horse lorry owners/buyersthe best thing/what would you change??

[lastresort]

as the title really. If you could add/change anything in or to your lorry what would it be (as crazy /small/ luxurious as you like).

If you were buying a lorry what are the extras or most important things you look at??


Is the colour, make and luton shape important?? Its a bit of a research thing really ?

Thanks

 

[*hic*]

On my own lorry the one thing I would change is . . . . . . all of it for an Oakley Supreme but if that weren't possible I'd have more headroom for the nags.

Most important thing in a lorry is that it is reliable! Second most important thing is a loo (I suffer from terrible nerves!).

Colour, make and luton shape were totally unimportant to me, I just wanted a reliable CHEAP lorry. And although she looks utterly dreadful that is what I have got!

 

[lastresort]

Price is an obvious one. Reliability too though the ones we build do tend to be no older than 3 years.

Loo is good not thought of that.

 

[jumpthemoon]

I love my little lorry - it's go t no living, but there is room to stand and get changed at the front of the horse bit (it's 2 horse f/ward facing) and it's lovely and light and airy for the horses. The only thing I would change about it is I'd give it more power to get up hills etc as it's a bit slow.

If I got another lorry I'd want one with living. Agree the loo is a good idea

 

[kick_On]

my main things would be space for horses, so no lockers invading their space........... as you see so many trucks with beautiful living and it's almost as if they forget horses and squeeze them in

If you have to many toys on board you have to be more carefull with weight of horses and cr*p you carry, as being over weight is a) not good for life of engine etc... and b) if you get caught they throw book at you!!!!!!!!

Good engine and well maintain with good service record, bill invoices etc.... good paper trail... Used and not left standing for months -but here inlies fine line........

 

[conniegirl]

my new lorry is almost everything i want and well within my price range, i'm going to have a loo and shower put in it!

For me luton shape isnt that important provided it does have a luton, but i do think that the very square lutons are going to increase your drag and thus your fuel bill.

colour and make are not too important provided it is made well.

An awning is very very useful for show horses and i am having one added to my lorry.

I do know of a lady who has a pull out barbaque on the side of her lorry and a fridge that is accessable from outside. total luxury!

Huge tack lockers and skirt lockers are a must. The amount of tack lockers ive seen that wont close if you put a saddle in them that is any bigger then about 16inches or any wider then a narrow. You need to be able to fit a good size saddle in them.

Any box ive looked at has to have a cut through cab, i wouldnt even concider looking at one that didnt as i have nervey travelers who need frequent attention.

most important part of all is the Wine rack!

 

[lastresort]

Ok this is great. Would you consider CCTV instead of cut through?? Giving a better tack locker?

These are things we are asked.
So far we found that

Colour not an issue but most people want blue, silver or green
Tack lockers a must and lots of storage
Headroom V important
Luton shape (yes people are bothered by this)
Weight (on our part) but if you build them this is the first thing you have to discuss as people wanting fitted kitchen etc its all heavy.
Saddle racks
Age of cab but we buy them to to order so you cam have what you like (the demo one we have is 3 years old)
wash down for horses (hot and cold)

See we have always built them to order but we have decided to build a demo to take to events so need to make it with a few luxury things as well as essentials.

Thanks keep the ideas coming its a real help

This is helping

 

[lisan]

[ QUOTE ]
as the title really. If you could add/change anything in or to your lorry what would it be (as crazy /small/ luxurious as you like).

If you were buying a lorry what are the extras or most important things you look at??


Is the colour, make and luton shape important?? Its a bit of a research thing really ?

Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm on my 3rd lorry now - looks pants, desperately needs a re-spray, chose it because
Leyland Daf with decent pulling power
Cut through
Decent size living (had fitted myself so not overweight) - Loo, seating, table, hob sink etc
Tack locker is under the seating
Horse bit is for horses, with nowt else in there and carries two big horses
Decent ramp

Would have liked a luton, but beggars can't be choosers, and it does the job nicely!

If I had money, I would put a luton on and have a re-spray
a Generator
CD player in the cab
a wardrobe
and shower

 

[ecrozier]

The only thing I would change really is to have a cut through, but getting CCTV instead and luckily mine is a very good traveller so not missed a cut through too much!! Having said that if I could aford it I would have a nice shiny new MAN lorry, instead of a 22 year old Bedford!! Having said that I have the rare thing - asolidly built well looked after reliable old lorry, so no major complaints!!

 

[lastresort]

We offer CCTV instead of cut though as not everyone want it another option is a view window between living and horses or cab and horses. I had choice of cut through or CCTV and a locker so went with the locker and cctv. mine are all good to travel so its not a problem.

 

[conniegirl]

[ QUOTE ]
Ok this is great. Would you consider CCTV instead of cut through?? Giving a better tack locker?


[/ QUOTE ]

no i wouldnt personaly as i do have one who panics sometimes and stopping getting out, getting into the back with him and calming him down is often too slow and by the time i get in he would have done himself an injury. It can also be quite dangerous if on the side of the motorway.
with a cut through climbing through from the cab to the living and then to the horse area can all be done whilst mum is still driving and in less then 30 seconds, making it much more likely that i can head off any problems before they realy get going.
Ive also read somewhere that it is illegal to travel in the living if the cab is not cut through.

The cut through also has to be a deacent size, ive seen a few where i would of had to shimmy though on my stomach.

When we were looking at lorries we did have a list of things that were non negotioable and on that list was that it had to carry 2 ponies, it had to have a cut through, had to have a sound floor, be mechanicly sound and it had to have a luton, everything else we were willing to comprmise on.

I had a top budget of £10k, and was offered a 1998 lovely lorry for just under that but it had no luton and no cut through, we ended up with an absolutely lovely 1990 reg that has proved absolutley wonderful so far (and was far less then 10k)!

most of my friends who have lorries or are looking for lorries have said that a cut through is a must and are not even bothering to look at lorries without a cut through.

 

[Maesfen]

Not exactly a horse box so not the weight issue you have, but my son has bought a new race truck for his m/bikes which was partially fitted out (all units, electrics and plumbing, the girlfriend has the furnishing and curtains to do!)
There's no Luton but it has four berths (one doubles as table and seating, other is at back and over where bikes are kept so not applicable to a horsebox) has cupboard space with fridge,cooker and sink unit; m/wave built into to top cupboards, a full length cupboard and luxury, a power shower! It has lockers outside for water tanks and gas bottles.
Probably too many floorstanding cupboards for a box with the problem of space/weight, but I must say, the finish and standard of the units and tops is brilliant and gives a much better impression than something knocked up on the cheap IMO. It's not luxury by any means but you wouldn't be ashamed to have them in your own home and I don't know about you or your customers, but if I was in the position to afford having something fitted out, I would want the best quality I could afford knowing with fair wear and tear, it should last and still look good for a very long time.

For a box, an easy ramp would be ideal (not much use if you can't work it by yourself!) along with partitions that don't try to kill you every time you move them!
I also like partitions to be high enough (14.2 ish!) with grills fitted at the front so no arguing and faffing about with a bargy horse and to have good, easy but safe fastenings, nothing worse than partitions being swines to move or alter.
Lots of tie rings too and not too high out of reach for shortarses like me!
Also, it makes a box much lighter (both weight wise and brightness) if you use that see through rubber sheeting on the bottom (same as some factory delivery units have)
If you must have (some use them for travelling stallions) full partitions, they're much brighter if you can use that white shiny board (don't know what it's called!)
To be able to clean and wash out easily is a must too so smooth surfaces for preference except for floor of course!
A camera fitted as standard would be good as would radio/cd player for the driver. A cut through cab would be nice but not essential if you have a camera as it's easy enough to stop if need be.

Not much to ask is it?!

 

[LCobby]

Big cut through make the living much more spacious, airy and gives a view too! the cut throuhg also provides extra table top and seat space.
And you can have same radio. cd player for use in both.
and useful for when a pseenger is traveling in the living.

One thing I'd have on mine next time is a small side windows in the Luton for fresh air

 

[Heidi1]

Nothing really I would change on mine, apart from injecting a bit of youth, I have a Bedford TK and it's 36 years old

, but love it to death and my horses travel well in it and it's solidly built

. But wouldn't turn my nose up if somebody offered me a new lorry.....

 

[Judie]

Important things to me:

Good solid build
Plenty of light airy space for the horses
Easy ramp
Lots of lights/reflectors on the outside so other road users see me
Tack lockers under the living area and not the horse area
Water and hose pipe in skirt locker
Airy living area
Electric hook up
Cooking facilities
Ladders up the luton from living (my mother struggles with the climb!)
A light switch in the luton area to turn the lights out when you're in bed
A full length mirrow (yes I'm vein!)
Metalic paint job on the box
And yes I do care about the shape of the luton and the colour
Would not consider a not cut through.

I couldn't give two hoots about a toilet as I keep my lorry on a livery yard and I'm sure they wouldn't want me emptying my contents there!

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

I love our 2 horse lorry because:
its cut through(big enough to easily leap through in event of emergency eg breaking up a squabble if a haynet has runout)

Rubber floor/walls (EVA 12mm on walls)
Beautifully made partitions with half rubber and curved anti bite grids.
steps to get into living.
Kraiburg rubber ramp cover(totally non slip even in heavy rain) does make the ramp a bit heavier.
hob for tea & bacon butties.

loo (in tack area behind horse partition- would love to have a cubicle for it)
lots of windows so its light and airy
Big leisure battery in living so we can run the electrics/internal lighting without flattening the main battery.
Battery isolater so it never has a flat battery on frosty mornings.
Bar with optics (port, whisky,sloe gin)mounted on the cut through (on the passenger side as the plating man didnt like booze behind the drivers seat

) so everyone can pile in before hunting for a drink/ bacon buttie!!

Would like a slightly more powerful engine but the 6 litre 6 cylinder diesel will do 50 on motorway and very cheap on fuel

 

[conniegirl]

MFH dont know about you but stopping on the side of a motorway because youve got a panicing horse is not my cup of tea. Ive dont it a few times and i hated it every time. Motorway traffic pounding past as your trying to settle one horse can often set the other one off again. Its alright when your on quieter roads but the motorways are no fun to be stopped on. Im also more then a bit paranoid of getting hit if you are parked on the hgard shoulder!

 

[lastresort]

This is all very useful thanks so much!!

I must add that my lorry is a small 3.5ton and im lucky to have day living as I wanted most of the space for the horses. Does anyone who has posted or new post prefer if you had the choice 3.5ton or 7.5 ton??

 

[RobinHood]

The most important things for me are:
- reliable (it doesn't matter how flash your lorry is if it won't start)
- safe and comfortable for the horses

Apart from that anything else is purely a luxury that will add to the price. I couldn't care less what it looks like as ong as it gets my horses from A to B in one piece.

 

[lastresort]

There is no way id stop on motorway either I have to agree and no its not illegal not to have a cut through dont know where you read that.

 

[H-J]

I love everything about my lorry and wouldnt change a thing!!

Actually apart from a little rack to put my boots but I think my dad is going to put one in for me

 

[lastresort]

HJ- Bless!

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

my 2 horse cargo 0811 weighs 5.5 tonnes with everything on board apart from the horses. there seem to be more of these 5 tonners around as you dont have to worry about going over weight with 2 up.

 

[conniegirl]

BlueNred, its not illegal not to have a cut through. what i read was it was illegal for people to travel in the living if you do not have one, if you dont have one then you have to travel in the cab.

 

[ColouredFan]

I read this somewhere too, there has to be a way of people traveling in the living to comunicate with the driver, either via a cut through or a phone system otherwise they cannto travel in the living.

My essentials on a box we are currently having built were -

decent sized horse area, (for 2 horses) hose for washing off horses, water storage under lorry, Toliet as i always need to go! luton and a basic living, we are having a cut through as much easier way to get to horses in an emergency

 

[LCobby]

i[ QUOTE ]
f you had the choice 3.5ton or 7.5 ton??

[/ QUOTE ]

A 3.5 tonne would not have enough payload for my horse and his kit, or space for living.
So have to have 7.5t tonne.

 

[lilpinkdonkey4]

Make sure your saddle racks are at the right height to just slip a saddle on... mine point towards you and you have to jiggle it to get the saddle on... very iritating. Im planning on putting a mirror in the wardrobe door. I have storage with a door abouve the cab wich is fab for rugs etc. tie rings on the end of each side which is kind of iritating as the horse can get into the tack locker if tied on that side... so id prob have the 2 rings on the side (not of the ramp). this is a 3.5 tonne side load btw.

 

[pinktiger]

have just bought a lorry and am gutting the living and adding things in the horse area making it more personal for my use!!!! ive never had a lorry before just a trailer, i seem to have toooo much space, i think i might be ok filling it!!!! lol

ps any ideas of what i cud add, would love a horse wash tank, can i get one of these fitted??? ne one know???, i have 7.5 daf

 

[Seahorse]

[ QUOTE ]
BlueNred, its not illegal not to have a cut through. what i read was it was illegal for people to travel in the living if you do not have one, if you dont have one then you have to travel in the cab.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes that's right. My last lorry didn't have a cut through and it felt strange. Also we did drive somewhere with people in the living before we found out it was illegal!

 

[Happytohack]

I love our lorry - we had it specially built to take 2 huge horses facing forwards, so have rear and side ramps. Things I most love about it are:

Horses travel like a dream in it
Plenty of headroom
Air suspension - so you can lower the box down, so the ramps have a really gentle slope to them.
CCTV - would not be without it
Cut through to living and then door into where horses' heads are
Mirror for horses to admire themselves

Only thing I need to have fitted is a loo!