Yet another blooming 3.5 ton horsebox thread (sorry!)

[Boulty]

Sorry guys I know there's a lot of these about at the moment. Basically I'm probably searching with a budget that's perhaps not really big enough to get exactly what I want due to how crazy prices have gotten (I want the champagne lifestyle on the lemonade budget! Am astounded that 20+ year old boxes are going for more now than when I bought one in 2016 which is erm a little bit mental! Saw a 2003 Marlborough up for 18k the other week, think they had to reduce to sell but still, wow!) so am looking for inspiration, ideas & rough prices to carry out said ideas.

My main issue is that as I plan to stay away in said box about once a month in the warmer months I'd like a bed in the back. (ok so in an ideal world I'd love a coachbuilt with totally closed off back area, external tack locker & internal wardrobe that also has space to squeeze a bed in... am aware that anything like this anywhere near my budget which is not rotting to pieces / otherwise broken would be unicorn poo & really I'm not going to find it!) I've seen the odd one come up with bed but they've mostly been out of my budget & have also seen a friend's box with this included which had basically super high storage boxes over the wheel arches & then a section that folded down to fit between them. Just wondered if anyone had any examples of other ways of doing this (with photos) & rough idea of price to do it to give me some ideas when I'm looking at boxes that don't really have much in the back. Bonus points if anyone has a design that still allows for a door between the horse area & tack area (extra bonus points if idea would work in a van conversion). Also what do people tend to do with their saddle if they do this?

Also does anyone have a vague idea how much it tends to cost to have things like extra windows & roof vents added? (I've been discounting several that look poorly ventilated as the Fuzzball does tend towards getting a bit warm in transit so I want plenty of airflow but maybe if this would be an easy thing to fix I shouldn't be if they're cheap enough to do the work to)

 

[tda]

If it didnt have space over the cab for a bed, you could hang a hammock in the horse area ?

 

[cold_feet]

I just give it a good scrub and have a memory foam mattress on a layer of polythene in the horse area. Ok so long as the b****r doesn't wee on the journey out! (He hasn’t yet, but there’s bound to be a first time).

 

[Identityincrisis]

Can't advise on sleeping arrangements as if i did want to stay away, i would just put a camp bed in the horse area.

My box had poor ventilation but better than a lot I've seen recently. I have a handy dad who fitted a roof vent and a ceiling fan which has made the biggest difference, he used to get really hot but much better since adding the fan

 

[phizz4]

Why not get a drive away awning, something like this?
https://www.attwoolls.co.uk/outwell-milestone-shade-air-driveaway-awning
They come in all shapes and sizes.

 

[Abacus]

If you get the sort that has two parallel bench seats, you could simply cut a thick piece of hardboard to fit across them, the full width of the van, and add a foam mattress on top. If you only take one horse, you could find a way to store this in the horse area when travelling, either inside the ramp or ideally on the far side of the horse so that it isn't in the way until you need it. It wouldn't add a lot of weight.

 

[ycbm]

I had a hole cut into the tack locker on the side and prop a fold up first aid stretcher between the bench and the tack locker. The stretcher folds up really small but is very strong.





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[Suncat]

I stay away in my van conversion for a couple of weekends in the summer, so less than you plan to - I keep the horse area clean anyway, but as soon as we arrive somewhere I rinse the back section with jeyes fluid and shift the partition to one side (I have fittings for this). Once dry I pop a big picnic blanket over the matting and pop my super comfortable folding camp bed up, which was sat in the cab footwell before that. Super camp bed cost about £40 but a basic one is much cheaper - I'd recommend putting a little space between you and the floor in a horse box
Why pay a few £1000 premium and the payload for facilities you use a few times a year when you can add it occasionally?
My weekender kit also includes a folding chair, solar and battery lights, small camping stove, kettle, etc. All fits into the cab for travel. I'm only travelling one horse so no weight concerns for me.

Regarding ventilation, I added a spinning vent for a couple of £100 and two side windows for a few hundred, but this was a few years ago. But, worth considering - not a big spend to improve and otherwise great box if you find one.

Also.... do you need the box right now? A month or a few months may well see the prices drop a bit to a LOT. The recent financial problems are far reaching and major, a lot of folks will be affected in many ways and it's almost inevitable that the general prices of 'luxuries' like horse boxes will be impacted.

good luck!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I too stay away 2 or 3 times a year in my 3.5.
As per others, clean out immediately Fuzzy is off. I dont move partition completely as I have it quite wide, but push it right over to ramp at opening end and it stays put when I put my travel case against it.

I use one of these Camp bed with a light foam cushion over. It takes 2 mins to get it up.
If v hot weather, I use an old duvet cover as a bottom sheet, then a duvet over the top.
A travel holdall takes duvet, spare cover, pillow etc and the camp bed folds easily into a drawstring bag. All (and foam mattress) go in the luton, plus an old fluffy mat that I have beside my bed.
V comfortable even for an old bird like me!

My personal bits and bobs and non riding clothes go in a small wheelie case which then goes on the floor of the cab in the passenger side to travel, as do spare shoes, boots etc. (Wheelie case then doubles as bedside table for watch, phone, head torch etc)

Ref box prices, mine is apparently only worth about a grand less than it was when I had it built in 2012!

 

[Boulty]

I've done sleeping in the horse area before with previous box. My allergies did not enjoy it & it wasn't particularly comfortable & also found being closer to the floor quite cold so looking for a better solution. Don't want an awning as it's one more thing to have to put up & take down in the pissing rain that normally comes with weekends away in this country. I'm intrigued by the stretcher idea & guess I could look at typical camp bed dimensions but I get the feeling things already in the back would get in the way in most boxes hence looking at what I can do to work around what might already be there.

As for why I want it now it's going to become necessary in the next few months if I want to continue having lessons & keep bringing on young horse as have had to move somewhere with no arena access & obviously the field will become unusable for a while at some point until we've got better weather again. Also have had 3 not great hiring experiences in a row so am sort of wanting the convenience of my own again (1 breakdown, 1 that I suspect had an undiagnosed engine issue despite hirer's assurances it was normal plus had a dodgy back door, 1 where I had a nearly 3 hour journey home after taking it back due to road closures)

 

[alsxx]

Have you looked at the travel two boxes, they will customise something to your needs? It depends what your budget is, but I had one built by them as the price of second hand was insane. I could easily sell mine here in the south east for more than I paid for it. My horse area and tack area are totally separated by walls and a door, and if someone was clever they could put some kind of fold down in the back to lie on I suspect.

 

[Red-1]

I have a battery powered blower, so can sweep out as soon as we arrive then blow the remnants so it is clean. I then have a sprung but foldable camp bed and a proper foam mattress, not a camping one. The one I use is 3' wide so a normal single width. Camping mattresses are cold, the proper one is thicker depthwise and keeps the cold out. I also adorn my sleeping space with a further curtain to keep it warm.

I use a plastic sheet at the bottom as the fan blower lets the odd drip in.

It has been really comfortable!

I could have a proper living one but prefer this as it is compact for normal use but fine for 4 camping trips this year, longest was 4 nights. I do need showers externally though, and cooking facilities or food provided.

Having permanent sleeping / cooking facilities would all add to the weight as well as the cost. I like the look of YCBM's stretcher, but mow I am older I prefer a sprung base and thick mattress.