Going from 7.5 to 3.5 ton?

carthorse

carthorse

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After looking at the post below it is going to be a problem for us. Can't afford to pay for test training and we can still drive the lorry but Claire usually does [ as she is the best driver of it] and she won't be allowed to on her car license with prov. lorry with one us with her or a friend. Of course no problem if we are going we can drive but she sometimes asks friends who are over 30 [She missed it by 6 months]
So looks like we need a 3.5 ton but can't really afford to add money to ours. Ours is a Leyland Daf on R reg it was plated yesterday and is a perfect runner and starter even in the coldest weather. Has anyone swopped a 7.5 for a 3.5 or have you sold one to buy a 3.5 how have you got on . Do you know anywhere to look for a swop. They haven't given us much notice , have they?
 
Be careful with a 3.5t as the weight might not be very good and you have biger horses? have you taken yours to a weigh bridge with just horse and you 2 on as the difference between this and the unlaiden weight might put you over on 3.5t lorries I am having to fork out for my test I think luckily my hubby has HGV so he can sit next to me. Has claire considered just donig the test for 7.5 not 22t and see if she passes?
 
I should imagine if Claire is used to driving the lorry then test training will not be as high for her as for someone like myself who is taking the LGV training and test but never driven a lorry beforehand. She won't require as much training. I think in the long run that would be the better option, as you may end up losing out getting a new lorry as the 3.5tonnes do seem to be quite expensive and hold their price. Plus if your lorry is reliable and a good runner i would be very reluctant to swap it.

Not much notice at all!!!
 
Not sure i'll be much help but i'll try.
Depending on how much yours is worth you could prob swop it for a 3.5 but you might struggle as nice 3.5 are not cheap.
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Looking at your sig the horse you are carrying isnt that small, if she goes anywere with a friend she might have a problem with weight.
If it was me i would sell your box, get a slightly cheaper one and use the money left over to get a licence. As Claire has been driving a lorry some test centres will evaluate you then give you a number of lessons depending on ability. This may work out cheaper.
Not ideal as your left selling a box and then getting a another one. If not most dealers should offer you a swop but like horses you might not get a better deal.
Good luck, its going to be a pain for alot of people.
 
She never takes two horses, they are only 16 hand middleweights, so a 3.5 should be ok with one in.
I have always been told you need the training even if you are used to driving a lorry.
It is just one thing after another isn't it?
 
Agree with the others, might be worth investigating the actual price of getting Claire to take the 7.5t or HGV test, rather than assuming it will be too much. You are likely to lose money selling your lorry and buying the 3.5t lorry (which, as mentioned, seem to hold their value much more and may not give you enough payload anyway.
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Also, this type of thing will be a popular move over the next couple of months, so I'd expect 7.5t prices to drop and 3.5t prices to rise a bit because of it.
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[ QUOTE ]
She never takes two horses, they are only 16 hand middleweights, so a 3.5 should be ok with one in.
I have always been told you need the training even if you are used to driving a lorry.
It is just one thing after another isn't it?

[/ QUOTE ]

You still need training but the diffrence is how much. I'm sure when i looked into doing mine there are some companies that will do it on a lesson by lesson basis. If she only need a couple of hours to learn how to drive it to pass her test, it shouldnt cost as much. Could be wrong thou
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My oh can drive a 7.5 but i was going to go on L plates, cant do that now so may have to look into it all again.
I know its to make things safer but it seems like some of the fun is being sucked out of it.
 
I have recently researched taking my HGV as I need to be able to drive my lorry and have been quoted at £1000 and that includes all the test fees and the five days intensive training leading up to the pratical test.

I'm just peed off as this means even once I have my provisional licence my stepdad won't be able to accompany me.
 
Comapre how much it will take to do the test compared with how much it will cost to buy a decent 3.5tonne. I had a 7.5t which I couldnt drive, mum always used to take me - but at 30 I wanted my independance, so we decided, as we only ever travel 1 horse to sell and get a 3.5 tonne. I love it - it is so easy to drive, had it built frmo new 6 months ago, but I am now 3 1/2 months pregnant so am having to sell the lovely new lorry (only used 3 times!) and the horse.
 
Is there going to be a change then that says you cant sit next to someone on a prov Licence in a 7.5ton. What is it as i have not heard and we do it this year.
 
The place I did my HGV will assess you and say how many days you need - tbh if people have been driving for however many years and are competant and onl want to do the C1 (7.5t) I doubt you would need more than a couple of days training - I went from nothing to my HGV (C) test in 5 days training. That cost me £1000 but if you only needed a couple of days would be far less...and much safer and better in the long run than a 7.5t....
As to how much your lorry is worth, prices vary wildly eg we have an L reg 3 horse (yes they do fit weight wise!) Mercedes that is tidy but not particularly flashy which we paid £5.5k for.....friends have a rather more flash looking (and unreliable!!) Iveco they paid three times that for!
 
Sorry just found it and read. What a bummer. guess i will be doing the driving then and friend wont. Would have been useful if one of us has a fall thats all.
 
IMHO if you can possibly afford it then get Claire assessed as to how much training she'd need to pass the test, it may be considerably less than the £1K that's usually quoted.

The problem is that you "know" your lorry and that it is a good one. If you sell it to buy a cheaper 7.5 tonner and gain the money for the test you could easily be landed with an unexpected bill on the new one which would wipe out the cash gain. If you buy a 3.5 tonner then the same applies plus you are limited as to what you can carry.

Whichever way you look at it it's not good news I'm afraid
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Having had a 3.5 tonne lorry and a 15.1 lightweight horse and not being able to take two horses I wouldnt go back.

Find out how much it will be for Claire to do her licence. I had never driven any lorry before i did my HGV and I passed first time after having 5 1/2 day lessons. You might find it will only cost Claire £500 inc theory and practical. which must be a better option considering the reliablity if your lorry and the relative expense of a comparable 3.5 tonne lorry.
 
I don't know whether they would do a straight swap but Stratford Horseboxes (Eddie Stobart) do fantastic lorries.

You might be better to sell your's privately and then buy one because you will get a better price than for a part exchange.

Let me know if you want any more information on Stratford Horseboxes. (I don't work for them but do have one of my own.)
 
I'd suggest what several others have and look into the cost of doing the HGV. When I did my towing test I had an assessment lesson then ½ a days training just to practice the reversing maneouvre and straighten out bad habits before the test whereas most people have several days, but I was used to towing and good at reversing thanks to driving a quad+trailer frequently so didn't need much training.

Be worth phoning a couple of training places and see if could assess Clare and advise on how many hours training would be needed to get to test standard. The five days normally quoted is for people who have never driven a lorry.

I know it's an extra expense and remember you posting recently about costs of everything but in the long run would almost certainly be more cost effective than down grading
 
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