Horsebox questions

Sussexbythesea

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Looking for a 3.5t that are like needles in a haystack especially in the south-east with my budget.

What would you say the minimum height and horse length bum to breast bar you’d need for a solid 16.2hh WB that takes 6’3 to 6’6 rugs?

Also does anyone have some rough estimates for things like replacement of floor or ramp if needed if I got something that needed some work.

Many thanks
 

Sussexbythesea

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I don’t know the measurements but my van is a long wheel base Renault Master. Wouldn’t consider the standard 3.5 for a horse his size (about the same as yours).

I’ve travelled him in my friends Marlborough Hunter and it’s plenty big enough. There are many that are not suitable though I grant you.
 

Petalpoos

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Not entirely helpful, but I recently sold my 3.5t and the buyers were preactically fighting over it, so you are right about scarcity of such things in the south east! Sold that afternoon to the first person that came to see it. It was a Renault Master and my horse was similar size to yours, but don't know what the distance was to the breastbar, but it looked like this.

3 Horsebox side closed ramp.jpg.
 

milliepops

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have you got tools/are you handy and able to do things like floor yourself?
OH replaced my floor which was pretty cheap (couple of hundred)

you can get other things done if you can't find the perfect one, before I met OH I had a climb barrier installed and a new window added but as that was done by pros it came to £600.

Mine is fairly old but I can measure the inside if I remember ;) I bought it from someone with a big 16.2, all mine wear 6.3 rugs and fit with plenty of space.
 

supsup

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I paid £360 to have the wooden floor replaced in the horse compartment (with wood again) in my 3.5t Renault master. It was done by a local company that does 3.5t conversions as a business (Equestrivan).
Have you found the dedicated Facebook group for selling 3.5t horseboxes? That seems to be reasonably well populated with boxes popping up on a regular basis.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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Wood floor is likely to cost 2 to 400+ (depending on DIY or pro), aluminium around 900 Inc getting matting re fitted to it (if rubber is fit to reuse). I've taken a few bigger ones in my racemaster, plenty of room for them, inc a 17hh solid mud blood.
Its purpose built tho, not a van conversion.
 

Sussexbythesea

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have you got tools/are you handy and able to do things like floor yourself?
OH replaced my floor which was pretty cheap (couple of hundred)

you can get other things done if you can't find the perfect one, before I met OH I had a climb barrier installed and a new window added but as that was done by pros it came to £600.

Mine is fairly old but I can measure the inside if I remember ;) I bought it from someone with a big 16.2, all mine wear 6.3 rugs and fit with plenty of space.

Thanks, Sadly I would not be able to do it myself as no tools and no room and not at all skilled. 😭 Many seem to be around 7ft but one I’ve seen is 6’6 seller says she can fit her horse which takes the same size rugs as mine but although he could travel at an angle as only one travelling it seems too small to me. Hard to tell without putting on the box.
 

Sussexbythesea

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Wood floor is likely to cost 2 to 400+ (depending on DIY or pro), aluminium around 900 Inc getting matting re fitted to it (if rubber is fit to reuse). I've taken a few bigger ones in my racemaster, plenty of room for them, inc a 17hh solid mud blood.
Its purpose built tho, not a van conversion.

Thanks I’ve seen a Racemaster but it’s a bit of a distance away but I’m tempted.
 

AngelaWB

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My mare, an Oldenburg x Freisian, rather hefty, takes a 6ft 6ins rug, she normally travels in IWT which is 7 of my feet long from breast bar to breech bar when stepped out. I recently stepped out a Vauxhall Movino box and this was 8 of my feet from bulkhead to the grooms area wall, so slightly bigger, but I'm still concerned as to whether a van conversion would be suitable for her too. About to post this as a separate thread when I saw yours.
 

Bernster

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Mine was a 3.5t Vauxhall movano. Same build as the Renault apparently. It took a 17h horse although obv need to watch the weight but it was plenty big enough. Also sold to the first viewer. Replaced the floor with aluminium and cost me 700 I think. Freddie Gover sold it for me and built my new 4.5t which I also love.
 
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