Downrate 3.9 horsebox back to 3.5 ton

[olls]

Hi, has anyone done this and if so, how long did it take please? Any help or advice on how I go about doing this would be gratefully received. Thank you.

 

[ROG]

http://www.svtech.co.uk/our-services/downplating/

 

[olls]

http://www.svtech.co.uk/our-services/downplating/

Thank you for this, much appreciate.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

My box was downrated by SVTech in June organised by the dealer which is just a paperwork exercise but it’s taken DVLA forever to deal with updating the registration documents. THeres a 6-10 week wait for anything. I chased up and they’ve now sent Me the form to change the TAx class but still hold my registration docs. Tax is higher than a 3.9t

 

[neddy man]

WHY? Arnt the driving licence weight limits changing soon and your 3.5 ton limit will be lifted to 7.5 ton without needing to take a new test, and you will then have a vehicle with a better load carrying limit of .4 ton or 400 kilo that's a good chunk of weight to gain.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

WHY? Arnt the driving licence weight limits changing soon and your 3.5 ton limit will be lifted to 7.5 ton without needing to take a new test, and you will then have a vehicle with a better load carrying limit of .4 ton or 400 kilo that's a good chunk of weight to gain.

You can have an ordinary MOT for 3.5t but need a more rigorous one for anything above. Part of the reason for the dealer downplating to sell mine was that there was a long wait for lorry tests. I can already drive up to 7.5t so it’s not an issue for me.

 

[neddy man]

Good point, but maybe worth the harder mot if it means you can carry 2 horse instead of only 1 depending on its current unleaded weight.

 

[Polos Mum]

I have been looking to uprate as the payload for 3.5 is just tiny

average of 3/4 tank diesel - 80 kgs
Me and friend in coats / wellys / handbags / lunch - 200 kgs
Water / tack / rugs / hay - 50 kgs
1 15hh cob x (not massive) but on weigh bridge - 580kgs
= 910 kgs

So just one horse for a day trip puts me right on the limit for most 3.5 boxes.
I can only assume most people driving them are overweight or have only tiny in hand ponies.

The issue OP is the DVLA backlog it could take you 3-4 months to get the paperwork through at the current time is what I have been told by dealers that I've spoken to about uprating.

 

[Squeak]

WHY? Arnt the driving licence weight limits changing soon and your 3.5 ton limit will be lifted to 7.5 ton without needing to take a new test, and you will then have a vehicle with a better load carrying limit of .4 ton or 400 kilo that's a good chunk of weight to gain.

I'd been hoping this might happen with the changes in the trailer tests but hadn't heard anything about it. Do you have a link to anymore information or anything? Do we know how likely and when it could happen?

 

[ROG]

WHY? Arnt the driving licence weight limits changing soon and your 3.5 ton limit will be lifted to 7.5 ton without needing to take a new test, and you will then have a vehicle with a better load carrying limit of .4 ton or 400 kilo that's a good chunk of weight to gain.

NO
Only free B+E is being added if not got already

 

[flying_high]

I have been looking to uprate as the payload for 3.5 is just tiny

average of 3/4 tank diesel - 80 kgs
Me and friend in coats / wellys / handbags / lunch - 200 kgs
Water / tack / rugs / hay - 50 kgs
1 15hh cob x (not massive) but on weigh bridge - 580kgs
= 910 kgs

So just one horse for a day trip puts me right on the limit for most 3.5 boxes.
I can only assume most people driving them are overweight or have only tiny in hand ponies.

I have a 5 tonne lorry now, but my 3.5 tonne lorries were 2.2 unladen.

My horse was 500-617kg (different horses one 15.3hh and one 16.3hh)
two people and clothes and lunch not over 160kg
Agree with your tack and diesel estimates. 130kg

=910kg

Still comfortably under my 1.3tonne payload!

 

[milliepops]

I have been looking to uprate as the payload for 3.5 is just tiny

average of 3/4 tank diesel - 80 kgs
Me and friend in coats / wellys / handbags / lunch - 200 kgs
Water / tack / rugs / hay - 50 kgs
1 15hh cob x (not massive) but on weigh bridge - 580kgs
= 910 kgs

So just one horse for a day trip puts me right on the limit for most 3.5 boxes.
I can only assume most people driving them are overweight or have only tiny in hand ponies.

The issue OP is the DVLA backlog it could take you 3-4 months to get the paperwork through at the current time is what I have been told by dealers that I've spoken to about uprating.

I had mine weighed with horse, kit and driver in it and we were comfortably legal. however i sold it to someone who regularly takes 2 out in it without any concerns... it was not THAT comfortably legal!!

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I only ever take one. I’ve two large horses and it would be a squeeze for them space wise even if rated at 3.9t. If I ever decide I need to travel two then I can have it uprated. It’s already had the physical work needed.

 

[olls]

I have been looking to uprate as the payload for 3.5 is just tiny

average of 3/4 tank diesel - 80 kgs
Me and friend in coats / wellys / handbags / lunch - 200 kgs
Water / tack / rugs / hay - 50 kgs
1 15hh cob x (not massive) but on weigh bridge - 580kgs
= 910 kgs

So just one horse for a day trip puts me right on the limit for most 3.5 boxes.
I can only assume most people driving them are overweight or have only tiny in hand ponies.

The issue OP is the DVLA backlog it could take you 3-4 months to get the paperwork through at the current time is what I have been told by dealers that I've spoken to about uprating.

Thank you for this information. Very interesting. I might just get it plated again this time and give myself a bit of breathing space to really think things through. I had to wait just over a month for an appointment for plating but the DVLA aspect is a bit worrying!

 

[Red-1]

Thank you for this information. Very interesting. I might just get it plated again this time and give myself a bit of breathing space to really think things through. I had to wait just over a month for an appointment for plating but the DVLA aspect is a bit worrying!

I did it the other way round. My 3.5 was Ok for one horse and a person on a day trip, but I like to take the kitchen sink with us (Plus Mr Red).

I just book the test well ahead, have a mechanic go over it beforehand and reason that, if there is an issue, I would rather know about it and fix it.

Uprating was quite simple, so I would imagine downrating would be too.