The cost of lorry repairs!

chocolategirl

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I don't know if I have just been unlucky or if this is normal but I have spent in the last 3 years £4000 maintaining my 2004 Iveco horsebox. I used it very regularly at least once a week sometimes up to 4 times a week but I always was told it's standing around idle that's worse for them! It had very low miles too so wasn't expecting this. Is this the sort of money you guys all spend maintaining your lorries? Have just sold it and tbh am put off getting another so just wanted to know if this the 'norm'?
 

maggiehorse

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we have a 2002 iveco 3 years ago we relaced 3 break hoses and did full service cost approx £300 in parts,2nd year replaced two abs sensors and master cylinder cost £250 , third year new wood on ramp and one tyre , cost £240 all of the work was done by my husband if we were using a garage i would expect it to be at least a £1000 a year to maintain as a minimum
 

cptrayes

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I don't know if I have just been unlucky or if this is normal but I have spent in the last 3 years £4000 maintaining my 2004 Iveco horsebox. I used it very regularly at least once a week sometimes up to 4 times a week but I always was told it's standing around idle that's worse for them! It had very low miles too so wasn't expecting this. Is this the sort of money you guys all spend maintaining your lorries? Have just sold it and tbh am put off getting another so just wanted to know if this the 'norm'?

Are you using the same garage all the time? I have a close relative who rubs his hands with glee when a horse lorry comes in, because of the bill he knows he can send it home with. I don't talk to him unless I'm forced to at a family gathering.

We get a freelance mechanic to check ours over before the MOT test, and do any repairs my OH can't do. My lorry only goes out once every two weeks on average, and it hasn't had the problems yours has. It's a 40,000 mile 02 MAN.
 

chocolategirl

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Are you using the same garage all the time? I have a close relative who rubs his hands with glee when a horse lorry comes in, because of the bill he knows he can send it home with. I don't talk to him unless I'm forced to at a family gathering.

We get a freelance mechanic to check ours over before the MOT test, and do any repairs my OH can't do. My lorry only goes out once every two weeks on average, and it hasn't had the problems yours has. It's a 40,000 mile 02 MAN.

Had been using the same mechanic initially as he does live locally but thought he was being very expensive so found a mobile mechanic then who seems just as bad! It recently for the MOT had a new abs sensor and wing mirror-£250 then it failed its Plate And needed a brake calliper and spring break chamber? Cost £550 so total just to get it through this years plate £800. It cost us to get it through the last 2 a total of £3200 so seems a bit excessive to me considering it only has 13600 kms on the clock and I know this mileage is genuine!
 

ihatework

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Unfortunately I think it is a fact of life that it is expensive to keep a lorry on the road, the older they get the more likely you are to get a bigger bill.

I've had my 1997 iveco for 3 years now and on average it has cost about 1.5k a year to tax/insure/Mot/service/repair
 

Nugget La Poneh

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Had been using the same mechanic initially as he does live locally but thought he was being very expensive so found a mobile mechanic then who seems just as bad! It recently for the MOT had a new abs sensor and wing mirror-£250 then it failed its Plate And needed a brake calliper and spring break chamber? Cost £550 so total just to get it through this years plate £800. It cost us to get it through the last 2 a total of £3200 so seems a bit excessive to me considering it only has 13600 kms on the clock and I know this mileage is genuine!

13600km? Has it been a horsebox from the beginning then?

I spent that on a 14yr old Merc that had done 600k km, but the engine was rebuilt! For a 10yr old lorry with as little mileage as you suggest yours has, then I would be concerned about the cost to get it through the plating.

I would maybe look for a recommended mechanic. I actually found the commercial Merc dealer was the best for fairness and cost on my lorry servicing, might be the same with an Iveco dealer.
 

siennamum

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Unfortunately I think it is a fact of life that it is expensive to keep a lorry on the road, the older they get the more likely you are to get a bigger bill.

I've had my 1997 iveco for 3 years now and on average it has cost about 1.5k a year to tax/insure/Mot/service/repair

This really. I always think a rule of thumb is that it costs twice what a car would cost.
 

Slightlyconfused

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My dad is a hgv fitter and he hates ivecos, I Vibrate Everything Comes Off is what he says about them.

When we got our lorry he told us that if we got an iveco then he wouldn't be working on it.

They are known for not being very reliable.
 

YorksG

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We bought our rather elderly Leyland Daf from a local mechanic, his daughter runs a local livery yard, and he and it have been great! The clutch went early on (probably partly due to my not being used to driving it). We had no horses on when it went and were nearish home,so mechanic came out and towed us home, charged for clutch but not recovery. We had the floor and ramp fettled by another local chap for less than 500 pounds, so I think it may depend where you are.
 

soulfull

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seems excessive to me. I would be gutted if I had to pay that much

usually around £500 per year on the 3 lorries I have had
 

chocolategirl

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13600km? Has it been a horsebox from the beginning then?

I spent that on a 14yr old Merc that had done 600k km, but the engine was rebuilt! For a 10yr old lorry with as little mileage as you suggest yours has, then I would be concerned about the cost to get it through the plating.

I would maybe look for a recommended mechanic. I actually found the commercial Merc dealer was the best for fairness and cost on my lorry servicing, might be the same with an Iveco dealer.

No it was an ex council lorry so it came with its maintenance record and mileage book for every journey it made. The mechanic who fixed it last said it was in fab condition underneath etc but I guess as it's not been a very busy truck all it's life maybe this is why it's needed some work if that makes sense? What I can't get over is the cost of each thing it's had done. There hasn't actually been a lot of stuff renewed, but the cost of parts and labour is frightening for the few jobs it has had done is scary!
 

Spottyappy

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I feel your pain.
Have had mine 18 months, and so far has cost £4000 !! That's without tax and insurance!
It needed 3 tyres, after one blew out, luckily without horses in it. The brakes and calipers had to be done on 2 wheels, then the gear box went. Oh,and the clutch. Factor in servicing,mot and a few other things like the norm going. And bye bye 4k. It's also broken down 3 times,and I have had to be rescued. Once was unlucky, a really strange thing infant remember and didn't cost much to fix, second was the gear box and then I burned the clutch out! My bad!
It's an iveco!!
However, all 3 rescue men and my own mechanic tell me it's bodywork is in fabulous condition and I must be the unluckiest person in the planet as besides the brakes, the rest is mostly down to pure bad luck and not wear and tear.
Imlove it,though,inspite of the expense although it has made me cry over the money a few times.
 

Louby

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I do think its the luck of the draw, my friend has a 30 yr old Merc, its flew through the last 2 MOT's and hasnt cost them a penny in the 3 years theyve owned it apart from new tyres which they knew it needed when they bought it. Im not as lucky but touching wood frantically havent had to spend anything like youve had to.
 
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