HorseVan vs Jeep and Trailer

CastlelackSportHorses

CastlelackSportHorses

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 September 2024
Messages
429
Visit site
So I have always had a jeep and horsebox.
Few years ago sold my Ifor Williams(mare hated it) and bought myself an EquiTrek(mare loves it)
Their not a very common box over here so parts are hard got.
I love having the option of unhooking box and using jeep for running around and doing other jobs, but we also have a car.
I have just seen a nice little van very close to me for sale, but know nothing about them.
I generally only take one horse out at a time so not worried about payload.

Was thinking of selling Jeep and box and maybe purchasing this.
www.donedeal.ie

2000 New Vauxhall movano stallion box🐎 for sale in Co. Cork for €10,400 on DoneDeal

🐎2000 New Vauxhall movano stallion box🐎3-SeaterJust after full major service including timing beltOnly 116k miles Tested till late June 2026Stal...
www.donedeal.ie www.donedeal.ie
Let me know what ye think!
 
It's rising 26 years old. Mileage is low so has it been clocked? Obviously had a respray and looks nice but the fact they're not offering a warranty would worry me. I would have an independent mechanic give it a good check including getting it up on the ramp to inspect underneath, the floor and the walls. Has anything seized up? Sometimes older boxes cost a fortune in labour for a small part as they can't get the bits around it undone.
 
Call me a cynic but that mileage looks like it might have been clocked. I may very well be wrong but I know years back we were always told if the line of numbers were not absolutely straight apart from the last one or two numbers edging up as would be expected, then it was dodgy. It looks to me like the first three numbers you can clearly see underneath them the white of the numbers below. 🤷‍♀️ As for the blue respray? :oops: It is a lot of money for such an old van too.

The second one looks much better, but odd they aren't showing a pic of mileage or saying what mileage is for that one? I agree I would want my own mechanic checking it out, or checking out any you might look at as well. Crikey it's a minefield isn't it, almost as stressful as horse shopping.
 
mine is a 2006, mileage is over 200k. the horsebox conversion isn’t very old, but mechanically it’s needed a few bits and bobs doing - it’s not been anything outrageous, and it’s very solid underneath, but the little things do add up so whilst it’s not concerning it’s very inconvenient! they’re bleeding hard work to get parts for too!

i wouldn’t bother with one that old myself, i absolutely love the box vs a trailer (although i’d still rather reverse the trailer🤣) but if you’ve got a good equitrek id keep hold of it!
 
Thee other practical thing is that boxes do need running - if you don't use them for a while they seem to suffer. The jeep (as you say) can be unhooked and used for running around, whereas you're probably not going to nip down to Tesco in a box. If you're on a budget and can't afford the money that nice 3.5Ts go for, I'd stick with the jeep and trailer, particularly if you know your horse likes that trailer.
 
I swopped a trailer for a 3.5t horsebox. I didn’t get the saving you would have by selling your Jeep.
Pros -
So easy to manoeuvre and park
You can store all your stuff in there so don’t have to keep loading up your vehicle every time you go out
Cons -
Cost of running a vehicle (less of an issue for you)
Boxes with more mileage will inevitably need repairs and replacements. I have had so much work done on mine, including welding where the metal around the base of the box had disintegrated from rust.
Mine is a 2005 model with 130k mileage on it and it is good for its age. If selling I would expect 20k due to a long wheel base, 1,1t payload and reinforced bulkhead.

Newer models will by their nature cost more. Ones with a short wheel base are smaller inside (obviously) so it depends on the size of your horse and the need for storage whether this suits.

I don’t find my horse travels better in it but she is anxious by nature
 
The first lorry is a death trap- never put your horse into a box with those awful half height front bars. The second lorry is slightly better, but I’d still always choose full stallion partitions if I could
 
We looked at changing to a 3.5t and decided not to, we run a fleet of vans and have found the French brands poor quality, if we could find a decent Mercedes 3.5t we would but they’re too high for a good conversion (we do actually own a 3.5t Mercedes flatbed and at 11 years old and 200k on the clock it’s pretty darn good).

I wouldn’t a van with more than about 75k on the clock with the view they’re basically worthless at 100k
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top