decisions, decisions....horsebox related - help!

georgiegirl

georgiegirl

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Car and trailer both sold so now on the lookout for a box.

My budget isnt huge at 6k and the original plan was to get a little 3.5 tonner (side loading type no transits....)

Went to view a little renault master last week that was described on ebay as 'good condition'. I can accept I am looking for an older vehicle and not looking for perfection but this one was terrible! Wet through inside and out and I think I could have kicked a hole through the rotten wall let alone what a horse could do. Drove awful too.

Came home feeling really despondant athough I know the right box is out there (have missed a couple of really nice ones so have just been unlucky and not quick enough!)

So will keep searching and Im sure another will come up. Missed a really good one through travel two down in glos so keeping an eye out on her website too.

Another one I have seen is a 6.5 tonner ford iveco, 53 plate and within budget. None of the living bit is fitted (which I quite like as we could have it how we want it) however it would mean I would have to do my test, but then again it wuld be nice knowing that I could take two horses rather than just the one in a 3.5 tonner.

So decisions decisions. Do I stick it out and keep looking for a 3.5 Tonner or do I go for slightly larger (where it seems you can get a lot more for your money) and bite the bullet and get my test done?

help!!!!!!!
 
Your test,lessons medical etc will cost around £800-900, ive been looking to do mine but spent my student loan (which was i was intending on using for my test) on other horsey needs and beer! :) If you can afford this then i would go do it and get a bigger lorry!! If your on a tight budget then stick with a 3.5 until you can afford to go bigger.
 
I guess it depends on how cheap I can get the 6.5 tonner for. If I can get it cheap enough to leave me with some spare cash for the test I think I will go down that route. I can get the medical done via work in exchange for a few beers probably and have someone to take me out practising and I guess in the meantime I will have to ask mum very nicely wether she would mind driving it.

Just seems as the 3.5 tonners are so popular they are retaining really good prices for what are old vehicles and there seems to be a lot more value for money the heavier you go........tricky decision!

Im pretty sure driving wise I will be ok. Have been all over towing with 4x4 which I was very confident at. I know a 6.5 ton is a different kettle of fish but I not a 'wussy' driver if that makes sense - just need to get it right in order to pass the test!
 
I drive our 3.5, and tbh apart from the obvious weight and width it drives like a car. The thought on towing scares the hell outta me!!!! Well done you!! I would go bigger upto 7.5 (we've been looking at these) and you get more lorry for your cash compared to the smaller 3.5 which are very popular
 
so many decisions isnt there id say be patient you will pick up a nice 3.5 tonner if you keep looking and realistically how often will you ever actually take more than autumn?? also you have to remember with anything bigger than a 3.5t you have plaiting!! dosent come cheep for upkeep hun our 7.5 was great while working but cost a bomb when wasnt.. .. Id say pursaveer and you will find one hun!! especially with a budgest of 6k Ill keep my eye out for you. xxxx
 
If you are going to take a test you may aswell take your full Cat C as the test and the cost is the same and then you can drive over 7.5t aswell.
Just remember whoever sits with you must have passed a test rather than having grandfather rights since the law was updated last year.
 
I would take the test as at least then you can get a little 5-7.5T wagon instead of being v limited - I think you get more for your money if you do the test :)
 
I am afraid to say that for £6 you will be buying a load of trouble which will cost you a fortune to sort out. If you want anything decent you will need to spend at least 12k and then get it thoroughly checked out.
 
owlie I appreciate what your saying but I doubt the majority of people have 12k plus to spend on a box and for me its simply not possible.

The main pros of me getting a 3.5 mean I will be able to simply get in and drive it awavy however being able to take someone else with me would be a big plus (and indeed sometimes cover my fuel costs) also the worry about weight is then taken away with two horses.

Having researched thoroughly into this there are NO 3.5toners which could take more than one horse so this is obviously a disadvantage.

we used to have a 7.5 tonner in the past so aware of plating etc and my mum used to drive it so would be ok in the meantime til I got my test done.

That said if a decent but older 3.5 tonner came up I would go for that.

argh its such a minefield!
 
The 3.5t def hold their value and, although they are out there as you say, you would have more choice and get more value out of a bigger vehicle. How about keeing your options open and looking at both, see which one you fall in love with first??

3.5t are easier to drive and probably cheaper to run in the long run, if you get a good un of course, but much more limited in terms of weight and availability.

Bigger ones can still be fairly compact, have more space for all your kit, tend to have a much better pay load if they aren't chock full of extras and many of them run really nicely. But they probably will cost more in the long run in terms of upkeep.

I had a 21' 7.5t as my first - it was massive tin can but brilliantly reliable and had a huge payload, took me plus 3 nags on holiday to Somerset. I now have a 3.5t titchy vauxhall that drives like a car but I always have to be careful of weight. Love it, but it wasn't cheap!
 
Your solution would be to buy an old but well looked after Bedford TK 6.0 - 7.5 ton. You could get yourself a bargain for about £2.000. Check out E-bay and type in Bedford TK.
 
You can get a decent 3.5ton for 5k. I bought mine (okay a few years ago now and paid that for it). Just take a mechanic with you. BTW the test isnt easy I tried it and failed. If you can afford to pay for a car and a horsebox Id go down that route. Add to that petrol/diesel prices at the moment it may be the best option.
 
georgiegirl said:
owlie I appreciate what your saying but I doubt the majority of people have 12k plus to spend on a box and for me its simply not possible.

The main pros of me getting a 3.5 mean I will be able to simply get in and drive it awavy however being able to take someone else with me would be a big plus (and indeed sometimes cover my fuel costs) also the worry about weight is then taken away with two horses.

Having researched thoroughly into this there are NO 3.5toners which could take more than one horse so this is obviously a disadvantage.

we used to have a 7.5 tonner in the past so aware of plating etc and my mum used to drive it so would be ok in the meantime til I got my test done.

That said if a decent but older 3.5 tonner came up I would go for that.

argh its such a minefield!
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Sorry to be negative... But you are up against it on two fronts first the 3.5 toners are popular for the reasons stated so any old heap is worth a fortune, and secondly they are only a cheap tradesmans van with a light build and limited life they are starting to get well worn at 100k miles depending on what they were before
becomimg a horse box and they age quite fast where as a bigger lorry isnt run in untill its done 100k hence plenty of 20 or even 30 year old lorrys still going strong... Its a pain taking a test but hey once you've done it you have more options for now and the unknown future ..good luck hope you get fixed up...
 
OWLIE185 said:
I am afraid to say that for £6 you will be buying a load of trouble which will cost you a fortune to sort out. If you want anything decent you will need to spend at least 12k and then get it thoroughly checked out.
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I disagree, i originally bout a 7.5tn bedford tk. it had been sat for 18 months when i bought it.

I paid 40 quid pre purchase check. it failed its mot and needed a part.
so 1.5 mot costs 135, the part total was 105. (the killer was labour but als paid to have it picked up taken to mot text centre etc.)

i paid 1500 fo rthe lorry, and sold it a year later for 3.5k.

i then purchased a m reg ford trannie.. 2.5k bloody great box and has never let any one down not even doing a 600 mile round trip.

i swaped that for a 4 x 4 and trailer (horse didnt fit in lorry)

so op you dont need thousands BUT do play safe, get any thing checked over and go for something easy to get parts for and that has at least SOME service history/invoices for work done.

neither of the boxes ive had were heaps, the old beford used to have people cooing over it at comps and when i sold it it went as a classical viechle that was going to be turned into a mobile thetre lol.
 
OWLIE185 said:
Your solution would be to buy an old but well looked after Bedford TK 6.0 - 7.5 ton. You could get yourself a bargain for about £2.000. Check out E-bay and type in Bedford TK.
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lol i just saw this post.. i only sold mine as needed something i could drive..

OP can post pics of mine if u want. (note to you though you need good arm muscles as no power sterring lol)
 
OWLIE185 said:
Your solution would be to buy an old but well looked after Bedford TK 6.0 - 7.5 ton. You could get yourself a bargain for about £2.000. Check out E-bay and type in Bedford TK.
Click to expand...
I think you would have to pay a fair bit more for a nice one as they are becoming very collectable , and they are hard work to drive compared with the newer powersteered lorrys
The best bet on a budget is a leyland daf good little lorrys and plenty of used parts about ..
 
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