Transport options

[Jango]

Sorry this has probably been done to death... but now you dont need a test for a trailer, I wanted some opinions from people who have gone from a 7.5t to a trailer. Or people who have taken to plunge with finance for better transport.

I currently have an 2002 7.5t iveco which is fab and I have my C1 license. However my mechanic advised due to age it will likely start having some big bills in the medium term. I've had it 3.5 years now.

I am really struggling with what to do!

Option 1: sell my car, sell my lorry and get a trailer and tow car. This is the financially sensible option and I could get a decent set up with no debt, but 1. I don't want a big, slow, heavy car. I only do around 9,000 miles a year now, but I love my 2l petrol volvo hatchback.. it's quick, comfortable, easy to park and a fab reliable car 2. I am pretty much always on my own, I'm 5'2, not particularly strong and worried I won't be able to hitch up/reverse on my own. If I can't realistically go alone, then this isnt a viable option.

Option 2: sell my lorry, buy another 7.5t lorry that's 4 years newer for a comparable price to the first one, run that for a few years and repeat. But risk getting a dud and ending up with big bills.. this would require around 6k loan (which would be easy to obtain)

Option 3: keep my box, pay the repair costs as they happen. Better the devil you know! But at what point are you throwing good money on something that's past its best?

Option 4: sell my box, Get a 3.5t, I don't think you get many decent ones for under 15k? So would need around a 9k loan, but should be cheaper to run and maintain.

I probably go out 3-4 times a month, farm rides, clinics, hacking, shows etc. Tbh I mostly go on my own, sometimes have a friend jump in maybe once a month. My current lorry is my first time ever having transport and I love the freedom! So no transport isn't an option I'm considering.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Could you hire or borrow a trailer and see how you get on with hitching up by yourself ? I've got a camera from Amazon that I stick to the back of my car when hitching up , it helps me reverse right into the spot I need.
You don't need to be particularly strong to hitch up so I'm sure you'd be fine with it.
Getting a trailer and tow vehicle would be the most economical option so I'd be inclined to go for that.
Ongoing maintenance and repair bills of a decent trailer are nothing compared to the cost of maintaining a box.

 

[Jango]

Thank you! So my current car doesn't have a tow bar and won't tow anyways, so unfortunately I can't borrow a trailer and see

All my friends have either 7.5 or 3.5 lorries so nobody to ask. I guess I might be able to have a lesson in trailer towing somewhere and see?

 

[gallopingby]

Trailers have improved so much and continue to do so making it much easier to hitch up these days, but it’s really handy NOT having to hitch up every time you want to go somewhere. With a lorry you can keep everything in situ and so can just load and go most of the time.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Yes book a towing lesson and ask them to include hitching. A friendly trailer dealership might allow you to try on one of theirs too?

 

[Steerpike]

I'm only 5ft 2 and can hitch up my Cheval trailer on my own.

 

[TheMule]

Trailer hitching and towing is pretty easy, once you get the knack! It certainly isn’t a physical chore, you just have to be good at lining it up well.
I have a nice neat towing car- a Ford Kuga- it's plenty meaty enough to tow one horse in a double Ifor Williams but it's normal car size and doesn’t cost a fortune to run.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Reversing cameras are your friend for hitching up a trailer . Got them for the first time on our latest 64 plate Shogun, and they are a revelation.

You don’t need a huge car to tow just one horse. The Skoda Octavia 4x4 (our other car) is a great and practical medium sized estate car, and it is awesome both at towing and general driving inc motorways, where it gives 55mpg+. We’ve got the Scout version, which has a raised ride height cf the standard Octavia.

 

[TPO]

I had a 3.5t previously then switched to towing after the test was scrapped (not for thst reason, just how timings worked out).

I surprised myself by preferring towing to driving the 3.5t. I felt safer and found it much less stressful.

I towed with a 2018 2l kia sportage (2.2t towing capacity). I loved driving it as my normal car and really regret selling it.

I had an ifor 511 initially. It was stored in the shed so to hitch up or park it I had to reverse past my dad's abandoned flatbed trailer on one side, a vintage massey ferguson on the other, a ride on lawn mower at the door, various "essentials" that dad left scattered about like bits of wood and buckets of rubble . Then there was only a small space beside the tackroom for it to be parked because space had to be left for his other tractor and trailer (& ferret hutch). So I got a lot of practice from the get go at reversing. Lots of stopping to figure out what hand I need to put down to move the trailer in th4 desired direction, usually while dad shouted helpful hints like "right hand down, right hand down, no I meant left". All character building!

If you can set out cones and practice at home to build your confidence.

I found it easy to hitch up and the reversing camera definitely helped!

I sold the ifor and got a new Cheval Liberte, the one with the tackroom. I absolutely hated everything about it. It felt flimsy to tow, there wasn't as much space, the ramp and tackroom being on the "wrong" side made it awkward and the inside felt cheap and light (in a bad way) and no good/safe tie up points. I know some people love them and it was partially the good reviews on here that made me get one but I hated it. So if you're tempted be very thorough before purchase.

I sold mine as decided to get something bigger with a small living and a bigger toe car, but then the horse spent all the money on a leg injury so I've been transportless ever since.

 

[rabatsa]

This summer I have been hitching up a trailer several times a week to commute ponies for the RDA. Practice certainly helps but I also invested in a https://www.isuzu.co.uk/accessories/towing-load-carrying/quick-hitch-trailer-guide-ball-pin-2021/

 

[w1bbler]

Hitching up is no problem with a reversing camera, no strength is involved.
I can happily do that bit & driving forward, reversing is however still a mystery to me.
As others have suggested, book a trailer driving lesson & see how you get on. If you can do the manoeuvring, then go for trailer & tow car.

 

[Northern Hare]

Can you have a second opinion on the current mechanical state of your horsebox? The things that may go wrong in the near/mid future may not be all that financially onerous. Your other options are probably going to cost a fair bit, so if you're happy with your current lorry, it may be a case of "better the devil you know".

I've had a custom built 3.5t but on a used chassis. It was fantastic when I was using it at least weekly but once that reduced it was a very costly expense with things seizing or failing, and generally letting me down.

Also if you like to be able to take out more than one horse, even occasionally, payload is a very real issue on 3.5t boxes so I'd definitely recommend doing your research if you choose to go down the 3.5t route.

I changed to an IWT 505 trailer and SUV with 2t. towing capacity, and it was really great. I had a long standing mental block of reversing trailers, so I took a day's training in my own car/trailer with an HGV instructor, and it was a revelation!

Btw, his v. easy method for reversing a trailer is so simple!

Sit facing forward. Hands at the bottom half of steering wheel. Start reversing very slowly, and if you want to see the trailer come round into your right wing mirror, move your hands to the right a bit, and vice versa. Simples!

We used to use the trailer for all sorts, which included reversing into a collection bay in a packed IKEA carpark on a Saturday afternoon, and I you could see all the customers thinking to themselves that this was going to be very messy, but I was really pleased when I did it first time!

 

[VRIN]

I have had your dilemma - and probably still do... but decided to stick with my 7.5tonne. I have hired a couple of 3.5 trucks but they don't have the storage space of my larger truck and don't feel as robust. I looked at changing to a newer wagon - TBH I don't think a 4 year newer box will make a significant difference to you in terms of repairs and you don't have the advantage of knowing how it has been maintained - the cost of anything more recent is eye watering!! You can pay for a lot of repairs with the difference!! I dismissed the trailer idea as I didn't want the horse in a 'separate' part.

 

[catembi]

I would try reversing a trailer before you decide, if you know anyone with a car + trailer who would let you try reversing it in their yard. I have had 4 x 7.5 ton & am now on my first 3.5 ton. Before the first 7.5 ton I had a trailer & OMG I could NOT get the hang of it. I STILL can't reverse quad + grader even a foot without it going horribly wrong. I will try Northern Hare's method the next time I get the quad out, but for me the whole thing is simply an almighty mind-boggle & when I was out in the trailer, I was very conscious that I could only go forwards, & could only park somewhere if I could get out again forward. (I am ancient, so could drive 7.5 ton or trailer on a car licence - possibly unwisely in the case of a trailer...)

 

[tda]

I had a trailer for years, it's not hard to hitch / unhitch but as everyone says you do need to be able to reverse.
I can reverse no problem with trailer on, but OMG trying to explain to young friend what to do....... My brain explodes

 

[Steerpike]

Can you have a second opinion on the current mechanical state of your horsebox? The things that may go wrong in the near/mid future may not be all that financially onerous. Your other options are probably going to cost a fair bit, so if you're happy with your current lorry, it may be a case of "better the devil you know".

I've had a custom built 3.5t but on a used chassis. It was fantastic when I was using it at least weekly but once that reduced it was a very costly expense with things seizing or failing, and generally letting me down.

Also if you like to be able to take out more than one horse, even occasionally, payload is a very real issue on 3.5t boxes so I'd definitely recommend doing your research if you choose to go down the 3.5t route.

I changed to an IWT 505 trailer and SUV with 2t. towing capacity, and it was really great. I had a long standing mental block of reversing trailers, so I took a day's training in my own car/trailer with an HGV instructor, and it was a revelation!

Btw, his v. easy method for reversing a trailer is so simple!

Sit facing forward. Hands at the bottom half of steering wheel. Start reversing very slowly, and if you want to see the trailer come round into your right wing mirror, move your hands to the right a bit, and vice versa. Simples!

We used to use the trailer for all sorts, which included reversing into a collection bay in a packed IKEA carpark on a Saturday afternoon, and I you could see all the customers thinking to themselves that this was going to be very messy, but I was really pleased when I did it first time!

I googled reversing when I first started towing and this came up along with bottom of steering wheel for the back of trails and top of steering wheel for the front, easy to remember and has made my life a lot easier!

 

[humblepie]

What is your lorry like - is it one where the horsebox body could be lifted onto a new chassis? I did that years ago, bought a chassis, had a bit chopped off the end to the right length, then the horsebox part put onto it. That may be not be possible or financially viabale - when I did this, the older lorry needed work that wasn't financially viable and it wasn't sellable as it was.

 

[webble]

What about a single trailer and keeping your current car?

 

[Jango]

Thanks everyone! Looks like I need to book a trailer driving trial soon I guess I also need to look into some car options. An SUV type plus a trailer but just travel one could be a reasonable option, just need to investigate a bit more!

 

[McFluff]

I went from trailer to (4.5t) lorry. Best decision ever (for me). I like bigger cars so still have the tow car, so that wasn’t a factor for me.

Since getting the lorry I’ve gone out more, travelled further (now happy on motorways, which I hated towing on), gone out on my own a lot more and gone out in the dark. When on my own, the lorry is just much easier and quicker to do.

As others have said hitching isn’t necessarily physical. However, I moved from a smooth yard to one where the parking area is uneven. Hitching and unhitching could take one minute or 15 minutes (and lots of swearing) if the angles were wrong. And putting the wheel lock on defeated me more than once… (others at the yard find the same, so this isn’t me being feeble!). This was not an issue when parking on a smooth surface though.

I found reversing fine - at old (smooth!) yard I had a challenging park, so got good at it (the tip above is brill). However, the whole outfit was long, so I used to worry about arriving to unknown places or to places that could be busy. A 3point turn in a trailer is not my idea of fun. Now I’ll happily rock up to unknown places as easy to park and turn, even on my own.

In summary, for me, trailer would be my last resort. I’ll always be grateful to the years I had with mine, but don’t miss it at all. I’d look at options to keep a lorry, but I’d stay out of the 3.5t space as that just seems expensive (and the majority just can’t take two horses), especially as you can drive the heavier ones.

Also worth considering- as you currently use a lorry, do you know how your horse is in trailer?

 

[YourValentine]

On towing & car options you could get a larger towing vehicle and a small run about?

 

[PeterNatt]

From a safety point of view a 7.5 Ton every time!