Idiot's guide to looking after a horsebox please

My fuel tank is not plastic and the mechanic did say it had small amount of corrosion when it was checked pre purchase. I don't want to keep it full of fuel as diesel theft is big round here so will aim for half full.
I'm using it for hunting over winter so won't be needing shower or cooker. Would be nice to have some warm water but not essential so will drain it all to be safe.

I do have shiny hub caps and was thinking they do rather hide a lot! Where do I go to check tyre pressures if most car places only go to 60psi?

Again sorry for all the questions. I feel like the idiot who bought a horse without knowing anything about them first.
 
If you have any corrsion on your fuel tank - pull off the binding round it, as this traps the wet and will make it rust faster. Certainly on the DAF LF the tanks only last 5-8 years and will need replacing. Upgrading to the plastic fuel tank will cost just over £1,000 (I have the invoices to prove it!)

Warm water - put a jerry can in the lorry and you can boil it as required, but if you are on butane and not propane, it won't work that well in freezing conditions

Tyre pressure - most big can do lorries, but you need around 95-105 PSI in your tyres depending on your average load and what the tyre says on the outside
 
The double tyres at the back can be quite awkward to check pressure on. Before I had live in mechanic (!), I used to go to a tyre place near us and one of the guys would do the pressures for me, for a the price of a pint!
 
My understanding on the air tanks has always been you drain via the valve underneath, one on each tank and also the air suspension if you have it. This releases any gunk/oil/water that is in the tank. I also tend to leave my truck with air drained as it takes the pressure off the system and causes less leaks. The when you start and the pressure builds you can let the gunk out again. Any fleet vehicle of your age normally has a big sticker by the drivers door saying "DRAIN AIR TANKS DAILY". There is lots of other precautions to take but it depends how nuts you want to go and how cold it gets.
I tend to do quite a bit of Nordic work over the winter months so most of my advise might be a little over the top!
 
humblepie said:
The double tyres at the back can be quite awkward to check pressure on. Before I had live in mechanic (!), I used to go to a tyre place near us and one of the guys would do the pressures for me, for a the price of a pint!
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The important thingis to check the tyres are inflated rather than the pressure. I keep a hammer or bar in the cab and whack each tyre across the tread as a daily check.You will see immediately if one is flat and you soon learn the sound of an underinflated tyre. DO NOT keep checking the pressures as you will eventualy cause a flat tyre by damaging the valves. Tyres should be checked for pressure every couple of months or if they sound low when given a thump(also a few days after fitting a new one).
 
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thanks for the correction about the diesel tank everyone. shows what mechanics know... it was a mechanic who told me the water would sit on top of the diesel?!?!
star, get some of those bright greeny-yellow plastic pointer things that go on the wheel nuts. you fit them so that they are pointing at each other. if one of the nuts starts working loose it takes the pointy thing with it so the points aren't together any more. hard to explain, but they should look like this >< on adjacent nuts. this can be a lifesaver. I know a few people who have had wheels come off horseboxes while they were driving along.
What about the horse area, what's the floor made of under the matting? Have they told you how to manage it? e.g. if my horses have a wee I always peel all the matting back as soon as I get home, rinse it all out thoroughly, disinfect it, leave it to dry completely before putting mats and then bedding back down.
 
Nothing helpful to add except I have lorry envy!

All the things you are now thinking about is the exact reason why I've been wary of buying one. Sounds like you're very sensible though and getting good advice.
 
The other thing with tyres is that private owners horse box tyres rarely wear down tread to any serious degree given the low mileage we do - however the tyres can perish and crack, so a visual check is important as well.

Bonus in having an x reg (mine is similar age) is that it is pre some 2001 legislation and generally simpler with less electrics than more modern boxes so easier to fix.
 
mutley75 said:
My understanding on the air tanks has always been you drain via the valve underneath, one on each tank and also the air suspension if you have it. This releases any gunk/oil/water that is in the tank. I also tend to leave my truck with air drained as it takes the pressure off the system and causes less leaks. The when you start and the pressure builds you can let the gunk out again. Any fleet vehicle of your age normally has a big sticker by the drivers door saying "DRAIN AIR TANKS DAILY".
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There might be a bit of misunderstanding about the word "drain" here. It only refers to letting out the (usually small) amount of water that gathers in the bottom of the tank. I do this about once a month and only see a thimbleful of water. The sticker that says "Drain air tanks daily" is anticipating a usage of 1000s of miles a week.

I really can't see any use in letting out the air from the system and in fact it may cause more wear. This thread is the first time I have ever heard anyone doing it and whilst people are free to do as they wish I would never suggest doing that.
 
Try not to worry! We have owned our Daf 45 130 for nearly 9 years and it has been very straightforward. We use it all year round but less in winter, annual mileage about 10,000 km. For all the mechanical stuff, find a decent garage by recommendation and follow their advice. They will help you with the little bits too, like checking tyre pressures when needed etc. Get a handbook for the lorry and some spare bulbs. The rear ones are simple to change. We never do anything about draining air brakes and it always passes it's plating! I know we should drain the toilet flush but never actually have and no leaks to date. We don't use the water heater so just take containers of water for us and horses. Caravan supply shops will help you with internal stuff like toilet chemicals etc. We have gas appliances serviced annually by caravan chap for peace of mind. We also lift floor rubber periodically and check floor condition from above and below -this could save your horse's life! Highly recommend having recovery service.
Enjoy it and have fun - DAFs are lovely lorries.
 
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