Lorry owners - how many of you can legally take 3?

T

Tangaroo

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 December 2005
Messages
2,534
Visit site
I just wondered how many of you that own lorrys can legally take 3 big horses.
My lorry can but i know that is quite unusual.
My friend currently tows 3 in a trailer but as daughters are growing and needing horses rather than ponies she is looking to upgrade to a lorry.
She was asking me about what to buy and i pointed out the one very important thing is to check the unladen weight and be prepared to take a while to find one.
Thoughts?
 
There are very few 7.5 tonne lorries that can take 3 when considering total weight and axel weight. ie some may come under 7.5t laden but the rear axel is then overloaded making it illegal. Payload to be safe 2.5t 'should' allow for three plus all stuff (inclu full tank of deisel and reasonable water container) there are not many lorries with that payload though ;)
 
Mine is I think 5.2T unladen (I have the weigh bridge certificate somewhere and cannot remember if it is 5.2 or 5.4T) - that said I cannot for the life of me see how you'd put 3 in the back and not overload the rear axle.....so it is only stalled for 2.
 
Mine is 5.2t unladen with a tiny living (more of a tack/changing room really). It's a good point about the rear axle tho, hadn't thought of that. Have carried 3 on occasion but usually 2, have saddleracks and storage in the third partition.
However re back axle - if living fairly small like mine, some of weight of horses will be between axles? Like when a lorry carried goods in its former life before being a Horsebox?
 
Eta I also have to weight the back axle to do the brake test when take it for plating, as back of my lorry is too light!
 
ecrozier said:
Mine is 5.2t unladen with a tiny living (more of a tack/changing room really). It's a good point about the rear axle tho, hadn't thought of that. Have carried 3 on occasion but usually 2, have saddleracks and storage in the third partition.
However re back axle - if living fairly small like mine, some of weight of horses will be between axles? Like when a lorry carried goods in its former life before being a Horsebox?
Click to expand...

If I don't have unnecessary baggage on board I can carry 3 horses or 4 ponies and I'm legal, but I have no living on mine, just a tiny storage/changing area.
 
Its interesting as I was speaking to a commerical garage and they couldn't understand why horsebox payloads were so rubbish as the lorry with a GRP box on the back starts life with a 4t payload ...

That said mine is 5.8t, possibly a bit more now following some adjustments! However I have a spare wheel, and bells and whistles - if I took out my partitions, spare wheel, water and had half a tank of fuel I think I could get a certificate of less than 5.5t

How many people bother with a spare wheel? Just wondering if I am unusual and wasting weight, I cannot lift the thing, and think its well over 50kg.
 
Jen_Cots said:
How many people bother with a spare wheel? Just wondering if I am unusual and wasting weight, I cannot lift the thing, and think its well over 50kg.
Click to expand...

My breakdown cover won't cover me if I don't carry one. The only thing I have ever had breakdown out for in my last lorry was a flat tyre! I made the builder put one in my new lorry as it isn't standard. So check your breakdown - especially in your lorry ;) :eek:
 
I have been doing plenty of research on this recently :D It is perfectly possible to have a 7.5t lorry which can carry 3 medium horses (not giants), and a limited amount of gear but probably not gear for a full day's eventing let alone staying away.

Modern building methods with fibreglass pods etc are helping, as are lighter weight kitchen units etc, but there is a definite trade-off between luxury and weight at the one end (show me an Oakley that can legally carry 3 at 7.5t??) and safety and weight at the other (wouldn't put my horses into some of those fibreglass and honeycomb models you increasingly see around...) Speaking personally, if I have a 2 tonne payload I can legally carry 2 plus all the gear to go eventing, or 3 with as little as possible to go indoor SJ, but we have smaller, light-framed animals and travel fairly light! A friend got stopped with 3 up in a 7.5 t Isuzu lorry after a day's SJ the other day and she was easily legal, so it can be done :) As far as axles are concerned, I think it isn't as big an issue as you'd think, a lot of the weight is in the living which is nearer the front. I know I've been weighed and been very near the limit but they didn't seem worried by the back axle.

Oh and on spare tyre, I can't change one on the lorry and haven't used my breakdown company when I've had a blow out as tyres aren't usually covered anyway - just called out one of the specialist lorry tyre vaxn people, they changed it within the hour :)
 
Last edited:
This is why I only ever have hgv's. My last one was a 18 tonner and with 5 horses a full living and half the contents of my house in(due to moving house) and on the weigh bridge came in at 15 ton
 
The 7.5T than can take 3 are there but in the minority. I suppose you either spend a lot of money for ultra modern materials and design, or settle for a much more basic hunting style box (eg the tristars) with minimal living.

FWIW mine probably has the payload for 3 (unladen weight of 5.1T) but size wize it would be a squeeze (you would need anorexic TB's!!) - It really is just a 2 horse box, and that's the way I wanted it :)
 
I had a 7.5 tonne, if I put my three on we were way over weigh ( 16.2hh,16.3hh and 17.3hh) so poor husband had to do his HGV. We now have this:
n_lewis_photo0_5509.jpg

which is 18 tonne. And although you might think its a luxury we have weight restrictions all around us so have to go bloody miles out of the way to get home from shows. We also have to carefully plan all trips thinking about weight, width and bridge height restrictions!!
 
Jen_Cots said:
How many people bother with a spare wheel? Just wondering if I am unusual and wasting weight, I cannot lift the thing, and think its well over 50kg.
Click to expand...


Always had one on the lorry when out & about.
If you are competing, its a right pain having a puncture/blowout at say 8pm in the evening, or at early hours on the way to somewhere....
If you have a spare, then the breakdown company will change it for you.
If you don't it can be a long wait till they can source you a replacement - and you will find the new tyre will be pretty pricey - and could possibly be a re-tread.

Dont bother leaving it at home, its not worth it
 
Mine is 5.1 unlaiden (as has a leightweight body on) so I could carry 3 tbs like mine are and me. I don't think you he could carry all required equipment for them though. Maybe just about to go to dressage lol. The only time I ever took 3 my friend had to come with her car full of stuff. It's just not worth being overweight so I normally only take 2 and then feel happy.
 
Just another thought to throw into the mix........how many people assume the weight of their horses, or rely on weigh bands.......I've been horrified by the discrepancy between the weighband and weighbridge!! When my chap was a lean, fit eventer I assumed he'd be about 550kg, he was actually nearer 600kg, which can make a significant difference if you're carrying a few on the lorry.

Will go back to my bakewell tart and custard now I've put my two peneth in ;)!!
 
We are just under 5t unlearn with unfitted living (living full of rugs) so could do it - good realaxle weight too. Not sue we could if fitted living bit we don't need it anyway
 
measles - managed to rebook it for Friday this week :eek:

all the guys at ritchies deserve a medal for everything they've done to help so I'm going to get them some sweeties :)
hopefully I'll get to the beach next week :D
 
I'm fascinated by how many people still don't even see this as a priority when buying a lorry. Having moved up to an (old)18 ton 6 horse Oakley, I'm currently trying to sell my old 3 horse cargo - which has a reasonable living and a 2 ton payload. (with a spare wheel!) The majority of people who've enquired are more interested in whether it's got cherrywood walls, chrome radiators, flatscreen tv, fridge/freezer etc (LOL - and expect all this in a £4k ish lorry!) - than whether it can legally/safely carry 3....very strange!
 
I looked into this and spoke to some of the transporters coming into our old yard.

They gave me some interesting advice. You can drop the spare wheel, many HGV drivers do, if you have a contract with one of the 24/7 tyre firms. I expect its not cheap though.

They only believed you could easily carry three with a bog standard aluminium back with no living and partitions where you could move the weight around (back and forward a bit)

They also said to watch the front axle weight. If you are up to the limit but under on the back axle, your front axle weight would be too high.

No idea if its right, I found it all too complicated and bought a trailer :D :D
 
I know someone who bought a 7.5 ton Oakley and regularly put 3 on it plus all the gear for eventing (very overweight). The diff went on the back axle, had to have a new one. It had only done 50k miles from new.
 
Thornhillstables said:
Are there specific builders or brands which are better for the unladen weight than others - I am in the same position, need it to take 3 with stuff, was going to do my HGV as I wasnt aware it was possible on 7.5t. although now i have hope!! How do i find one with unladen weight this low!! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
for years no one bothered about unladen weights the police never botherd horse boxes unless they looked stupidy oveloaded, the big builders and the back street bodgers alike just built them never auditing matrials for weight and useing cheep heavy domestic kitchen units and thick ply because it is easy!!!, a 7.5 ton chassis weighs about 3000kg so if the builder knows what they are doing, an 18 ft box with full living and about 10 ft horse area should weigh
no more than around 5000kg leaving 2500 kg for 3 horses ....
Makes that spring to mind= Kevin parker if you want luxury and the full spec state of the art...
then there is Tristar also Quality lorrys but more simple basic working types very light alloy boxes, And equitrek they make a light full spec 7.5 ton but only build on Isuzu chassis ...
I think there will be others as this is what the market wants now and most people dont want the hassle of HGVs and all the laws on drivers hours and Tachographs....
 
TableDancer said:
Oh and on spare tyre, I can't change one on the lorry and haven't used my breakdown company when I've had a blow out as tyres aren't usually covered anyway - just called out one of the specialist lorry tyre vaxn people, they changed it within the hour :)
Click to expand...

Yes....unless you are far from home and on the side of a motorway! Then you would need breakdown ;)
 
Sneedy said:
Just another thought to throw into the mix........how many people assume the weight of their horses, or rely on weigh bands.......I've been horrified by the discrepancy between the weighband and weighbridge!! When my chap was a lean, fit eventer I assumed he'd be about 550kg, he was actually nearer 600kg, which can make a significant difference if you're carrying a few on the lorry.

Will go back to my bakewell tart and custard now I've put my two peneth in ;)!!
Click to expand...

Absolutely - do you remember the horse that go colic at the HI? He'd been weighed as 800kg :eek: I never would have estimated him as that and dread to think how much Chunks and Fitz weigh!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top