Based on Useage (Transport) - What do you think?

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asterid

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Regards previous post on horsebox/trailer useage.

(horse is 16hh TB lightweight)

I reckon in summer I'll go out once a week at most and in winter probably once or twice a month.
So........

Option 1 - Buy a small 3.5t horsebox max budget £1500. Only carrying my horse and 3.5 cheaper to fix, MOT e.t.c.

Option 2 - Buy a 4x4 as second car (have little car and wont be cost effective to sell and use 4x4 only) Use to go to yard and when car breaksdown and borrow/ rent a trailer when needed. (continues to save for trailer)

Option 3 - Buy a 7.5 t as they are cheaper than 3.5 to buy generally. This is not my preferred option as have had 7.5t in the past and cost a huge amount to fix!


I am thinking that if the lorry (3.5 or 7.5) is sat over winter or for periods of time, will rot and cost lots to fix. The 4x4 would be used as second car and not sit about rotting. However, cost of 4x4 in tax and insurance is more than a lorry.

Help..........my brain is on overload! I have until next Xmas to decide. And no, I can't afford anymore than my budget as it will take me that long to save £1500!

Thank you. (I knew I should of bought a hamster!)
 
Ok how about this as another option to consider and confuse you more.

Buy a trailer, sell small car, buy 4x4 with LPG conversion to mitigate running costs.

I think having more vehicles than you need is where you lose money, as they have to be taxed and insured whilst sitting on the drive. Also an engine that isn't running is likely to have problems, so you 4x4 would be as much of a problem as a lorry if it was only used a couple of times a week.

Or do you know anyone you could buy a trailer or lorry jointly with using a proper contract so that you only have to spend half the cost and it gets double the usage?

Or do you have anyone like parents/sibling/OH with whom you could share the 4x4 and small car to maximise the benefit and minimise the cost?

I'm thinking we will (eventually) swap DH's small car for a 4x4 and keep my small efficient car so that we can between us use the small car when efficiency is most important and the 4x4 when power/space/traction is most important.
 
my sister bought a two horse, 25 year old, 3.5 tonne for £2000...it was already a rot box and has since died and gone to box heaven in just one year, she now has a £5000 box of the same size but with a lovely 9 year old cab and chasis unrotten and the cheapest decent box she could find. It lives on the yard where I was working on the rear carpark and is taken for a wander once a month just to give the engine etc a run, just a couple of miles around the village, if that. A trailer can go just as rotten and need work. Mine needs a new floor so has be relegated to Show jump store until I can afford to get it done professionally.

If you are going to pay two road taxes then get a box and make sure it has the odd run about in winter. If you can get away with selling the little car buy a trailer for reducing running costs to just one vehicle.
 
Do you have to go for a 4x4?
You could get a decent large car (eg ford mondeo estate. or vectra estate) for about £2000 easily (your budget plus at least £500 for your current car, possibly more)

If you go for a diesel it won't cost much more than a small petrol to run.
You only have one vehicle so saves massively on insurance and tax
Its more comfortable/easier to drive.
Its pleanty big enough to tow your horse (so long as you don't have a stupidly old/heavy trailer)
You generally won't miss the 4WD (depends if you plan to go somewhere with a ploughed field to park in, but I haven't yet had a problem)
It will get used so won't rot
AND you get loads of space to fill with horsey stuff :D

Might not work for you but might be worth doing the sums.

For the record my 6yo diesel estate cost £2300 and does 55mpg normally and 35mpg while towing!
 
£1500 is VERY tight...no chance of any more?

My trailer cost me £2k second hand with another £1500/1800 (can't remember exactly) going on the most enourmous estate car you ahve ever see - 3l diesel, weighs 2.2ton on its own...

Plus the maintenance of both over the last 8 years....plus the Focus I drive (dad drives the other) plus plus plus.....
 
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