Scary HH article

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Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
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I was browsing the HHO site as the forum was broken, and came across this...

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/new...ed-65k-horsebox-owner-campaigns-change-657733

How awful for the owner. I would agree that a 2 1/2 year old £65,000 lorry would not be one I would think of as one that would give way.

I was also surprised that a major manufacturer was selling a big box with just a single plywood 18mm floor under the rubber. I thought that even with the cheaper conversions (I have comissioned 2) had the plywood then chequerplate aluminium under the rubber.

I really feel for the lady. Made me tear up.
 
I saw that. I was absolutely stunned that reputable horsebox manufacturers are making lorry floors with one thickness of 18mm plywood on runners two feet apart.

I dislike rubber on wood floors for precisely that reason. The damp underneath can never dry out and it rots.

I'm not sure why they think it would have been any different if she'd washed it out.
 
How horrendous. Despite it not being her fault I am sure the guilt would never leave her.

I am also shocked to see a lorry of that size and payload not having an aluminium underlay; it's something I'm not surprised she didn't check when she paid that much too. You would just assume.

Very sad.
 
Terribly sad :( I was also shocked that the company farmed out vehicles to be built by other people in their name! If you spend that much money, or any money, I'd expect my vehicle to be built at the company I paid and hopefully trusted.
 
I'm still baffled that she never lifted a mat in 3 years to see what was underneath as I'd be checking even a metal floor.

From what I understood it was what we usually refer to as buffalo board (rubber covered plywood) which some seem to prefer over metal floors due to the reduced movement etc.

Alexanders reaction was shocking though, especially given the report and how much water the fire service had hosed it down with. Friend has a 3.5T from them and the quality has always seemed good, especially has her horse likes to violently kick the bulkhead.
 
Awful thing to happen.

I knew someone who had a properly dreadful new build from Alexanders, think it was a 4.5t. It was riddled with faults, some major and structural and they couldn't care less. They did their best to evade responsibilty and in the end she got a partial refund after a long legal wrangle and after it had been returned to them numerous times to be fixed.
 
How awful! I have a 3.5t Alexander which has a metal underlay topped with buffalo board, I honestly had no idea that this wasn't standard for all their boxes.
 
FestiveFuzz said:
How awful! I have a 3.5t Alexander which has a metal underlay topped with buffalo board, I honestly had no idea that this wasn't standard for all their boxes.
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I guess a lot of the 3.5T ones will come with the underpan from the donor vehicle. The one that failed looks like a big HGV.

I did look at Alexanders when I bought mine, one of the 3.5T boxes had a floor made of many pieces, and that did not look very strong. Another in a slightly different configuration had the floor in two pieces but with slippery plastic where the breast bar was. I asked for the floor to be in large sections but without the slippery plastic and they said it all depends on who puts it together, as they had different manufacturers. I think that was 2012 or 2013. They also would not give me a weight of the completed box, so I did not buy one.

I would imagine the ones with the steel underfloor would be safe enough with the board on top. Although every box needs inspecting of course.
 
I had a friend who ordered a box from Alexanders and when she went to pick it up it was honestly shocking! she refused delivery of it and got her deposit back!
 
I remember now that the first issue with the new box I referred to above was when the horse, a good traveller, got its leg through the bulkhead immediately behind where the driver was sitting, as she was driving :eek3:. The bulkhead had not been strengthened or reinforced at all. This was a new build on a new chassis, and would have been in around 2015. There were a catalogue of other faults, too, though I don't recall if there was a problem with the floor.

Alexanders were forced to take it back in the end, though the buyer still ended up out of pocket. Presumably some other poor sod then bought it off them.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I remember now that the first issue with the new box I referred to above was when the horse, a good traveller, got its leg through the bulkhead immediately behind where the driver was sitting, as she was driving :eek3:. The bulkhead had not been strengthened or reinforced at all. This was a new build on a new chassis, and would have been in around 2015. There were a catalogue of other faults, too, though I don't recall if there was a problem with the floor.

Alexanders were forced to take it back in the end, though the buyer still ended up out of pocket. Presumably some other poor sod then bought it off them.
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:eek3::eek3::eek3:
 
We are very pleased with my Alexander’s 6.5 it’s a lovely sturdy little thing .
On floors you must must check floors , aluminium floors corrode and need checking as well .
 
conniegirl said:
I had a friend who ordered a box from Alexanders and when she went to pick it up it was honestly shocking! she refused delivery of it and got her deposit back!
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People I bought mine off said they had just sold one to a lady whose Alexander had been back six times for leaky windows. They sound like a right bunch of cowboys, don't they?

On the other side, friends have just picked up a new build Cooke's and it is superbly done in every single respect.
 
I'm glad that yours turned out to be a good one, GS.

Yes, ester, it sounds like there may be quality control issues with the sub contractors. I'd have assumed that the boxes were built in house rather than being farmed out, though. In any case, they should stand by their products.

I've heard good things about Cooke's, too.
 
It is genuinely quite scary how hard friend's TB kicks the bulkhead (you do sort of get used to it eventually, he just does it quite randomly when travelling) but it's never so much as rattled.
 
I think it is quite sad that they are trying to blame the lady for not maintaining the horse box properly. Posh horse box like that I imagine she mucked it out after using it (surely everyone does that, you don't want to put your clean horse on a dirty lorry). But of course the floor would be very damp given how much water the fire service used to wash it out.
I'll admit things like this really scare me about buying a horse box, should I ever be in a position to do so.
 
I just had a browse at their web site, they seem to only be selling secondhand boxes and Lehel new ones, they are not advertising new Alexanders brand boxes any more. I had not realised they stopped making them, when I was looking they were a premium brand (even though I did not personally like them).
 
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