Converting a Renault Master (3.5t)...

[LansdownK310]

Has anyone had any experience converting their own lorry?

I’m looking into the possibility of a part conversion Renault Master to carry my 15.2 gelding. We hired one to collect him – he travelled really well in it.

I’ve looked into the trailer option but I passed my test post 1997 and don’t think I’d feel confident manoeuvring a trailer on my own and I don’t really want to drag my OH everywhere!

I’m not after anything flash and am not bothered about living quarters. There are lots of people selling the conversion kits and wondered if anyone had any experience in converting a master or movanao themselves or have had a company do the conversion and likely cost.

Thanks

 

[jsr]

I spent alot of time researching our new lorry and the one over welming negative was Renault Master convertions. Didn't find many to have a good word about them I'm afraid. I ended up buying a N reg LDV and love it!!

 

[LansdownK310]

I've seen an LDV how do they travel are they forward facing, and how do you get yours out?

 

[sprite1978]

I spent alot of time researching our new lorry and the one over welming negative was Renault Master convertions. Didn't find many to have a good word about them I'm afraid. I ended up buying a N reg LDV and love it!!

Id be intersted to know what you feel the negatives are? I have had the coachbuilt renault master type, and it was great. Low floor, so stable, very fuel efficient, and the horses love it. I just sold it to someone on HHO.

I would be cautious of the tin can types unless you have a small horse or pony.

I wouldnt touch an LDV with a barge pole, but I suppose its personal choice. Poor build quality.

If you do your own conversion, I wouldnt expect to have it done this season unless you have lots of spare time and all the tools and skills neccessary ( welding etc). I helped with a friends and everything takes 5times longer than you expect, and there was lots of head scratching.

There are companies that will just do the ramp part for you, which IMO is the hardest part to get right. Then you can finish the inside yourself.

 

[jsr]

I've seen an LDV how do they travel are they forward facing, and how do you get yours out?

Ours travel herringbone, bum slighty forward head slightly to the ramp, tried head forward herringbone but they definately prefer bum forward. Last weekend took my friends very fussy TB who usually makes a drama out of travelling and she loved it!! She was relaxed and chilled when she came out the lorry and usually she's sweaty and stressed!

I did see a couple of forward facing one's but we didn't like them so went for a herringbone, I would think it's easy to convert one from forward facing to herringbone though, I was just lucky to find this one at a price we could afford. Bit old and clunky but the horses travel well and its cheap to ensure.

 

[jsr]

Id be intersted to know what you feel the negatives are? I have had the coachbuilt renault master type, and it was great. Low floor, so stable, very fuel efficient, and the horses love it. I just sold it to someone on HHO.

I would be cautious of the tin can types unless you have a small horse or pony.

I wouldnt touch an LDV with a barge pole, but I suppose its personal choice. Poor build quality.

If you do your own conversion, I wouldnt expect to have it done this season unless you have lots of spare time and all the tools and skills neccessary ( welding etc). I helped with a friends and everything takes 5times longer than you expect, and there was lots of head scratching.

There are companies that will just do the ramp part for you, which IMO is the hardest part to get right. Then you can finish the inside yourself.

Was told by 3 mechanics and 2 people who owned them that they are unreliable and poorly put together. That most conversions have been done by cowboys or people thinking they can with those ready bought kits, the floors aren't made to hold a horse and the chassis's are not made for the weight. If I'm carrying my horse I want to know the job has been done by a professional so the cheap conversions make me shiver. I know 2 that are currently for sale and have been for months and they've had no interest so guess others feel the same as us. I know nothing about vehicles so obviously if a trusted mechanic tells me to not touch I don't!!

Personally I wouldn't have got a LDV either as he told me they can have problems but this one is absolutely spotless (and believe me it's been checked out throughly by someone who really knows his stuff!) we were told to take it there and then as it was a great little find, only have a limited budget we were very keen to get our money's worth. We've had everything out of the cab and there isn't a sniff of rust or errosion, it's a lovely little runner.

If I had the choice I'd have gone for the Mercedes but the only one we could find was too expensive and needed some welding work.

 

[LansdownK310]

Id be intersted to know what you feel the negatives are? I have had the coachbuilt renault master type, and it was great. Low floor, so stable, very fuel efficient, and the horses love it. I just sold it to someone on HHO.

I would be cautious of the tin can types unless you have a small horse or pony.

I wouldnt touch an LDV with a barge pole, but I suppose its personal choice. Poor build quality.

If you do your own conversion, I wouldnt expect to have it done this season unless you have lots of spare time and all the tools and skills neccessary ( welding etc). I helped with a friends and everything takes 5times longer than you expect, and there was lots of head scratching.

There are companies that will just do the ramp part for you, which IMO is the hardest part to get right. Then you can finish the inside yourself.

Thanks for the advice about the tin can types - this is what we were looking at for a conversion. Luckily I know people that can weld but we're hoping to start going to a few competitions in the summer so timescales probably completely rules this out.

I do love the coachbuilt renaults but nearly all that are for sale are over my budget.

 

[Mynstrel]

I'm shocked that people dont' like them from the number we see at shows.

We bought a master as a van and then had it converted so we knew the starting point as we'd had it checked by a mechanic before we bought it. The guy who did it was brilliant, showed us the previous box still in build & was happy to answer any questions we had & for us to turn up any time to see how he was doing & he wasn't stupidly priced so if somebody's doing good work don't be put off if they aren't charging the earth.

The guy who did ours did say that if you're converting it's better to use the van shape & change the internals than have a box added to the back as he thought they were weaker structurally & wasn't willing to convert them as he wouldn't be willing to put his own horses in one.

As a horsebox its cheap to run, the MOTs easy cos you don't have to go to a special station, it's easy to drive & the horses love it. The down side is you can really only take one horse at once to be sure of the weight but that's fine by us. I don't think my OH would go back to a 7.5t box unless we started wanting to take multiple horses out again & then the running costs would stop us anyway.

 

[lagartijamick]

I agree with Mynstrel. We have had our renault master for about 8 months, it gets used every week, apart from when its snowing, it sailed through its MOT last month and our horse loves it.
Running costs are low, its easy to park; trying to park a 7.5 tonner at some of the events we go to would be nigh impossible, and parking it at the yard wouldn't be that practical. We also live in the emmissions zone so a 3.5t is ideal for the rare occasion it comes home.
Sure there are some bad conversion out there that should be avoided and generally the payload isn't great but we only have one horse so overall a 3.5t is ideal for what we require.

 

[Holly Hocks]

OP - I have a "tin can" conversion - for those who say the floor isn't designed to hold the weight, it doesn't matter whether you get coachbuilt or van - they are all designed to carry max of 3.5t - it really depends on the conversion and how well it is done. I have spent a lot of money on mine, but mainly on engine/gearbox problems - just make sure you get them well checked out first. My only gripe is that I now have two horses and there is no way I could travel them both in it together. Only Renault Masters and Vauxhalls have a chassis which is strong enough for a horsebox - if you are looking at 3.5t ones to convert, I wouldn't consider any other make.

 

[LansdownK310]

I'm shocked that people dont' like them from the number we see at shows.

We bought a master as a van and then had it converted so we knew the starting point as we'd had it checked by a mechanic before we bought it. The guy who did it was brilliant, showed us the previous box still in build & was happy to answer any questions we had & for us to turn up any time to see how he was doing & he wasn't stupidly priced so if somebody's doing good work don't be put off if they aren't charging the earth.

The guy who did ours did say that if you're converting it's better to use the van shape & change the internals than have a box added to the back as he thought they were weaker structurally & wasn't willing to convert them as he wouldn't be willing to put his own horses in one.

As a horsebox its cheap to run, the MOTs easy cos you don't have to go to a special station, it's easy to drive & the horses love it. The down side is you can really only take one horse at once to be sure of the weight but that's fine by us. I don't think my OH would go back to a 7.5t box unless we started wanting to take multiple horses out again & then the running costs would stop us anyway.

Out of interest who did you use to convert and how much roughly - I do prefer the idea of finding a donor vehicle myself. PM me if you'd rather.

 

[LansdownK310]

OP - I have a "tin can" conversion - for those who say the floor isn't designed to hold the weight, it doesn't matter whether you get coachbuilt or van - they are all designed to carry max of 3.5t - it really depends on the conversion and how well it is done. I have spent a lot of money on mine, but mainly on engine/gearbox problems - just make sure you get them well checked out first. My only gripe is that I now have two horses and there is no way I could travel them both in it together. Only Renault Masters and Vauxhalls have a chassis which is strong enough for a horsebox - if you are looking at 3.5t ones to convert, I wouldn't consider any other make.

Only the one 15.2 so in terms of weight we'd be ok.

 

[L&M]

Love my 'tin can' !! Have a look at Three Counties Horseboxes website as they specialise in conversions, both full and part and it provides a lot of info and guide to costings. One of my liveries had one made by them and they stuck to the 6 week build time and sourced the van for her too.

Used to have a Ford transit conversion and although equally nice to drive and as economical, the horses far prefer the renault and travel so much better in it.

I have 2 cobs so fit in perfectly and am just under the weight limit. I have travelled a 16hh horse on its own in mine and it seemed equally comfortable but don't think I would put anything bigger in it.