Horsebox questions

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Puppy

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A little help would be much appreciated as I am useless when it comes to 4 wheeled things.
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Firstly, I was under the impression that it is sensible to buy a Ford as they are cheaper to repair? Is this generally correct and something that people would recommend sticking to?


However, I have seen a couple of nice 6.5T renaults - are these going to be far more difficult/expensive to maintain? Would people recommend for/against them? I know lots of people have the 3.5Ts, so surely they can't be that bad??
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(Along the same lines, am I right in thinking that Mercs should be avoided due to the cost of maintaining them? Not that I like the look of them so much...)


Also, roughly how much would it cost for a good paint job on a 6.5T box - and can anyone recommend somewhere in East Anglia that would do a good job of that, for a good price?
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Websites would be grand!

Thanks in advance
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Oh, and one last question, why am I buying a nice spanking new horsebox, especially to accommodate TWO, when a certain horse has given me a big fat swollen split lip (I've been headbutted
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) and sulked with me all week?
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Mercs, as I understand it, can have more expensive parts but they need putting on far less often. I also understand that anything French costs a fortune to fix, but I stand to be corrected on this.

Wrights Engineering in Littleport are a specialist horsebox firm and they have a small number in stock and would do a decent paint job on whatever you fancied. I'd think they were more on the cheap and cheerful end of the market.

When I last took my lorry to be tested the tester was having a huge rant about one particular firm of horsebox dealers and the "right shite" that they sell to customers - he reckoned my 30 year old lorry was sounder than most of the "pretty" 10 yo lorries this guy sells - if you want the name the tester said to avoid PM me, I'd better not put it on here!
 
Oh my! Well I was actually recommended somewhere on here in East Anglia but then had an awful experience with them, and was subsequently warned by my physio not to touch them with a barge pole...
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I wonder if its the same people...
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OR, I can think of someone else actually, who you might mean...
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Yes, a PM would be much appreciated. Thank you
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Hmm. Fords are good but if going for an older one beware as parts are getting hard to find these days.

For a respray on a 7.5t I was recently quoted £1400.
I have decided to settle for just giving it a wash!
 
Yeah, thanks, I don't want too old a box.... In fact, my mother thinks I'm being too picky about how new a one I want
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£1400 is about what I was expecting for a repray, but then someone the other week said they were paying waaaaaay more than that to have their box done and I was worrying....
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Thanks v much
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Fords are good, but they corrode under cab. Saying that I am on my 2nd 7.5ton one and I've had a transit in the past
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If you are looking to carry two horses, go for 6.5ton or 7.5ton for a larger payload.

My new 7.5ton lorry was quoted £1800 for respray in silver and black.

If you want someone to check lorry out, I can highly recommend Essex Horsebox Inspections - they cover East Anglia, very good. http://www.essexvehicleinspections.co.uk/
 
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If you are looking to carry two horses, go for 6.5ton or 7.5ton for a larger payload.

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Thanks. Yes, that's the plan
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as although I will usually be only taking the one, there will be odd times we want to take both, and I don't see the point in buying transport that won't let us do that, even if it will mean me taking the extra test *humph*
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[ QUOTE ]
My new 7.5ton lorry was quoted £1800 for respray in silver and black.

If you want someone to check lorry out, I can highly recommend Essex Horsebox Inspections - they cover East Anglia, very good. http://www.essexvehicleinspections.co.uk/

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh that is VERY helpful. Thank you so much. Do you know roughly how much they are for an inspection?
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Cheers! H. x

ETS - scrap that question, I've seen the price on the website. Thanks
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Yes, well I was looking at 7.5Ts, but then I only want a modest sized box - so probably only partitioned for 2, and so many of the 7.5Ts are partitioned for three and have huge living etc that I just don't need. The modest sized ones are so rare to come across and seem to be out of my price range... So I thought I would consider a 6.5T as they seem to have an adequate payload for what I want
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Erm...
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this is maybe a silly question, in which case excuse me for being blonde, but why PM you?
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The questions I have are in the opening post!
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LOL! OK, I've gottcha now
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I was most confused by that.... but I am three glasses of wine down so it's not really taking much tonight
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Pathelschoice, please feel free to put it on the thread. It's hardly advertising as I am genuinely asking a few questions
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And I confess, I hate PMS
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OK for starters - stick to M.A.N, Iveco and DAF - for reliability and for ease of parts availability - dont touch renault - sorry in advance to all renault owners - but have proven to be unreliable and dont hold resale value - mercedes- great trucks but springy ride for horses - expensive for parts and heavy chassis therefore less payload.

Personally i would opt for 7.5 tonne - good capacity for you and the 6.5 tonne range not great again for resale.(we are never asked to build 6.5 tonners)

Respray - well ours cost a small fortune for spray - we have them done by a chap who used to work for whittaker - but i think you should be looking at around 2K for a decent properly done respray.

I would always go to a reputable seller for a lorry that gives good after sales service - ie andrew saywell at select horseboxes, soliatire horseboxes, jm horseboxes, #

hope that helps so far
 
That is VERY VERY helpful, and I'm sure not just to me
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Thank you very much
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Cheers!
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Please may I ask one more cheeky question; what about tilt/non tilt cabs?? As one person has told me to DEFINITELY buy a tilting one, as they are easier to work on, and someone else said it makes no difference...?!
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I love the way I am planning all of this around it breaking down....
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ok to be perfectly honest - fixed cab works fine we have done mega loads of fixed cab - but we cut a "bonnet" away under the passenger seating to allow full access - if the cab tilts thru the front of the luton - no bloomin point at all- full tilt like we do on a frame work - is now the way to go - its resale friendly but expensive - about 3K. does that help?
 
ummm, no, sorry
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clear as mud.... So it costs more to have work done on one that is a fixed cab? Because you have to go to so much more trouble.

Can I just check, aside from a selling on point, are then any other reasons not to buy a 6.5T? Only now I've seen a ford one I like.
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I think she is saying that fixed cab is fine. As most tilt cabs do not go right over as they would normally, because of the luton.

Some places are now building lorries so that the cab and luton, lift from engine/chassis and go forwards, but they're expensive to build.

I've had both tilt and non tilt and both have been fine (current one non tiliting)
 
Well done Finn couldnt have put it better myself, servicing for the fixed cab option is a little more expensive because it just takes a bit more time and some mechanics to the typical "oooooooo thats expensive to do luv" - but you have to think in the long term are you going to spend the 3K ( price of full tilt) on servicing- we have had no problems ever with the fixed cab option.

We now do the full tilt cab - ie on a full framework which allows full tilt so the whole cab luton etc comes forward is mechanic friendly , and also the price that we are selling our vehicles at we have to fuly tilt them - its expected to be honest by our customers.

If you have seen a 6 tonner you like and it does the job for you then go for it- i would only say it seems silly to have a 6.5 tonner when you can have a 7.5 tonne just giving you that extra capacilty.

Do check the unladen weight of the lorry before you buy and make sure that it is weighed with the following- all the partitions on, at least half a tank of fuel , and water, then you will know your payload, dont be caught out. If possible go to the weighbridge with the seller.

Let me know how you get on xx
 
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