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Well-Known Member
You have my sympathies - we “furloughed” around a third of our fleet of buses in April last year, and waking them up from their slumbers was such hard work …
Horsebox build.....our story!
- Thread starter Farmer Chalk
- Start date
rextherobber
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the update, this is one if my favourite threads, so informative
Farmer Chalk
Well-Known Member
Thank you! We have tried to show the pluses and minus’s of owning an HGV Horsebox…
They are great places to be but also cannot be neglected…
In the spring I also spent time underneath the chassis again repainting some of the main structures and outleggers. I think this is now the third time I’ve been underneath it in the six years since build to repaint it.. the trouble is the damp sits underneath the side skirts throughout the winter and it’s a perfect home for rust to fester..
Hence out with the one piece onesies and a long handled brush and time to smother myself in Hammerite! Messy job but someone has to do it!
Its always noticeable that days I planned to be under the lorry the girls are mysteriously absent called away to some non existent shoe shopping emergency at Bluewater!
Hey ho….
Still no update from the workshop re today’s pre MOT inspection… don’t know whether that’s good news or the workshop manager is building himself up for the phone call of the day.. I think he must make his monthly bonus targets every time we visit!
Another piece of advice for those with lorry MOTs coming up in the not too distant future.. in 2020 the lockdown shut all Govt run VOSA/DVSA test centres and thus HGV’s were also added to the list of vehicles that were given an extension on their MOT expiry date.. this was fine at the time but what it did was extend the MOT’s for vehicles in March-September when they reopened in Sept 2020… This will cause a huge issue in August, September, October 2021 for the next three or so years when 70-80 % of lorries will attempt to find a testing station due to all of these vehicles MOT’s now expiring in Sept/October…,
Currently the majority of HGV garages are pretty slack with MOT tests because of the extension period given previously. They are doing the usual servicing and six weekly checks but are pretty free…. Thus now is the time to possibly take your lorry in for an early test especially if it is going to require any sort of work on it… it will also be easier to book an MOT slot in forthcoming years prior to the Sept Oct rush…
They are great places to be but also cannot be neglected…
In the spring I also spent time underneath the chassis again repainting some of the main structures and outleggers. I think this is now the third time I’ve been underneath it in the six years since build to repaint it.. the trouble is the damp sits underneath the side skirts throughout the winter and it’s a perfect home for rust to fester..
Hence out with the one piece onesies and a long handled brush and time to smother myself in Hammerite! Messy job but someone has to do it!
Its always noticeable that days I planned to be under the lorry the girls are mysteriously absent called away to some non existent shoe shopping emergency at Bluewater!
Hey ho….
Still no update from the workshop re today’s pre MOT inspection… don’t know whether that’s good news or the workshop manager is building himself up for the phone call of the day.. I think he must make his monthly bonus targets every time we visit!
Another piece of advice for those with lorry MOTs coming up in the not too distant future.. in 2020 the lockdown shut all Govt run VOSA/DVSA test centres and thus HGV’s were also added to the list of vehicles that were given an extension on their MOT expiry date.. this was fine at the time but what it did was extend the MOT’s for vehicles in March-September when they reopened in Sept 2020… This will cause a huge issue in August, September, October 2021 for the next three or so years when 70-80 % of lorries will attempt to find a testing station due to all of these vehicles MOT’s now expiring in Sept/October…,
Currently the majority of HGV garages are pretty slack with MOT tests because of the extension period given previously. They are doing the usual servicing and six weekly checks but are pretty free…. Thus now is the time to possibly take your lorry in for an early test especially if it is going to require any sort of work on it… it will also be easier to book an MOT slot in forthcoming years prior to the Sept Oct rush…
Farmer Chalk
Well-Known Member
Well update…it passed!
however when I add up this years maintenance costs it’s quite depressing!
Due to lockdown we did little travel in it last year…only managed 835miles between MOTs…although I did bring it forward by a couple of months to avoid the issues as described above…
So breakdown of costs? Maybe I shouldn’t do this to save myself from terminal depression…
Brake parts £500
MOT and fitting brakes, inspection, brake testing, VOSA fees, presentation and test bay rentals £884.
insurance £800 but includes 3 drivers including one 21 yr old daughter
Ancillaries for water systems £200
paints for underside £50
VEL approx £200
£2600 ish oh dear…that works out at £3 per mile…..
on the plus side it’s got new brakes, and mechanically it’s ready for anything… and the more we use it that cost comes down….
On a huge bonus point it was also used quite considerably as a retreat when lockdown living became a bit angst when the ladies of the house became a bit tetchy with each other! Daughter would disappear for days!
Putting it in that context it was an absolute bargain!!!
So moral of the story…they are great machines but they do need fettling and cannot just be abandoned for months on end without expecting some sort of issue to bring them back into service!
Wonder how long it will take them to find me if I go missing?
however when I add up this years maintenance costs it’s quite depressing!
Due to lockdown we did little travel in it last year…only managed 835miles between MOTs…although I did bring it forward by a couple of months to avoid the issues as described above…
So breakdown of costs? Maybe I shouldn’t do this to save myself from terminal depression…
Brake parts £500
MOT and fitting brakes, inspection, brake testing, VOSA fees, presentation and test bay rentals £884.
insurance £800 but includes 3 drivers including one 21 yr old daughter
Ancillaries for water systems £200
paints for underside £50
VEL approx £200
£2600 ish oh dear…that works out at £3 per mile…..
on the plus side it’s got new brakes, and mechanically it’s ready for anything… and the more we use it that cost comes down….
On a huge bonus point it was also used quite considerably as a retreat when lockdown living became a bit angst when the ladies of the house became a bit tetchy with each other! Daughter would disappear for days!
Putting it in that context it was an absolute bargain!!!
So moral of the story…they are great machines but they do need fettling and cannot just be abandoned for months on end without expecting some sort of issue to bring them back into service!
Wonder how long it will take them to find me if I go missing?
Tarragon
Well-Known Member
Love this!
superpony
Well-Known Member
I remember following this thread many years ago and have hunted it out as today we have started work on pulling back the wall linings as unfortunately some water has got in through one of the windows and caused a lot of damage! We are going to attempt to fix it ourselves..!
How is the lorry going Farmer Chalk?
How is the lorry going Farmer Chalk?
Cragrat
Well-Known Member
if you haven't found it already, theres a helpful and friendly FB group called DIY horsebox renovators.
jhoward
Demon exorcist...
Farmer chalk hasn't been online since 2021
anglo
Well-Known Member
Folding wheelbarrows are a godsense when short on space