What horsebox shall I get for up to £5000?

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Kezza

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I am having to part with my ifor williams trailer as my boy won;t load very well in it, he hates it basically so it's got to go (he loves horseboxes, drags me onto them). Plus I cannot reverse it no matter how hard I try. I have up to £5000 to spend and can drive up to 7.5 ton non hgv. I wouls like something with a little living if poss and the ability to carry 3 ponies ideally. What is a good box to buy as I ahve only ever had a renault master box before so not sure what is good. I have seen a bedford 750 for sale which seems to be a bargain at £3000 for a B reg. are bedfords ok? What should I be looking out for, I assume the floors will be wood so I need to check fro rotting, will they all have power steering and air brakes at that size? how much does plating cost? Thanks!
 
Avoid Bedfords as part few and far between. Go for a Cargo, but check for welding needed under cab
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My ol E-reg Cargo was £6000
 
bedfords are highly nickable as parts can be difficult to obtain although having said that my old one is still sat in my rather dodgy neighbourhood, i keep hoping! .
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not sure when they put power steering in them but mine is 30 yr old and definately doesnt have PS, but i have arms like popeye.
ive got a ford cargo now, its stalled for 4 ponies or 3 horses BUT its unladen weight is 6.6 ton so no way can you put 4 in it unless they are all shetlands!
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they are the only two i have first hand experience of so probably not much use. sorry
 
bedfords can be a bugger to get parts for, your best bet would be a merc of some soet, easy to get parts, good engines and not as prone to rot as ford cargo's, you should find something decent with a buget of 5k. if you don't mind me asking what model is your trailer and have you sold it yet and where are you based??
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Agree with lilym.We have a ford cargo ,very rusty for an F reg but otherwise has been a good box.Before that we had an old bedford TK,it was great started everytime in winter.
 
Try to get either a Leyland Roadrunner/ DAF45 or a Ford Cargo/Iveco as the parts on these are easily available and they are fairly cheap to run.
VWMan are very good value if you can get one in your price range but they can be expensive to repair, but they dont often go wrong!
Sorry no definitive answer just personal experience really.
ETS Bedfords should really be avoided as most parts are obsolete now, and TKs deffo dont have power steering.
Also try to look for front disc brakes rather than drum brakes, the drum brakes are really sharp and not good for inexperienced lorry drivers!
 
Go for a Cargo as parts are fairly cheap and easy to get. The cabs tend to rot out though, so check for rust/holes round the wheel arches and underneath and the bottom of the doors. Make sure the lorry has a long plate and that it has been maintained by a reputable garage/mechanic. If going for a Cargo, make sure you go for a 6 cyl (obviously diesel) engine. It should definitely have power steering. Make sure the horse area is the right size for your horses and don't take the seller's word on the measurements - take a tape measure! The floor will be wooden and should have rubber matting on it - if so make sure you lift the mats and check the floor for signs of rot, my husband takes a tiny screwdriver and pokes any suspect bits. If it is granulistic, you will have to crawl underneath and also check the distance between the steel supports - some of them are as much as 3ft apart, which is too much IMHO. Take someone who knows about mechanics with you to have a look as well. It is a bit of a minefield - we have been looking recently and, after looking at 20 boxes, in the end upped our budget considerably and bought a second hand one from a specialist horsebox builder. Good luck
 
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bedfords can be a bugger to get parts for, your best bet would be a merc of some soet, easy to get parts, good engines and not as prone to rot as ford cargo's, you should find something decent with a buget of 5k. if you don't mind me asking what model is your trailer and have you sold it yet and where are you based??
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Trailer is £2500, I am in Kent, just off of junction 3 of the M25.
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