Essentials in the lorry - things you can't live without!

[DragonSlayer]

Our lorry is on the road at last (except from a few teething problems from being stood so long, OH has replaced most of the pipes now, it sailed through it's MOT with no advisories, only done 50,000 miles!) and now we are thinking about what we need to have in there most of the time.

We've added the saddle rack and bridle rack into the storage locker (luckily the builder put it in the living area) and the living area is getting sorted as we speak...have cupboards that are being made and have fridge, cooker and sink etc to go in.

I've always taken basics in the truck when towing but am thinking about what you've found useful to keep in there all the time?

One of the back lockers is superbly placed to house a coiled hose and spray, with small pump attached to the water supply for a shower which is pretty awesome!

In another locker I've put in the poo-picker and an old bucket..

What can't you live without??

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Spare tack, been caught out at how's with no girth or stirrups!!!! Cos kids cleaned tack and forgot to put then in lorry with saddle!
Fly spray
First aid kit for horses and humans
Towel for wet dogs
Head torch
Tool kit( screwdriver, spanner hammer)

 

[Slightly Foxed]

Ditto first aid kit. Waterproof jackets and spare boots. Wine!

 

[PolarSkye]

Spares of EVERYthing . . . you never know when you might get to a venue and find you have left something important behind.

First aid kits - horse and human
Glasses and a corkscrew
A cooler - useful for storing cold bandages/cold water/ice . . . and wine
Toilet paper
Cereal/energy bars
Multiple rugs - we keep a mesh cooler, a cotton sheet, a fleece and a waterproof in the lorry at all times
Extra buckets - they are so useful
Water containers
Sweat scraper and sponges
Plaiting bands and pulling comb
Baby wipes
Stain remover (I like Cowboy Magic)
Chalk
A body brush and a mane/tail comb
Change/coins
Polos
Z keeps her jumping/XC hat, medical armband, body protector, SJ jacket and XC top in the lorry - plus we have a selection of coats hanging in the wardrobe
Printed/laminated dressage tests (BD and BD)
Printed/laminated maps/directions to all the venues we go to often (that's thanks to Z's lovely and very organized Mum)
Multiple sets of studs for every type of ground
Spare reins
Spare bits
Spare girths for both saddles
A spare headcollar/leadrope
Hoof pick
Emergency breakdown information (for the lorry and emergency contacts)
Spare gamgee, fleece bandages and tail bandage
Boots - horse and human - the competition XC and SJ boots live on the lorry all the time as do Z's SJ boots
Chifney and poll guard (one never knows)

P

 

[DragonSlayer]

Wow!

Never thought about spare tack though with having to squeeze stuff into the tack pack in the trailer and people and other stuff in the truck, was always trying to keep these things to a minimum...

Epic lists, thank you very much!

I have got a tool kit in there with a box of 'useful' stuff OH added like jubilee clips and bits of pipe. The breakdown info is in a folder in a safe place too.

~toddles off to the main comp to create extensive lists~

 

[PolarSkye]

Wow!

Never thought about spare tack though with having to squeeze stuff into the tack pack in the trailer and people and other stuff in the truck, was always trying to keep these things to a minimum...

Epic lists, thank you very much!

I have got a tool kit in there with a box of 'useful' stuff OH added like jubilee clips and bits of pipe. The breakdown info is in a folder in a safe place too.

~toddles off to the main comp to create extensive lists~

You are very welcome .

P

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Some of what PS has in her post, (1st aid kits for human & horse, spare clothing, spare tack, rugs, headcollars & breakdown/insurance info)
plus the MOST important to me:
a pair of very sharp knives - one in the glovebox, the other gaffa taped to the wall by the rear door, well away from horses but just where you can grab it.
Also a 'horsebox tool' - aka a bluddy big hammer with rubber on 1 end, useful for whacking all sorts of things - even ramp catches on a very frozen morning
Spare crash hat & gloves in the cab
Reflective jacket & torch
Mapbook
Cash in change & a note (in case purse gets mislaid)
Spare wheel, jack etc.

Hope this helps OP

 

[PolarSkye]

Some of what PS has in her post, (1st aid kits for human & horse, spare clothing, spare tack, rugs, headcollars & breakdown/insurance info)
plus the MOST important to me:
a pair of very sharp knives - one in the glovebox, the other gaffa taped to the wall by the rear door, well away from horses but just where you can grab it.
Also a 'horsebox tool' - aka a bluddy big hammer with rubber on 1 end, useful for whacking all sorts of things - even ramp catches on a very frozen morning
Spare crash hat & gloves in the cab
Reflective jacket & torch
Mapbook
Cash in change & a note (in case purse gets mislaid)
Spare wheel, jack etc.

Hope this helps OP

Ahem - I said hat, change and maps!

Do love the spare wheel, jack, and "horsebox tool" though . . . very good ideas . . . we have the spare wheel and jack but I don't know about the "tool" - will have to ask Z.

P

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Ahem - I said hat, change and maps!

OOps, sorry

 

[Spottyappy]

Spares of all tack bar saddle.
Emergency clothing spares, old jeans, underwear, tops etc.been caught out once too often in the wet, when even waterproofs leak!
Wd40. Has come in handy for all manor if things, from stuck windows to door latches.

 

[Jo C]

I have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket on mine too.

 

[*hic*]

Most of the above, plus brandy, hip flask, aspirin, towels, beer, hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows, squirty cream (last three are essential when eventing with teenagers), bubble blowing kit (teenagers again).

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Don't forget to leave enough room for the horse though!!!!!!

 

[nikicb]

All of the above, plus deodorant, hairbrush, pillow & duvet, and for some reason loads of Lego. But that is only required when you have an 11 year old son.

 

[rara007]

We sold our lorry with an all singing (when the battery was chargered, things were checked) living for a lighter one with no living! We have a bench and harness racks in it but just that. The thermostat controlled fan (we take 6 long distances) and camera are more valuable! We had the camera in to the horse area and behind to the trailer reversing- the bit to the horse area proves very useful. And good partitions with head dividers if you have any that arnt best friends And strong door to the living and floor very securely down! And a loading light!
Fire extinguishers are compulsory at the places we stay

Also check your jack is strong enough and tall enough to be used if you're 1/2 way down a hard shoulder and fully loaded!

 

[Nicnac]

I leave very little in the lorry and am amazed at some of the lists here!

Spare girth or two (not sure), spare reins, stocks, ties, hairnets, stock pins, medical armbands, number bibs, long drizabone coat, couple of saddlemats, body protectors, show jackets, towels, bandages, leg cooling gel, flyspray, apple juice to tempt horse to drink when out and lots of bailer twine. There's probably a hoofpick or two rattling around somewhere too.

Spare wheel of course but no jack as don't think any human could physically jack up 7.5t!! Water containers. Think that's it.

Everything else gets taken out and put back in each time we go out as know too many people who have had their trucks emptied.

 

[YorksG]

We have hi-viz waistcoats in the cab and sheets which fasten round horses chests, along with white and red clip on lights. I hope to never need them, but should we need to unload in the dark, we are giving everyone a fighting chance!

 

[nikicb]

I forgot something - lunge line. Just in case I have to unload in an undesirable place in the event of the lorry breaking down etc. And I guess it would be of use if they decided not to load, but my current lot are all pretty good.

 

[EventingMum]

Echo most of the above plus spare fuses and light bulbs and also insurance and breakdown service details.

 

[Nevergrewup]

I keep loads of low value stuff in mine, lots of it thanks to tips from the forum! From memory - wd40, gaffer tape, sharp knife, bin bags, complete change of clothes, waterproof jacket, suncream, change in cab for tolls, hivis, warning triangle, cheap still water x 4ltr for emergencies, spare wheel, deodorant, antiseptic wet wipes, old full set of shoes, lunge line, sweat scraper, bailer band, spare equitie, old rein and stirrup, towel, full 1st aid for horse and human inc painkillers etc, hanging makeup/flannel bag with hairnets, bobbles, grips, concealer etc in it, mirror, drinks and snacks for humans, polo's, baby wipes, 2 big torches, deicer, scraper, spare bungee cords, tow hook, fire extinguisher, notepad and pen, tissues, sweeties, roadmap, breakdown membership and insurance details, spare nz in case have to leave him in a field or yard somewhere in an emergency, spare headcollar and leadrope, spare girth, water carrier, 2 buckets, poo shovel, poo bucket-with-lid, fleece for him, extra shavings for mopping up wee, mini dustpan and bush, packet of floor wipes, two way thingy to run satnav and reversing camera off same cigarette socket, note with vehicle's dimensions, basic grooming kit

And a Thatcham approved industrial wheel lock to try and stop all that lot being nicked!

 

[Mike007]

Spare wheel of course but no jack as don't think any human could physically jack up 7.5t!! .

LOL,How do you think they change a tyre on a fully loaded Boeing 747at about300 tonnes? They use a trolley jack!. Anyone can jack up a corner on a 7.5 tonner, you dont even need a particularly big jack as you are only lifting 2 tonnes max.What you do need however is a decent Bar and socket to undo the wheel nuts. I keep a profesional tyre fitters socket and two extension bars, some handy blocks and a jack ,and of course a good spare wheel. But tyres will generaly give little trouble if well cared for. Just because the tread is legal doesnt mean the tyre is safe. The tyre could easily be 25 years old and just waiting to rip itself apart. Fit two good brand new front tyres at the very least. You do not want to take a "crash course" in how to handle a fully loaded lorry at 60 mph with a front wheel blow out. Monitor your tyres , check them for inflation EVERYTIME you go to use the lorry(Bash them across the tread with a baseball bat or somthing similar,and listen to the sound .) Rear tyres ,if one goes flat (eg gets a nail in it and then goes flat after your journey). The next time you go out ,that tyre will be flat and the other tyre WILL NOT be able to handle the extra weight and it will blow too. Hope this helps . Look after your tyres and they will look after your horse.

 

[Auslander]

Cable ties, WD40 and gin.

Anything you can't fix with one of the above isn't worth worrying about

 

[widget]

Ha that's brilliant ^^^ but so true although id add super glue if I can't fix it with super glue/wd40/cables ties there is always the gin!!

 

[PaddyMonty]

One thing no one has mentioned is a tube of sedalin. Not something I'd thought about until the day we had a front wheel blow out on the M1 at rush hour in mid winter. Even the most stoic horse can start to get upset when parked on the hard shoulder with lorries flying past every 2 seconds just a couple of feet from the box.

 

[Nevergrewup]

One thing no one has mentioned is a tube of sedalin. Not something I'd thought about until the day we had a front wheel blow out on the M1 at rush hour in mid winter. Even the most stoic horse can start to get upset when parked on the hard shoulder with lorries flying past every 2 seconds just a couple of feet from the box.

Great point, I've remembered that I do have a tube of oxyshot in the lorry (not quite the same strength, but better than nothing) - and I did have to use it when I broke down on the m-way a couple of months ago and my horse started getting fractious in the same situation as above.

 

[Walrus]

Gosh, maybe I need to pack more. One thing I have is a chifney on a headpiece with a spare leadrope, my pony is usually fine to handle but if we ever needed to unload on a motorway or anything I'd want all the help I could get.

The other thing, which is useful - my OH got me a sticker printed on (I think) ebay which is a warning sticker with the height of the box on. He's stuck it on my windscreen where the rear-view mirror would be on a car so if I ever head towards a bridge or barrier etc. I have a quick reference about how tall the box is! (anyone would think he didn't trust me!).

 

[suestowford]

I keep a bottle of brake fluid and a bottle of engine oil in the cab. If I don't need it, someone else at an event might and it's good to have these things in case someone has an emergency. Also a set of spare bulbs and a screwdriver.
Apart from that I don't really keep anything else in the lorry at all, except some baler string. EVerything else gets loaded on as & when it's needed.