons so their road handling and braking power are designed for this level of static load. However a horse is not a static load it is a moving load and the vehicle is not designed for this so really you need to be well under weight by at least half a ton to compensate for this. This is why unless one is travelling small ponies these vehicles pose significant dangers to the driver, horses and other roads users especially in emergency braking situations. In addition a horse will significintly raise the centre of gravity causing further road handling characteristics.

 

[Thistle]

Why don't you take you 7.5t test and get yourself a little 2 horse 6t box if you don't want a full size.

Much more comfy for the horses and you would get some living too.

 

[KatB]

I dont have a select one, but have a LDV 3.5ton. It has sufficient payload as I found out when stopped fullyy loaded, i still had 400Kg to play with and that was witha big horse on board. Aslong as it has been built with weight in mind, payload shouldnt be an issue with one horse.

 

[lilpinkdonkey4]

I am too young... as i say in my original post to take a HGV test and to take a trailer test, im not over 21!

Thanks KatB but im def looking for a renault master type (or vauxhall movano...) I will only ever be traveling my one lightly built mare and she is a very steady traveller... Peter Natt i understand where you are comming from however i konw lots of people who dissagree... these little lorries have been around a long time (esp in the racing industry) and i have heard lots more good reports than horror stories...!

Thistle, have PMd you!

 

[Thistle]

I know someone who is 18 and has passed her trailer test.

 

[lilpinkdonkey4]

Reeally???? i thought you had to be over 21 like the minibus test...

(welshies i have Pmd you)

 

[icemaiden113]

Select horse boxes are very good, well built and Andrew Saywell is very good to deal with!
Hope you get a nice box!!

 

[JM07]

[ QUOTE ]
The issue with 3.5 ton vehicles is that they do not have sufficient payload to carry a horse tack etc as they can easily go overweight. The chassis/cabs are designed for a weight of no more than 3.5 tons so their road handling and braking power are designed for this level of static load. However a horse is not a static load it is a moving load and the vehicle is not designed for this so really you need to be well under weight by at least half a ton to compensate for this. This is why unless one is travelling small ponies these vehicles pose significant dangers to the driver, horses and other roads users especially in emergency braking situations. In addition a horse will significintly raise the centre of gravity causing further road handling characteristics.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree 100%

these things are an accident waiting to happen..

have driven one of the newer "burger-van" types...bloody awful..they roll around and are very "pushy" when braking....

if i was a driver wanting to drive my own box, then i'd wait till old enough to drive/take test for HGV....

 

[Stella]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The issue with 3.5 ton vehicles is that they do not have sufficient payload to carry a horse tack etc as they can easily go overweight. The chassis/cabs are designed for a weight of no more than 3.5 tons so their road handling and braking power are designed for this level of static load. However a horse is not a static load it is a moving load and the vehicle is not designed for this so really you need to be well under weight by at least half a ton to compensate for this. This is why unless one is travelling small ponies these vehicles pose significant dangers to the driver, horses and other roads users especially in emergency braking situations. In addition a horse will significintly raise the centre of gravity causing further road handling characteristics.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree 100%

these things are an accident waiting to happen..

have driven one of the newer "burger-van" types...bloody awful..they roll around and are very "pushy" when braking....

if i was a driver wanting to drive my own box, then i'd wait till old enough to drive/take test for HGV....

[/ QUOTE ] I can only comment on my own, but it really does not roll around at all. It feels very smooth and stable and it feels stable when braking too