3.5 Tonne lorries

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joop

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I am looking at getting a 3.5T lorry to travel my mare in but I know nothing about them even when I look at adverts I dont understand which ones are 3.5 and which are over this. It would need to be a 3.5 one to avoid taking another test. Also does any one know how much you can buy one for that is road worthy? Also I have read on here in the past about being over weight in them. How do you work this out? My mare is 17hh id x tb and weighs around 675kg. Thank you so much in advance I am completely ignorant about lorries.
 
My friend is also looking for a 3.5tonne lorry with a budget of about £6k, there are plenty about and a lot are cheaper. The chassis tend to be VW LT35 / Ford Transit with Ifor Williams containers and Renault. Adverts should say that they are 3.5t, also look out for people saying 'can be driven on car licence'. Ask to see a weigh bridge certificate, that way you'll see how heavy it is and then add the weight of your horse to see if you're legal, I'm sure it'll be fine so long as there is no living and you only want to travel one horse. Hope that all makes sense??? Good luck! PS. Get the AA or a mechanic to check over before you part with money!
 
Get a weigh bridge cert so you know exactly how much you can carry. Some of the older ones, and especially the VW LT35 have very small payloads. Be careful.
 
If you take for instance a Marlborough 3.5 Ton built on a Renault Master then when empty they weigh about 2.2 Ton. This leaves you 1.3 Ton for the driver, passenger(s) fuel, water tack, feed and the horse.

I would suggest that you need to have your horse weighed first and then work backwards and see if you can keep to below the limit.

If you are buying a new container on an old chassis say a 2001 you wil be paying from about £17,000 upwards.

Hope this helps.
 
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Adverts should say that they are 3.5t, also look out for people saying 'can be driven on car licence'.

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be careful with this, some advertisers put this but they are refering the normal pre 1997 test pass licences that allows drivers to drive vehicles upto 7.5T
 
Just a tip, I was warned that plenty of 3.5t lorries can bit a bit unstable so to go for one with a twin axle at the back - that means double tires. Have just bought a 20yr old VW LT35 with a bigger container that takes 2x16.3's without an issue. I think my weight cert says the lorry is approx 1.8t and when I put my 15.3hh ned in it who weighs just over 1000 pounds (1/2t) I could barely feel his weight in it, think this would be a different matter with 2 neds.

If I just get to the point, the twin axle is a good move, lorry drives very well and feels secure doesn't tilt terribly or wobble. Make sure the breaking system is in good nick, ask when pads and discs last done and if pistons are ok and pull up rubber matting to check edge of floors aren't rotten - good clue is grass seeds growing through floor!!! I requested the one I was buying be put through an MOT and agreed to buy on that basis so I know it has been passed as roadworthy for the next 12 months. Also make sure it has been serviced regularly and check service history.

I personally wouldn't buy a Renault Master type as they are single axle and I have heard plenty of horror stories about stability and being pulled by the police for being overweight. Lots of people are doing their own conversions of these types to jump on the band wagon and not making sure basics are adhered to.

Hope that helps, good luck, it is worth taking your time to find the right lorry and know your horse is going to be safe.
 
Just one more word of caution, an MOT does NOT necessarily mean it is OK, my friend bought one recently with 10 months left on the MOT, took it to the garage and they said the chassis was almost completely rusted through, definately not road worthy!
So just be careful.....I'm sure they are out there, my other friend has got a nice one for about £3k, but it is very much a pony box, has living though. I think you do need to spend a bit or be quite lucky to get a really good one though!
I do know of one for sale in Berkshire/Oxfordshire for a very very good price, its an ifor box on a transit. I can give you the number if you PM me.
 
LT35's actually have a large pay load as they are very light in the first place, only prob with them is they have quite a high centre of gravity.

Renault masters are the best, rear facing, v low side ramp, and v low centre of gravity. You would def need a coach built rather than a van conversion due to the hieght of your horse, and the weight - vans only usually have about a 1000kg pay load, where as coach built usually have around 1200kg.
 
For the budget you have got, you would need to be looking at a VWLT35 or a transit type, getting a master with enough headroom for a 16.3hh for that money is near on impossible. I was looking for months, and have now got a LDV conversion with twin axle and tiny living and luton. It "just" fits my lrge horse (16.2hh ish!) but had about 1tonne payload, which is perfect for me with one horse. I would have preferred more head space, but tbh I was greatful to find one which fitted G and was roadworthy!!! I was also told by a reliable source that there are only VERY few of the renault conversions that are actually legal and suitable to carry horses, and obviously they are the ones with the 12k+ price tag!!!
 
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