Please help me decide what lorry

[ponymum]

Help, the MOT runs out on my tow car very soon and I need to decide what to do. I have a pre-1997 licence and I usually only travel one 16.1 horse but it would be nice to have the option to offer a lift to a friend. My budget is about £15K. Options are:
1) put a new MOT on car, (which will probably cost more that the car is worth, but it is a reliable, sturdy tow car) Downside is my daughter is off to uni soon and I will be mainly on my own so having something easier to manoeuvre than a 4x4 plus Equitrek is attractive.
2) buy a 3.5t small lorry and forget about travelling two horses
3) buy a bigger lorry, I would love a 5-6.5t but they seem rare for my budget. Don't really want a 7.5t as this seems bit of overkill to travel one horse most of the time
4) get a 3.5t and get it uprated but read something on another thread that this might not be as simple as it sounds
5)??????
Any ideas, thoughts, very welcome. I'm based in Nottingham if that makes any difference. Gluten free fruit cake on offer

 

[turnbuckle]

MOT without doubt - on the devil you know basis. Can't think it will cost more than £2000 or so.

Otherwise 7.5T every time.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Option 5:
Replace towing car with tiny run about, get 3.5t lorry to suit yourself on user friendly basis for joy-riding on your own, get tow bar fitted.
Extra option:Keep trailer & attach to horsebox IF you need to take 2nd one out

 

[Elsbells]

I've tried a few options and much prefer a 7.5 lorry. It's not to big to nip to a local hacking route and it's handy for taking a friend along, plus it gets used for all sorts of jobs such as moving a shed etc. The horses will happily stand in it all day and I know they're safe if we hit a traffic jam. I love the living which is ok for overnight stops and it's nice to be able to leave it loaded with essentials and then just to chuck on a net, water and tack when leaving the yard. I always leave her fueled up, clean, ready to load and go, so I use it a lot.

We travelled 106 miles last Sunday to an endurance ride, she purred there and back and gave us all, including horses a comfortable trip. I love my lorry but to be honest, it depends on what you want it for and how often.

Edit to add, I paid £3000 including a new floor and if I sold her tomorrow I'd get that or more,

 

[ponymum]

Thanks for the replies. I go out about once a week on average, usually no more than an hour away. I've had a 7.5t in the past and it was a money pit, so that's put me off a bit. The advantage of a 3.5 is that we have a very friendly garage who would maintain if for me without ripping me off. I suppose another option is to get a newer 4x4 but I just fancy the idea of something small and nippy. We don't tend to use the 4x4 now other than as a tow car as I have a company car and OH and daughter share a small run around (she's in USA for the summer so no arguments on that score) It sounds like I'm talking myself into a 3.5t. Anyone uprated one recently?

 

[meesha]

Not uprated one but love my little 3.5 van conversion, excellent on fuel, easy to drive and with reversing camera extra easy to park. I leave all my stuff in back bit ready to go so just load and leave. Be interested to hear if easy to uprate although prob don't need to at moment always worth knowing for the future.

 

[Wilbur_Force]

I wouldn't go for a 5t or 6.5t. I owned one and wouldn't again, I'd go for 7.5t every time. Lovely lorry but not enough pull or poke for 2 horses. They generally come with lots of payload, but the engines just don't have enough oomph in my opinion. I've had a 7.5t before and would definitely opt for that. I'd consider a 3.5t but only to travel one horse

 

[Jane_Lou]

I only travel one but I have a 7.5t - I went for one without living so I have loads of room for her to stand while we walk courses etc by moving partitions etc, plenty of payload and space at the front for the ton of kit that we carry. We have stayed in it by using camp beds and we have a portaloo and a camping stove etc, I am in the process of rigging up a leisure battery to charge phones, run a cool box etc and we have a couple of folding chairs. What more could you want As the lorry has no living I got a much newer chassis than I could have got for the money if it had living and a better payload but all in a really compact body. Last year plating and servicing was under £400. I guess the point I am making is that don't rule out a 7.5 as if you don't want 5* living etc you will be surprised how much you can get for your money.

 

[JennBags]

I'd go for a compact 7.5t as well, for all the reasons that Elsbells states. I wouldn't ever go back to a trailer now, and you're too limited weight-wise with most 3.5t lorries, especially if you do want to travel 2.

 

[ponymum]

That's interesting about the 6.5ts having no oomph, I didn't know that. I haven't ruled out a 7.5t completely, it's just I don't want a big lorry and the compact ones I've seen don't seem to have a lot of room for the horses, I asked about one and the horse room was less than I have at the moment in my Equitrek trailer. Plus you have all the issues with plating etc. the 3.5t just seems an easier option. Has anyone got any recommendations? I've read the threads on here which all seem to recommend Boss but that's outside my budget, and Bloomfield which have a long wait time and new is out of my budget again. Have just taken trusty Trooper for MOT but I don't think it will be long before he goes to the car park in the sky so need to sort myself out. Oooooh, decisions, decisions. What other websites apart from Horsemart, Horsedeals, Horsequest EBay and H&H?

 

[Arniebear]

Agree with the 7.5t comments! We have a big one with huge living shower toilet etc and takes 3 but I only ever take 1 maybe 2 at a push out! A friend has a 7.5t stalled for 3 ponies/2 horses so smaller horse area than mine, basic living i.e a bench seat, a table, sink and hob its smaller in length and nice and compact if we were going to change ours we would look at something like her's its got a big enough payload to carry two plus kit but isn't a huge long lorry!

With respect of looking for one, maybe pop into a mechanics/ builder of horseboxes we have one near us who makes rebuilds but doesn't charge the earth of the well known makes so we always ask them to source what we are after if you tell them your price range I'm sure they could find what you are looking for, its a bit better than trailing through ads after ads plus they can check its mechanically sound

 

[gunnergundog]

That's interesting about the 6.5ts having no oomph, I didn't know that.

I would totally disagree with the above as a generalisation! I've only ever had 6.5 tonners (three in total) and never had a problem, despite loading them with two heavyweight hunters at a time!

I think the above comment re 6.5tonners having no oomph DEPENDS on what size engine the vehicle has and also what it has been used for and how it was driven before becoming a horsebox! I have certainly been in a 7,5 ton Daf 130 that struggled abysmally up Edge Hill.......a pull that my current lorry eats up!

Soooooo.........don't disregard 6.5tonners; personlly, I would always go for a 150/170/180 engine regardless of whether 7.5 or 6.5 tons. However, much will depend on how it's been treated in its previous life........assuming you aren't buying from new!

 

[Quadro]

I would totally disagree with the above as a generalisation! I've only ever had 6.5 tonners (three in total) and never had a problem, despite loading them with two heavyweight hunters at a time!

I think the above comment re 6.5tonners having no oomph DEPENDS on what size engine the vehicle has and also what it has been used for and how it was driven before becoming a horsebox! I have certainly been in a 7,5 ton Daf 130 that struggled abysmally up Edge Hill.......a pull that my current lorry eats up!

Soooooo.........don't disregard 6.5tonners; personlly, I would always go for a 150/170/180 engine regardless of whether 7.5 or 6.5 tons. However, much will depend on how it's been treated in its previous life........assuming you aren't buying from new!

I have just bought a 7.5 after having a 6.5 ton which we are now selling. The 6.5 has plenty of oomph more than most 7.5s i have encountered!! It is has the advantages of a 3.5 with the advantages of a 6.5. Only reason is is going is we have more horses than it takes!
Q

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Another who wont discount 6 or 6.5's.
Having had a Merc Atego at the turn of the century (lovely phrase!) which went like bat**** off the throttle, was economical too, I'd have another any day
OP, as mentioned above, check on engine size 1st - a 4 cyl older 6 or 6.5 will not always do the job, but a 6pot will

 

[ponymum]

Ok, so don't discount the 6.5ts, what engine size would you recommend? Horse is not a chunky lad so not a massive weight to haul around. I love the size etc of ones like this
http://www.horsedeals.co.uk/detail/horseboxes-and-trailers/horseboxes/isuzu/nqr/64238
What are the general thoughts on these?

 

[gunnergundog]

Ok, so don't discount the 6.5ts, what engine size would you recommend? Horse is not a chunky lad so not a massive weight to haul around. I love the size etc of ones like this
http://www.horsedeals.co.uk/detail/horseboxes-and-trailers/horseboxes/isuzu/nqr/64238
What are the general thoughts on these?

The vehicle pictured is a 7.5tonner, so am not qualified to comment! How tall is your horse, what does he weigh and how long is he from nose to tail when neck is in a relaxed position? Personally, I would probably only put 15hh max in the lorry pictured; the ad certainly says something about not being for the larger horse! This I am guessing is because the lorry is narrow and a larger horse would have to stand with its nose on its chest to fit in and get neck ache if travelled for any distance!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, I would check with local mechanics/garage as to the availability of spares & what the ease & cost of servicing is 1st, as Izuzu's have never been that popular for livestock, you need to find out more. Then progress to looking.
Check out the suspension & ensure that it HAS been uprated at the back as they can wallow well (has it got ant roll bar?)

Also ask what the unladen weight is - does it have a recent weighbridge certificate?

 

[ponymum]

Hmmm, servicing etc is something to think about. This lorry business is a minefield. One of the reasons I was moving towards a 3.5 is that it seemed easier to maintain. Neither me nor OH is mechanically minded so having a friendly garage who could sort out a 3.5 is a bonus. Some of the lorry garages seem to think a woman with a horsebox is a licence to print money!

 

[turnbuckle]

7.5/6.5/3.5 arguments are all fairly finely balanced - but remember that if you keep your current tow truck, you are saving (probably) at the very least £8,000. That assumes (and I think I'm right) that you don't have the mechanical confidence to buy a bargain basement wagon.

Hitching up will be whole load easier with a camera - £300 max I guess - so why not stay with the trailer and enjoy the cash.

OK, I know insurance and tax are a wee bit more.....but that's probably only going to be another £500 a year tops.

Just a thought.