Those with 3.5t boxes - what do you have?

[Wilbur_Force]

I'm currently looking for a 3.5t box and with all the choice out there I'm curious as to what you have and more importantly, why?

 

[Laafet]

We have an Equitrek Sonic at work, I believe the pay load is 1.4t or something like that so as we carry nothing but horses it is fine for a mare and foal or two yearlings. I have rented the George Smith type and the Theault. I am a little nervous about either of these were there are no weave bars, because of the problems with horses going over the breast bar. In the Equitrek, it has a trailer style full bar that has quick release clips for an emergency, plus the horses face a wall with no windows (they are on the side).

 

[1t34]

Theault - best 3.5 ton on the market when I did my research (about 4years ago). Very expensive new - I bought second hand and paid a good price - but they can be difficult to find second hand. Has weave grills, fairly high opening doors instead of a breast bar arrangement so you can always get them out. Very good to drive, everything seems to travel well (including fairly big horses) and economical. No living or fancy arrangements in the back - but wasn't looking for that. Very safe and built very strong - but I would not like to do a really long haul in it (say over 1.5 hours or so although some do) as it could be tiring to drive. We are using it more and more in preference to the big 13 ton lorry.

 

[Laafet]

I wan't keep on the ramp with the Theault, especially for unloading mares and foals on my own. But it is a very sturdy, well made lorry. I went all the way from Newmarket to Cirencester in one that I hired for showing and it was easy to drive, not tiring at all.

 

[1t34]

Interesting Laafet - I like the ramp but we don't travel mares and foals. Good to hear it isn't too tiring for the long hauls - we never have done a long haul in it.

 

[Laafet]

We drove a Theault to France and back when I was in my last job with two yearlings on board and that was fine too!
On the brands, I don't like the Oakley one, the flip up lid on the ramp does not suit all horses, they don't like to walk under it for some strange reason. And I wouldn't put a cat in the Marlborough ones that still look like a van jobs.

 

[HLOEquestrian]

We have a Marlborough Hunter
Best thing ever we've had it coming up 7 years now and it's never let us down

Really dislike the small van type conversions, they just seem too cheaply made and too flimsy
Although based on a van ours is so sturdy and I never worry about travelling anything in it

 

[splash30]

I have a 2008 equitrek Sonic it seems better made than the recent ones! I love it horses travel fantastically and it drives better than my car, motorways are a pleasure, I have also driven a Theault and they are brilliant too.

 

[Hen]

I have a BOSS Superlite XS and love it. Goes all over the country and I can live in it.

 

[vallin]

Used to hire the theualts quite regularly and always thought it was a lovely box, and everything traveled well in it

 

[PaddyMonty]

I built my own for several reasons.
1) having looked at a lot of boxes they were either very expensive or poorly built, sometimes both.
2) I wanted an aluminium body not glassonite to save weight.
3) I wanted a lot of headroom and length for horses.
4) Wanted horse and living area separate.

So started with this

And finished up with this. Total cost around £7,500 including chassis, valued at £18,500.

 

[Wilbur_Force]

Thanks all, Marlborough are on my hitlist and I'll look into the others. 3.5t boxes hold their value well too from what I can see

 

[jj_87]

I have a regent duo and it is fantastic! I only ever take my 16.2 in it. It is lovely to drive and my mare loves it. It has a high breast bar so they won't clamber out, I personally don't like weave grilles. In the living there is a bench and wardrobe which is fine and a bed/ storage in the Luton! Fab little box built on a master and not stupidly priced

 

[Horsemad12]

I have a regent duo and it is fantastic! I only ever take my 16.2 in it. It is lovely to drive and my mare loves it. It has a high breast bar so they won't clamber out, I personally don't like weave grilles. In the living there is a bench and wardrobe which is fine and a bed/ storage in the Luton! Fab little box built on a master and not stupidly priced

Ditto this - love mine!

 

[miss_c]

I have a Bonnington on a Renault Master chassis and I love it. Yes it still looks like a van but the bulkhead etc is very well reinforced. Horses have always travelled well in it as well. Big plus for me is that it has a really solid floor length partition, not one of the small plasticy ones a lot of them seem to have.

 

[ROG]

I did not know there was a set up like that .... and it can be driven by a driver who only has a B licence!!

 

[showjump]

How ROG?

 

[Polotash]

I have a Vauxhall Movano van conversion on a 55 plate, which still looks like a van. With 1/4 tank of fuel it weighs 2 tonne so plenty of carrying capacity, and my 17.1 boy (admitedly a very seasoned traveller!) fits in it and travels like a dream. I love it!

 

[ROG]

How ROG?

3.5 tonnes horsebox and the living area trailer is only 750 kgs MAM

 

[rowy]

After seeing so many bad reviews on equitrek we decided to get a Vauxhall movano converted by Malborough and it is excellent! We have just had it a year and its been great. Not too pricy either though we bought it newly converted.

 

[Laafet]

Which trouble with Equitreks, I've only heard about the trailer problems, not the horsebox ones? The two things I really like about the Equitrek Sonic are that the horse area is seperate to the grooms bit with it being too tiny and the flexibility in placement of partitions.
I had one of the original coachbuilt small horse boxes in my beloved Bradley, the Bedford CF, I got him before I passed my DL and took him to uni. He only ever failed me once and at the age he was it was no biggie.

 

[lauraandjack]

I have a professionally converted Movano van and I love it!

Very basic inside because I wanted minimum weight and a self-propelled trailer! But it's plenty sturdy enough and is fully reinforced.

It's fab to drive and park and very good on diesel. Also good at getting out of muddy showgrounds when the bigger lorries are getting bogged down!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I built my own for several reasons.
1) having looked at a lot of boxes they were either very expensive or poorly built, sometimes both.
2) I wanted an aluminium body not glassonite to save weight.
3) I wanted a lot of headroom and length for horses.
4) Wanted horse and living area separate.

Thats brilliant PaddyMonty. What model Vauxhall was it if you dont mind me asking? did you get a firm to do it (who?) it looks so professional and fab. Nice work!

 

[fruity]

ooooh good thread,i'm currently debating getting a 3.5t lorry again over my trailer as one of my horses isn't a great traveller in the trailer and would like to start doing some comps and clinics that might be overnight,which is always nicer in a lorry!

PaddyMonty that is a awesome job,very tempting to do it yourself. What's wrong with the Equitrek lorries? I was tempted to buy the trailer with living but have heard so many bad things about them and shoddy finishes etc.

 

[stolensilver]

I've got a Racemaster and love it! It's made of aluminium rather than plastic-coated wood which is the way most of them are constructed so its light and very strong and it won't rot. The living is small but big enough to change in with a wardrobe and a big external tack locker. There's also lots of storage space above the luton.

All the horses I've asked to travel in it have done so without problems and many of those have been youngsters who haven't travelled before. It drives like a car and if I do stay away overnight its small enough to park in a hotel car park so there's no need to have living.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Thats brilliant PaddyMonty. What model Vauxhall was it if you dont mind me asking? did you get a firm to do it (who?) it looks so professional and fab. Nice work!

It the Movano 2.5CDTI. Goes like whatsit of a doodah.
Nope its all my own work including spraying. It allowed me to do things like countersink all screws so the horse area has totally smooth surface etc. I also made the grrooms door wider than standard which makes getting in with a saddle easy and fitted a wider ramp so the horses have an easier exit.

Lorry wasn't difficult to convert. You just have to know how to use and angle grinder, welding gear, drill circular saw, jig saw, compressor, spraygun etc. Oh and have some serious ddedication to keep going despite having a full time job. Kinda of put my life on hold for 3 months working every evening and weekend on it for nearly 3 months.

Well worth it though as pretty much everyone that sees it asks where I bought it from. I can smile smuggly