3.5 tonne lorry payload?

Missadelaide

Missadelaide

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I currently share a 4x4 and trailer with my Mum and we have been thinking about upgrading to a 3.5 tonne lorry for a while. Only problem is that we have had alot of confilicting advice re payloads. I have a 16.2hh sports horse and a 16hh tb mare and my Mum has a 16.1hh wb and a 15.2hh.

Could I carry my 16.2hh and 16hh together, does anybody know the rulings?
 
basically no you wont! there is another thread further down from earlier today regarding payloads on 3.5t lorries and most will at best allow one 16H+ horse some you could only just get one 13h2 on legally!

with two horses around the 16h mark you are best looking at either a 5.2t or a 7.5t lorry :)
 
It really depends on the age of the horsebox and whether its coachbuilt or a dodgy conversion type!

Mine is an N reg and was coachbuilt and quite *new* in its day but the materials used to build it especially the floor are much heavier and I think my payload is only about 1.3tonne! which doesn't go very far when you have a 600kg horse, tack, supplies, hay etc and a helper! So I'm always careful not to store too much in there and obv would never take more than one horse. I have taken 2 11hand ponies however!

Most of the 3.5tonners are standard height (mine is higher at 7'4) which personally I wouldn't want 16.2 - 17hh in never mind two of them! Also so the adverts saying they can take 16.2hh are not really true as even the newer builds made of lighter materials prob wouldnt have a payload to cover 2 x 600kg horses plus supplies etc.

there is an option of getting a 3.5tonne size box uprated to i think 4.5tonne which i think they do by changing the suspension springs or something then the payload may stretch to two horses. but i think you then need extra licence (rather than being covered on car licence)
 
In essence no. I looked into it extensively. Im very impressed with a 1.3ton payload on an N reg many of the newbuilds struggle to achieve that. The biggest payload i could find was 1.5ton. So average 80kg per person (assume you will want to take 2) = 160kg. Your larger horses assume 500kg each average so 1000kg. Diesel will be (in kg for convenience) around 80kg. Tack not including extra rugs to be approx 15kg per horse = 30kg and you are already on 1240kg with no extra kit, no dogs, no water and being very minimal on all weights :(. Also the boxes with payloads this big cost more to buy than the 7.5ton I am having built to my spec with a much bigger payload. They are fantastic 1 med size horse day trip lorries or for 2 ponies but imo you would make your life hell double and triple checking your weights before every trip and worrying you are over and travelling with void insurance is not the best way to arrive at a show if nothing else! You can get 3.5tonners upgraded often but i think usually to 3.9ton and you will need a cat c1 licence if u passed ur car test after the change of rules :(. Depending on how new you are looking (seem to be less popular of late) perhaps a 5.5ton or 6ton would be the best for piece of mind?
If you search 3.5ton lorries loads of threads inc my old one shoulr come up :)
 
after reading the other thread have realised my payloads not too bad!!

If you need to carry two I would go for a larger box, 5.5 or 7.5 tonne. the other problem is most of the 'changing areas' are at the back with the horses facing you and my horse used to mug me for treats whilst trying to get changed so imagine with two of them and all your stuff in the back too, even if you could take the weight!
 
Lols just got an image of rider in the back jodhpurs around their knees getting headbutted out the door by a treat mugging horse :p. Tis true tho particularly with larger horses (longer necks) they will be able to get you no matter what corner crevice you try to tuck into! My mare slobbered all over me when i was getting changed (borrowed one when she forgot how to stand on her feet in the trailer!) :D
 
Missadelaide said:
I currently share a 4x4 and trailer with my Mum and we have been thinking about upgrading to a 3.5 tonne lorry for a while. Only problem is that we have had alot of confilicting advice re payloads. I have a 16.2hh sports horse and a 16hh tb mare and my Mum has a 16.1hh wb and a 15.2hh.

Could I carry my 16.2hh and 16hh together, does anybody know the rulings?
Click to expand...

Simply answer - NO! Some folks may chance it but just don't as you will not be legal for weight even if the horses can physically fit in the horse end. You would need to consider something with a bigger payload based on a 5.5/6.5 or 7.5 chassis depending on the payload you need.

Have you weighed all your horses so you know what they accurate weigh in KG - rather than relying on a weightape? I would start there if you haven't. Then work out your tack and all kit's weight and remember not to forget to add your weight + mum/friend plus any fuel and water that you have in your tanks.

To give you an idea about horse weight my ISH 17.1 weighs over 800kg and my 16.1 WBxID/TB weighs 700kg which was considerably more than I and my vet guestimated before they went on the weighbridge! I know my horses are large and heavy compared to some but I think a lot of folks underestimate their horses weight. VOSA won't! Boring I know but necessary to do the sums!:)
 
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My 3.5t lorry is basically stripped as bare as possible, no living, nothing fancy - just as saddle rack and partitions. It has a 1050 lb payload which is enough for ONE finely built 15.1hh part bred arab, water, tack, hay and driver and passenger. JUST. ;)
 
haha lovely pic doctordolittle yeh mines got that one down to a tee too! and im not usually enclosed in the box with her shes just perfected doing it outside complete with *gotcha face* :p :)
 
As others have said if you want to travel 2 legally then steer clear! I have a friend with a brand new small, light weight 3.5 tonner and even that has not got sufficient payroll for 2 decent sized horses. Stick with the trailer or go for a 5.5 or small 7.5 and do the test! Good luck!
 
My 3.5t renault master has a payload of 1200kg so although perfect for my 2 x 14.2hhs, would only be able to carry one bigger/heavier horse. I wouldn't recommend them for horses over 16hh either.
 
Thanks for the advice ladies.

That's a real pain, can't understand why they get advertised as carries 2x 16.2hh, that's false advertising surely.

I think I will wait a while and get a 7.5 tonner once I've done the test, annoying though!
 
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