Does a 3.5 tonne lorry exist which can take up to a 17h??

kellyanglin

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Self explanatory really, just thinking out loud for possible long distant future purchase, am thinking of all the options I have so I can plan whether or not to bother taking extra driving tests in meantime.
Would really like to know if it does exist and how much space is available in addition to the space taken up by horsey.
xx
 
i don't think so - and not much useful space in the ones i have seen.

I would take the test. It'll open up much more options re' affordability and storage space for you.

Fi x
 
I have a D reg VWLT35 that would carry a 17h horse no probs.

The internal dimensions are slightly bigger than an ifor williams 510.

You then have a massive luton for storage.

It could well be for sale towards the end of the summer so feel free to PM me when you are nearer to seriously looking
 
Can you drive these on a normal car license?

I take it the horses face forwards (like in a trailer)?

I am considering something like this as my horse travels better in a trailer - a transporter suggested it was because he prefers travelling forwards rather than sideways?

What are the associated costs? Insurance, tax, servicing etc?

Can anyone give any comments/opinions on them? I would be taking my 15.2 arab (~450kg) and sometimes my friends 16.2 horse (~600kg) - says the weight would be ok, but what do other people think?

Cant really afford to run a 4x4 to tow a trailer as my milage is quite high!
 
I'll second the Theault that Atacanter use (and sell). As for extra space when you've got the horse in I travelled a 6'9 rug 16.3 back from York in the 5 seat cab version so for spare space I had all the back three seats and the top bunk and the luton. Alongside the horse and in the back of the lorry I travelled 6 full size rubber floor mats, two fullsize dustbins, three big trunks with rugs in, her saddle and bridle and haynet. Box of grooming kit, large (HUGE) first aid box, assorted other kit in another trunk.

There was nothing in the cab area or on the back seats at all. It's amazing how much stuff you can get in.
 
Yes I just purchased a transit 3.5ton yesterday that has 7ft4 headroom and loads of space for a large horse (only carrying one obviously because of weight). They are out there but trying to find one large enough and within my small budget took me months!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Can you drive these on a normal car license?

I take it the horses face forwards (like in a trailer)?

I am considering something like this as my horse travels better in a trailer - a transporter suggested it was because he prefers travelling forwards rather than sideways?

What are the associated costs? Insurance, tax, servicing etc?

Can anyone give any comments/opinions on them? I would be taking my 15.2 arab (~450kg) and sometimes my friends 16.2 horse (~600kg) - says the weight would be ok, but what do other people think?

Cant really afford to run a 4x4 to tow a trailer as my milage is quite high!

[/ QUOTE ]

With 2 horses of that weight you will still have to be carefull when you take into account tack, water, people, hay etc..
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My 3.5ton is very cheap to run, £190 a year to tax, £400 for full MOT and service and repairs (quite alotof repairs to back lights etc) but is cheap in diesel
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my transit conversion is coming in at 2150 with all the fittings I wanted (no sink or hob as that would have put me over sadly). It will mostly be just me and my boy (about 550) and our gear so we should be ok for weight.
 
Ive got a renault master 3.5 tonne, it carries 2 X 16.2 easy, as the pay load is only 1.5 tonnes so I have 2 to play with!!! It is cheap to ensure £250 and £190 for tax and MOT is £44 as long as there is nothing wrong with it!!!
Its so cheap on diesel and so easy to manover and park, they travel facing backwards (opposite to a trailer) my boy gallops in a trailer but is so quiet in this....
 
Just beware - a 3.5 tonne lorry is only supposed to weigh just that .... 3.5 tonnes ....if you think that a 17hh horse is gonna weigh about a tonne (give or take) plus tack etc etc plus the weight of the lorry itself - you may well be over weight once everyones on board (dont forget the weight of you and your passenger plus k9 friends.....it all adds up!

It is worth weighing any proposed lorry on a vehicle weighbridge to see what its unladen weight and go from there. I know people who have been pulled over by the police for being overweight in their lorrys and those lorries were relatively new ones!

I used to have an old LT35 which has the power of a snail and I am sure that it was so heavy that I was over the weight limit with two chunky cobs on board!!!

Good Luck

M
 
They would probably be over weight though I would have thought. Well I would have thought so def with 2 horses at that height.

Also be prepared that the 3.5 are usually alot more expensive then a 7.5 as you can drive them on a normal licence. Which is annoying but might be worth weighing up the cost of getting a 7.5 and the test compared to a 3.5
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Also I think most if not all would *fit* Fi in at 16.3hh
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Not convinced a tonne is accurate - i had Gem weighed at the vets and she was 630kg and i wouldn't call her slight:

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She's just over 16.2hh
 
She is beautiful 630kgs and 16.2 hh really good useful information. I think it is wise to travel one horse only in a 3.5 ton horsebox and partitions should adjust to carry one horse in the middle of the box. Do you know what head room height she requires? Thanks
 
Yeah i don't think you'd get away with two. we always travelled her in a trailer so not sure about her head room, it was more neck length in a trailer than height that we had a problem with and also length from breast bar to bum bar. Really her size horse is best in a 510 sized trailer. she's out on loan now so haven't tried her in our box but it's a luton so should be ok, i'd imagine the ones that are just standard transit type backs would be too low.

As a comparison also JoBo's Bodey who is 15.2hh ish cob was 540kg on the scales at the vets
 
Thanks for the info thinking of building a box to fit on 3.5 tonner for 17.2 hh so want to get it right, was thinking about 7ft 8ins inside.
 
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