more info needed on 3.5tonne horse boxes.

[lisa_lou]

Hello, I am looking to buy my first lorry - want a 3.5 so it can be driven on my normal license but never had transport before so need some info.
Does a 3.5 tonne lorry have to be plated every year? Am looking to travel a 15.1 thoroughbred and little section a most of the time but will need it to carry two 15.1s every now and again. Also what are insurance costs like on them - i am 24 yrs female and got 3 yrs no claims bonus? And finally what is the tax per year? Many thanks for anyone that helps.

 

[martlin]

can't help on tax or insurance, but as to plating the answer is no - it's just as a normal car, if younger than 3 years then nothing, if over 3 years just an MOT.

 

[Suffolkangel]

You'll want to check the weight of the lorry to be able to carry 2 15.1's although there may be plenty of room by the time you have all equipment on board it could easily put you over weight. They don't need a plating just a normal MOT which is about £58. Insurance wise phone around, i use NFU for mine and have found them very reasonable. Mine cost £190 but i've got 8 years no claims and am over 25... Tax wise mine is £190 per year so same as a small car.. it's a Ford Transit

 

[Spottyappy]

If you can trawl my posts from last year, you will find I put quite alot of info on some replies to posts on this subject, as it took me a VERY long time to find a safe, reliable 3.5t box.There is alot of tat out there,so you do need to be careful and take a mechanic with you, preferably one that knows what to look for in a horsebox as well.
Do buy the best you can possibly afford,and be prepared to look for a very long time-unless you can afford to ahve one made.(which I ended up doing).
I don;t know if you have seen the "traveltwo website", Polly does have some cheaper boxes on there and she is very helpful if you are on a smaller budget. Here's the link
http://www.traveltwohorseboxes.com/currentstock.htm
Here is the link, as well, to the builder of my box
http://www.cwequinesolutions.co.uk/horseboxes.htm
My insurance is with anthony Evans and cost about £300 including breakdown cover, mot was £58 and service about £150. You may find a 3.5t that can legally take 2 15.1hh's, but most won't. The legal payload on mine is 900kg, so that is just one horse,2 passengers and tack.As I only usually carry one horse, this suits me fine.
Good luck,and don't hesitate to pm me if I can help further.

 

[Booboos]

There are two main issues to consider:
- mechanical: some of the lorries out there are death traps. Ideally you want a mechanic to do a full inspection and give you an idea of the state of repair of the lorry. Generally the older the lorry and the more mileage it has on the clock, the more likely it is to have problems.
- suitability for purpose: this includes the quality of the conversion and whether it is suitable for horses (e.g. sturdy ramp, good floor, balanced weight distribution) and payload issues. To decide on payload you need to know the lorry's payload (ideally a weight certificate from a public weight bridge AFTER it was converted to a horsebox) and you need to know the weight of the horses you want to carry (add to that the estimate of the weights of passengers, tack, water, hay, etc).