Are van conversions any good for transporting single horses?

[catembi]

I was going to see and hopefully buy a 3.5 ton lorry this morning but they rang as I was leaving to say it had sold 😥. It was orange, too, which is ‘our’ colour! 😥 There seems to be very little about to buy and I was wondering whether the van conversions that still look like vans and not horseboxes are any good or whether they aren’t really up to the job? Payload and head room on some of them look reasonable but I wondered if they are stable? For one 16hh light build horse to travel up to an hour.

Aaarrrggghhh I really wanted that orange lorry!

 

[Steerpike]

I have a Renault master van conversion and regularly travel one horse in it to endurance events. I find it easy to drive, horses travel well in it and its very fuel efficient.

 

[MyBoyChe]

Ive got one, travel 1 highland it it all the time. Love it, easy to drive, easy to manouvre, economical on fuel and an all round little star. We have converted the space at the back of ours to include a decent bench seat with storage and a worktop and storage the other side with a sink and running water. Watch the payload on them, if its on the high side I would be wary of the integrity of the bulk head and flooring. If Im honest, I would prefer one that looks more like a little lorry but thats me being picky, Ive seen inside one and it has less storage room than mine and it still only has the payload for 1 horse

 

[poiuytrewq]

Really interesting thread. I have a lorry type Renault Master but it’s old and heavy, quite difficult to drive. I’ve kept it as it’s totally reliable etc but also my horse is so big, however he’s on loan and shortly going home. Leaving me with two under 16hh so a van type might be a suitable option.
They look so much easier and nicer!

 

[catembi]

Yeah, I only ever take one horse and I am too lazy to go further than an hour to compete. I am actually only a 6 km hack from Keysoe! So it does seem a waste to have a great big thing taking up room on the drive and being a tight fit at petrol stations etc if I don’t need to travel two or have living...! But I just wondered if they were stable.

 

[MyBoyChe]

The Renault Master van is very stable, its so low to the ground compared to big lorries. It also means the ramp is nice and low so the horse doesnt have to hop up or down a steep climb. Po***********, they really dont have the payload for 2 though, to be safe internally the payload is normally around 1t, maybe 1.2t, with an average 16hd horse weighing around 500kg, by the time you add in the driver, the petrol, all the stuff there is nothing left for the 2nd horse. They would be ideal for 2 small ponies, but Im talking Welsh Bs or similar. I love mine, its perfect when youre on your own, everything is easy and light, but really only suitable for 1 horse

 

[poiuytrewq]

I think I’m tempted

 

[Bojingles]

I have a Citroen Relay conversion. It only ever transports one horse and drives like a dream. Very fuel-efficient too. Mine has quite a decent payload for its type (1200kg) but even so you'd struggle to fit in any more than one (unless it was two ponies with little tack etc). It's solidly built, plenty of headroom.

 

[Chippers1]

I have a Renault master and only take one horse ever. The payload isn't big enough for two anyway. I love my little van!