Transport options - need some help

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Fluffyponies

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Hi all,
I don't use this forum often but I'm in need of some advice and what better way to get lots of opinions?

I've got a mare that currently I am doing a bit of everything, hacking, schooling - I do also do some competing (mainly SJ) and I'm keen on hunting. The issue here: transport. As its a factor my mare is 17hh so is quite big/heavy.

My parents were non-horsey so as a child I couldn't rely on them for transport I had to rely on friends, now I am in my 20s I got my mare last year and she is 11, so I want to get out and about before she gets too old. I currently use a transporter or a friend. The transporter is great but obviously it does get quite pricey and sometimes he is unavailable so I am wanting to look into getting myself my own transport.

I have recently purchased a vehicle - but it is unable to tow anything, so unless someone says otherwise - I'm ruling out towing (its a ford small van). So there are a few other options:
- Stick with transporter and pay each time - and so likely, not go out nearly as much
- Buy a semi-new lorry
- Buy a much older lorry

As I said I am in my 20s so money isn't in high amounts, so if i went for a newer lorry do different places offer payments plans? etc. or is it better to go for a much older and cheaper lorry? At the end of the day, I don't want to go far, just locally, and relatively short distances, don't require living space etc. I just want something to get me to some hunt meets/shows etc and provide me some exciting freedom.

I am a complete novice when it comes to transport and so would like some advice on which option would perhaps best suit, and some idea of costs if anyone can provide that? And any experiences people have with newer or older lorries!

Hopefully someone can help me as I am just a bit lost with it all and can't decide what is best.

Thanks for your help
 
I assume you only have a B licence ?

How about getting a tow car with a GVW about 2000 with a towing capacity of 1500+ along with a lightweight trailer which weighs about 800 empty and is plated (or down plated to) about 1500 which would leave a trailer load of about 700
 
Small hijack...could you give some examples of lightweight trailers of that sort of weight please ROG? I have a max towing weight of just over 1500 and not sure what trailers are lightweight enough and not too pricey. Thanks
 
Butterbear said:
Small hijack...could you give some examples of lightweight trailers of that sort of weight please ROG? I have a max towing weight of just over 1500 and not sure what trailers are lightweight enough and not too pricey. Thanks
Click to expand...
HB 401/403 - 780 empty
Bateson Derby - 675 empty
Cheval Liberte touring one - 750 empty
Those 3 examples can be down plated if necessary by the manufacturers

If on a B only licence with towing vehicle having a GVW of say 2100 then each of those trailers would need to be plated at 1400 max
Deduct empty weight of trailer from 1400 gives the max load weight for the trailer

The towing capacity of the vehicle would also need to be able to tow the total actual weight of the trailer with its load so lets use the cheval at 750 empty with a 500 horse in it - the towing capacity would need to be at least 1250

Cannot help with prices
 
How often are you planning on getting out and about?

The only reason I ask is it might prove more economical if not very frequent to self drive hire. Around me you can get a very swanky 3.5t for £90/100 a day. With deals if you buy multiple hires in advance.

It sounds expensive but if you are going out once a month you are talking £1200 a year, you could very easily be spending that on running your own little lorry anyway (plus you have the initial outlay, depreciation and the odd big unexpected bill).

Longer term when you come to change your vehicle looking for something that goes might be the better option
 
Work out how much it would cost for a transporter over a year and then compare with costs of owning a lorry. You may find its a cheaper option to go with the transporter. If you book far enough ahead that may overcome the not available problem.
 
I’m having a similar thought process at the moment - the difference being I’m looking at transport options to get my teenage daughter and her horse out and about. At the moment we’re using transport provided by the yard owner where she keeps her horse but in the summer he gets very busy and we need to book well in advance and it’s too expensive to justify booking transport for a hack somewhere nice for example.

Self drive hire of a 3.5 lorry isn’t that much more expensive but the main problem I have is factoring in pickup and drop off as none of the companies offering self drive are anywhere near us.

I’ve ruled out buying a lorry as I don’t think I’d be able to get something reliable and safe without spending a lot of money and I don’t think I could justify the expense for a maximum use of once/twice a week.

The best solution for us is to get a single trailer which is well within the weight limit for my car. The single trailers seem to hold their value well so if we decide on a different option later on we can always sell and recoup some of the costs.

I know you said you didn’t want to change your car but I think you’d struggle to find a safe, cheap lorry that won’t cost a fortune to keep on the road
 
Thank you all for your speedy replies!

There are a few transporters around me but I am not aware if any are offering hire, most of them I’ve asked about it (out of curiosity) have said too many lorries get written off that way, so better for business to drive themselves.

My current vehicle has a towing capacity of 500kg and is a vehicle I basically require for work so it’s not easy for me to change that. Is buying a second vehicle and then doing my towing licence cheaper than getting a lorry?

I think I’d use it likely weekly with my current thinking, so I don’t expect to use it more than that, so I don’t want to spend mega buck, but I understand with my horse being heavier (650kgish) that I need to make sure the standards of the lorries are up to scratch.

So if we’re saying that lorry’s are too expensive/not econimically viable for my situation (even the cheap, few grand£ ones), what are the alternatives to towing vehicles, how cheap yet reliable can i get a basic towing vehicle for ?

Again thanks for your help, it’s really appreciated.
 
If you have to have your current van for work then consider buying something like a Ford Mondeo Estate diesel. An ex reps car with high motorway miles should be good for over 150,000 miles (a friend drives a Volvo estate with over 250,000 miles on the clock!). Then get a light trailer as Rog suggests and you don't need to do your B+E at the moment. If you insure the tow car to do a mileage of less than say, 5,000 miles a year that could lower your insurance costs. Other cheap towing vehicles include an early Toyota Rav 4, Honda CRV, Volvo V50 etc. How well it has been looked after is more important than age or mileage.
 
Ahh I hadn’t realised if you passed your test after 1997 there was a way to tow without the test !
Sorry, I’m not very clued up on these things, so what are the requirements for ending the tow test or not needing it? What’s the threshold?
So if I got a vehicle like the above post suggested and a trailer as you suggested I’d be legal and happy? Anyone got any idea on costs of a new vehicle as above and a trailer?

Thanks again!
 
Fluffyponies said:
Ahh I hadn’t realised if you passed your test after 1997 there was a way to tow without the test !
Sorry, I’m not very clued up on these things, so what are the requirements for ending the tow test or not needing it? What’s the threshold?
So if I got a vehicle like the above post suggested and a trailer as you suggested I’d be legal and happy? Anyone got any idea on costs of a new vehicle as above and a trailer?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
To tow a horse trailer on a B licence which you have the simple licence law is this -
The plated GVW of the vehicle added to the plated MAM of the trailer cannot total more than 3500kgs

More explanation and examples in post number 3000 of the HHO TOWING CLINIC - link below in signature
 
Do you know how much your mare weighs, OP? At 17hh you may be limited as to how lightweight a trailer you can get if she's to fit in it and for you to be within the B licence weight limits.

For eg, my chunky 16.1hh ID x has varied between 620kg (too skinny) and 695kg (too fat), with an ideal weight for her of 640-650kg ish.
 
At 17hh you are going to be restricted on your lorry purchases, you will likely have to find a coachbuilt rather than a straight van conversion for the head height and they are significantly more expensive. There are some nice older lorries about that would probably do the job but you will have less choice than others might and it might take a while to find one.
 
ROG said:
HB 401/403 - 780 empty
Bateson Derby - 675 empty
Cheval Liberte touring one - 750 empty
Those 3 examples can be down plated if necessary by the manufacturers

If on a B only licence with towing vehicle having a GVW of say 2100 then each of those trailers would need to be plated at 1400 max
Deduct empty weight of trailer from 1400 gives the max load weight for the trailer

The towing capacity of the vehicle would also need to be able to tow the total actual weight of the trailer with its load so lets use the cheval at 750 empty with a 500 horse in it - the towing capacity would need to be at least 1250

Cannot help with prices
Click to expand...


Thanks ROG, I have the possibility of a 505 but I know it's too heavy for what I need so your guidance is much appreciated, I'll go research to see what I can find.
 
I have an old coachbuilt 3.5t that I paid 5k for, it's very economical to run and significantly more convenient and cheaper than hiring.
Don't rule it out if you're keen to get out regularly, I use mine several times a week. You just need to be in the right place at the right time to find one.

My OH keeps it up together now but I had a tame garage before, it changed my life.
 
I run a second car. It helps that my partner uses it for a 3mile trip to work and back and for chauffeuring the dogs about but I could justify having it just to tow if needs be.

The first one I bought was an old discovery. And I mean old, 1995 old. Completely reliable. Could sit for weeks and then start up in a foot of snow. Would have pulled the house if required! Cost me £750, I ran it for a year until it failed its MOT when I sold it for £500. Spent £0 on maintenance of it, didnt even need to fill the oil I dont think.

Current one is a Nissan Terrano. Chosen as its more car like for driving about in. It cost me £500 with 10 months MOT. I think this one should pass the next MOT with a couple of hundred quid spent on new tyres, but if not I'll sell if for £300 or £400 as an MOT failure and buy another one.

I'm sure at some point I will buy a lemon, but the beauty of buying them so cheap is you dont lose anything on them if you need to sell them on.

The trailer is an old Bahill. Again, cost me next to nothing. I stripped it down to the frame and rebuilt it. Its incredibly lightweight. Size wise its between an Ifor 505 and a 510 and its plated at something ridiculous like 730kgs. It tows beautifully and isnt really a target to be stolen either.

One word of advice if you go for an old trailer, find a mechanic who knows about them. I did everything apart from the brakes and have had nothing but hassle getting the brakes sorted. I finally have found someone who knows what they are doing and I'm about to have a whole new and upgraded brake system put in. Its going to cost less than £300. Once thats finally done I'll have something that I know is completely safe, for about a 1/6 of the cost of a new Ifor.
 
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