Smaller boxes. Anyone got one of those converted vans that.....

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custard

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are really low, horses face backwards and have storage at the rear such as Renault Master or Vauxhall Movano?

I'm thinking of getting something newer, lower,posher than the Ifor/Sprinter I have at the mo and interested to hear of experiences with coachbuilders and stuff.
 
i havent just really interest in the response, was considering converting a van into a horse box

sorry pointlesss post really
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A friend of mine has had one built by Marlborough & he loves it. The build quality is good & it has a reasonable payload. Another good company is Chaigley, they also build quality 3.5 ton boxes. However there are some builds you must be careful of. I saw one & although it was a 3.5 ton lorry & looked beautiful, the idiot who built it didn't keep an eye on the weight. It had everything fitted in, looked fantastic. The big problem was it came up to 3.5 ton weight before any horses were loaded.
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Not a lot of good to anyone really
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Seen some at recent shows, first time i seen them thought they looked odd but have grown on me.

Love the ivor williams box too much to use anything else lol, even though it got stuck in the beach today lol
 
I don't have one but if I'm going a long way I hire a Theault which is really cool. I have to say that Theault are the only lorry currently designed so that in the event of a problem with the ramp the breastbar can be taken down and the horse walked out of the much wider than average jockey door at the back. Or you can park in tight spaces and still get the horses out! Very nice van - expensive but very vey nice indeed.
 
Someone on our yard has one of those transit vans which has been converted... it is fantastic as at 17 she can drive her own pony (14.2hh) and it is so easy to drive.
 
Yes I have a Marlborough on a Movano chassis and I love it ! Previously had a 6 tonne but couldnt lift the ramp on my own as it was too heavy - now I can manage completely on my own - its ace. I looked at quite a few manufacturers and Marlborough are definitely higher build quality than most. They offer a warranty - had mine 3 months and it had some bits needed doing from when I 'snagged' it originally - I dropped it at a place near me and they delivered it back to the house and dropped off the keys - plus I had mentioned in passing that sometimes it made a noise so they fitted a new drive shaft whilst it was there. The only downside is that sometimes the guy can be a bit hard to get hold of, but he does always return your calls eventually
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And it fits on the drive so saves me £40 month storing it at a yard. Big thumbs-up from me
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Although when I win the lottery I want a Theault .....
 
Do Marlborough custom fit a van if you buy it yourself? Ideally would prefer to choose the chassis and have them fit it out to my spec.

How do you find the Movano for parts and servicing. I know Renault have cleaned up their act bodywork wise but hear parts are still extortionate and hard to come by. Mechanic buddy has advised to opt for the Movano out of the two and inclined to agree with him.

How do you find it on fuel/handling etc as will probably use this vehicle as a runaround on days off or even for going to work on nights!
 
Yes you can either use one of theirs or provide your own chassis. The only downside providing your own is unless you know someone in the trade you may struggle to match them on price - I would have to check the invoice but I think I paid £2,900 plus VAT for an 02 chassis. It hasnt needed anything doing yet but the local garage will service it and he said they are reasonably priced for parts. It is excellent on fuel - fits quite a lot in the tank (about £60 diesel), and although I only tend to do short trips to my friends yard or to my trainer, it is miles cheaper than my previous lorry to run. To drive its just like a car - I have to watch my speed on the motorway or you can be up to nearly 70mph before you notice. One of the best thigs about it for me is the box part is no wider than the cab (whereas my previous one the box part used to stick out on either side as it was wider) - so you know if the cab will fit through a small gap the rest of the box will as well ! Which sounds a bit mad but if you are going down a narrow street or have cars parked on either side its a godsend. Buy buy buy !! You wont regret it
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I have a renault Master and I love it. Its a K reg so quite old but its still going strong. The only thing I dont like about it is its sometimes hard to get into 1st gear.
My horse loves it and travels really well in it, there is loads of room for storage and its cheap to run.
 
I had a renault master from Derham Conversions...not sure if they are still around as the guy was very ill at one point.
It was on a T reg and was the best box ive ever owned. Would prob have been over weight with 2 on board as most of these size seem to be.
Horses travel really well facing backwards. The only downside is that if feeding hay whils travelling, it gets all in the 'living' part.
Did look at a Theault, but thought they had no living bit really and extremely expensive.
If you are getting a Master, try and get the newer version with turbo diesel engine...it makes a HUGE difference to the drive. Can happily do 70 on the motorway even loaded.
The only reason i got rid of mine was to get a bigger box. Would never have sold it otherwise as it was fab.

...christ...its absolutely chucking it down outside!!
 
Last time our 7.5 box was in for repair (I managed to shut the ramp on the fastener) Trucksmart of Ivybridge had two vans in for conversion.
He showed me how they added strengthening plates to the part between the horses and passengers, and said many of the converted boxes would possibly kill anyone in an accident as they weren't made tough enough.
I saw his in build over several weeks and it really was well thought out and well made. I think they end up around £12/14k..
Definitely worth talking to him, smashing chap to deal with and they get on with the work until it's finished, no stopping and starting like some.
 
Have hired one (was desperate!) and it was awful, more expensive than an ordinary box (no competition up here sadly), was supposed to be suitable for up to 16.2 but clearly wasn't, no jockey door, and the ramp section had a "roof" which barely cleared my mare's head. There are probably better versions out there, this was a Renault and was in no way large enough in my opinion.

Lets just say, if anyone in the north east has a horsebox they're not using all the time, they should start up a self drive hire business asap because at the moment there's as good as nothing.
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I have a Master which I bought as a van off Ebay(!), converted it using a very good chap near Somerford Park, had it sprayed by another very good bloke in Hereford, and my V plate cost £5800 all in - I could have sold it ten times over for £12k in the past couple of years - it does 38-45mpg, drives lovely BUT! I did have to have a new engine at 181,000 miles which was VERY expensive.
It looks like THIS:

HorseboxPics_04.jpg


Had it 3 years now and would never go back!
 
PS it carries my LW Cob (at 15.1hh) and 585Kg easily, I don't have a partition due to my cob's previous travelling problems. Head clearance is EXACTLY the same as an Ifor HB505 cos I've measured them both!
 
I have a Renault Master coachbuilt by Marborough. Love it. I think it depends on the quality of the conversion. It is it done well they are brilliant, done badly and they are a nightmare.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Lets just say, if anyone in the north east has a horsebox they're not using all the time, they should start up a self drive hire business asap because at the moment there's as good as nothing.
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My company, Northern Horseboxes , have started to rent out this kind of box. We are based in Darlington and while our box is also based on the Master/Movano it's a much better conversion. But then I would say that, wouldn't I?
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PS. Most of the boxes of this size have a seven foot internal height, the same as a normal trailer.
 
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