Trailers or Lorries - which is cheaper to run/insure

[MarthaRodman1]

Hi there
Wonder if anyone out there can help. At the moment I have the use of a small lorry, it's an Ifor Williams box on a transit (if that makes sense) takes max of 2 horses, and with just 1 horse you can travel them in the middle.

Would like to soon get a trailer so I'm independent and can come and go as I please.

Anyone know roughly the cost of insuring a trailer? how much for general up keep? servicing etc. Is it best to insure trailer through my 4x4 insurance or through horse insurance (NFU)

Answers on a postcard please.....
Thank you!

 

[tigers_eye]

I don't know exactly how much trailer insurance is but it's got to be cheaper than road tax, MOT testing/plating, insuring a lorry, unless you need to VERY substantially upgrade your car!

 

[MarthaRodman1]

At the moment I pay half of everything for the lorry - so half insurance, tax, MOT etc. Need to really gage how much a trailer is to upkeep.

 

[Alibear]

Trailer is always cheepr to run than a lorry but if you add the costs of running the 4x4 to tow it with into the equation then things can turn around!

However since I need my 4x4 to tow thigns other than my horse I don't have to count it.

My trailer has cost me £500 over the past 9 years and that includes a new floor and matts

 

[MarthaRodman1]

Perfect, just what I needed to hear to convince Hubby that buying a trailer is cheaper in the long run!!! How much a year approx will a trailer cost me to insure?

 

[tigers_eye]

[ QUOTE ]
My trailer has cost me £500 over the past 9 years and that includes a new floor and matts

[/ QUOTE ]

Whereas I was unsurprised when I got a phone call 5 mins ago telling me my lorry would be at least £700 to get through the MOT, and that's before they've looked at the floor which I also want checked...

 

[MarthaRodman1]

AAAH- blimey! I just don't know how we afford horses - the exhaust blew on mine on the way to Longwood on Friday night, so gotta get that done, and I only have to pay half of that!!!!

 

[miller]

Depends if you need to use towing vehicle as your main car and how many miles you do - in my circumstances would cost a bomb for trailer and 4x4 as would need huge 4x4 (2 x 16.3's) and I do 25k miles a year - fuel would be exhorbitant.

Lorry costs me £150 to insure and yes does 12mpg on diesel (old Bedford) but we only go around 60 miles round trip 1 or 2 times a month.

 

[dieseldog]

Lorrys are cheaper to tax than a car.
Insurance is about £200 fully comp

Do you need to take a test to tow?

 

[Alibear]

I think around £50-£100 per year depending on what you've got and what "security" you have for it.

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
Lorrys are cheaper to tax than a car.
Insurance is about £200 fully comp

Do you need to take a test to tow?

[/ QUOTE ]

My lorry is the same price to tax as my car

 

[MarthaRodman1]

No, unfortunately (or fortunately) I'm almost 31 so no test needed! I already have a new 4x4 so haven't got the cost of laying out for that.

 

[sillygillyhorse]

If you already run and insure a 4x4 then a trailer will be far cheaper. Costs me £500 a year to insure my lorry, not yet had to put it through its plate but cost me £100 last week as had a fault on alternator. I used to get my trailer service annually and that cost around the £100 mark, never needed anything doing as was used regularly so the parts did not cease but always had it checked for my own piece of mind. A trailer also costs less to purchase.

 

[Rambo]

My lorry has just cost the best part of GBP1200 to put through it's annual service and MOT (needed a new exhaust and a few other bit apparently !) It will also cost GBP165 to tax, and c.GBP300 to insure. You could buy a trailer for that money lol!

 

[acolvine]

My horses are insured with SEIB so i insured my trailer through them as well. Was approx £35 a month plus £70 a year for breakdown.
Just be aware if you cancel your policy then breakdown is cancelled as well and you don't get a refund.
About £100 to service trailer but mine was from new so nothing much needed done to it.

Ive now sold the trailer & 4x4 and opting for the lorry......

 

[Louby]

My insurance for an 18mth old Ifor was about £8 per month. That was with NFU but it was added to my horse insurance.