Renault Master conversion horseboxes

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Amy_08

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I have been offered the half share of a Renault Master horsebox, in return for half of the costs ie, tax, insurance, mot, service etc.

It is an M reg, newly converted van, looks lovely and I jumped at the chance and said yes, subject to a contract and further discussion of the costs. However when I spoke to my YO about this he said I shouldn't touch it, they are vans and not made to carry horses, he said they've only got 2 wheels on the back and there is no way he would ever put a horse in one.

Is this true? Does anyone have one? I just want people's opinions before I go back to the owners of the horsebox.
 
I always wonder how horses fit in them tbh, but I know nothing about how good or bad they are.

I dont think I would be inclined to go halves on a box anyway tbh, as I have heard of many fall outs over it!
 
Thanks Maisy. I used to share one and it worked fine. I would definately have a contract though if I did it again, just in case. I was looking to get a trailer and 4x4, but that would involve getting into more debt... so when the offer of a share came up I thought great, less responsibility and cheaper costs, but now I'm not sure about this box
 
The van ones are only suitable for carrying horses up to 16hh, but if coachbuilt they can often take larger horses. There isn't anything wrong with them - vans are designed to carry more weight than a horse - think about all the deliveries they make. And the position of the horse's body over the wheels helps to distribute weight - but as long as you have it weighed before and after loading your horse/s you should know whether it is overweight or not.
Horses also travel best facing backwards, which many of these vans are designed to do.
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I have a vauxhall movano conversion which was converted by Marlborough horseboxes, to be honest it is fine in the horse department. I carry one 16.1hh horse rear facing and she is very happy to go in it.

However i have had constant problems with the vehicle itself, so just be wary on the maintenance side, i mean it could just be mine but make sure the vehicle is sound before you sign anything.
 
I have had my Renault Master N reg conversion for 2 years and have been very happy with it. I carry a 14.2 and a 15.3 in it, but when we sell the 14.2 to get a 16.h at the end of the season I will sadly have to part with the box as I think it is at it's limits weight wise at the moment.
 
I thought about getting one before I bought my little box but a guy in lancashire who actually converted them said they might carry two BIG horses but they would be overweight? He also said they can be converted to carry more weight but he wouldn't recommend for two big horses anyway.

I was pleased he didn't just try and sell me one although if I had ponies or a LW horse I would still be interested.
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Ring a couple of people who sell them and see what they say.
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I've got a coach built Vauxhall Movano - it's been brilliant. Love it to bits, so easy to drive and park. The horses travel so well in it and I get places much quicker than in a 7.5ter. It's also so much more economical - uses half the diesel my 7.5ter used to. Weight wise it's got enough payload to carry my two horses (15.3hh/15hh) as long as I don't take a lot of gear along as well. But generally I only ever carry one at once anyway.

My friend has one of the van conversions. She has a 17.1hh TB so they can carry big horses too! The van conversions tend to have a higher weight capacity than the coachbuilt ones as obviously the new horse design back bit weighs heavier in itself. My friend loves hers and has been all over in it. It's perfectly solid and as safe as any 7.5ter and IMO significantly safer than a trailer.

Yes get a contract drawn up but it sounds like a great opportunity.
 
The masters are a touchy subject. Personally wouldnt have a single axel one because of stability issues with horses in them. Would always go with a twin axle vehicle. Also, the build quality of some of the ones with higher payloads is shocking, and could be very dangerous in the event of an accident etc, and the thickness of walls etc has been skimped on to save weight
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i have one.
there great for one horse, i have one with an 'extra high top' and got a 17.2 in it with room to spare.
though it is only a single axel so its a one horse deal.

far better than a 4x4 and trailer and wayway less running costs!
 
I had a m reg master van for years and never had any problems my horses travelled well in it , it started every time and flew through every mot and it was quite cheap to run to!
 
I'm ultra paranoid too having had an accident towing a trailer and no way would I risk my horses in anything I didn't think was safe- hence why I don't ever use trailers.

I honestly feel a thousand times safer driving the 3.5ter than the 7.5ter. The 3.5ter feels much more stable on the road as the centre of gravity is so much lower. 7.5ters tend to sway a lot more, especially round corners, plus much more difficult to drive in the wind. My van is solidly built, reinforced where necessary. It's made the world of difference to me in transporting my horses. I used to avoid taking them places before, now I wouldn't think twice about going anywhere.
 
Hi there,
There are thousands of these Renault Masters on the road now. They have a low floor and I find mine extremely stable and much easier to drive than a 7.5T.
I got mine from www.charltonhorseboxes.co.uk. It is extremely well built and very easy to use.
I would highly recommend one of these to anyone. They are brilliant.
I don't think I would 'share' one though, what happens when you both want to use it on the same day?
 
I had a renault master conversion. It was coachbuilt and easily fitted two 17.2's. I went to Dereham Conversions. Not sure if they are still around now as the owner was very poorly and it was a small business. They are great little boxes.
 
Hi,

I regularly hire a coachbuilt from selfdriveyourhorse. Suffice to say it is easier to get my pony to load in it than it is to get her in a trailer, which she trully dislikes. Its very stable, only downside is that you are bit restricted on what else you can get in. Eventually I plan to buy a 5t version...like to have a double rear wheel.
 
Is it a van cut in half or a proper chassis cab. I would be very wary of the van cut downs although if the job has been done properly they are supposed to be ok but they are meant to be inspected after they have been converted by someone from the MoT. Find out if this has been inspected they should have a certificate of approval. The cut downs can usually be recognised easily as the luton is more like a letter box and you cant get much in them as with chassis cabs you have a large amount of space.
 
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