what do you think of these 3.5ton lorries please?

In all honesty? Hate them! They make me feel claustrophobic just looking at them and I cannot see how that is a 17hand horse in there! I would go for the proper 3.5 tonne horsebox, I bought mine from these people, unseen and they delivered it to me and took mine away on pex http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/mark...ls-horses-trailers-and-horse-boxes_216493.htm sorry I can't find any on their website but if you type in regent you'll find more. It was a toss up buying from them and the chap from Notts - he just didn't have what I wanted at the time.
 
I think they are fine - I have one due to my drive (thatched cottage on one side with a low roof) that means I need the slanting sides, as I can't get the square sort up it. My 16.2 goes in absolutely fine, and travels very well in it. I can't see a problem - there isn't quite as much room around his head, but he doesn't seem to mind it.

The good thing is that they tend to be lighter (mine has a 1.3 ton payload meaning I could carry two horses if I was very, very careful about what else I carried - although I never actually do).

Good luck
 
Sorry to say, but I agree with LochPearl......personal preference I know, but I wouldn't own one, nor would I allow my horse to travel in one.

I dislike them for the following reasons:

1. There are only 2 windows.....not sufficient ventilation to circulate air
2. Lots of horses hate the top part of the ramp that lifts up. and which they have to duck under to load....if resisting loading, very likely to hit head too. Makes inside look dark and claustraphobic...not inviting at all.
3. Very narrow.....each partition is only 2'10"......certainly wouldn't be wide enough for my 16.3hh middleweight to stand and spread his legs as he likes to.
4. 7'2" is too low IMO for height for a decent sized horse
5. Likewise, 7'2" length means they are sandwiched in.
6. The option of having a shelf over the tack area means the horse can't stretch his head and neck down to balance or release muscle fatigue.
7. Everything is lightweight.......IMO not built to last or withstand the odd kick.

I know they are cheap, but if you have a £10.5K budget you could pick up a really decent second hand lorry, which IMO would be safer and give a better ride to the horse.

Only my view.......
 
I hate these boxes- they are far too small imo if you are travelling a horse (as opposed to pony) and if I was having a 3.5t I would rather go for a secondhand coach built one.
 
I'm afraid I wouldn't travel my horse in one of those van conversions :(. They are really lightweight and there was a horror story regarding a van like that at one of my local venues where a horse panicked, pretty much destroyed the van in the process and had to be pts :(.

As has been mentioned I would get a 3.5ton proper horsebox built or buy a decent 2nd hand one.
 
Aren't the Movano and the Master the same chassis anyway?! It's just the luton which makes the pic of the second lorry appear more 'box' like?
We hire a Theault and I'm pleased with it. Not all open upwards, the top part above the ramp folds back either side - just depends how the company converts them.
 
Personally hate them. Used to have an old transit box, hated that too! For anything other than a 14.2 or under I wouldnt touch either of these type of 3.5T boxes. They are not particularly stable, every horse of a bigger size I have seen at shows in them looks really miserable and squished in.

Why dont you go for a 5 or 6 ton? - I have a lovely vw 5 TONNE, will take up to two horses, with living and not huge either. If you need to take your test I guarantee it will be worth it from a comfort point of view for you and your horse, not to mention the safety aspect.

These van conversations are great for minis or ponies but once you start talking serious horse size even at 15.2hh not the safest or most practical.
 
sorry just read above that you have 10.5k budget! serious dont waste your time with van type junk!! Take your test and get coachbuilt box made for the purpose, even a 3.5T coachbuilt little lorry is affordable on that budget!!
 
We hired one to go to the PC Champs in 2009 as our old 7.5tonne would never have made it all the way there (nearly 5 hours travelling!).

We didn't like the facxt that we couldn't see what our horse was doing at all, especially as she was kicking the wall every time something overtook us... She didn't sweat at all and was pretty chilled on arrival, but she had kicked the wall adjoining the cab and where she was hard enough to leave an imprint of her hood, including the stud holes!

It drive and handle really well though, and potentially if you could rig up some form of CCTV it might be ok? On second thoughts- I'm not sure if CS would fit in it! Ellie was quite small, and fitted well...

Gratuitous picture of pony and jockey chilling at a petrol station in said lorry: you could fit a LOT of stuff in there!
P8160232.jpg
 
personally dont like them. saw one today and until you are next to them ,they dont look like a horsebox and i dont think other drivers would respect it. i would rather a trailer than one of them .
 
Sorry afraid I have to agree with the 'dont likers'. If you had a small pony then Id think about it but they look like sardines in a can to me. Also theres no way on earth my horse would load into it, its too claustophobic looking.
Second the Regent 3.5t though. Ive seen a few and they are very nice. Ive dealt with them too and they were fantastic genuine people.
 
Lolo said:
We hired one to go to the PC Champs in 2009 as our old 7.5tonne would never have made it all the way there (nearly 5 hours travelling!).

We didn't like the facxt that we couldn't see what our horse was doing at all, especially as she was kicking the wall every time something overtook us... She didn't sweat at all and was pretty chilled on arrival, but she had kicked the wall adjoining the cab and where she was hard enough to leave an imprint of her hood, including the stud holes!

It drive and handle really well though, and potentially if you could rig up some form of CCTV it might be ok? On second thoughts- I'm not sure if CS would fit in it! Ellie was quite small, and fitted well...

Gratuitous picture of pony and jockey chilling at a petrol station in said lorry: you could fit a LOT of stuff in there!
P8160232.jpg
Click to expand...

That one looks much bigger and squarer than the first link op shown?? Is it the same sort of build?
 
we regually use one to take our boy to shows & he loves it & i can drive it on my licence as i passed 3 days the wrong side of cut off for the old licence legislation :(
but on saying that my boy is only 11h & travelled but travelled with a 14h3 & she had loads of space too.
the ones we hire have a sort of inverted hay rack in front of head area to stop them trying to go over breast bar (not that my boy could reach if he tried) oh and the top doors open barn style.
 
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I think so- a van conversion?

I think it looks a lot bigger because it's holding a little pony and a small-ish person and a lot of stuff!
 
I have one from Bonningtons and it is fantastic. If a horse kicks off in there it doesn't bother me (and I am a cautious traveller) as it is reinforced. The only difference between mine and another on the yard is that theirs is coachbuilt and mine is using the existing van. The chassis is exactly the same. Both of my girls (and trendybraincell's Shadow) travel well in it and I wouldn't put them in anything that risked their safety. My main concern about that company would be if the partition was solid enough - I have a big solid partition that goes to the floor.
 
Sorry I hate them, deathtraps! If they are properly reinforced to withstand horse kicks, rears, etc. and stop the horse from landing on your lap in an accident, and stop a car from driving straight through it in an accident, then they have no payload whatsoever left over and their engine capacity is tiny.

Best thing you can get is a 6 tonne, custom built, with a 2 tonne plus payload, that will be able to take two horses easily and allow you to have day living as well.
 
Booboos said:
Best thing you can get is a 6 tonne, custom built, with a 2 tonne plus payload, that will be able to take two horses easily and allow you to have day living as well.
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If you use 2k of your budget to take your test though you aren't going to get someone to make you a box with what's left though surely? Out of interest how much does a conversion cost? I have literally no idea!
 
I used to like them alot, but slowly changing my mind. I think they are fine for ponies, but I wouldn't want to put anything over 15hh in one. I also wish that they would come with a double cab (maybe some do?) so I can actually fit the whole family in, rather than just 'groom'. I believe most horses travel well and more relaxed facing backwards, so it seems a good idea in theory.
 
jesstickle said:
If you use 2k of your budget to take your test though you aren't going to get someone to make you a box with what's left though surely? Out of interest how much does a conversion cost? I have literally no idea!
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I don't know how much it costs to ungrade from car to up to 7.5 tonne licence. 2k does sound like a lot, but if that's the price you have to pay to be able to drive a safe lorry, then unfortunately it is a cost that has to be budgeted in.

Conversions can cost as much as you like. I imagine you can do a DIY job with a couple of thousand pounds or you can have a top spec job for a 100,000 pounds! For a two horse, day living, 6 tonne vehicle decent brand new conversion you might need to pay 10k, but you could pick up a decent second hand horsebox for 10k as well.
 
I would much rather have my old, rusty, paint peeling 6ton Renault Dodge 50 than one of these - I travel a 17.1hh Dutch Warmblood in mine (herringbone) and whilst it may take longer to get there I know that my horse will be safe. Yes these 'vans' look nice and will probably carry your horse just about, but once you add together the horse, tack, water, passenger, driver etc you may find you will go over the payload. Sorry to say this but I totally agree with the disliker's. Personally I would use that sort of money for a decent secondhand 6 ton lorry - there are some out there, just take your time and whatever you do take a reliable mechanic to check it out before you hand over any money
 
im not a fan really, unless you only have diddy ponies in them, they look sooo small, they look like if you have one horse in they might wobble??? They probably dont but for the same money you could get a more substantial box for your horses, or maybe you need to get a 3.5 due to licence regs, but honestly i think when you add a good 15'2 wb or similar plus kit i recon it would be a fine line in terms of weight!!!!
 
The box in lolo's post looks very much like a Theault which I love. They are fab to drive and the top doors open like a cupboard so nothing for heads to hit on if they are a bit fussy to load . Personally wouldn't touch the other conversions - I tried to load mine in a friends and the ramp bowed and he then hit his head - wouldn't load after and I ended up with a Monty Roberts associate helping me to get him back in a lorry. Marlborough Hunter (I think ) are nice boxes as well.
 
No way can that horse be 17hh! I have been next to a box at a show which looked almost identical and even with 17.1hh pickle standing next to it I could see he would have had to duck to get in it!
 
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