Horse box owners help!

[blitznbobs]

Hi

So it looks like I’m getting a wagon - having never owned a box with living before what are the things you use every day, the things you never use and the things you wish you had but don’t have?

Thanks in advance

 

[eggs]

I don't stay away with the lorry and the places I can't meet all have catering and toilets so I just use the living for storing stuff and somwehere to get changed. I guess it really does depend on what you are planning to do.

 

[ycbm]

Horse shower invaluable if you do an activity that gets the horse sweaty.

External water tap essential.

You always need more tack space than you think, and cramped lockers with low down saddle racks are a total pain.

Electric flush toilet more trouble than it was worth, froze in winter, failed electrics in summer. Prefer my push-flush porta potty.

We always fixed a winch to the ramp, but a hydraulic ramp is a real boon. Sooner or later, the ramp will be too much for your back.

Spare wheel is no longer standard, but I would not travel without one. If this matters to you make sure you buy a lorry with the front tyres the same size as the back ones, or carry a spare front and hope to limp home on one tyre out of two on the back axle.

Wine rack indispensable of course 😂

 

[Quadro]

Have had several lorries, and jidt upgraded to an hgv in Oct. You always need a bigger tack locker than you think.
Make sure battieries charge off the lorry battery.
Make sure you can do the ramp yourself.
As much storage as possible.
Your own shower as show ones always end up grim

 

[NooNoo59]

Make sure you get an independent inspection I am now stuck with a very expensive mistake! Previous owner was not honest please be careful

 

[blitznbobs]

Make sure you get an independent inspection I am now stuck with a very expensive mistake! Previous owner was not honest please be careful

I’m buying new so shouldn’t be a problem

 

[MrsMozart]

Spares of everything:
headcollar
lead rope
girth
stirrups and leathers
tie
hairnet and bobbles
gloves

And generally found to be useful stuff:
coat hanger
food (biscuits, pot noodles)
water
decent water container
pens (including permanant marker)
hairbrush
mirror
basic grooming kit
boot pull
book

You can keep all in plastic boxes (with contents list inside) to go on the lorry as and when, or leave onboard. Depends really on how often lorry will be used and aired out.

Even though new it's sensible to have it checked by an independent before you sign for acceptance, and take it to a weybridge to check its payload.

 

[Spottyappy]

Is the chassis new, as well OP? If not, definitely get a mechanic to check it.
Lucky you, and exciting times.
I had mine built for me, but on a used chassis. Essentials for me were:
Horse shower.
Toilet, but not a wet room or even basin as can use kitchen sink, and have heard of many horror stories with leaks with wet rooms.
Fridge.
Hook up electric.
And fair amount of storage for horse and human equipment.
Leisure batteries charged from engine, so they are less likely to run out.
I would have liked air con for the horses, but it was too expensive for the use I would get.
Also, solar panels for the batteries. Am fitting them retrospectively when get chance.

 

[Bernster]

How exciting. I got mine built on a 3 year old chassis. Only used it a few times so haven’t got it all worked out yet but I’d agree on getting plenty of big storage for tack and saddles. I keep everything in plastic boxes on the lorry.

Reckon the best part of the fit so far is the fully moveable partition so I can tack up in the lorry. And the solar powered leisure battery so I feel like it’s not impacting the main battery. I did get a shower, toilet and outside horse shower but haven’t used those yet so not sure how necessary or useful they are!

 

[pippixox]

If you are stayin away quite a bit I would definitely want a small gas stove and a fridge that you can also run off gas.
Sadly I don’t have a lorry! But have a camper van and a stove is the most vital part for tea! But fridge (we have a portable one off a gas bottle) is very useful for warm days.

Good lights as well- inside and out

 

[Rowreach]

Just remember that every single thing you add to the living will reduce the load capacity for your horses, and all their feed, water, equipment.

 

[be positive]

I’m buying new so shouldn’t be a problem

Friends of mine bought a new conversion and made a very expensive mistake by not having an independent check, not that you would expect to need it but it pays to do your homework on the company before buying.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I only used mine for day shows and after the novelty wore off I rarely used to gas hob as it was easier just to buy a hot drink at the venue. As I’m mainly did dressage you don’t really hang around that much. The gas fridge had never been used even by the person who had to box built.

The sink was a pain as the water tank used to go green and the pump break if you didn’t drain it properly and it froze.

I just used separate water containers for washing off and drinking water.

It was nice to have a little area to sit in and get changed that was dry but really the rest was superfluous.

 

[ycbm]

My friend has an electric fridge because she says she couldn't run the gas fridge she had before while on the move and on a hot day the milk was off before she got there unless she used freezer blocks which kind of ruined the point of having a fridge! They do combined gas/electric ones, probably for that reason.

Another friend had just swapped her new build partitions from fixed to telescopic, so I'd go straight for telescopic.

Congratulations! A brand new build is very exciting. 🎶🎶🎶

 

[jnb]

First Aid Kit (human and equine) and somewhere easily accessible to store them
Flooring in living wipe/mop clean (you are bound to trail in mud in an emergency)
Pens, clicky Stove lighter thingy (saves damp matches annoying the hell out of you when you want to light the gas ring)
If having tack lockers, personally I'd have them built to encroach in to the living because you can then have them deeper - horse area ones are often stupidly shallow and your saddle gets crammed in
Well sprung adjustable ramp so you don't kill yourself lifting it
Bungees to hold back the partitions when unloading
NON SLIP ramp battens (my unshod cob slipped on wooden ones the last time it rained) - we've put anti slip tape on them now
Roof vents are a must for hot weather
ladder to get into the luton - unless you are an Olympic gymnast
Keep mop/broom/poo picker and tubtrug in the lorry to muck out or sweep lorry out saves to in and fro ing when you get home.
Spare rugs - keep on lorry as always handy plus if you get cold at away shows use rugs to keep warm (my lorry has gas heating - *smug*)

 

[blitznbobs]

My friend has an electric fridge because she says she couldn't run the gas fridge she had before while on the move and on a hot day the milk was off before she got there unless she used freezer blocks which kind of ruined the point of having a fridge! They do combined gas/electric ones, probably for that reason.

Another friend had just swapped her new build partitions from fixed to telescopic, so I'd go straight for telescopic.

Congratulations! A brand new build is very exciting. 🎶🎶🎶

Thanks ... I am Uber excited - it’s always been a fantasy but it’s nice when fantasies come true! But I also don’t want to get it wrong — I’m going to research well before I sign up to anything - I’m going to go and have a look at a few companies before I make a final decision but if anyone has anyone to recommend or almost more importantly who to avoid ... I’d appreciate the heads up - pm if more appropriate

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Really consider what you need, not what you want, the more you have fitted in the less payload you will have. If you are not staying away regularly at shows then don't waste your money & payload on cookers, fridges, showers etc. All you need is some day living, somewhere to change, sit down & hang your coats etc.
Tack lockers are fine but think where you want them, if you fit them into the horse area they invade the horse space quite a lot & horses sometime end up climbing up on them. Tack lockers are very often better placed to invade the living space.
Do you want a crawl through, a cut through or nothing & have a camera fitted with a screen on the dash so you can view the horses.
Do you really want a luton? If so are you going to have it tilt so access to the engine is easier & any repairs will normally be cheaper.
Have an isolater switch fitted so you can kill the battery when parked up that way the chances your battery will flatten whilst lorry not being used will lessen. Additionally your lorry will be harder to steal.
Do you want rug racks in the back, how many partitions do you want, how many lights do you need in the living & the horse area. Do you want loading lights to illuminate the ramp in the dark.

When I looked for our 7.5 ton lorry I saw many beautiful lorries but they had so many things fitted that in one case the payload was 800kg. It wasn't really a horse box it was a motor home. I bought an aluminium box, limited living, stalled for 3, easily raised ramp & it has a payload of 2.6 tons so I can actually legally carry 3 horses if I want. There are not too many 7.5 ton boxes that can legally do that. Also consider the power of the donor vehicle, you need power to climb hills easily.

Good Luck.

 

[milliepops]

totally understand the reasonings behind people saying don't get loads of living put in, but to me, if this is the OP's chance at getting her dream lorry then it might be a bit short sighted to strip it down too far.. now's the time to get it built in tidily and you never know where your life might take you in the future. If I was designing my own 7.5t+ then I would always want comfortable basic living in with space for a bed, a small hob/oven, little fridge and sink, I've had to stay in lorries without these basics in the past and it's a right PITA. My 7.5t is stalled and has payload for 3 yet does have enough mod cons for a basic but comfortable stay away with the horses.

OP if you think there's a chance you will stay in it then some kind of heating would be high on my list ... we have an electric heater that runs when the generator is turned on but that's a bit of a faff. I have not and never had tack lockers in either the big or little box but if there was a way to reconfigure mine i'd definitely want one, I hate climbing in and out with saddles and kit. I would also like a huge skirt locker, all mine are a bit pokey but some designs give a lot more space for stable kit if you are away.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, out of all the kitchen stuff, it was the oven, fridge and grill I used most.
Stay away shows meant I could pre cook meals like chilli, shepherd's pie etc, freeze and keep in horsebox fridge. Easy to pop in oven late afternoon on a cold day, warms the box, ready to eat without having to 'do' much at all.
I could do bacon and sausages, leave on low number till troops back from early class or prepping in stables (I took 4 equines out every time).
Grill for breakfast toast or lunchtime cheese on toast.
Gas whistle kettle a must for the hob.
Pumped water a must for me too.

I miss my bigger box, the current 3.5 is all I need as I've hung up my comp boots, but it doesn't stop me hankering lol.

 

[ycbm]

My friends' new build Cookes on a new Daf auto chassis cab looks like a superb quality build. They had a snagging list, as you might expect, but it went it went in for the day and was all sorted. I have no idea how competitive they are on price, but I know they are one on your list and I think my friends would recommend them. PM me if you want to talk to them and look it over..I think they would be happy to show it to you and you are local.

I would choose the auto gearbox if you can.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Do try and keep the overall length of the horsebox as short as possible. I know you're planning on taking the relevant lorry driving licence so can go as heavy/big as you like, but don't underestimate how big the dang thing can be when trying to navigate down quaint country lanes and into entrances off narrow lanes.

Go for a very good turning circle and not too steep a ramp (one was so precipitous that I could barely walk down without a horse, let alone leading one.)

 

[MrsMozart]

Make sure you're happy with the way the gearbox works, some go the opposite way to that which you might be used to.

One friend used to used an airbed instead of a normal mattress. She took it out when not staying away, said it stopped it going mouldy.

 

[Fiona]

Ours is 6.5 ton, which may skew my responses slightly....

We have a living area and the horse area with no hallway/toilet area in between like most 7.5.

This means we have our portapotty in the front partition of the horse area as we very rarely carry 3, along with removeable saddle and bridle racks on this wall.

I would describe our living as day living..... We have a combined sink/gas ring unit and three double kitchen cupboards at low level on one side, and an L shaped seat on the other side with storage underneath.

It is cut through into the cab which I like. We have a luton above the cab with a mattress.

Having owned it for 10+ years, we've only stayed away once in it, and it was perfectly adequate for 2 sleeping in the luton.

If you have any children or are planning to bring friends, its very handy to have a three seater cab rather than 2.

Best of luck.

Fiona

 

[Annagain]

I don't have a lorry but do have a camper van. If you're staying away, heating is a must - only in the height of summer is it warm enough not to need heating. From Sept - May it's still cold at night! We have a toilet, shower and sink all in one cubicle (OH was very pleased at the thought doing the 3 SHs all at the same time ) but never use the shower or sink so a toilet is probably all you need. we can use the kitchen sink if we need to. We have a hob and an oven which is fine for longer holidays, for a night or two a hob would be plenty. Put hidden storage in as many places as possible - under seats, in door pockets, over head etc and fill it with stuff that lives there permanently -towels, bedding, plates, mugs, saucepans, toiletries etc. The last thing you want is to have to pack all that sort of stuff as well as the horse's stuff and your clothes.