Renault Master 3.5ton

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kelly_s1

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Hi,

Please give me your good and bad points on these lorry's, it would be the older version I go for. I have a very fussy loader so your experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
I've got one! 51 plate, professional conversion. It's absolutely fabulous. Drives like a car and got loads of oomph under the bonnet even with 2 horses on board. Mine has a side load, very shallow ramp, rear facing, small grooms area at back, masses of space over the cab. The shallow ramp makes the lorry very inviting for difficult loaders. Mine has an internal partition that swings out of the way while you load the first horse, then swings back and locks into place for the 2nd horse. If no 2nd horse I travel mine in the furthest partition rather than remove the partition. I've just had a safety bar fitted so that the horse nearest the ramp doesn't think he can just charge off the lorry the instant the ramp is lowered. Also just had 2 very low tie up rings fitted so the Tinies can have a haynet when travelling, rather than hay just dumped on the floor. Just had a new battery and it starts first time every time. MPG very good too. I bought it as ok to travel up to 2 x 16.2hh but to be honest I wouldn't want higher than a 16hh. Bright and airy inside, easy to clean, sliding side windows for ventilation. The only "maybe" downside is that my tiny 26" shetlands turn around in the back (can't tie them to high-up rings for fear of strangulation or worse) so god knows which way they'll be facing when we reach our destination! Not really a problem but I have to make sure both ends of the travelling compartments are pony friendly. I'd recommend it to anyone!
 
When we were looking at these types we wanted to be able to take two 16.2hh plus horses, but they payload wouldn't allow for it :(

I did find one place that said he could uprate it somehow, I can't remember the details. They would also make the rear opening differently so as a horse could be got out that way. I have a fear of the whole thing going over on its side and trapping the horses inside it :(
 
Brilliant little lorries , mine was a p reg completely reliable, always flew through mots, only sold when bought a 16.3! My friend bought it but hasn't used it so she is now selling
 
Lovely to drive, horses load well but the gearbox isn't up to the job and payload normally means you can only carry 1 horse. I had mine, a 51 plate, and the gearbox went twice (or was it 3 times?!) before I sold it on. It was professional reconditioned when it went the first time so done under that guarantee but it put me right off. Google Renault Master Gearbox problems and you'll find loads of people with similar experiences!!
 
I love mine however it has taken a lot of money to get it to the condition that I wanted it to. Just like Becki, my gearbox bearings broke - fortunately not the entire gearbox, but still an expensive job - about £800. I've also had to have a new clutch, new battery, new alternator and cambelt. However since these jobs were done, it's run fantastically. I get it serviced every year and the MOT done afterwards and the garage who look after it tell me it's in great condition - it's an 04 reg.
Payload is actually better than I thought it was - my OH filled it full of fuel, left all my junk in (buckets, rugs and other kit), left the spare wheel and took it to the weighbridge. Weighed with OH in it it left us 960kg of payload. I was expecting nearer 800kg and had only ever travelled one horse in it.
So when I brought my horses back from their holiday livery, I took the spare wheel out and all my kit - payload then around 1 ton and brought my 16.2hh TB and my 13.3hh home in it together. There was no other kit in there apart from the one lightweight turnout rug that I had sent my TB away with, so I know I was within the limit. However it isn't something I would want to do regularly, and I was ultra careful as obviously with the extra weight in the braking distance is far longer and there is no way I would have put any kit in as well, but it did ok for the job of merely transporting the two of them. In fact it was actually more balanced with the two of them in it!

They are nice little transporters, but they do need to be maintained - I'm meticulous about checking the tyres and doing the pressures and checking the oil etc.
 
The other thing to bear in mind that the good point (nice low ramp) is possible because of the low slung body. Which means a very rutty track might ground you!

Also it is possible to be that low because the van is front wheel drive (ie doesnt have to have a shaft underneath connecting to the back wheels. Which can sometimes make it more tricky in very slippery or muddy conditions ie may be more likely to need a tow out!

You can tell we live in rutty tracked, slippy field wilderness!

But they are nice trucks apart from that I think. Though I wouldnt have one where the top bit above the ramp props up, I would only have one where you can open the flaps sideways and hook them out of the way flat against the lorry.
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
The other thing to bear in mind that the good point (nice low ramp) is possible because of the low slung body. Which means a very rutty track might ground you!

Also it is possible to be that low because the van is front wheel drive (ie doesnt have to have a shaft underneath connecting to the back wheels. Which can sometimes make it more tricky in very slippery or muddy conditions ie may be more likely to need a tow out!

You can tell we live in rutty tracked, slippy field wilderness!

But they are nice trucks apart from that I think. Though I wouldnt have one where the top bit above the ramp props up, I would only have one where you can open the flaps sideways and hook them out of the way flat against the lorry.
Click to expand...

Good point about the rutted tracks - I almost got stuck on the way to the beach once on the track down!

I'm the other way about the doors - I like mine that opens upwards - I don't like the doors which open sideways as they stop the passenger door being open at the same time. But then when it's raining and I pull the top down, I get covered in water EVERY time - you'd think I'd have learned by now.....
 
I strongly suggest that anyone who has 2 large horses in one of this type of van go to a weighbridge when fully loaded with horses etc etc and have it weighed

Cheaper than getting pulled by the authorities and finding that its overweight !!
 
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