Buying for hiring- 3.5t box- anybody have any experience???

[Juni141]

Hi everyone,

I am thinking about buying my own transport at the moment so I have a couple of questions and would really appreciate any advice/previous experiences.

1. The age old trailer v 3.5t lorry debate! I have a car that would tow a trailer with my 14.2hh in but I really don't like towing with cars and wouldn't be able to tow two so I would have to upgrade to a 4x4 (or rather downgrade as my car is nicer than any 4x4 I could afford!). this means running a 4x4 7 days a week with all the added costs (more fuel, higher tax, more expensive parts etc) to realistically tow with it every week to ten days. I'd also need to buy a trailer obviously! And take my trailer test...having failed it twice, TWICE for uncoupling!! (I did try explaining to the examiner that was why I had men in my life, to do that kind of thing, but he was having none of it!!). Second option is to buy a little 3.5t lorry, which means I could keep my car for my commute and just use lorry as and when I need it. But it does mean I have to run another vehicle. I am leaning towards this option which leads me on to my next question....

2. Has anybody hired out their 3.5t box?? Obviously I will need to have it commercially insured, is there anything else I would need to do? I will do some research with friends to see if they think it would be successful, but I know I haven't been able to find anyone locally hiring out a little lorry ( I live in North Cotswolds). Also as I would only need it a couple of times a month it seems stupid for it to sit there doing nothing when it could at least pay for itself. On to costs... How much do people pay? I would be looking at buying something around the £5-7k mark so we aren't talking something really swish but it will be in good condition, mechanically sound and well maintained. I would pitch well below the usual rate (elsewhere seems to around £85 a day?).

Any thoughts?? Any other ideas very welcome!

Thank you!!

 

[honetpot]

I would have a look at,http://www.atacanter.co.uk/ I have been hiring from them for about 6 years and driven several types of their lorries. They are expensive but the build quality is very good, they are made for the professional market so they are horse proof. I know they do have satellite hire. I have hired other makes and looked at how they were manufactured and most of them looked a bit DIY.
Also look at,http://www.myrentalhorsebox.com/

 

[WelshD]

I think this may be a good option: http://www.myrentalhorsebox.com/Scheme.aspx?sch=Rental-Scheme

I pay £110 per day to hire from a proper hire company but I do like the idea that their boxes are specifically for hire, I would rather do that than hire an individual's box as I would be mortified if my pony made even the slightest mark on it! Bear in mind that if you hire out your box you may find highest demand on the weekends where you would want it for yourself

 

[Abacus]

For easier hiring out, take a look at myhorseboxrental.com where they sort out the insurance for you, and you can specify that the hirer must take out their own breakdown cover, which is offered at £20/day. Most seem to hire out for about £80/day or more at weekends, and the website take either £25 or 20%, whichever is the greater. This way you don't have to worry about commercial insurance, and probably find more hirers without advertising it yourself. My little box is on there and I have found that even over winter it goes out about twice a month, so that's around £160 - £180 direct to me in cash per month, which I am saving towards the service and MOT - anything left over will be a bonus. Also I have been pleasantly surprised that every single person has looked after it well and been absolutely lovely to deal with - several have used it more than once, and I think with time you would build up a network of regular local users. I have only been on it since September, and I expect it will be busier in the summer show season.

ETA I think £5-7k may be a bit low, unless you are happy with the van shape of conversion, in which case there are a few around for about £6k+. These would be ok for your 14.2, but possibly would limit the market you could hire out to, as they only take horses up to about 16hh.

 

[Juni141]

Thanks guys!! Myrentalhorsebox.com seems like the perfect solution! This forum is the font of all knowledge

I would happily spend a bit more for the right lorry... I have just had a very quick look and this is the kind of thing I would be looking at:

http://www.horsedeals.co.uk/horseboxes-for-sale/renault-master-horsebox__25-7-13-789629

http://www.horsedeals.co.uk/horseboxes-for-sale/Renault-Master-horsebox-3-5-ton__16-10-13-621959

I think these are suitable? I know they won't take two big horses but even if it goes about a couple of times a month like yours Abacus that would be fab!

Thank you again, lots of research to be done...

 

[webble]

I looked into it but the additional service and notably insurance costs didnt make it worthwhile for me. I would have needed to hire it out most weekends to cover the costs which defeated the point as i wanted it as my own transport

 

[Holly Hocks]

Please please please be aware that if your own insurance company finds out that you have your box on myrentalhorsebox.com, they are unlikely to insure you at all. I had an issue recently where I had my box all done up to the standard to rent out via the company. I contacted my breakdown recovery agents who are the ones which myrentalhorsebox recommend and was told that as I already had recovery with them via my own insurance, I just needed to contact my insurance company to get the breakdown recovery amended so that it covered renting it out. So I phoned my insurance company who told me that if I rented my horsebox out via myrentalhorsebox.com they would not under any circumstances insure me and my insurance would be null and void. This is because of issues on the motor insurance database where a vehicle can only be insured by one company at any one time. So if the box is involved in a collision, there could be a debate as to which company to claim from, should the third party claim against your renter. I then contacted myrentalhorsebox.com who said that it was a problem with insurance companies and that most companies would give the same answer. So as for telling you on their site that you don't have to inform your own insurance company, of that I am now dubious of the legalities. I made enquiries with a couple of other companies and got the same reply - your vehicle cannot be insured by two companies at the same time. I wasn't prepared to have my own insurance jeopardised because of it and didn't go ahead. If I was going to do it now, I would just insure it for self-drive myself, but the cost of this is generally around £2k per year, which is high enough to put the majority of people off, unless they are running it as a business. Myrentalhorsebox is a great idea, but I would want to be positive about the legalities before doing it.