Those of you eventers with trailers/3.5ton boxes

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mandylou

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Just wondering what you all do if you have to stay overnight at an event? Do you go for a local B&B or do you opt for sleeping in your trailer? Most events are quite a distance from me and I usually have to travel down the day before with my OH driving. B&B's tend to add a further £60.00 on top of stabling, entry etc and the cost soon mounts up just for one event. So would love to know just how many of you rough it in the horse area?

Thanks

P.S - note to self, need to invest in lorry with living :/
 
We never did in the end but had planned to stay at Trailblazers before pony broke himself in the field! My 3.5t had a large luton that could sleep 1 (or 2 if you were very good friends ;),older style LT35) but we planned to sleep in a tent, keeping feed, clothes, tack etc in the lorry, oh and the portable toilet of course! Sleeping in the horse area was not really an option for us as the roof vents leaked if it rained hard!
 
I do!

I have an IW trailer, one of the old style so the jockey door can't be shut from the inside. I use a bungee cord to hold it closed.

As the trailer has little vents in the top back doors, I use a pop up two man tent inside (been very wet before now) and then an airbed. I also take a camping stove/kettle and a camping heater as I hate being cold. I eat pot noodles/soup etc. And a torch :D

Works ok for an overnight stay - I would love a small lorry with a living :)

I do also use my friends lorry occasionally and have camped in the horse area - it was more comfortable than the trailer as lighter and more space.
 
We very rarely stay overnight as its too much effort! Of the times we have, we have slept in the trailer on camp beds. Its very uncomfy and freezing cold (even in summer) but I've heard people sleeping in lorries say the same thing so I dont think thats much better.
 
My current 3.5T box does have a built-in bed and privacy curtains in the cab area plus changing area at the back, so I'm sorted - even when away for 6 days, as last week. But when I have hired a basic box and slept in the horse area, it's been fine even without a camp bed, so long as I had a pilates mat, sleeping bag, pillow, dustpan and stiff brush and lots of antiseptic wipes to clean the area up a bit, a good lamp with hanging bracket, head torch, old eiderdown and welly socks :) That gives me a good night's sleep from March through to end October. A portable camping stove can be handy.
 
Thank you so much for your replies and for all the tips on making the stay more comfortable (or as comfortable as it can be) I may be able to convince my oh now. I'm so glad that i'm not the only one thinking of doing this! Hen - Your 3.5ton box sounds fab. My one is very basic!

Im so stingy I just don't want to pay for a room. That money could go towards another event :)
 
I have in the past (invested in lovely (though slightly ancient) lorry with copious living now :D) a pop up tent is by far the easiest and definately an inflatable mattress - especially if you are not parked in a nice grassy field as airbed stops you feeling the stones etc in the ground :p we sometimes go away for the weekend with friends and if a couple of you can stay at same place makes for fun weekend camping (communal gazebo for cooking/drinking big bonus too :D) if early or later in the year a 4 seasons sleeping bag is a must and a portaloo in the trailer is aways handy. convincing OH its a mini holiday works well, stable for couple nights (still cheaper than B&B) and spend the day you're not competing and evenings checking out the local area / country pubs :p
 
I spent many years sleeping in my IW at events. Longest was 4 nights in a row.

Its all about working out the best way to stay warm. An airbed is good, but even witrh a campbed, make sure you have plenty layers under your sleeping bag. Thats why you get cold, lying directly on it. I found a good thick blanket under the sleeping bag, and then one on top, plus a sleeping bag liner.

I now have an equitrek and spend up to 4 nights at a time in it (away shows/ trade shows), and the same applies. Always a blacket underneath. I use the same system when camping on an airbed at festivals.

Very rarely cold even as late as October.
 
i am faced with this prospect for the RC Champs in 2wks time. Going to have to stay 2 nights and not looking forwards to it! I have a IW505 Classic which luckily has the lockable grooms door so I can open/shut and lock it from the inside as well as outside. However, it also leaks through the roof seals and I expect through the back doors as well so I am just praying it doesn't rain. Was planning on a ground sheet, air bed, sleeping bag and quilt - I am a cold person at the best of times and it might be August but that doesn't guarantee any warmth in this country!

I remember sleeping in the horse area in a 3.5T Renault Master I hired to go to the Winter Dressage Champs and it spent the whole night hailing - it was freezing cold and the hail stones were coming through the gap between the ramp and the lorry body - I got about 2hrs sleep! My parents bogged off to stay in a lovely hotel but I thought i should stay on site as pony could be a bit funny about being stabled and I didn't fancy him breaking out in the middle of the night.
 
Have to admit that sleeping in my IW fills me and Mini TX with absolute dread. We have been to the PC champs a couple of times, necessitating on both occasions 3 nights away each. One time the whole team stayed in a very swish hotel just down the road and stabled pretty much next door. The next time, last year, we stabled on site and stayed in another swish hotel close by, with the rest of the team camping. The only drawback was that I couldnt drink on all 3 nights lorry party (yep, we managed it, got knows how - we were shattered each night), but it meant we had a nice shower morning and night, a comfy bed and peace and quiet. We all pitched in during the day with food for each other though, as one of the party had a very nice lorry. Am putting off purchasing a lorry as much as I can, as we are very organised with my trusty Shogun and IW, plus am lucky enough to put hotel costs through my business, and have friend with lorries who are kind as well!

Next year the aim is to do some 3 days with Mini TX at 1*, and a very good friend with a lorry is on standby to either come with us, or give me lorry driving lessons.
 
Britestar said:
Star - go for the pop up tent inside your trailer idea. Good for leaks and for keeping the warmth you do generate closer to you.
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i dont think I can cope with crawling in and out of a one man tent all weekend - i'm not sure my back would cope with that - it's bad enough wriggling into a sleeping bag. can you tell I hate camping? Was going to sling one of horse's rain sheets from the inside of the back doors so hopefully no rain will get in there and hide under the other one and hope for the best!

I haven't even thought about how I'm gonna feed myself for 3days from a trailer! How much would I love a lorry right now???
 
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