Thoughts on this 3.5 t box?

Are you travelling a pony or a horse? If a pony then maybe it is OK. If a horse then I would look for something with better headroom.
 
gallopingby said:
I really don't know anyone would consider putting their horses in a transit van!! Theres no way these vehicles will carry anything other than maybe a couple of mini shetlands safely. Yes people use them and i'm sure some will come along and say they're absolutely fab but I'd save your money for something more robust and a proper horsebox.
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Agree with this. I dont like them at all, they are so claustrophobic for the
poor horse.
 
I'm another one with years of cost effective and safe travel in a van conversion, and a second being built as we speak (costs of materials putting a coach build out of my reach this time). Its a safe and workable compromise for my (I'd imagine fairly good) budget as long as you buy a good van and a safe, robust build and use it within weight/height boundaries :) My 16hh travelled fine in mine for years BUT he was getting on it since he was 2yrs old and 14.3hh so he was very comfy. Both times I've had mine built by reputable companies to be absolutely certain of the quality - didn't cost me any more and the wait was worth the peace of mind. I'm also a frequent flyer on my local weigh bridge ;)

Case in point - the van under discussion doesn't mention anything about a bulkhead added between cab and horse area - that's essential for safety as the original van just has a steel sheet between the cab and back. Which looks like its still in place in the cab photos....

Regarding any 3.5tn - give Polly at Travel Two a call - she is an absolute mine of information on 3.5tn boxes of every type and one of the best in the business. There's great information on her site but she'll also give advice as she's passionate about safety - You don't need to buy from her, she'll also runs an animal charity which you can also donate to in thanks :)
 
You are far better off having a lorry which has had the container built on to it rather than a lorry which had the existing container converted for horses. What you should look for is a lorry built on a Chassis Pan Cab (ALCO). This means that the original vehicle was built and supplied as just the cab and chassis and then the container was purpose built as a horsebox on to it. There are numerous people converting vehicles to horse boxes and many of them have a very low build quality and are dangerous. The most reputable manufacturers of 3.5 ton horseboxes are Bloomfield, Boss, Marlborough, Oakley, John Parkes and Racemaster. As regards the Chassis Pan Cabs (ALCO) the Renault Master has an excellent reputation and a very low floor and centre of gravity.
 
PeterNatt said:
You are far better off having a lorry which has had the container built on to it rather than a lorry which had the existing container converted for horses. What you should look for is a lorry built on a Chassis Pan Cab (ALCO). This means that the original vehicle was built and supplied as just the cab and chassis and then the container was purpose built as a horsebox on to it. There are numerous people converting vehicles to horse boxes and many of them have a very low build quality and are dangerous. The most reputable manufacturers of 3.5 ton horseboxes are Bloomfield, Boss, Marlborough, Oakley, John Parkes and Racemaster. As regards the Chassis Pan Cabs (ALCO) the Renault Master has an excellent reputation and a very low floor and centre of gravity.
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That's great, if you have £30-50k to spend - OP doesn't as she is posting horseboxes in the under £10k bracket
 
Iloveeverycat said:
Hi again,

Everyone here was really helpful this week and helped me avoid buying a box that was way too heavy

I was wondering if anyone had shy thoughts on this ?

https://warwickshirehorseboxes.co.uk/for-sale/3-5t-van-conversion/

I’ll make sure they have a payload certificate and get a horsebox mechanic to inspect it

My main concern is the age but the company appears to be well reviewed
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Hi, just thinking outside the box (!), have you considered buying a trailer rather than a 3.5t lorry? If you have a budget at the lower end of the scale, then you could get a good condition (and safe) single 506 Ifor Williams trailer, and leave yourself some money towards a tow car (ie. an estate car) that you could legally tow with. That way, you're only paying for one lot of road tax and maintenance and insurance for the car and trailer rather than car and horsebox.

The maintenance charges can soon add up - I posted on your other thread to say that for my built-to-order 3.5t horsebox the £'s per use turned out to be several hundreds of pounds per use, as a result of chassis / engine problems - and that was one that I had paid for a detailed mechanical check by a registered mechanic on, and it was a low mileage Renault Master.
 
Northern Hare said:
Hi, just thinking outside the box (!), have you considered buying a trailer rather than a 3.5t lorry? If you have a budget at the lower end of the scale, then you could get a good condition (and safe) single 506 Ifor Williams trailer, and leave yourself some money towards a tow car (ie. an estate car) that you could legally tow with. That way, you're only paying for one lot of road tax and maintenance and insurance for the car and trailer rather than car and horsebox.

The maintenance charges can soon add up - I posted on your other thread to say that for my built-to-order 3.5t horsebox the £'s per use turned out to be several hundreds of pounds per use, as a result of chassis / engine problems - and that was one that I had paid for a detailed mechanical check by a registered mechanic on, and it was a low mileage Renault Master.
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hi, yeah I’m looking into this :) I wanted to get a bigger car anyway
 
I actually prefer my trailer. When combined with a meaty vehicle (Touareg). More modern a drive and I feel safer from breakdowns etc.
 
I have travelled a 16hh WB and a 16.2 TB/ID very happily in a 3.5 Renault Master van conversion. I had it thoroughly checked out by a reputable guy who specialises in horse lorries and he was happy with the floor and everything else about the build. I did look at some that were smart but flimsy so you need to be very careful, however that's the same with all horse lorries whatever their size. This lorry had a high breast bar and the original back doors were big enough to get a horse through if necessary. Travelling horses is a potentially dangerous thing regardless of the chosen means and there are accidents in trailers, 3.5s and bigger. The ride in a "box on a transit" is pretty awful but some horses cope, others don't and it's a very steep ramp! My 16.2 had to duck going into the box but had masses of headroom and travelled really well, a 15hh ish cob type would be fine just be aware all conversions are not the same. fwiw, Renault masters are pretty cheap to repair and the spares (new or recondtioned) are easily available.
 
webble said:
I'd be wary of this in that there is no way of escape should you be blocked in/hit from the side/have your cam belt snap on a narrow country lane and have no space to open the ramp ?
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Am I being dim, unless you have emergency escape out the back, none of the side ramps can open on a narrow lane. The reason I suggested this as it was built by Marlborough who do a really decent van conversion
 
Lady Jane said:
Am I being dim, unless you have emergency escape out the back, none of the side ramps can open on a narrow lane. The reason I suggested this as it was built by Marlborough who do a really decent van conversion
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Ones like equisport or three counties have the option for the horse to get out of the groom's door in an emergency
 
webble said:
Ones like equisport or three counties have the option for the horse to get out of the groom's door in an emergency
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But not that many. I looked at the Equisport and wasn't happy with ventilation and the seller had had an extra roof vent fitted when built. The new build Equiport have 3 levels of 'sturdy construction' which tells me the entry level are not as good as they could be. I don't believe this was the case with the older models
 
Lady Jane said:
Am I being dim, unless you have emergency escape out the back, none of the side ramps can open on a narrow lane. The reason I suggested this as it was built by Marlborough who do a really decent van conversion
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Equally, when you get rammed up the rear in a 7.5 with only a rear ramp, you cant open it till the carnage has been dragged off......

Sometimes you cannot cover everything that may befall you, but you can try your best to mitigate and still not achieve.....
 
I'm vaguely looking atm at what I imagine is a similar price point to the OP. I'm also looking at van conversions mainly as that's mostly what comes in on budget. Some of them offer better headroom & horse area dimensions than others & I'd say that longer wheelbase models give you better options if you'd like a bit of living in the back as well. Would be wary of anything offering much more than 1100 payload as would be concerned about where the weight was saved / whether everything was reinforced properly. If well done on the right donor vehicle then I wouldn't say the van conversions are or should be any less safe than a coach built but I wouldn't want to put a big horse in most of them. I also wouldn't want to travel 2 full sized horses in most 3.5 ton boxes (although 2 ponies is generally fine if they're fairly fine ponies) Oh & you can get them inspected, study the full MOT & service history & STILL end up with a huge bill just after you've bought them if you have luck anything like mine ?
 
I have a van conversion on a Nissan interstar. I took the partition out and only travel my 15hh horse in it. It’s lovely and roomy and not at all claustrophobic, as someone has suggested, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Plenty of light and space, far more so than in many partitioned lorries.
There’s a lot of snobbery over these van conversions still, but if you get one done by a reputable company and be realistic about the payload and what you can travel in it, they are super.
 
I also have a van conversion and would agree with Scats, it's not claustrophobic at all, it's light and has plenty of space. Mine is getting on a bit now and has needed a bit more work to get it through it's MOTs but it's always passed safely, plus being a Renault means parts are super easy to get hold off and not too expensive.
They're so easy to drive as well.
Mine is a well built conversion so has a smaller payload of 900kg - but I only ever travel my 14hh pony in it (and i'm also tiny so don't take up much room!) with not a huge amount of extras too. He has plenty of space.
They're perfect for those that don't have a huge budget but want to be able to get out and about.

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