3.5T Horsebox advice/info!

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Hi everyone, I'm after some advice and info on 3.5 ton horseboxes, regarding....

1. What do people have and whats the internal dimensions of horse area?
2. Running costs - insurance, fuel, tax?

Basically i currently tow a single ifor with an estate car. horse travels great, but if i'm honest its a bit small for him and i'd be reluctant to go any distance. Starting to compete now so looking at options. Refuse to take trailer test, apart from anything i dont want to drive a bigger car as its also my daily commuter!

TIA :)
 
As always, what's yr budget (roughly)?

Good 3.5T tend to hold their value pretty well, but it's still a fair bit of cash to have tied up.

Perhaps worth keeping the Ifor for local work and hiring for longer trips?
 
I have just this weekend bought s 3.5t as I hated towing. I've bought a coach built courchevel. I've not had pony in it yet so can't tell you much about how I find it. But it is easy to drive.

My tax is £230 or £240 p.a can't remember which. My insurance was with Anthony d Evans and is £407 p.a for any driver 25+

Good luck!
 
I have a Ford transit box conversion. It has a 'proper' luton back on it as opposed to the Ifor container.

It was cheap. very very very cheap to buy - £1500 which for a horsebox is cheap but for an aged Ford Transit is daylight robbery

Its cheap to run:

Tax £240
Insurance £160
Breakdown £110
MOT £60 plus parts (last years was £200 all in)
50mpg

With the help of a Haynes manual I manage to do some basic service tasks on it

Parts are cheap and reasonably freely available with some research

Mine is 30 years old, I wouldn't recommend one that age as the bills to get it up and running were horrifying, however now I am at the 'better the devil you know' phase its bearable. I've spent a lot of money on it but in dribs and drabs - I couldn't have afforded all if that in one go at the start to buy a better box so have had a few years on the road which I wouldn't have done had I been saving for something better

Transit conversions can be top heavy and I remember posting on here when I first got it that I didn't think I could cope but I've learned that tyre pressure has a massive effect on handling and I very happily drive it now

Ponies travel forwards or sideways (depending on where the partition is) and they all travel in it beautifully which is more than I can say for when they have been in slick, low, rear facing boxes
 
My first 3.5 was an ancient Bedford that I bought for £1600 without any tax or MOT. Got it running for about £800 and it gave me 6 years of perfect service. Sold it for a decent price and it's still running happily with new owner. I invested £10,000 into my new 3.5t. Still an older model for that price but all the lovely safety features of a very nicely designed and high quality coachbuilt ... just on a slightly older chassis. Internal dimensions - not sure but big! Taller and wider than most of the others I see in the lorry park .. Running costs £240 tax or something like that, £300 insurance + breakdown, MOT/service/bad luck/etc, good MPG and very easy to drive. Horses can stand in it all day long quite happily.
 
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