Is owning a horse box expensive?

SNORKEY

SNORKEY

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I'm thinking of buying a horse box instead of a trailer. I will only have a small budget of about £4k. I've seen lots of old ones like 'E' reg's etc, all described as first time starters and reliable, but I'm wondering if its just asking for trouble getting something old, and do people end up spending a fortune on mot's and repairs?
Thanks :)
 
Don't do it. Especially with a budget your size you could end up spending thousands every year on keeping it on the road - that is you can even find parts to start with.
 
Did you want a lorry for the living? If so then why not think about an Equi-trek. I had an older 5* and loved mine.
 
I've just done the sums on this - both trailer and tow vehicle and a 3.5 tonner

I figured out that I could hire a horsebox 6 times a year with the money that even the basics like insurance and MOT would cost so decided against it (for now........)

If you already have a vehicle that you are running day to day that would tow a trailer then to me that would be a no brainer but otherwise I couldnt justify it no matter how hard I tried to work the figures
 
My grandad bought my a 2 horse lorry with a beautiful living- sleeps 4, walk through cab, hob, grill & oven, fridge, wardrobe, horse shower and storage compartments with saddle wracks etc.. Spent £5k.. 3 years down the line and its costs us £2k. The engine is fine, as is the chassis.. Starts first time every time but the cab is falling apart.. Needs quite a bit of welding to get it through its plating..

I now want to get rid of it and buy a trailer.. But reluctant to as I won't get what I want from it.. Trying to weigh up whether its worth selling for £1500/2k if I can get that.. Or keep it and spend money on it! But how long until I'm in this position again!

Undercover storage is a must for Any lorry.
 
Buy a trailer .
My lorry it was expensive and brand new when I got now its old and it costs money to keep it going.
As with the poster above the cab is going to be the issue on mine .
However in my case as I don't go far now it's better to pay the bills than invest the 100k it would cost to relpace it and have a beauiful new lorry sitting on the drive most of the year.
 
Depend how faar you have to drive your tow car on a regular basis. We have an ancient lorry and have had it ten years and in total it has cost less than a thousand pounds in all ten years together in repairs and mots it has done 100,000 miles or there abouts It is very reliable and trundles along to all the shows
We have found it much cheaper to have the lorry than to run a tow car backwards and forwards to work. Tow car tax 300 per year lorry 200
insurance 300 including recovery
Does about 25 miles to gallon diesel

Tow car does more miles to the gallon but would used everyday to work and back

So we have two small cars tax of all three costs less than the tow car we had Insurance for all three about the same fuel costs about half or less
So for me it is cheaper to have the lorry
However if you have a tow car as your family car already then a trailer would be better if you plan to have a big car and the lorry it is more expensive
Hope that makes sense
 
We do have a 4x4 already, but I was thinking it would be nicer to have the living section in a box as my little girl will be a toddler when going to shows next year. I've tried looking for an equi-treck but they are really hard to find in my budget.
 
It is worth hanging on until winter if you think you might get an Equi-trek. My 5* cost me £5000. In summer you probably will not find one for less than £7000
 
I also think it depends on how often you go out... We're out in the horsebox at least once a week for lessons, and then add in competitions, extra clinics, vet visits and things it does work out cheaper to run a lorry. But equally, my mum and sister only need older, run-around cars for their work so that helps. If they were doing more mileage then things would probably be different again.
 
I think it depends how lucky you are with the lorry and if something goes wrong.
My lorry is a C reg it cost me 750 quid to buy with 6 months mot and cos me 100 quid to get it through the mot in february. If it broke tommorow it would own me nothing with what its cost me! I take it out most weekends and in school holidays a few times a week. 20 quid diesel lasts me ages!!!
Shes 120 for 6 months tax and 15 pounds a month to insure. We go nowhere fast but Betsy always gets us to the show!!:)

I wouldnt spend alot on the lorry if something went wrong though, id do small repairs but nothing major!!
 
See, am very anti-trailer so I wouldn't actually care what it cost to keep a lorry, I would never have a trailer. Too many accidents I know of in them.
I think you'd need to up your budget but are you looking for something over 3.5T or do you not have a licence for that?

The 3.5Ts are in demand following the licence changes but you can get larger lorries for the same/less money and, providing you get a good mechanic to check it over before you buy there's no reason why it should be a money pit. No more so than a 4x4 can end up costing you anyway.
 
My old e reg
Lorry cost me less than my
4x4 in repairs tax etc
Then I saved even more on running a smaller car everyday
 
For me personally I'm better off with my little lorry. I've had it 7 years now and although it's looking a bit tatty, structurally and mechanically it's fine. The only major expense in that time has been a new gear box late last year.

I had a Fourtrak and trailer before but was spending about £60 per week on average on Diesel and that was when fuel was 88p per litre :(

I have a changing area thats probaby 5ft square so plenty big enough. We don't do overnight show so no need for oven etc. I use the lorry on average once a week, quite often more than once either for lessons, shows or box up to the woods to do fast / hill work. It's brilliant on fuel, cheapish to tax and has an MOT, not a plating as only 3.5t. Insurance is really cheap to, the recovery insurance costs more than the vehicle insurance. So for me it is definately worth it and cheaper than a 4x4 and trailer.

It's also very handy for moving furniture :D
 
I got mine for under £4000. It doesnt cost much to run and is as good as gold. I looked for a while though just had to sift through the rubbish.
 
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