Question for ROG or anyone else with horsebox knowledge!

[CatStew]

Hello,

We are currently looking for a cheapy little 3.5t lorry so we can take both our horses to local shows and for various rides. We've found a ford transit horsebox which looks suitable, but not sure if it could legally carry both horses (14.3 Arab x Cob and 15.2 Sec D) as well as our tack, plus water, haynets etc as well as at least one passenger. I have contacted the seller to enquire, but wondering if anyone on here would know if we would be ok weight wise?

Sorry if that's a vague description, but it doesn't say in the advert how much the lorry can carry other then it has a gross weight of 3500kgs!

 

[ossy]

You really need to know the un-laden weight of the wagon ie the wagon when empty. You can ask the seller if they know or if they can take it to a puplic weigh bridge to find out. Then take the un-laden weight away from gross weight and you have the amount of weight you have to play with. If the weight of your two horses plus tack ect is more than the difference then you will would not be carrying them legally.

 

[mga4ever]

I would say you will be pushing it on weight really. Allowing say 500kg for your 15.2 and 400kg for your Welsh D the you are looking for 900kg just for the horses without tack, passenger and full tank of fuel. Remember fuel weighs about 1kg per Ltr.

 

[ROG]

Although they all have varying load capacities (payloads) the average seems to be about 1200 kgs

That is a payload of 1200 when empty with no people, horses or anything else put in it

It is very easy with 2 horses to be overloaded in a 3500 horsebox van

Weigh everything you intend to load into such a vehicle before buying one

When buying one ask for a recent weighbridge ticket taken when it was empty

If the ticket says it weighed 2400 empty then deduct that from 3500 and you get a 1100 payload

They can be driven and tow a trailer of 750 plated MAM on a B only licence

That 750 trailer could contain the tack etc etc which would reduced the van payload

Most that own these 3500 horsebox vans tend to only have one average horse or two light horses in them because of the weight issue

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

TBH, I would say no, its prob not suitable to carry your 2 with all gubbins in.
Most of the lightest weight 3.5 lorries can take 1.2 - that includes fuel etc too.
So, as mga4ever says, do your addition.
Most section D's that are over 15hh are in excess of 500kg.
I dont know of any 3.5 that can actually take legally 2 over 14.2 plus equipment & people.

 

[CatStew]

Thanks for your replies, thought it would be pushing it to be honest, but I don't know enough about it all to be certain.

I was hoping we'd be able to get a 3.5t lorry so I could drive it on my license, my mum has a pre 1997 license so for her it isn't an issue, but as I passed my driving test in 2005 I'm limited as to what I can drive without having further driver training and tests - think I will have a look down this route!

 

[ROG]

Thanks for your replies, thought it would be pushing it to be honest, but I don't know enough about it all to be certain.

I was hoping we'd be able to get a 3.5t lorry so I could drive it on my license, my mum has a pre 1997 license so for her it isn't an issue, but as I passed my driving test in 2005 I'm limited as to what I can drive without having further driver training and tests - think I will have a look down this route!

If you go for a box over 3500 then your mum cannot supervise you if she only has the pre 1997 C1

You mum can supervise you if you go down the B+E route

You already have the B+E provisional on the paper part of your licence so you could get a 2 horse trailer and tow it with a vehicle that has the towing capacity to do so with mum sitting in the passenger seat

 

[CatStew]

If you go for a box over 3500 then your mum cannot supervise you if she only has the pre 1997 C1

You mum can supervise you if you go down the B+E route

You already have the B+E provisional on the paper part of your licence so you could get a 2 horse trailer and tow it with a vehicle that has the towing capacity to do so with mum sitting in the passenger seat

Thank you, I think I will look for professional training really, before taking the test. Interesting to know that I have the B+E provisional though, I didn't realise that, its definitely an option!