what are your horsebox must-haves?

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blood_magik

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as title really as I can't think of anything to add to my checklist for my meetings on Wednesday :)

at the moment I have:

- a/c
- horse shower
- option for mains hook-up
- plenty of storage for tack
- full partitions as Jerry likes to bite his travel buddies :o

What can't you do without?
 
Really consider what you want to do with your horsebox. So many people buy them with shower rooms, full cookers, central heating, generators, huge water tanks etc etc & then all they do is go to day shows & rarely if ever stay away at 2-3 day shows. Apart from the expense with having everything on the lorry you need to consider how much all the gadgets & gizmos are going to eat into the payload. It's not so bad if you are having a HGV because it can carry the weight. If you are having a 7.5 ton then you can find that there is very little payload left after everything is fitted.

I was interested in a beautiful 7.5 ton lorry, stalled for 3 horses & had every conceivable item on it. When I asked about payload I was told the payload was 750kg??????? I thanked them, said they'd got a lovely motorhome but hadn't got a horsebox.

Don't want to preach but be careful waht you have fitted..... ;)
 
Reliable low mileage motor with long test. Proof of recent service history a good bonus too.
Well built body on maintained chassis.
Weight cert to prove unladen kerb weight - and also what payload max.
Ramp to be able to be used by 1 person safely.
Side or rear ramp, tho NOT roadside side ramp.
Partitioning to be more than adequate - nothing to get caught on, nor room to hoick even a nose or toe over it. Must be easy to open with no dodgy bolts or hinges etc.
Through cab - with person access (a MUST for me)

Then.... and only then.....
Fridge (3way), sink & cooker (must have oven, so useful for drying gloves or leaving casserole to re-heat etc)
240 volt hook-up & also space for genny to be carried if there isn't one on board.
Hot & cold water.

Lots more, but those are the priorities to start with......:)

I'd also have adjustable seat, no good just having a fixed seat (as so many seem to have on the small 7.5t boxes - try doing a full days driving when you can't get completely comfy, nightmare for the return trip 3 or more days later!
 
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Look at the chassis and the tyres. Make sure it is mechanically sound!
So many horse people are taken in by a fancy body, paintwork and extras and don't even look at the ancient rusty old chassis it's built on!
Trust me braking down on the motorway because the rusty exhaust pipe has broken off is not fun! Neither is loading the horse up to find the bloody thing won't start!
 
We had ours built by a company called Equitimo in somerset - they were great thay use a piece of software that adds up the weights of all the options as we designed the lorry (kind of like MFI used to do with kitchens!) they told us the weight of the lorry then as we added all the essential items (TV's, LED lighting, Minibar etc etc) we could see the payload getting eaten up, in the end we manages to come to a compromise and even left some room for the horses!!

Was a great experience and after reading all the horror stories on here about lorry builders how have no regard for payloads it was refreshing to use someone who takes it so seriously so early on in the build! Highly recomended!
 
Basically, we have three options:

1) we buy a basic model and spec it up
2) we buy a model that has all the "gadgets" and needs nothing added
3) we custom build.

With options 1 and 3, I have to worry about the effect all my extras will have on my payload, which is why I'm wondering what is essential and what I could do without.
Shame my brain has decided it would rather waste it's energy on Come Dine With Me :rolleyes:

Just so you can kind of see where I'm coming from:
Option 1 would leave me with about 100kg spare once I've spec-ed it up and loaded everything. I've added:
- aircon
- padded extra-height partitions
- mains hook-up
- horse shower
- reversing camera and monitor
- fridge
- electric water supply


Option 2 has a payload of 2T and has pretty much everything I will every need as standard - think LED lights, solar panels, nicer than my house etc etc.

Why is horsebox shopping so difficult? :p
 
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Option 3 allows you to plan it all from the start without having to try and shoe horn your requirements into a box designed for someone else. A good builder will look at everything you want to carry and work with you to make exactly waht you want, with the payload you need!
 
My main must have would be a solid safe horse area with good partitions, then a cut through from the cab and storage for tack and a basic day living.

Im a bit confused in the difference in payload between your option 1 and 2. I would have thought the all singing dancing option 2 would have less payload than the basic option 1??

If option 2 gives you 2t payload, everything you could possibly want and its in your budget then I would go for that.
 
xuvious said:
Option 3 allows you to plan it all from the start without having to try and shoe horn your requirements into a box designed for someone else. A good builder will look at everything you want to carry and work with you to make exactly waht you want, with the payload you need!
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At a heart-attack-inducing price :D
I have a meeting with two builders in Preston on Wednesday - Helios and Profile.
Helios is option 2 and Profile is option 3

http://www.kevinparkerhorseboxesltd.co.uk/
http://www.profilecoachbuilders.com/
 
Louby said:
Im a bit confused in the difference in payload between your option 1 and 2. I would have thought the all singing dancing option 2 would have less payload than the basic option 1??
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They are by different manufacturers. I guess they use different materials? :confused:
As much as I like the helios, is it going to be worth the extra £19k if it's not going to be slept in and probably only used once a week? :confused:
 
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wilted_spinach said:
I've been there and it was great, for years. Now I have all the bells and whistles and let me tell you I LIKE my bells and whistles!

No pop-out and no jacuzzi yet though!
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lol - i would absolutely love bells and whistles but sadly my salary says i'm only allows a triangle and a penny flute!!

:D:D
 
Paint Me Proud said:
lol - i would absolutely love bells and whistles but sadly my salary says i'm only allows a triangle and a penny flute!!

:D:D
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My dad's very fussy when it comes to buying things :p
He would rather spend the money on quality than skimp on something that could fall apart once it's driven out of the dealership hence the reason why I'm looking at helios.
Unfortunately I couldn't stretch him to look at the prestige windsor that I was drooling over :D
 
blood_magik said:
At a heart-attack-inducing price :D
I have a meeting with two builders in Preston on Wednesday - Helios and Profile.
Helios is option 2 and Profile is option 3

http://www.kevinparkerhorseboxesltd.co.uk/
http://www.profilecoachbuilders.com/
Click to expand...

We looked at both those companies and olympic and annard when we had ours built, we were pretty much set on an annard but by chance we saw http://www.equitimo.com at a show and they seemed to offer all the bells and whistles for a lot less that the £60,000 odd that other builders were looking for a high spec new build, we were sceptical at first but they have totally come up with the goods we now have a stunning 7.5t box, with plenty of toys excellent finish and quality and saved enough for a pint and a packet of chips!!
 
xuvious - I've just had a wee look at the map and it's a 6hr drive to somerset from glasgow :p I'm dreading the 3hr drive to Preston already
Their lorries look lovely though :D
 
Sounds like you have a busy day on your hands 6hrs would be a killer!! (Though worth it if you ended up saving money!) Are all the good horsebox builders 'down south'?
 
It would appear so, unfortunately :(

There are a few dealers and I've been to see one of them (others didn't have anything suitable).

The dealer I saw had my option 1 lorry so we've decided to take the plunge and drive down for the day to compare and see about a custom build.

I think my dad has already made up his mind though :p
 
Well best of luck with it all! Dont forget the jacuzzi! Now wilted_spinnach has suggested that in never going to be able to look at my box again without thinking 'if only id asked'!!! lol :-)
 
Aoibhin said:
4 wheels, solid floor & ramp & an engine that runs smoothly.
im easy really :)
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This.

Minus the engine because horse lorries are as rare as rocking horse poo where I live:) and preferably a 5th wheel not bumper pull.

For everyday use they have to put up with the 18' stock wagon with partitions and step up into it. For nights away, ours is only a two horse straight, doors on both sides, but heaps of room in front for tack and has basic living, bunk, microwave, TV, solar charged batteries supply all our power or we have a hook up. Plenty enough to stay away for 2 or 3 nights. The horse either stays in a pen under the canopy or we use the trailer as a loose box. No horse shower though, horse has to rough it with an old fashioned bucket of water and a sponge ;)

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I can't quite warrant spending $40,000 on one of these though. (Jacuzzi is extra ;))

http://www.fletchershorseworld.com/trailers/bison.html
 
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http://www.dmhorseboxes.co.uk

Definately worth a call. He's a character but IMO builds a very high quality horsebox. They arent cheap but very good and not much further than you are going.
He does do 7.5t too. I had a basic one and my friend had a luxury one but without the awful ramp gates he has shown on his website :eek:
 
Louby said:
http://www.dmhorseboxes.co.uk

Definately worth a call. He's a character but IMO builds a very high quality horsebox. They arent cheap but very good and not much further than you are going.
He does do 7.5t too. I had a basic one and my friend had a luxury one but without the awful ramp gates he has shown on his website :eek:
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You're right - not too far from where we're going. I might send him an email and see if he has anything we could look at
 
I have had a peek at several Helios lorries when I have seen them out competing and they are really nice, the people who have them have all said how pleased they are with them, and how great the chap is - he has them back to do anything you need.
Just far too much money for me :D We have gone for a Geoff Baines who I would have thought would have been closer to you.

The number 1 important thing for me was weight, and no. 2 was not having tack lockers in the horse part, everything else a nice to have.
 
mil1212 said:
I have had a peek at several Helios lorries when I have seen them out competing and they are really nice, the people who have them have all said how pleased they are with them, and how great the chap is - he has them back to do anything you need.
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that's the sort of thing I like to hear :D
If we're spending what I think we're going to spend, then I would like to think that any issues would be dealt with right away
 
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