Tell me about horseboxes...

S

Scribbles

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 August 2008
Messages
1,655
Visit site
 
the one in the first photo is a 7.5 tonner (max laden weight incl horses, you, water, derv, etc etc.) you can drive this on a car licence if you've had the licence for years and years, but not if you're fairly young, if so you have to take a LGV (light goods vehicle) test.
you can drive the small ones (side ramp, usually 3.5 tonne laden weight iirc) on a recentish car licence though.
whatever you get, get it thoroughly inspected by a good mechanic, and get floor, ramp etc closely inspected by someone who knows what they're looking at, there are a lot of sharks out there!
 
My friend is a mechanic, but I don't think she knows much about horseboxes, who is best to get to look at it?

I liked the second to last, but it is only for 2 14.3s, I would be wanting one for 1 16hh horse, so would that be too small?

Thanks!
 
Kerrilli means if you passed your car driving test before 1st January 1997 you can drive a 7.5 ton on your car licence. But with some of the 3.5 ton lorries they say 2 horse but if you put 2 in they got over the 3.5ton. So be carefull.
 
Oh no, it will be the OH driving, and he's only 22. I doubt he'll be happy to sit a LGV test
frown.gif
 
Having watched my mum going through the trauma of a bad buy (Conversion), and now having a nice sensibly priced Coachbuilt lorry check the following:

Is it Coachbuilt or Conversion - depending on how much you want to spend
Unladen weight - remember to add water, horse, tack etc (huge fine for every kg you're over - watch out for long lorries with lots of living, I personally wouldn;t want anything longer than 16ft behind the cab)
Type of floor in horsebox area - Aluminium is best, ours is topped with Stockboard and Rubber. Also check construction under the floor, i.e theres an increased number of cross beams under the horse area for strength.
Cab - is it a tilt cab or not, if not is there a decent inspection hatch in the cab to access the engine etc for servicing.
Type of chassis - Leyland Daf all the way on 7.5 ton (Easy for parts, and servicing so my mums mechanic tells her). Mercedes chassis roll and give a poor ride (older lorries) and Ford Iveco breaks can lock up if stood for a while - if they do apparently you have to replace everything which is expensive.
Horsebox construction, is it Aluminium or Glasonite - I think Aluminium makes them heavier.
Have no experience of 3.5ton 'breadvans'
wink.gif
tee hee! although good for in and around London due to the conjestion charge.
 
Nothing wrong with conversions - most are very good.
Ours was down to a bad builder, we eventually got the lorry, minus a lot of the agreed specification. We know some people didn't even get a lorry from him
Thankfully the lorry itself was very reliable (ex Link lorry), and the bits he did build were of a decent standard - her budget at the time wouldn't stretch to Coachbuilt.
When she changed it she was lucky enough to find a builder who had one already made and ready to go (Lune Valley Horseboxes, although his prices have gone up since we bought it) - she would never commission one to be built after her experience
 
I think conversions are fine if a GOOD conversion (there are some god awful ones out there!). None of our boxes have been coachbuilt but the last two (inc our purchase this year) were/are both decent conversions.

The floor is important though and you do need someone with know how to check that for you really.

Ours is an Iveco and it, so far, seems to be fine and a heck of a lot of horseboxes are built on Iveco and Daf chassis. I have not heard any stories about brakes locking on specific makes up so don't know of that's based on just an individual's experience.

The decent 3.5Ts will be ok to travel one horse but you will not get two in and be within the legal weight so be careful! In my opnion, if buying a wagon and if you passed your test after 1997 then you'd be best off investing in either an LGV or HGV licence in the long run as you can be more flexible about what you can get. Ok, so it may seem an expensive initial outlay but once you've got it you've got it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top