Horsebox builders

[SpottedCat]

Can anyone recommend someone to put a new back on my horsebox chassis please? Chassis is old (M-reg) but low milage (under 90,000km!) and entirely reliable so I am loathe to just buy a new one as I could be buying problems.

I also have very set ideas about what I want in terms of layout, hence putting new back on current chassis.

I'll have decent money to spend but not Lehel/Oakley money (!). Ideally somewhere in the SW so I can 'encourage' progress

but open to ideas. Also open to individuals rather than companies if people have had good experiences.

I was planning to get quotes from Badminton and Tristar (I know the latter isn't really SW).

Any others, and any pitfalls to beware of?

Thanks!

 

[Tempi]

Equicruiser - they did all the mods for mine and aren't as expensive as Oakley!!

 

[LEC]

Smart Horseboxes - they did Mary King's, The Fredericks before they went to lehel, Robin Dumas etc

 

[dieseldog]

Are you going to buy a whole new back? Or could you get yours refurbished?

George Smith swapped my sisters body for her, did a nice job.

 

[kick_On]

I can get you contact details of chap in Forest of Dean, who did one of my trainers and did cracking job

 

[humblepie]

Charlton Horseboxes in Wiltshire may be worth a chat. They did the horsebox part of our lorry.

 

[SpottedCat]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you going to buy a whole new back? Or could you get yours refurbished?

George Smith swapped my sisters body for her, did a nice job.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine's ancient (older than the chassis as it was dropped on from another box before I bought it), needs a new ramp and is gradually dying (had to patch up leaks etc), plus I really want to get the cab back to being tilt and have a smooth-sided one.

It's also stupidly long really - I only want it stalled for 2 horses as being underweight in a 7.5 tonne with 3 big horses is not exactly feasible so my plan was a new horsebox bit which is stalled for 2 big horses, no tack stuff in the horse area, external tack lockers which go into the living, a SHOWER!! (but probably not a toilet - don't fancy emptying it basically), electric hook up, heating, generator, horse wash etc, all that kind of stuff. I need new partitions too, and def can only have payload for 2 with all the human/horse gadgets I am after. So all in all probably easier to get a rebuild rather than refurbish - but I'll take advice from the builders.

Not totally certain it is going to happen yet, but reasonably confident that at some point this year we will no longer be travelling in a shed.

Thanks for all the advice people, good suggestions there.

 

[siennamum]

Oakleaze stud at Stockwood are very good.
http://www.oakleazefarm.co.uk/Boxes/Boxes,Trailers.htm

If you want someone a bit cheaper and local, I'm sure my mechanic does conversions, he's based at Felton.

 

[dieseldog]

You really want a toilet - just ban certain bodily functions from being performed. Thet are really easy to empty and are very self contained now. There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with out one - and not having to use the hideous show ones is great.

My other sister bought a nice body from PRB horseboxes, they had it in as a PX, the chasis was no good - but the box was lovely - thats the one hanging from the roof in the indoor school as someone has only got partway thru swapping bodies. - been 2 years so far.

 

[SpottedCat]

I dunno - I camp loads and have to walk to campsite toilets then! Anyway, all things to be discussed at a later date with the builder I guess - I think cassette toilets are pretty easy to put in afterwards.

I have this dream now where instead of being the ones cooking on a camping stove, showering once over 3 days, parking next to a Sunseeker sponsored lorry and being embarrassed when they ask if they'll disturb us if they use their generator for a shower, using torches coz I have no lights and memorably once even washing in a bucket when parked at Mark Corbett's, I will have a lovely lorry which I can happily live in and not be scuzzy. If this all happens then Dorset Showground is the celebration point! Not mucking the lorry out by the light from a head torch would be a real boon!

 

[dieseldog]

[ QUOTE ]
I have this dream now where instead of being the ones cooking on a camping stove, showering once over 3 days, parking next to a Sunseeker sponsored lorry and being embarrassed when they ask if they'll disturb us if they use their generator for a shower, using torches coz I have no lights and memorably once even washing in a bucket when parked at Mark Corbett's, I will have a lovely lorry which I can happily live in and not be scuzzy. If this all happens then Dorset Showground is the celebration point! Not mucking the lorry out by the light from a head torch would be a real boon!

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like heaven..... have you seen my living?

 

[SpottedCat]

What living?

I may invite you in. If you promise to take your shoes off and not touch anything. Perhaps you could just peer in from the door to the horse area?

 

[humblepie]

Second the loo! Were having this conversation with OH last night. Having gone from small lorry in which we "camped", to large lorry in which we camped before we put the living in, decided the human things we value most are hot water for washing and a loo and the stove (closely followed by OH vote for the shower). Loo is fine to empty. Had always thought it would be a grim job but it is no prob. One thing - you can never have too much storage for rugs and wet horsey and people gear.

 

[tinkerbell88]

PRB are brilliant! Really smart boxes and very careful on weight

 

[IncaCola]

Definitely can recommend Smart horseboxes too. He is a small operation but is a real perfectionist with attantion to detail. He did a great job replacing lockers on my new lorry when some nice guy took them all out speeding around a corner and then failed to stop!

 

[TrentfieldStud]

Your entering a minefield, so be careful, but good luck. Firstly have a read of an experts opinion like the OHTO or horsebox world www.horseboxworld.com don't rush into anything and make sure you have a purchase contract and don't leave anything to good will or gestures. That way you should be fine, there are plenty of good builders out there, we have had an Oakley, Olympic and latterly a Ketterer Horsebox, but have recently seen a cracking Annard and Equicruiser. So plenty of Horsebox manufactuers /dealers to go at!

 

[SpottedCat]

[ QUOTE ]
Your entering a minefield, so be careful, but good luck. Firstly have a read of an experts opinion like the OHTO or horsebox world www.horseboxworld.com don't rush into anything and make sure you have a purchase contract and don't leave anything to good will or gestures. That way you should be fine, there are plenty of good builders out there, we have had an Oakley, Olympic and latterly a Ketterer Horsebox, but have recently seen a cracking Annard and Equicruiser. So plenty of Horsebox manufactuers /dealers to go at!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, this is my concern, I have heard horror stories!

I am certainly not looking in the Oakley price bracket though, so equicruiser, lehel and annard are all probably out too. Need something a bit less of a 'name' I think.

Thanks for the links.

 

[kick_On]

Have you looked at px your current lorry for newer coachbuild?? Cos i think that having a re-vamp is just as painfull (plus new pitfulls ) or could be as selling and buying other truck. At least now you know what breaks on stuff and needs maintaining, so you are for warned??

 

[mackandmutley]

I work for a horsebox builder, who unfortunately is miles outside of your area but hopefully offer some impartial advice. Ask as many questions as you want, I would love to help you in any way I can because I see far too many people come to our place after making the wrong choice or after being had by somebody. We do body swaps and repairs etc so can give you an insight whilst we both know from the outset that Im not selling to you but just plain old professional advice

Speak soon

Mack