Horseboxes and steep hills

S

Salrose

New User
Joined
24 September 2019
Messages
6
Visit site
Hi all, this my first post on here, though I've read treads for a few years.

I'm thinking of buying a 3.5ton horsebox, upgraded to 3.9 ton so I can safely carry two. My question is on engine sizes, most are around 2.2l which doesn't seem a lot. I currently tow an Ifor Williams behind a 3.2l Shogun. Where I live we encounter some very steep hills and I'm worried a 2.2l might struggle - I don't want to be crawling at a walking pace and annoying other road users! I'm hoping some of you who live in similar areas and have a 3.5 ton can tell me their experiences:)
 
Can only speak from my own experience. I used to have an old lt35 2.4l diesel. It did struggle up hills, we always got there but would end up in second gear up the really steep ones.
I now have an 03 Renault master 2.2l diesel with turbo. Have yet to find a hill it struggles on. I quite often have to go up over the downs and it's absolutely fine.
My friends old 2.5l turbo diesel 6t was also good.
The only issue you may find is that by being updated and therefore carrying more then designed for may slow it down. But if you are buying a more modern build you should be fine.
 
No idea on engine size of my 3.9t Vauxhall movano but assume it was fairly standard. Was fine on hills although I’m in Herts so not massive ones!
 
Just look at all the builders pickups ,all the pickups loaded with scrap, loads of full packed removal vans etc.the modern 3.5s will cope easily. They also have long lasting engines (subject to regular servicing) so mileage should not be a problem and your yearly milage will probably be way below that of its previous owner.
 
Thanks for all the replies, very helpful! So a modern 2.2l should be okay, I'm looking at a 2008 so does that come under modern? I think I may try and find a 2.4l to be on the safe side.

Interesting about remapping phizz4, never heard of that but will look into it:)
 
Just had a look thru a copy of the reg document I had floating about attached to an email & my old 3.5 ton was apparently 2463 CC so I guess roughly 2.5l? It was on a long wheel base so perhaps a little larger than some models out there hence the extra grunt I guess (It was the type that could have been uprated fairly easily had I wanted to I think). I took it up Sutton Bank with a horse onboard without it ever feeling like it was ever starting to struggle (not saying it was a fun experience / one that I'd repeat but that was nothing to do with the box). I took it up & down various steep little roads in the Peak district with both one & two small horses on board & the only difference I felt was that the box felt a tad more balanced with 2 on & it was still taking on hills for fun. When all was working right it never struggled for power under any circumstances. (although it was flipping useless in a muddy field although I was a bit more pathetic about driving it in such conditions than I am with my car!) Fuel economy was very good also. It was 15 years old when I sold it though & engines have probably come on since then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top