7.5 or 3.5

BlackIrishBeauty

BlackIrishBeauty

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So I currently have a reliable 3.5 van conversion horsebox. I absolutely love it and its' great for my mare and my 1 little pony.

However, I'm thinking of going to a 7.5 compact for reasons below:
- I will be retiring my mare in a few years and looking for my next one. My next one I'm wanting around 16.2 and chunky- meaning my van probably won't have the height nor will it be able to carry my new one plus a pony.
- As my daughter grows (won't be for a long while yet) she will need bigger ponies.
- I would like the option of staying in it.

I'm not too fussed on whether it's got a cooker or not ( i live off our air fryer anyway) but I am bothered on age, mileage etc.

So I suppose my question is - how have those who have gone up found the change? Is there anything I should be looking out for? What would you deem a good budget for something that isn't brand new (around 10 years old) and most importantly- what do you think I should be looking for in terms of safety? My current box is made with safety in mind as the forefront so this aspect is super important to me.
 
I can only say that I have a 7.5t compact (22') and LOVE it, but recently upgraded it to 8.3t to give me enough payload to carry 3 x 500kg horses plus kit ( it has space for 4 horses, a tack area with a bench, 6 saddle racks and humungous ( and heavy) luton with a kingsize mattess and room to spare. It has a REALLY solid floor, sides and ramp, and I am happier having upgraded it than I would have been selling and buying something lighter. The upgrading, including my HGV class 2, was about 2k.
 
Cragrat said:
I can only say that I have a 7.5t compact (22') and LOVE it, but recently upgraded it to 8.3t to give me enough payload to carry 3 x 500kg horses plus kit ( it has space for 4 horses, a tack area with a bench, 6 saddle racks and humungous ( and heavy) luton with a kingsize mattess and room to spare. It has a REALLY solid floor, sides and ramp, and I am happier having upgraded it than I would have been selling and buying something lighter. The upgrading, including my HGV class 2, was about 2k.
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I'm a long way off carrying 3 bigger horses yet but this is good to know for when I do.
 
Had a 7.5 tonne years ago then 5 tonne then back to 7.5 tonne. The 5 tonne was lovely had a very tight turning circle tighter than my car at the time and a really good payload for two horses although I really only ever carried one and a grooms area which I actually did stay in with a sleeping bag so essentially posh camping. However, when we started doing a lot longer journeys and staying away more often went back to a big lorry. I like driving the big lorry and have lots of space and payload and most importantly from my human perspective a loo and sink. From the horse point of view, hopefully it gives a good journey and is spacious. OH is a mechanic and he drives some which he says give a rolling feeling and so it would be very important to give any lorry a good test drive to see how you feel in it. Even the same chassis with a different body on it can drive differently. Checking the payload weight and the mechanics of it obviously very important. This one we converted ourselves but when I was looking years ago, many had a shiny living but were not very well maintained mechanically. Others may disagree but if you’re getting a 7.5 then having a cab that can still tilt and ideally tilt without too much dismantling saves you a lot of money on mechanics and makes your mechanic a happier person.
 
I love our 7.5 lorry - it’s a DAF with a tilt cab and 1.8 payload, 23’ long so pretty compact - we have a tight turn into our drive so wouldn’t be able to have anything much longer, no tack lockers in the horse area and air suspension which gives a smooth ride for the horses. Originally I started looking with a £20-30k budget but the only things I could find were riddled with rust, multiple advisories on the last MOT and just not things I’d be happy driving around the corner let alone a few hundred miles on the motorway. I had to up my budget considerably but the lorry I bought flew through its pre-purchase inspection and it’s so much easier than hitching and towing a trailer. It was quite nerve-wracking handing over such a large amount of money for a 16 year old vehicle but anything cheaper wasn’t fit for purpose unless you had a friendly, free mechanic on tap and the next price point up was even more expensive
 
Depending on how much staying away you do and how big a living you need have you considered 4.5 tonne?

You can uprate plenty of the longer wheelbase 3.5 tonnes for a paperwork fee, fitting little blocks to the springs and a speed limiter - costs about £500.

Then you can gave the nimbleness of a small van but still legally carry 2 horses (depending on how much fitted living you have).
 
Polos Mum said:
Depending on how much staying away you do and how big a living you need have you considered 4.5 tonne?

You can uprate plenty of the longer wheelbase 3.5 tonnes for a paperwork fee, fitting little blocks to the springs and a speed limiter - costs about £500.

Then you can gave the nimbleness of a small van but still legally carry 2 horses (depending on how much fitted living you have).
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Can you do this on a long wheel base van conversion?
 
Uprating a 3.5t doesn't fundamentally change the fact it's a still a 3.5 so engine, floor etc may struggle if not strengthened (as told to me by several horsebox builders and mechanics).
I had a huge 7.5 with amazing living but didn't need such a big box due to no longer doing stay aways eventing. Only had 1.6t payload!
Had a box built which is a compact 7.2 giving me over 3t of payload. I love it.
 
BlackIrishBeauty said:
Can you do this on a long wheel base van conversion?
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All transits can be uprates to 3.9 tonne - the identical vans in Europe are all registered at 3.9 tonne. That is a v simple paperwork exercise with a small fee.

You can check with the people who do the conversion paperwork (SV Tech) is the one I've used. to see whether yours is capable of uprating.


I think the strength of the floor and bulk head safety etc. are all just as important with 1 horse as 2 - in my personal opinion. If one horse comes through the box into my lap I'm squished - doesn't matter really if I'm double squished. I wouldn't drive a 3.5 tonne with a flimsy floor or without reinforced bulk head.

If you're taking 2 x 16.2 all the time engine is probably a consideration - but worth a discussion with a mechanic and pros / cons of engine vs. maneuverability
 
Polos Mum said:
All transits can be uprates to 3.9 tonne - the identical vans in Europe are all registered at 3.9 tonne. That is a v simple paperwork exercise with a small fee.

You can check with the people who do the conversion paperwork (SV Tech) is the one I've used. to see whether yours is capable of uprating.


I think the strength of the floor and bulk head safety etc. are all just as important with 1 horse as 2 - in my personal opinion. If one horse comes through the box into my lap I'm squished - doesn't matter really if I'm double squished. I wouldn't drive a 3.5 tonne with a flimsy floor or without reinforced bulk head.

If you're taking 2 x 16.2 all the time engine is probably a consideration - but worth a discussion with a mechanic and pros / cons of engine vs. maneuverability
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Yeah I think I'm just going to go for a 7.5. I would rather have it than not. Love my little box but I just have to admit that it's not fit for purpose anymore now that my family is growing!
 
Polos Mum said:
All transits can be uprates to 3.9 tonne - the identical vans in Europe are all registered at 3.9 tonne. That is a v simple paperwork exercise with a small fee.

You can check with the people who do the conversion paperwork (SV Tech) is the one I've used. to see whether yours is capable of uprating.


I think the strength of the floor and bulk head safety etc. are all just as important with 1 horse as 2 - in my personal opinion. If one horse comes through the box into my lap I'm squished - doesn't matter really if I'm double squished. I wouldn't drive a 3.5 tonne with a flimsy floor or without reinforced bulk head.

If you're taking 2 x 16.2 all the time engine is probably a consideration - but worth a discussion with a mechanic and pros / cons of engine vs. maneuverability
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I’m aware of uprating them to 3.9t but not 4.5?

OP we take a 4.5t with living, it has lots of good points, especially fuel wise but it’s not great for 2 people comfortably my tent comes in the summer 😅
 
Personally, I'd choose the 7.5 toNne, but that's because I could drive it with my license and I love a living area. This said I've never had one as wouldn't use it enough, so trailer with a bit of living is best for me.
The only thing I'd note is usually 3.5 tonne is an MOT, and 7.5 tonne requires plating which is more expensive and usually needs some planning time wise to get a slot and get it through etc.
 
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I went from a trailer to a 7.5, then a 12.5, then back to a 7.5 and now a 3.9 (was a 3.5 but upgraded).

I have loved them all!

For one horse, I love the 3.9. I have slept in the 3.9 box overnight using just the box (it has a toilet) or slept in it for longer where there are additional shower/eating facilities.

One consideration is that I'm not sure how old your daughter is, but, if you just want to transport one, she will be able to drive a 3.5 a heck of a lot sooner than a bigger one.

The 12.5 was great. Bigger, more solid, grand engine, heating, cooking/bathroom, massive bed etc etc. But that was when I took it a bit more seriously and drivers hours become a consideration.

The 7.5 was also great.

I do love the van though. The horse area is big enough for any horse up to a shire. The fuel economy is fabulous. It is a lot lower so easier to load and unload (horse and kit).
 
ester said:
I’m aware of uprating them to 3.9t but not 4.5?
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The uprate to 3.9 is purely paperwork .

To go to 4.5 you need a longer wheelbase 3.5 to start with. then they tweak suspension blocks, new front types and fit speed limiter. I had it done on my Citron relay - it drives more easily than my OH's Navara pick up - that is without a trailer.
I think if you fill in the SV tech free online form with reg number, they will tell you whether it is capable of being uprated and what to.

90% of the time it is just me in it - but I wanted the option of taking a friend with me on occasion - 3.5 is just 1 horse really unless you have no spare tyre, water, fuel etc.

The racehorse transporters are being warned that motorway cameras are being set up to detect overweight vehicles - there are lots around

We uprated the camper van too - that was overweight with water and 2 kids !

Plating is somewhere slightly further way and about £50 more expensive than the MOT - you need to book in a week in advance.
But at 4.5 the tax is cheaper - so I got a refund of about £100 when i did the uprate - unexpected bonus.
 
Polos Mum said:
The uprate to 3.9 is purely paperwork .

To go to 4.5 you need a longer wheelbase 3.5 to start with. then they tweak suspension blocks, new front types and fit speed limiter. I had it done on my Citron relay - it drives more easily than my OH's Navara pick up - that is without a trailer.
I think if you fill in the SV tech free online form with reg number, they will tell you whether it is capable of being uprated and what to.

90% of the time it is just me in it - but I wanted the option of taking a friend with me on occasion - 3.5 is just 1 horse really unless you have no spare tyre, water, fuel etc.

The racehorse transporters are being warned that motorway cameras are being set up to detect overweight vehicles - there are lots around

We uprated the camper van too - that was overweight with water and 2 kids !

Plating is somewhere slightly further way and about £50 more expensive than the MOT - you need to book in a week in advance.
But at 4.5 the tax is cheaper - so I got a refund of about £100 when i did the uprate - unexpected bonus.
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I had mine done to 3.95, to be precise and it wasn't just a paper exercise. It also needed a speed limiter fitting. I am restricted to 56mph. I did also think it involved something on the suspension, but may be wrong on that. The limiter was definite though. The limiter had to be done and certified as it is now over 3.5 tonnes.
 
Following as I’m in a similar dilemma with my big ginger boy. He currently just about squeezes into my 3.5t Alexander but he’s only 6 so will likely outgrow it. My trainer has a 3.5t stallion box by equimark that he fits nicely in, but even still it’s realistically a 1 horse box and I can see a world in the not too distant future when we’ll be wanting to take multiples out.

The struggle I’m having is a lot of the 7.5t I’ve seen seem to have a comparatively small payload still so it’s hard to justify the jump, especially when we’ll need to do our C1 to drive one.
 
This is why I don’t want a huge living. Literally happy with a chair that converts to a bed, a fridge, tack locker and some cupboard space. They are out there. I’m thinking of having one made if I can’t find one.
 
Have you thought about a 6.5t? Loads of payload (we have 2.5t), spacious horse area for big horses, easy to drive and cheaper to run than 7.5t, although more expensive to buy. Not as much living but you can still have a decent overnight living for 2 people.
 
This is why I don’t want a huge living. Literally happy with a chair that converts to a bed, a fridge, tack locker and some cupboard space. They are out there. I’m thinking of having one made if I can’t find one.
 
FestiveFuzz said:
Following as I’m in a similar dilemma with my big ginger boy. He currently just about squeezes into my 3.5t Alexander but he’s only 6 so will likely outgrow it. My trainer has a 3.5t stallion box by equimark that he fits nicely in, but even still it’s realistically a 1 horse box and I can see a world in the not too distant future when we’ll be wanting to take multiples out.

The struggle I’m having is a lot of the 7.5t I’ve seen seem to have a comparatively small payload still so it’s hard to justify the jump, especially when we’ll need to do our C1 to drive one.
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Often 5t or 6t lorries have better payloads than 7.5t as the base chassis is that much lighter. They tend to only be stalled for two though unless they're small ponies.
 
Annagain said:
Often 5t or 6t lorries have better payloads than 7.5t as the base chassis is that much lighter. They tend to only be stalled for two though unless they're small ponies.
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Ah that’s good to know. We’re only just starting to consider our options now the BFG is definitely staying, and with the toddler now having her own pony and the husband trying to steal the BFG I can see a world where being able to take 2 places at the same time would make sense. I’d be surprised if there’s ever I time we’d need to take 3 anywhere, but then I’d never have expected the husband to want in on my hobby either so never say never.
 
Not quite the same but I went from 3.5 to 6.5. I stayed away in it for the first time this weekend and it was fantastic!
Mine takes two herringbone (prefer a rear ramp over a side ramp) and then I have a decent living with kitchen, wardrobe, L shaped seating and table. Overhead cupboards mean I have a lot of storage space. The bed on the Luton was great over the weekend- I slept better than I do at home. I have a gas hob, sink and horse shower. If I was being picky I’d like a saddle locker but I bought it secondhand.
Driving it is almost as easy as a 3.5t, mine pulls like a train and it’s far more user friendly than a 7.5t, and you don’t have to worry about payload either!
Bockmann do a 7.2tonne that’s stalled for three but you do compromise on the living
 
BlackIrishBeauty said:
So I currently have a reliable 3.5 van conversion horsebox. I absolutely love it and its' great for my mare and my 1 little pony.

However, I'm thinking of going to a 7.5 compact for reasons below:
- I will be retiring my mare in a few years and looking for my next one. My next one I'm wanting around 16.2 and chunky- meaning my van probably won't have the height nor will it be able to carry my new one plus a pony.
- As my daughter grows (won't be for a long while yet) she will need bigger ponies.
- I would like the option of staying in it.

I'm not too fussed on whether it's got a cooker or not ( i live off our air fryer anyway) but I am bothered on age, mileage etc.

So I suppose my question is - how have those who have gone up found the change? Is there anything I should be looking out for? What would you deem a good budget for something that isn't brand new (around 10 years old) and most importantly- what do you think I should be looking for in terms of safety? My current box is made with safety in mind as the forefront so this aspect is super important to me.
Click to expand...
I love my hgv more room inside, more storage and a toilet
 
Assume you can drive up to 7.5 on your licence?

I’d go for something in the middle personally, 4-6 tonne if possible there are plenty of smaller boxes with a smaller living x
 
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