Lorries and trailers advice please

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horses99

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I apologise as I know this topic has come about a few times. However, I have a trailer at the moment that i can’t pull on my car liscence but I have family that kindly tow it for me. Now that they have got a new car I’m considering making the jump to selling and getting a 3.5t as I can drive it myself.

I have never had a lorry/ known anyone close who has so just seeing what people’s experiences are with them/ smaller lorries who previously had a trailer. I am aware it’s a lot of expensive but is the buy, MOT insurance, worth it? Are they easy to drive?

I have a van that could tow but needs work (maybe circa 1000 plus insurance mot tax and I need to take my trailer test so let’s say at least 3000!!) and I don’t fancy the idea of hitching it up by myself regularly as they’re a pain! So wondering if it is worth paying a bit more to have the comfort (for horses) in the box and ease of taking to shows, reversing etc etc


Thank you for any input
 
I'm going to follow this one with interest OP. I currently have a landrover discovery and tow an Iw 511. I'm thinking about switching to a 3.5 lorry and want to know why if it would be better as I'd like a bit of living space, so I can stay away at parties!
 
I have had both, the 3.5 tonne was around 15k to buy plus the cost of maintenance and insurance and what not, the trailers i have had have been around 3k ish and very little outlay and i have then used the towing vehicle as my every day car.

The 3.5 tonne was lovely to have, very easy to drive and i felt safer than towing a trailer. It was a hassle to take 2 as if they are on the bigger side of things the weight is a problem, no matter what you do to a 3.5 you will struggle to carry to big horses with the weight limits. And it is very nice to go and do things with friends! It was nice having a little area to get changed in at the back although it was covered in hay once they had travelled so getting changed in the back of your trailer is no more messy really.
The trailer is just a cheaper easier option as you can leave them parked up for periods without worrying, you aren't adding mileage to then have to worry about depreciation, i have had 4 trailers and never lost a penny when selling them.
If money was no option and i had one to tow or 2 smaller horses i would buy a 3.5t all day long especially if its going to be used regularly and not parked up. If you ever want to go places with 2 big horses and money is a consideration i would go for the trailer.
 
I recently swopped my trailer for a 3.5 ton box. I relied on my mum to tow me everywhere as I needed to do my test to tow. I had a few lessons and towed on L plates but I hated it. I just knew I wouldn’t be confident enough to tow long distances on my own. We’ve had the 3.5 ton about 6 months now, it is an older style rear facing Mercedes box. It’s so easy to drive, everything travels well in it and I go everywhere on my own now. It drives just like a car and no issues trying to reverse into tight spots!

I stayed away at a 3 day event back in May in it. It has a pod above the cab that I slept in and we had electric hook up for all the bits we needed. It’s not as luxurious as having one with actual living but it’s easy to make it work comfortably for a few days.

Insurance is £300 for the year for anyone over 25 to drive, including horse recovery if you break down and tax I pay £22 a month. We use less fuel in the lorry than we did towing. I doubt id go back to a trailer now unless I had no choice.
 
I treated myself to a 3.5 a couple of years ago. I’d actually had two trailers and two older wagons previously, and decided to sell my old Leland DAF and get a van conversion made to spec.

I absolutely love it. I only ever take one horse out in it and have actually removed the partition as mine prefer the extra space. Have a seat in the back and storage space in a cupboard. It does get a bit messy with hay but not too bad.
 
What car and trailer do you have at the moment ?

Do you need to tow one horse or more ?

Depending on what vehicle you have then I am thinking a lightweight down plated trailer might be a cheaper option ..........
 
I have a Bateson trailer, and a van that I can tow with (but off road at the moment) normally only take one horse unless I go with a friend just wanted to see what a 3.5 is like in comparison as I know what it’s like with a trailer although I haven’t pulled it I’ve used one for years. And the reserving/ manovering puts me off! Thank you for all your comments been really helpful! May get a 3.5 going to think ☺️ I think a trailer will be cheaper but I could always sell the 3.5 where as money on doing my van and the test isn’t physically something! Thanks again ☺️ Lots to think about main thing with lorry is if they break down!
 
horses99 said:
I have a Bateson trailer, and a van that I can tow with (but off road at the moment) normally only take one horse unless I go with a friend just wanted to see what a 3.5 is like in comparison as I know what it’s like with a trailer although I haven’t pulled it I’ve used one for years. And the reserving/ manovering puts me off! Thank you for all your comments been really helpful! May get a 3.5 going to think ☺️ I think a trailer will be cheaper but I could always sell the 3.5 where as money on doing my van and the test isn’t physically something! Thanks again ☺️ Lots to think about main thing with lorry is if they break down!
Click to expand...

Do you know the GVW of the van ? - its the top of the four numbers on the weight plate usually hidden under bonnet or in a door frame or the Max Permissible Mass section of the keepers V5 DVLA document
 
It’s a Vauxhall vivaro, and I could have a look but I don’t think it’s big enough to convert or I’d go for that obviously 😞 think it has to be the longer ones but will look at that thanks
 
Vauxhall Vivaro Dimensions & Specifications
Gross vehicle weight (Kg): 2770-3010

Too high a GVW to be useful for B licence towing so my idea is out the window
 
Ah well never mind thanks for thinking of it though! Shame I can’t convert it but I’m not sure that it’s long enough and too heavy
 
I’ve never owned a trailer but have travelled in a few. My friends with trailers say they were prefer that set up. But I prefer the smaller lorry. It’s more expensive and the 3.5t rarely has the payload for 2 horses but I much prefer the way they drive and having the living area to get ready in, hide from the rain, store all your gear etc. If you can drive bigger, a 3.9t and above would give you all that plus payload for 2.
 
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