Can you downgrade a 3.9 lorry?

[poiuytrewq]

I know you can change a 3.5 to a 3.9 but can you go the other way?
Im currently looking around for a newer box but with a pretty strict budget. I’ve just seen one that ticks all the boxes but is 3.9. I can only drive up to 3.5 annoyingly.
Is it worth a look? if it’s possible how would I go about it?

 

[Lady Jane]

Yes definitely, I'm sure someone here will tell you what's involved. Go see it quick as the good ones don't hang around for long

 

[poiuytrewq]

Or actually can I drive it if was left as it is but it weighs in at under 3.5? Is that ok
It’s got more payload than I ever use.

 

[Squeak]

You can’t drive it if it’s registered as 3.9 but I’m fairly sure you can downgrade it and that it’s primarily a paperwork exercise and that would mean you could always uprate it again if you did your LGV or HGV.

 

[poiuytrewq]

You can’t drive it if it’s registered as 3.9 but I’m fairly sure you can downgrade it and that it’s primarily a paperwork exercise and that would mean you could always uprate it again if you did your LGV or HGV.

Is it expensive? Assume you have to pay!

 

[GinaGeo]

Just double check how much it can carry as a 3.5ton.

The payload may be too small to be usable

 

[Tiddlypom]

Just double check how much it can carry as a 3.5ton.

The payload may be too small to be usable

This. What is its unladen weight?

 

[poiuytrewq]

That is a really really good point! I don’t know. I’ve not even enquired about it at all yet. Just wanted to check if it were an option.
They actually have 3 I’d potentially look at.

 

[TTK]

If the unladen weight is greater than 2500kg, it cannot be down plated

 

[poiuytrewq]

If the unladen weight is greater than 2500kg, it cannot be down plated

Ok thank you.
So I need to find that out.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Payload is 1400 so unladen 2500

 

[poiuytrewq]

1.4T PAYLOAD 3.9T GDR - Central England Horseboxes

1.4T PAYLOAD 3.9T GDR HORSEBOX FOR SALE Here at Central England Horseboxes Ltd of Kidderminster Worcestershire Since 1998.

www.centralenglandhorseboxes.co.uk

What do we think?
I think it’s ticking all my boxes. I’d live external tack lockers but with my budget I have to compromise somewhere. This has a separate grooms area, my horse travels well but there’s always that might they jump fear so I like that feature.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’m not an eventer, I won’t be carrying huge amounts of stuff.
Horse one set of tack and me pretty much. Half a thing of water, horse doesn’t drink away so I offer half a bucket then wash him off with it.
A tiny hay net. I’m a very light traveller.
Horse I’d say 500kg

 

[Merry neddy man]

Downgrading would give you 1000kg payload, get it weighed when you are there, some weigh them with no partition, no spare wheel, virtually zero diesel in the tank, some even take the passenger seats out, the payload can soon shoot up when you fill up with diesel and 2x people couple of rugs,tack, etc, be cautious.

 

[Tiddlypom]

1000kg payload is very tight, even with one horse. Driver, passenger, fuel, water, diesel, tack etc on top soon mount up.

I echo that you witness it being weighed to see that the given weight is in standard, not stripped down, configuration, especially if you want to downgrade it.

It does seem very pricey for an 07 plate, but I'm not au fait with lorry prices.

 

[poiuytrewq]

1000kg payload is very tight, even with one horse. Driver, passenger, fuel, water, diesel, tack etc on top soon mount up.

I echo that you witness it being weighed to see that the given weight is in standard, not stripped down, configuration, especially if you want to downgrade it.

It does seem very pricey for an 07 plate, but I'm not au fait with lorry prices.

They are very pricey unfortunately. I’m not finding anything a lot cheaper. It’s also an awkward price bracket. 20-25k would be easy!
I also like the Bloomfields on the same site.

 

[Lady Jane]

@poiuytrewq Payload vital as others have said. The one you are considering doesn't have enough ventilation for me. Mine has 3 windows plus one in the back door, 2 small and 1 large roof vent plus a fan which extracts or takes in air. I haven't heard of the coach builder but you could check opinions on one of the FB Horsebox pages

 

[poiuytrewq]

@poiuytrewq Payload vital as others have said. The one you are considering doesn't have enough ventilation for me. Mine has 3 windows plus one in the back door, 2 small and 1 large roof vent plus a fan which extracts or takes in air. I haven't heard of the coach builder but you could check opinions on one of the FB Horsebox pages

What payload do you have?
I think 1000kg is pretty standard for a 3.5 ton. I’ve seen a few at 1200 but again more expensive ones.

 

[Tiddlypom]

1000kg may be a 'standard' payload for a 3.5t, but it is insufficient to be practical if you are transporting a horse.

 

[Lady Jane]

What payload do you have?
I think 1000kg is pretty standard for a 3.5 ton. I’ve seen a few at 1200 but again more expensive ones.

1000kg. Horse 540kg, me plus clothes 60kg, alllow for a big person 100kg, water 20kg, fuel filled 100kg, horse misc 25kg. Plenty of room for a third person. I would never put another horse in. I'm not staying away, just day trips. I could take a 700kg horse but would probably only put 75kg of fuel in

 

[Lady Jane]

PS mine was weighed with partitions and all fittings inc spare wheel. Not sure about fuel so assume that was zero fuel

 

[Northern Hare]

We used a company called SV Tech for uprating our motorhome (same payload difficulties as for 3.5t horseboxes), so it maybe worth asking their advice. From memory, to uprate it was about £350 - you can do it yourself though.

Having had a 3.5t horsebox myself and as per comments above, it can be difficult to keep them below 3.5t - I often wonder what proportion are legal once loaded.

Also the builds vary between manufacturer and depending on the chassis make/model, some are heavier than others. Perhaps the reason this horsebox has been uprated to 3.9t is that there was insufficient payload at 3.5t - perhaps even for a modest payload? Perhaps ask the owners what the payload is and why they uprated?

To find a weighbridge local to the horsebox, this website is useful...

Gov.uk Public Weighbridges

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thanks all! We actually have a weigh bridge for grain and straw lorries here.
This particular dealer is a little far to test drive home though, they may have reported it stolen by the time we got it back!

I already have a 3.5 ton lorry (and the bridge- huge novelty at first, lorry with horses, with me with fuel without and on and on )
So I’m very confident that a 1000kg payload will do me.


The above was just a thought really and I wanted to look into it.
There are a few others around in budget and with ok miles.
The ventilation is a great point and not something I’d been taking a lot of notice of.
Again though maybe not as much of a issue for me as I never leave him stood on a lorry and in all honesty wouldn’t be booking lessons or going anywhere if it’s baking hot, I tend to do a quick early morning hack instead.

What would people accept mileage wise?
I’m discounting over 150k

 

[poiuytrewq]

1000kg may be a 'standard' payload for a 3.5t, but it is insufficient to be practical if you are transporting a horse.

More would be nice but they just don’t seem to be out there, unless they are flimsily made.
A friend bought one with 1300kg payload but I’d not be happy to put my one horse on that really. It all feels “thin” like I could kick a hole in it forget about a horse.
My current lorry is solid, It’s has to have adjustments to get the payload it has- I altered the partition and various inside bits. It runs on air bags rather than springs.
Not sure what else I could shave off it.

 

[Squeak]

I've always thought 1000kg was enough payload - 600kg horse, 120kg people, 100kg diesel, 100kg tack and water and you'd still have 80kg to play with and you wouldn't always have as heavy a horse or full tank of diesel with that much water.

With that lorry I also would have been wary about the shape of the covers over the wheel arches in the horse area. I don't like the square ones as I think the horse could easily bang itself on an edge or stand on them.

Re the ventilation, if everything else had of been perfect then you could get some fans for back up but with the ventilation having been done incorrectly and the wheel arches, I'd be a bit suspicious of how good the coachbuilders are. I also would have been a bit concerned that the reinforcement between the horse and cab might have been only the bits that you can see in the cab and that would have made the lorry a complete no go for me.

Re price I don't think that's an unfair price for it. The 3.5t's are holding their value well although they're not as high as they were last year.