Horsebox costs - tell me all you know...

[1CTrenowath]

So, with all the changes on road tax etc, am starting to think horsebox instead of trailer may be an idea. Situation at present is:

I run a Disco which is 5 days into the new tax band

. I do 30-40 miles daily and end up spending around £40-50 per week fuel - insurance is also expensive plus servicing etc. I currently have a Rice trailer. My friend has a decent runabout car, and borrows her OH's 4x4 to tow her Richardson trailer. However she has a giraffe of a youngster (16.1-2 @ under 2 yrs....

) which will be too tall for her trailer. I already need big transport as have a 17.1 id. So possible idea is to ditch trailers and 4x4s and pool together for lorry (I would need to get a car out of this somewhere as well - don't fancy parking the lorry in my works carpark....

So questions......how much would we need to expect to pay for a BIG lorry for the horses - i.e. mahoosive horse area. Only need basic living/tack area, something to get us reliably from a to b. What costs do we need to consider re maintenance, insurance, anything else we may not be aware of.... and any recommendations for places to go look and type of box which would give a good ride for the equines....

And why are my posts always so blummin long!!!

 

[kalasadi]

I take it you have a HGV licence to drive a lorry over 7.5t?

Most 7.5t are overweight with one pony on board so you are going to struggle to find a 7.5t that will legally carry your big neds, and their tack and the driver and passenger!

If you get a hgv over 7.5t then you are sailing!!!!

Vosa are attending quite a lot of shows with their mobile weighbridges now so best to be careful rather than have fines, points on your licence and your lorry impounded!

 

[catembi]

Can't help you with costs - all I know is that it's £££££ & I try not to keep track or I'd cry!! I think our current lorry which is a Leyland DAF does 18 mpg (diesel) with one big horse.

One important tip - lorry MOTs aren't like car MOTs & you can just turn up & leave it there & go shopping. They have to be booked 6 to 8 weeks in advance (down here they closed one of the 2 testing stations) & you have to take it there & queue up with other lorries & participate in the test, ie drive it onto the rolling road, turn the indicators on & off etc.

You can pay someone to take it for you, but you must rem to be organised & start the process 2 months in advance or you'll have a few weeks of being grounded & matrimonial disharmony about whose fault it is every year!!

For a pre MOT inspection, a few adjustments & taking it for its test, I think it cost us £750 last year.

 

[1CTrenowath]

[ QUOTE ]
I take it you have a HGV licence to drive a lorry over 7.5t?




[/ QUOTE ]

I'm probably being reeeally thick - but why would I need to have over 7.5t? I was of the impression it was 3.5t which tended to have a problem with going over the weight. Is it purely due to size of horses - my big one weighs est. 750kg, hers won't be anything like this as is kwpn x tb - even with tack, fuel and 2 - 3 people, would it be impossible to find a lorry which could take us and still stay safely under the magic number?....

 

[ihatework]

Tosh !
Some 7.5T are overweight if they have fancy living and 3 horses in but a basic living and 2 large horses can easily be accomodated by most 7.5T lorries.

 

[samerlin]

sorry but I have 7.5 and i can legally carry 3 horses(2x16.3 and 1x15.2) plus two people and all the stuff without going over weight. I went to weightbridge with it loaded and i am just under legal weight.

 

[ecrozier]

Eh? 7.5 ton lorries won't be overweight with 1 pony on board! If they are you have a serious problem!! If you have basic living/tack storage and a decently built box you will be fine with 2 big-ish horses. Its when you start putting 3 on that you get into trouple. I think kalasadi is thinking of 3.5 ton boxes.
Re costs, you've covered most in your post I think. I've found so far that I actually use less diesel for the lorry than we did for the 4x4 and trailer, and tax is the same, insurance much cheaper. Breakdown cover about the same. So for us it will all depend on maintainance and repair costs, but having said that our 12 year old pajero has costs us a small fortune over the years to keep it running, so used to hefty mechanics bills!!

 

[Super_Kat]

[ QUOTE ]
I take it you have a HGV licence to drive a lorry over 7.5t?

Most 7.5t are overweight with one pony on board so you are going to struggle to find a 7.5t that will legally carry your big neds, and their tack and the driver and passenger!



[/ QUOTE ]

I have a 7.5t with full living and I can carry my 2 big horses without going over weight.

 

[OWLIE185]

A basic 7.5 Ton lorry will cost about £160 per year fully comp to insure, another £160 insurance for if you break down and want recovery insurance for horse and rider, £170 Road Tax. You will also need it to be serviced and tested each year.

If you just want a basic lorry to transport both of them and carry some tack then you will get a good Bedford that can do the job for about £2,000.00p Get a 6 cylinder diesal as they are the most powerfull and economical. Get it checked out before buying it - both mechanically and especially the floor and ramp.

 

[ecrozier]

We've got an old bedford and so far has been great, cost us £3500. Our breakdown was only £70, but insurance was £240 as I was under 25 when we got it insured.
It certainly seems to be doing the job required so far!

 

[Tangaroo]

I bought my first lorry ten days ago. It is a 7.5t Leyland daf. It has unfitted living and is stalled for three big horse herringbone. I have put it on a weighbridge to find its unladen weight and it will be fine with three horses on. Obviously once we have fitted the living we will take it back to the weigh bridge, but i will only generally carry one or two horses. Very unlikely to carry three, although its nice to know i could if i had to. The tax is £165 and the insurance is £248 inc recovery. I have only been out in it three times but both my boys love it and so do i !! Now have to sell my trailer to help pay for it.

 

[1CTrenowath]

Oh thank god for that - was starting to have visions of me and my friend off to HGV school....

Must say the responses so far sound quite positive and encouraging. Any downsides to boxes would also be appreciated.....

 

[*hic*]

Downsides - well I've just spent 5 hours, three stanley knife blades, LOTS of plasters, many cuts, scrapes and bruises checking the aluminium floor in mine and re-doing the rubber matting. Oh and I'm covered in all the "stuff" you can guess accumulates under the mats.:-(

Now I have to fit the kitchen and loo I'm stripping out of the caravan to put in it.

Other than that I love my lorry!

 

[Peasfriend]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh thank god for that - was starting to have visions of me and my friend off to HGV school....

Must say the responses so far sound quite positive and encouraging. Any downsides to boxes would also be appreciated.....

[/ QUOTE ]

I can just see us at HGV school

 

[OWLIE185]

You do need to take them out for a regular run to stop bits like the brake callipers from seizing up. Best would be once a week.

Also you have to book the annual MOT in advance and decide if you or the mechanic takes it for the MOT.

If you possibly can keep it under cover in a barn.

 

[sw123]

I'm just going through this at the moment and have been told to budget about £1000 a year to keep it on the road taxed and insured. Seems a good figure to play with!

 

[welshies]

Don't mean to be rude but what do you mean most 7.5t lorries are over weight with one pony in? Really no the case! MOst have at least a 2 tonne payload!