Moving from a 7.5T to 4T

[superpony]

Considering selling my 7.5T lorry and moving to a 3.9T. I only have one horse that I compete now and don't stay away as regularly as I used to. It will be so beneficial and cheaper for local training/competitions but not sure if I will miss the luxuries when we stay away and longer days out (eventing etc). We also have two labradors that we put in the living and they enjoy sleeping whilst we drive/are away.

How do people do stay aways? Do you sleep in the horse area? Normally, me and my husband go with the dogs and we are planning on sleeping in the horse area. Is it warm enough? With the lorry we are looking at, we would have a fold down bed, portaloo, one ring hob, hook up and cold water so do have some luxuries! Many years ago, I spent a memorable four days sleeping in my Ifor Williams and have never been as cold in my life! Hoping this won't be like that!! Was thinking that we could get a little heater when we have hook up?

Do you have your dogs in the cab with you?

 

[EventingMum]

Honestly, if you've been used to a well appointed 7.5t I think you'd miss the comforts. Things like a fridge, hot water and a heater make life so much more comfortable not to mention a clean space to get changed. We only had two small dogs and that could be difficult with them in the cab.

 

[j1ffy]

I went from an older 7.5t with fairly basic but adequate living to a new 4.5t Freddie Gover. The 4.5t has sofas that turn into a comfy double bed, fridge, heating and could have had a toilet and hot water if I’d wanted it too so there’s no need to miss out on all the comforts of a 7.5t!

However the available space is much smaller when the bed is out so not sure where the dogs would sleep - potentially they could sleep under the bed or in the horse area? I think that will be the bigger challenge depending on how close they like to be.

 

[beatrice]

We have had most sizes of lorry and last year went from a 7.5 with everything to a 4.5 ton Owens which we love and wouldn't go back. If i won the lottery i'd have a 3.5 for running around and 7.5 for stay away but the 4.5 seems a good compromise.

As per j1ffy ours has bed, toilet, hob, heating etc but in a much smaller space - If i took my dogs they would sleep in living during the day and horse area over night. My mum tends to take a camp bed and sleep in the horse area (we have a sliding partition so it opens the back up into almost a room) and we will take a heater for her if it's going to be chilly.

The ease of use day to day is of bigger benefit to us than than the extra space when we stay away. We probably go to 4 camps a year but the rest of the time we are don't need all the facilities but we still have them when we need them.

 

[Ahrena]

I have a 4.5t and it’s a perfect compromise. I have a double bed and sink in the back (decided to forgo fridge and hob as rarely stay away and I have a plug in cool box if push comes to shove).

It’s so, so much cheaper to run and easy to drive though the initial outlay was expensive.

 

[millitiger]

I've just bought a Bloomfields 3.5t, could he uprated to 3.9t.

The bulkhead was moved slightly further back so I actually have a single bench behind the front seats that has a mattress AND you access the Luton from in the can and it has a bed up there
So sleeps x 2.
It also has a leisure battery in the cab so I can run the heating or air con and plug a kettle in too.

My plan for stay aways is to sleep in the cab as above and then have a gazebo to pop over the living door at the back for getting changed and eating etc.

Definitely requires some thinking compared to my 7.5t where I have everything packed for any eventuality.
However the Bloomfields took less than 1/4 tank of fuel for the 3hr/ 170 mile drive home, mostly done at 65mph!
I am looking forward to a much lower fuel cost!!

 

[superpony]

Thanks all this is all super helpful. I tried the lorry and whilst it was super smart.. I felt compared to a 7.5T it felt very different which I suppose it would! My mare normally travels perfectly but she did bang around a bit.. I guess they have to get used to travelling backwards. However, decided I would like something a bit bigger.

I think 6.5T may be a good compromise. Does anyone have any of those? Guess you would still save on the parts and fuel costs...

I took my 7.5T for its MOT yesterday - it failed on a broken leaf spring which is apparently very serious so I wasn't allowed to drive it home! What a nightmare!! I now either need to pay for it to be repaired there (if they will do it) or have it recovered to a garage... Also had to get myself home which was a challenge too..!

Making a van type looking much more appealing!!

 

[Annagain]

I'm sure I've seen a 3.5T (possibly a 4.5T) with a crew cab where the back seats turn into bunk beds. That might be the answer - the dogs could travel on the back seats (either in a dog car seat or with a harness and seat belt) and you could then sleep in there overnight while they sleep in the front?

 

[Squeak]

I have a 3.5t and had a 7.5t. I used to do stay away shows but haven't stayed in my 3.5t overnight. I've often wondered about a tail gate type awning/ tent to go over the living door and have heard of some people doing it as I think that could give you quite a bit more space. The 3.5t is so much easier to use than the 7.5t and so so much cheaper. I miss the space in the 7.5t when eventing or at a show and the weather is horrible. I also find it tight with a small dog in the 3.5t and have to get her to sleep in the cab (all my tack is in the living/ back though so if you had tack lockers that might make all the difference but I'm not sure you would fit two labs and two people in the living of a 3.9t.

With the 6.5t I'm not sure if you'd actually gain that much benefit cost wise from a 7.5t? It wouldn't be that much lighter so guessing it would still use quite a bit of fuel and I don't know if you would have less mechanical cost. I think you'd also be at risk of losing the ease of the 3.5 - 4.9t where it's small enough to go anywhere and just nip out in. I might be wrong but I think 4.9t might give you a bit more space than the 3.9t but still have a lot of the benefits of the smaller lorries?

I think it completely depends what your priorities are. If you're going to a lot of day shows and arena hires etc the smaller lorries are amazing. If you want to do a few stay aways and you're going to shows where you have to hang around then you might really miss the 7.5t. Fwiw I dream of having a 4.9t if money was no object as I think it would be a really good compromise.

 

[millitiger]

I think I'd look for a 4.5t in your position.

I doubt there is enough saving in running costs, moving to a 6.5t to make it worthwhile?

Depending on your budget, you could get a 4.5t built to your spec?
I would definitely recommend either a crew cab OR what I have with the bulkhead pushed back a bit to create a bench seat in the cab for dogs etc.