equi trek horse boxes

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stacey_lou

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Mum wrote a letter to equi trek regarding their horse boxes as we really like them but do not like the fact that if we broke down on a main road we'd have to unload the horses onto the traffic and this would obviously be dangerous.

So she asked them if they were planning on making a box specificly for the Uk market so that the door was on the left hand side for safty should we break down as this is the one thing stopping us buying one.

They emailed back saying they would be changing the ramp side and that its would be dangerous to do so as when loading youd end up crushed between the horse and the partition which fair enough you could be but its not a major problem just either lead from the off side or ask for help.
And they answered our question about what if we broke down with well should you break down in a layby or hard shoudler simply stop the traffic in order to pull the ramp down then unload the horses!
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I do not think so and for these reasons I wouldnt ever by a Equi trek, ummmm whats more dangerous poissibly getting crushed as they call it into the partition when loading or risking breaking down and pulling my horses onto a main road.
No thank you

Pointless rant.
 
But if the ramp of an Equitrec was on the nearside you'd have to park almost on the other side of the road to drop it !! So a likely scenario would be that you become aware that the vehicle is breaking down, pull out to give yourself enough room to drop the ramp & get hit head on by the lorry coming the other way !!
There are always plus & minus points to things like this. We've had to stop traffic to unload before on a busy road, & have to say didn't find it too traumatic.
 
but Ifors have only just changed the front unload to the left?

although i suppose you could reverse them out.

and the left lane of a motorway will always be shut if horses are being loaded/unloaded, regardless of which side the ramp is on.
 
I noriced that, you cannot travel 2 standard size horses in the box together at one time beacuse of the weight but i thought that was standard to all 3.5.
 
I don't think 3.5T lorries are suited to two horses tbh, two ponies maybe, but only weight able for one horse really.

As for unloading on the road, stop the traffice regardless!!! (although I can see how having the ramp on the nearide would be better
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i think if you broke down you'd be better off getting the whole lot towed to safety, horses still in the van.
if it is absolutely necessary to unload horses immediately (lorry on fire or something, god forbid) then getting the police or members of the public to park across and block the traffic for a few minutes would be far safer... makes no difference which side the ramp is then.
i looked around the equitreks at Burghley and they looked very nice, no idea about payloads though.
 
I do love the equitreks pver all they are sterdy and clean cut also very smart but the whole ramp idea put me off a little but after this discussion i guess it doesnt make a lot off differance,
I think the laden weight for a 3.5 is just over the 1tonn mark which will be tight to travel 2 average size horses, plus people plus tack and hay nets ect. espically for me with a 16hh and my friends 18hh it would be weyyy over
 
they do have one of the lower payloads for a 3.5. but there are lots of 7.5 tonner out there that dont have the payload to take more then one horse and noone seems to worry about that as much very odd.

We will be doing one in the very near future with a 1400kg payload
 
Personally don't like side ramps as the only access full stop. Should you be unlucky enough to have an accident then there is a high likelihood you could end up with your side ramp blocked and therefore no way to get your horse out. This is more likeky if the ramp is on the passenger side as it is natural instinct to swerve away from oncoming traffic. Give me a rear ramp any day.
 
Actually thinking about it, when I worked on an event yard one of the grooms had a 3.5 thing and travelled 2 16hh plus fit event horses in the back with tack and 2 people and that went ok
 
[ QUOTE ]
when I worked on an event yard one of the grooms had a 3.5 thing and travelled 2 16hh plus fit event horses in the back with tack and 2 people and that went ok

[/ QUOTE ]

However I bet it was overweight and therefore illegal. My 3.5t has a payload of 1.25t, so I take just Genie and any equipment. I could probably take a little pony, but that's it. NO WAY could I legally take 2 x 16hh.
 
I was talking to a local horse transporter who had bought a 3.5t wagon he looked at the Equitrek and wouldnt consider it as it was in his opinion flimsy.
 
QR- from my experience you wouldn't want to buy one anyway- the build quality on mine is sh!t! i'm amazed they spoke to you on the phone- they won't speak to me because i dared to have a problem/criticism of them.....
 
Really? I have only ever hired one to see what they are like and they seemed good to me but then again am sure if I had one for a long period of time id find faults. They spoke via email but had an answer for everthing.
I prefer them to the 3.5 boxes with the small lower ramp and half top doors to me they are extremly flimsey but after looking into 3.5 boxes I think if I was looking to buy a brand spanking new box id rather spend 25K on a new 7.5 box then I would a 3.5 tbh you know where you are with a larger box.
 
oh yes loads of problems with mine...from minor to major
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the minor stuff includes snapped saddle racks etc

major stuff- leisure battery didn't work and i returned it 5x and they said it was plug on my car, strangely the independent trailer place i took it to a month ago found a screw through a wire on the trailer that was shorting the circuit....they were suprised equitrek hadn't noticed this
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other major was when my axel sheared off when i was driving along. they said i "must have hit a kerb" and were very rude. after threatening to take them to court they sent me the accident report which concluded faulty axle.
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very annoyed as cost 10k!!
i'd love a 7.5t lorry but my friend just got a marlborough hunter and have to say its ace. wouldn't pay nearly 20k for a brand new one tho....
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Ive herd stuff like that of them before to, I think ill get a 7.5 and my mum can drive it untill i take my hgv 3 to drive it. Does anyone know how much these testt are?
 
1K for a class 2.thats a lot of cash. but as a class 3 is purley just a big van if you like if I can practice on private land then I should be ok with a lesson or 2 then a test surley.
Dad seems to think if I can drive a car comfortably then I can drive a 7.5 and hes been a hgv driver since he was 20
 
yeah possibly, i'm hopeless so needed the lessons but sure your dad can help you
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. i did the class 2 as it was the same test and i have visions one day of being able to afford a hgv waggon for all my event horses so thought i might as well do the full class 2. you have to be over 21 to do that tho....
 
oh well if its the same price then I may aswell do the Hgv 2 then beacuse I have seen some boxes that I have like but have been just over the 7.5, am hoping to event almost full time one day so a Hgv would be better.
Im ok then to take it which is good
 
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