Tell me about your 3.5t horseboxes

Myloubylou

Myloubylou

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I have been looking at Renault Master/Movano conversions done by Equisport. It has 1300kg payload which on paper should carry 2 x 500kg horses plus 2 xpassengers at 65kg each plus 2 x tack, fleece rugs, 2 x small Haynet and some water. However when looking online people are saying these type of conversions are only suitable for 1 horse or 2 small ponies. If we were going away I think we'd have to take a car as not much weight to spare. Anyone had any experience of equisport conversions?
 
Dont forget to add fuel to your weight. Ive got a renault van conversion and originally it had an 1100kg payload, we do only travel 1 so we have put day living into the back but with 600kg of highland, fuel, tack, water etc there isnt much room for anything else. Also be absolutely sure thats what your horses weigh. My van would easily fit 2 x 16hd tb types in but we would be instantly overweight.
 
The payload is probably the maximum possible with virtually no fuel in the tank, 2 horses may weigh only 1000 in theory but if that is a guess with a tape rather than by weighbridge you could be underestimating and even another 50kgs takes you too close to the maximum, put in a bit of extra kit that you require or go out on a wet day and everything will be heavier.
I would not buy one if I wanted to travel 2 horses regularly, I know nothing about the make mentioned but like most things if they seem too good to be true they probably are, something must be skimped on to get this payload and I would wonder about the quality and strength.
 
OP, I would take the same box onto weighbridge when it has half a tank of fuel in (1 litre = 1 kilo), also spare complete wheel, jack, partition etc, the total may well be different to what you have been given.
Many boxes are weighed without anything in them and with little fuel in.......
 
My horse is 455 on the weigh tape but when she was weighed by dengie nutritionist she was smidge under 500 on the scales. Payload includes 1/4 tank of fuel
 
I spoke to someone from Alexanders at the RHS one year, we have a 16.1hh and a 17.2hh and were told it wasn't possible to get a 3.5t that would legally take 2 at 16hh+ with fuel, people and kit.

I bought an Ifor Williams and did my B&E instead.
 
I have my B&E licence & even have a trailer but friend used to tow us. I don't want swap my car for 4x4 so would need to run 2nd car which I suppose is same as running horsebox. Of course could just get horsebox for me but said friend used to ferry me around for years. Has anyone uprated their 3.5t? I am aware that you have to go to special centres as not std mots
 
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I would have thought a 3.5t lorry could carry 2 large horses with all the extras with ease really. Gonna guess a lot of people out there don't realise how little they can actually carry based on this thread.
 
I was so convinced 2 horsed would not fit in a 3.5 tonne I had mine designed as a single horse's box. So, wider partition with the ramp behind the driver, so the spare is now a separate toilet and tack locker.
 
My 3.5t comes in at 2.3t with half a tank of fuel - that's weighed on a weigh bridge. It's very basic, proper coach built box conversion as opposed to a van conversion. You could easily fit 2 x 17.2's in but we only ever use it for one at a time.
 
Mine has 1200kg payload. I do take two 500 kg horses but not with any tack, water, passenger etc. If taking two horses, the other person comes separately with all the gear. It just isn't worth the risk.

I have taken a 600 kg horse and a shetland pony and did take a little girl and tack but think we were ok then!
 
If I'm correct the equisport conversions are the little vans, in which case I wouldn't put 2 horses on it. If the payload is 1.3t it will be skimping somewhere, be it cosmetically or from a safety POV. A friend has one and it looks pretty cramped in there with 2 x 14.2's so I'd hate to think what it would be like for anything more.
Personally I wouldn't.
 
I'd speak to equisport about what the figure does and doesn't include. That said a friend of mine has one and seems really happy with it and a local transporter has one. I used them once (for 1 x 14.2) and he actually loaded and travelled really well in it and she had nothing but good things to say. You may JUST get a 16.2 in there but wouldn't think you'd fit anything bigger and wouldn't put 2 large horses in. Tbh the same applies to any 3.5 ton box really.

I ended up plumping for an older coachbuilt in the end which has a bit more headroom and I felt it would give a better ride over the pot-hole ridden track down the the yard (although width and lengthwise I'd say it's actually about the same in the horse area. I do get a bigger tack area at the back though). Said box is a walking garage bill and has been plagued by starting problems. At least if I'd got it newly converted from somewhere like equisport I'd've had some comeback... I do need to actually get mine properly on a weighbridge to get an accurate payload for it but given that it has a very basic partition and nothing in the living save the spare wheel, the boxed-in wheel arches and 2 saddle racks plus the partition is quite basic as well I've guesstimated it at about 1150. I have taken 2 horses with a combined weight of about 900kg plus me, tack and half a tank of diesel before. Drove absolutely fine but I'm betting I was approaching my legal weight limit (this was either with 2 14.2 natives or a 14.2 native and a 15.2/16h tb)

If you're wanting to take 2 big horses I'd look into a 3.9/4 ton if still wanting it to be a small box. Friend of mine has a supersonic and apart from some snags with how equitrek had finished certain things it's a really nice little box and takes 2 decent sized horses and all the gear with ease. Only time we've been close in it is when the owner of the box took me and another friend to a camp and we had horses, 3 humans and all the gear and diesel!
 
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My 16.1 Travelled from Cheshire to Northamptonshire in one when he was delivered to me post purchase. Travelled fine, I did think he looked 'snug' in it but totally comfortable and chilled out. I don't think two would be comfortable or safe.
 
2 horses are 15.1hh and 15.3hh respectively & the horse area is supposed to be bigger than ifor Williams 505. I may be ok with it but think would constantly worry so looking at 6 ton boxes. Not many around so if anyone knows of any please PM me!
 
Mine's a Vauxhall Movano with 1150 payload. I mostly only travel my own boy who comes in at around 475kg so payload isn't an issue. If I do take another horse size to Samuel (certainly wouldn't take anything bigger than Sam) the other person has to bring their car with all the tack etc.

Trouble is with 3.5t boxes is they are almost always marketed as two horse boxes and very rarely is payload mentioned. What scares is me is how many people have the living kitted out with extras and STILL take two 16.2hh horses, often two passengers and shed loads of equipment.
 
I had mine uprated to 3.9t and it has slightly over 1.4t payload as its a basic box with no frills. The uprating was v straightforward and done by the seller. I used to travel two small horses with limited kit.

I reviewed weight not long ago as my friend got her 3.5t weighed and was surprised how little payload she had. She was over weight with one 600k and one 450k, herself two haynets, fuel, and nothing else.

Posted a thread with estimates of what things weigh not so long ago, may be a slight over estimate but I reckoned I needed 1.6t to comfortably travel two larger ones plus full kit and passengers.

I'd go for a larger truck if you can, if you want to regularly take two.
 
Myloubylou said:
2 horses are 15.1hh and 15.3hh respectively & the horse area is supposed to be bigger than ifor Williams 505. I may be ok with it but think would constantly worry so looking at 6 ton boxes. Not many around so if anyone knows of any please PM me!
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In the larger range, there are limited ones for sale sadly, unless you got for a 7.5t. There are sometimes slightly smaller versions of the 7.5t stalled for two and a bit shorter in the body. A lot of makers will do that kind of mid range size eg Kevin Parker, Alexander's, Peper Harow, Freddie Grover, Equihunter, Trevett and Smith, with lots of options. They might have some 2nd stock in.p as they are pricey for a new conversion!
 
Basically if you want to carry 2 horses legally then a 3.5t of any sort is not the right thing to be looking at!

I have a Movano van conversion type. It weighs 2350kg without horse in (but with all the crap like spare tyre, fuel, jack, and some horse stuff in). Unless you have a horse that travels like a giraffe there is a surprising amount of room in there, and I have (naughtily) had 2x 15.2 in there for a short local trip and there was plenty of room, certainly comparable to a trailer and more than in a lorry with side lockers.

Having compared my van type to some of the coachbuilt ones I'm not sure they are that much more substantial........but mine is a very professional conversion and I was pretty careful in my research before I bought it. (I have seen some scary DIY conversions on Ebay though, you get what you pay for!)

I bought mine with the intention of only carrying one horse..........but I think you are being very optimistic trying to get 2 under the weight limit..............unless you towed a small box trailer behind with all kit in (if I have interpreted the DVLA rules correctly a vehicle of 3.5t can tow a trailer of up to 750kg, but I stand to be corrected).
 
I have an Equisport, had it built in 2014 on a 2008 Movano. I went for this option after much research because of the safety bar at the front, and the ability to lower it and let the horse out the back if needs be. (my budget fell hugely short of a coach built style box)

It was weighed with 1/4 tank of fuel and has a 1250kg payload.

I saw it at various stages including the bulk head reinforcement etc and i am happy with it - it certainly takes a beating from my Welsh cob at times!!

I travel either my 15hh Welsh cob or my 13.2hh NF - i've not yet traveled them together yet as the cob is an idiot, but that is the max i would ever put in any 3.5t.

I would never consider travelling two horses in any 3.5t even if they 'just' got in under the payload.
 
Not that it makes too much difference but Diesel fuel is lighter than 1 kg per litre stated earlier in this thread , that's the weight of water, Please note that the density of diesel is about 0.832 kg/L.... on a full tank of 80 litres that would be about 66 kgs against 80 kgs.
 
Equihunter said:
Not that it makes too much difference but Diesel fuel is lighter than 1 kg per litre stated earlier in this thread , that's the weight of water, Please note that the density of diesel is about 0.832 kg/L.... on a full tank of 80 litres that would be about 66 kgs against 80 kgs.
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It was me that said that earleir in the thread, as most fuel is rounded up for safety reasons to the nearest half litre when calculating loading weights.
Obviously when we are racing, we measure, weigh and measure again.
However, for transportation purposes, its always safer to round up that 0.168 :)
 
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