4x4 horsebox, why doesn't this exist?

Landcruiser

Landcruiser

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I have a 7.5 ton box which is great for visiting fun rides and TREC - but once the ground is wet or sloped, or god forbid BOTH, it's got no traction at all. I know a trailer plus 4 x 4 is better, I used to have one, but you can't conveniently make a cup of tea or sleep in one.
Surely the obvious solution is a 4 x 4 rugged all in one horse carrying vehicle, say a 3.5 ton with a 4 wheel drive option. Does such a thing exist, and if not, why not?
 
There are 4 x 4 trucks, mostly 7.5t or bigger DAF and used by military.
Unfortunately they wouldn't be practical as most have slow speeds and are mostly used as troop carriers and the like, as have a high weight unladen.
Very gas guzzly.
I don't know of any ever converted as horseboxes.
 
The most profoundly cool is the MAN 630. Totally and utterly impractical as a horsebox, but you should check out footage of them off-road in Africa. And they can run on petrol or diesel or paraffin or un-refined chip oil at the flick of a lever.....
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Agreed, however balancing performance off road, to usage and fuel consumption the rest of the time, it's just about a non starter Mike :(
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Hardly! A set of rear tyres of the sort of pattern that is commonly used on tipper lorries will not noticeably affect fuel consumption but give much better traction off road.I have used them for many years on my timber lorry.
 
If you have enough money you could make it exist. I would imagine that costs would make it out of the reach of many people therefore not a viable possibility.
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
If you have enough money you could make it exist. I would imagine that costs would make it out of the reach of many people therefore not a viable possibility.
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Yes, I have it all planned out for when I win the lottery! :-)
I only do about 1500-2000 miles a year in my lorry, and I know a lot of people also don't do too many, so fuel economy may be less of a concern than off road performance. And if money was no object, a tail lift would be a great way to go! Actually, my ramp is so steep my horse is used to a bit of a climb anyway.

Oh well, until that lottery win I'll keep dreaming...
 
A 4x4 with a trailer that has living? I think Equitrek do one. You could even look at some of the big gooseneck trailers they use in America.
 
You can get 4 x 4 camper vans. Hymer do one on a Mercedes chassis, so in theory it should be possible to find a cab and chassis onto which a horse body could be built. Camper van floors aren't excessively high (for obvious reasons) but I image it wouldn't be a cheap option. Changing tyres and using traction mats would be much more cost effective.
 
We wouldn't need horse boxes to be 'off road' 4x4, simply a vehicle that has the option to switch to four wheel drive. The reason many cars/the trucks that are 4x4 are high is to get clearance when they go rock hopping, with the four wheels driving to get traction wherever they can. Surely a little truck with front/rear diffs and diff lock would be suitable? No need to change the height/beef it up, as it's simply the torque to the wheels that we would like to change?
 
Lyle said:
We wouldn't need horse boxes to be 'off road' 4x4, simply a vehicle that has the option to switch to four wheel drive. The reason many cars/the trucks that are 4x4 are high is to get clearance when they go rock hopping, with the four wheels driving to get traction wherever they can. Surely a little truck with front/rear diffs and diff lock would be suitable? No need to change the height/beef it up, as it's simply the torque to the wheels that we would like to change?
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You are way off the mark to get drive to the front axle a truck needs to be at least 375mm higher . Look under a lorry sometime and work out where the prop shaft to the front axle would go. The only people in the UK who run 4x4 trucks are utility companies that need access to bad places and they run them till they are finished.
Personally the small little used gain would be far outweighed by the expense and the fuel guzzling.
 
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