The horsebox hunt continues! More Info please re conversions!

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clopper

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Hi I am looking to buy a horsebox and have found a couple that are on fairly new chasis that I can afford but they are conversions(with lutons and full tilt cabs)

From reading previous posts it appears that conversions aren't very popular.

So who has a conversion - do you like it/had any problems with it that you think wouldn't have been an issue if it had been coach built?

Who has sold a conversion- do you think it was more difficult to sell?

Any info/opinions greatly appreciated.
 
We have a conversion and it is fine. Not had any problems at all - in fact there is a bonus in the fact that when and as the chassis gets old and the body is still fine, it can simply be lifted off and placed on a newer chassis. Give it a respray and it all looks brand new again.

Anyone who claims that a conversion is not popular is merely a snob. Conversions are perfectly practical and do exactly the same job for a fraction of the cost. With the majority of them, you would not even be able to tell the difference - except that a coachbuilt body will rust and a GRP conversion wont!!!
 
I have a conversion but it was professionally converted by a horsebox coachbuilder whos been doing it years. I wouldnt buy one from just anyone though. Ive seen some awful, flimsy looking ones.
I bought it for the same reasons as you but it did end up costing me a fortune.
Apart from maybe not looking as nice, I cant really see any disadvantage. My walls were reinforced so it isnt just the GRP sides, my floor is completely new so its not what was left in before. I have a tilt cab, small cut through, day living and good horse area. The only downside I can see is my wagon has more mileage than a horsebox thats only ever been a horsebox.
 
I think there are good and bad conversions & coachbuilders.
Shop around and get a feel for the market, also decide whether you want Glasonite or Aluminium body etc.
I would never by one built to order - my mum got ripped off many years ago (now has an off the shelf coach built from Lune Valley Horseboxes which has been fab).
I.e try and buy a decent 2nd hand.
I've seen top spec conversions for as much money as our Coachbuilt so there cleary is a lot of variance out there.

You don't necessarily need a tilt cab as long as there's a decent inspection hatch for your mechanic.
Things to consider are weight unloaded / loaded.
I's also be wary of side ramps on a conversion as you can structurally weaken the Box part if not done correctly.
Also check what kind of re-inforcement has gone under the horse area and how its been constructed.
I'd also recommend a Leyland Daf over an Iveco & apparently Mercedes give a roly ride.
Also see where the chassis has come from, star ship enterprise mileage with Link / Parcelnet etc is better than lower mileage spurious background as these companies have to follow strict servicing schedules etc.
We sold our Conversion no problem however for a lot less than an equivalent Coachbuild - however it was priced to sell and was a very solid, reliable lorry.
 
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Regarding convesions under new legislation to be shortly introduced each one will have to be inspected by an approved vosa inspector to ensure that it is up to standard.

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Hi do you know if it can be checked that it is up to vosa standard prior to purchase?
 
Hi, Ive wondered about this as I have a conversion but how can you replace the chassis, isnt the horsebox part all attached, if you know what I mean
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. I think what I mean is if the chassis went then wouldnt you lose the whole lot.
 
I would have said many horseboxes out there are conversions - coachbuilt horseboxes don't come cheap!

Just depends how good a conversion it is - if done by a professional horsebox builder then it's likely to be a bit better than one just thrown together by a private individual.

The trick is to have someone knowledgeable with you when looking at them. I think there are some issue with regards to cab weight on lorries with lutons that have a tilt cab as well though - I am not sure what but I am sure someone on here will know what problems they could bring.
 
I think its great that they are being checked, makes me laugh though cos how many death trap coachbuilds do you see on the roads
 
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The trick is to have someone knowledgeable with you when looking at them. I think there are some issue with regards to cab weight on lorries with lutons that have a tilt cab as well though - I am not sure what but I am sure someone on here will know what problems they could bring.

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Well thats another question -Are the AA/RAC knowledgeable about horseboxes? I see they offer checks on motorhomes/vans etc but will they check out the horse area thoroughly? Everyone states check the floor - are the walls made of this and that - I honestly wouldn't know what was good or bad unless blatantly fallin to pieces:-( Who is best to use for pre purchase checks?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi I am looking to buy a horsebox and have found a couple that are on fairly new chasis that I can afford but they are conversions(with lutons and full tilt cabs)

From reading previous posts it appears that conversions aren't very popular.

So who has a conversion - do you like it/had any problems with it that you think wouldn't have been an issue if it had been coach built?

Who has sold a conversion- do you think it was more difficult to sell?

Any info/opinions greatly appreciated.

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I would say a nice lorry is a nice lorry however it was built
so what if it started out as a box van and was converted or built from the ground up !!some so called coach builts are overweight badly designed heaps and some conversions are very very nice, I think you just have to take each lorry you view on its merits as there is a lot of overpriced crap being bodged up by freds in sheds and there are very few actual mass prouduction manufacturers of horse boxes, most are a one off and no one is the same so best to look at each and have them checked out by a compitant mecanic.... and I would say if its nice not to heavy and has a tilt cab it will sell on again when your done with it
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There are specalised companies that do checks, hoseboxworld (I think) have a website with info on this. Some companies advertise in H & H but I dont know about RAC etc. I had a mechanic check my chassis out but trusted the horsebox builder
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. I did have mine weighed myself though and was pleasantly suprised at its low weight. You need to know the unladen weight of the completed horsebox though with partitions in as some are that heavy they struggle to carry 2 horses legally. A serious seller should have this information for you.
 

Ours came from East Anglian Horse Boxes in Sudbury, Suffolk. It is as solid as a rock and I would recommend them to anyone. This company are a specialist horsebox manufacturer and converter. These guys know exactly what they are doing and understand what a horsebox has to go through.

Their prices are very reasonable too.
 
Thanks - the being able to sell on was a concern and I will get it thoroughly checked over - do you know if the AA/rac check the chasis and horse area thoroughly in their examination?
 
Not 100% sure but I wouldnt think RAC/AA would check anything but the mechanics. I think you need a specialist company
 
[ QUOTE ]
Regarding convesions under new legislation to be shortly introduced each one will have to be inspected by an approved vosa inspector to ensure that it is up to standard.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it is the new type approval rulings coming into force then no, conversions will not come into this ruling as its is only for new builds or new chassis not modifications to second hand chassis
 
The area of conversions and coachbuilds is becoming less clear in that some of the big names are now building conversions alongside their new builds with the work going into a conversion much more than prevuiously completed making it virtually impossible to tell the difference.

Many people I know have bought what they thought was a new build only to find out during accident repair or thorough investigation that it was a conversion.

I personally have no pesusasion on either new build or conversion as long as they are both sold as what they are and the conversion is made to be strong enough. If this is done then the conversion can represent a £3-4k saving which is worth thinking about. Resale will be less but it will be ok if the initial was less.
 
The basic answer is that most people are blowing smoke up their behinds and wouldn't know a coachbuilt if it bit them!

The amount of so called "coach builds" I went to see that weren't, was amazing. In most adverts coach built seems to mean smooth sided!

So you have two choices - build a box or convert a box. Coachbuilt, means from scratch so the cross members are everything are put in by the builder.

I went for a conversion - I know my cross members are less than 1ft apart, I know my box is GRP skinned in ali.

I bought my lorry completely separately as a curtain sider and had the back taken off, replaced with a GRP box and then converted.

Now my lorry is heavier than planned at 5.7t (I wanted it to be 5.5t). However it is a special auto model which is heavier than a normal DAF. I also put in more bells and whistles than planned. Plus I think I got a heavier (c 100kg) than planned GRP box, on the plus side, its probably thicker.

Buying second hand doesn't necessarily make life easier, but does mean you don't have the 'teething' stage (mine is leaking as seals have shrunk!)

I do wonder now whether I could have made 5.6t if I'd gone with tristar, but would have cost more.
 
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