Happy Post - Horsebox Tips!

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Sessle

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Yay! Just got some money so am going to spend it on something I've always wanted - a horsebox! :D Both neddies travel so much better in one than a trailer! Has anyone got any tips on what to look out for when buying a second hand one? And I'll be looking at 3.5tonners (but will only be travelling one horse at a time) - these don't need plating do they?! Any tips on what to look for when buying/upkeep/etc very much appreciated! Thanks! :)
 
Lucky you! I was so happy when I got mine too.

You don't need to plate 3.5 tonners as they are drive on a car licence. Tax is £190 a yr, then obviously there's MOT, diesel, insurance etc. My insurance is about £350 incl breakdown cover.

When looking for one I'd firstly check it has MOT and tax. I'd check the service history to see if the mileage is genuine. I'd try to go for one with under 100,000 if possible. Check the floor, lift the rubber matting up to check the floor isn't rotten and look underneath the box. There are a lot of cheaper boxes out there with rotten floors. Make sure you can manage the ramp on it's on if needed. Check that it has enough storage space for all your stuff and if there's anywhere to put a saddle rack if it doesn't have one. Check it over for rust and make sure that any rust isn't in a critical place. Also check everything, lights, indicators etc works and test drive it. Also if possible ask them to leave it so the engine is cold so when you put your foot on the accelerator you can see what the emissions are really like. I got a guy from a local garage to check mine over.

P.S. What breeding line is your appaloosa from? He/ she looks very similar to my appy.
 
Have a look yourself then get a mecanic to look it over, be wary of new paint jobs and dont worry too much about mileage , newest and the condition is a better pointer for value
haggle with the seller and dont rush into something ...good luck...
 
payload- get it weighed
service history- full if poss, but definately check who did the conversion and check floor strength and bulkheads etc.
milage- under 90k imho
check the engine- obvious oil leaks and odd noises
underneath- rust

if it all seems ok get s mechanic to check it out as well- should be about £50

MOT, tax, servicing are same as car in a 3.5t. ie £50, £180, !£120 per year.
 
Happy hunting for a new box - just be prepared to travel and spend a lot of time looking at rubbish before you find the one.

I agree with the comment about having a mechanic check it over, when we bought ours a couple of years ago I went and tried it first and then asked our mechanic to go with me to look at it (be sure he is used to dealing with horseboxes), he checked it out and found a few little things wrong which enabled me to haggle the price down to cover the cost of putting things right.

This may seem silly but check that your horses will fit in it comfortably - it will depend on how you travel them - i.e. diagonally, front facing or rear facing. We bought our box when we had a 14.3 pony and with a little bit of partition changing now fit a 17hh warmblood in it, mind you she knows how to do a tight turn.

Good luck
 
Its all about preventative maintenance(a stich in time saves..)Your first mechanics bill will be higher than you expect,because if he is any good he will check Everything.He will change a cam belt if fitted because you need to be certain it is ok. Dont be put off, once he knows the vehicle and what has been checked already it becomes cheaper.Fixing things as they break is much more expensive than preventative maintenance.
 
Thanks everyone - very helpful :) Keep em coming if anyone has any more to add :) I'm very prepared to travel - there are none around me anyway, and am checking internal measurements of all boxes I'm interested in!
Will defo get a mechanic to look at it first - want my neddies to be safe :)

Rachaelpink - Her Daddy was Cochice II (sadly passed away I believe) - any relation to yours?
 
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