Taking the plunge and buying a lorry??

[Patterdale]

We now have too many children riding for a trailer to be practical much longer.
What are the pros and cons of buying a lorry over a three horse trailer? I’d keep my trailer too as it’s quite old so not worth loads, plus I know it and it’s safe etc.

Is there anyone who has bought a lorry and absolutely regretted it? Any tips for purchase? It’s a big investment..!

Also I’d be looking to spend around £12k. Is this enough or will I only be buying problems?

Thank you!!

 

[Sprig]

Don't do it. They are money pits. You have a trailer that you know is safe, stick with that.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Loved, loved my lorry. You can pick up older ones very cheaply. And if you go for reliable makes then they run on forever.
Mine ran in all conditions, never let me down and carried 3 easily.

Plus after having plenty of living space it’s been really hard adjusting back to being cramped in a trailer.

 

[misst]

Loved, loved my lorry. You can pick up older ones very cheaply. And if you go for reliable makes then they run on forever.
Mine ran in all conditions, never let me down and carried 3 easily.

Plus after having plenty of living space it’s been really hard adjusting back to being cramped in a trailer.

^^^ This. Loved both my lorries. Get them checked over and go for reliable makes as above. I loved driving mine and felt much safer on the road than I did with a trailer. They cost more to get plated/MOT'd and repairs are expensive but make friends with whoever services/plates/repairs lorries of people you know and you will be fine.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Also my lorry wasn’t a money pit at all. Cheap to insure and better fuel economy than my towing car when there is a trailer hooked up. It did cost about £750-1000 each year to service and MOT but it never failed or needed expensive repairs. And I sold it a few months ago for 4.5k so I was at the real bargain basement end of the market.

 

[Patterdale]

Don't do it. They are money pits. You have a trailer that you know is safe, stick with that.

If I could fit a horse and 2/3 ponies in it and still have room for the kids to have their lunch out of the rain, I would. Happily! ?

 

[Patterdale]

^^^ This. Loved both my lorries. Get them checked over and go for reliable makes as above. I loved driving mine and felt much safer on the road than I did with a trailer. They cost more to get plated/MOT'd and repairs are expensive but make friends with whoever services/plates/repairs lorries of people you know and you will be fine.

Also my lorry wasn’t a money pit at all. Cheap to insure and better fuel economy than my towing car when there is a trailer hooked up. It did cost about £750-1000 each year to service and MOT but it never failed or needed expensive repairs. And I sold it a few months ago for 4.5k so I was at the real bargain basement end of the market.

Thank you, that is really reassuring!! Tbh I can’t see another way. The only other thing I could do is get a 3 horse trailer but even then I’d have no living, plus it would be so heavy.

What make was yours AmbersEcho?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Mercedes 814. N reg (1997?) but very reliable x

 

[misst]

Mine was an Iveco and never needed repair. The previous one was very old and cost 2K. I think it was a Bedford!! I sold it 3 years later for 1K and it never cost me a penny more than petrol and servicing. I had one breakdown with the Iveco when the window wipers broke in a snowstorm! The rescue people came very quickly - within 30 minuites and fixed it. I couldn't drive as couldn't see. That was my only "big" problem. I sold the Iveco years later for half of what I paid for it which was pretty good I thought.
Ask around at PC etc to see if anyone is selling their old faithful.

 

[scruffyponies]

I had a really old Mercedes 813 for a few years when the kids were all doing pony club.
Loved it, and maintenance was reasonable sums. Did have to get a bit creative on parts once or twice but it was 30 years old. Would you believe you can send an ancient dead starter motor off to some blokes in Lancashire, and they'll send you back a shiny refurbed one? Proper recycling!
I still miss having it, but simply don't travel the ponies often enough to keep a big old diesel running well.
The plating is a PITA, as is having to find a reasonably priced commercial garage you know and trust, but if you'll use it, I would go for it. If you're licenced to drive a 7.5t, they're a total bargain.

 

[luckyoldme]

There will be folk who have had no problems and folk who have had a nightmare.
Whatever anyone says on here at £12,000 you are taking a gamble, less so if you are married to a mechanic.

 

[Lady Jane]

Its a gamble whatever you pay. The main thing is to get it properly checked before you buy it by someone who knows horseboxes so can check the safety of the horse facilities not just the lorry mechanics

 

[Red-1]

I've had a few lorries, much prefer them to a trailer.

Been quite lucky with repairs, but they do cost more than a trailer.

I was told to go for one 10 years or less, regardless of mileage. Mine have been bought still with Lynx, or TNT or whatever still on, been regularly serviced as part of a fleet, then we have done a conversion with a pro ourselves. It has meant that we could get them done a bit at a time. Horses first, then living, then paint later still.

They have cost more than 10K, but when sold would have been in your budget. They would have been approx 17 years old then, still plenty of life. They don't look as posh as a coachbuilt, 2 didn't have a cut through, but they were good value for money.

All of mine were left with a tilt cab. I think that is essential, especially with an older box.

 

[Orangehorse]

Make sure it complies with the latest regulations. Some lorries state "stalled for 3" which isn't the same as "carries 3" and this might mean that legally it cannot carry 3 horses and be within the weight limits. Trading standards will check this and will impound the lorry and not let you use it again if it is not legal. (This has happened).

As well as lorry mechanics, you also need to know that the bit carrying the horses is safe particularly the floor and ramp.

Still, lorries can and do go on for years and years, they are built to do a high mileage.

 

[dottieh]

If you don’t want the cost and can manage with a 3 horse trailer and don’t need the space for living etc then I’d stick with a trailer. Lorries are naturally more expensive as you already have the additional plating unlike a trailer. My 7.5 was a Mercedes 811D and although older was incredibly reliably. It was fairly cheap to run and didn’t cost me much more than about £1500 a year to get through its plating. I sold it as parts were getting tricky to get hold of as it was p reg and I needed to take more horse. I bought an 18t which has been more expensive to run so far but I always think that’s normal When you buy a second hand vehicle. After a couple of years servicing and getting to know it then it tends to level out to a more reasonable amount as you know everything about it. I would just ensure if buying something older it’s chassis is sound and it’s mechanically fairly straight forward to service. My Mercedes had no bells and whistles and wasnt mechanically complicated.

 

[chocolategirl]

Don't do it. They are money pits. You have a trailer that you know is safe, stick with that.

This 100%! Unless you’ve got deep deep pockets, stick with trailers. I’ve had several lorries over the years, all on fairly new chassis’s, and I swear every time I had to have them plated, it cost me a minimum of 2k? back to a trailer now and totally no stress about when it’s due for it’s plating, don’t miss that experience at all!?

 

[gallopingby]

You need to make friends with your local HGV service peeps. Best makes are MAN, DAF and Merc. My guys are amazed at the prices Horsebox lorries sell for. Remember good well maintained lorries will last for ever and 200,000 miles upwards is just getting run in! Businesses have to have their lorries checked frequently so will have been on top of servicing etc. if you can get your HGV licence or whatever it’s called now lorries over 7.5 tons are usually cheaper to buy and a 12 ton would carry 3
ponies - horses and size wise / weight wise would last a long time.

 

[milliepops]

if you know anyone handy then you might be able to get a good deal within budget, we bought a fairly old tristar last year with a knackered truck and a very tidy container, have now bought a very tidy merc truck and just need some good weather to swap the container over onto the new chassis. My budget (smaller than OPs) would not have bought something as good already done but fortunately OH and his mate have the kit and know how to do it. (just need to get on with it now!!)

 

[RachelFerd]

Never, ever, ever would I go back to using a trailer! Much prefer having the horses on a big sturdy 7.5 tonne, which I am confident to drive in pretty much any weather conditions (having driven up the M62 over the moors in gale force winds I've tested that...)

I bought an old Thorpe which I knew had a great build on the horse/living part, on a '98 Leyland DAF chassis. I have had to spend around £1-2k each year on keeping it ticking, but I do put a fair amount of mileage on it and have trucked the length and breadth of England in it. I bought it for considerably less than £10k from a friend, and I suspect I'll be trying to sell it for £6/7k-ish later this year when my new Euro 6 lorry is ready. Having to upgrade because I'm in a low emission zone. The one issue with mine is that it isn't a tilt cab, and it would be much better if it was... new one will be.

We have a friendly and helpful lorry mechanic who does pretty much all the lorries on our yard - this is a lifesaver!!

 

[Ambers Echo]

I appreciate my sampe size is fairly small but I have a few friends with smart lorries and a few friends with cheap as chips old lorries in those super-reliable makes. There appears to be no difference in reliability just by paying more. I and all my closest friends have never had an issue with our golden oldies. The cost buys you more luxury and a smoother ride but I trusted my lorry totally. My mechnic loved it too. But it took ages to sell and went for a song. I'd never use a trailer over a lorry if I had the choice. Check the bodywork is sound/ not rusted, the floor is solid amd ideally fairly new (I put a new one in mine) and get a mechanic to look at it. And choose a reliable make over a newer less reliable one.

 

[humblepie]

As above about having a good pre-purchase inspection and weight bridge readings when full of fuel. Recently there was a really smart 7.5 tonne lorry for sale, quite modern (in the greater scale of things), fully fitted and the payload would barely have been enough for one horse, people, equipment etc.
The other thing is to look after it - so if you go somewhere and you have to be towed out of the mud, wash the underneath afterwards and ideally try to park undercover or on hard standing. I fall into the category of OH being a mechanic which helps!

 

[Annagain]

The only thing I'd say is plan for the future. Buy something now that will take bigger ponies / horses so you don't have to sell on and buy another in a few years' time when the kids have bigger ponies/ horses. The means payload as well as space so it would probably have to have minimal living if you're aiming for 4 horses. The stick sided ones (like Tristar) tend to be a bit cheaper as they don't look so nice but they're usually very solid trucks with no extra frills to add weight.

 

[Antw23uk]

Most of the people I know have older lorries and they seem to go on forever. My budget wont be 12k later this year and I'm confident i will get a nice, reliable and well looked after oldie to do me and the horse. I hate towing, just sold the trailer as i'd rather not go out than have to tow. Im very much looking forward to a nice 7.5t with a bit of living.

 

[Asha]

just keep an eye on payload, as 7.5t dont always have enough for 3.

I had a fab merc 814, never let me down, but did start to cost £1k per year to get it through the plaiting. If money was no object id have a fancy newer 7.5t again. the horses definitely travel better in them. But i couldnt get my ahead around spending that kind of money to go out once a week. We now have a 3.5t and a trailer. Plan is to get a 4.5t next year