Your perfect Box Help/Advice/inspiration needed for 3.5T horsebox conversion

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WelshTilly

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Hi All

I'm looking to do a 3.5 horsebox conversion, Ideally a rear load herringbone with some living so looking for a Luton to give me the bed above etc.I just want something that will do me for a night / 2nights max, I need some inspiration so if you would be kind enought to post some pictures of your lorries / good things / bad things and any design faults etc or just describe your perfect box :D

ideally I'd like the best payload I can get looking at 1.2 t + so i could carry 2 x 15.2's & associated paraphanalier :o etc has anyone done this type of conversation, what base units did you use, or are best and do you have any general advice if you have done it.

Thank you cup a t & hob nobs on offer!! :D
 
I think you will struggle to get all of that on a 3.5t lorry. If you need full living you need to move to 7.5t.

Have a look at some of the 3.5t on the market, they usually have just a tack locker and wardrobe. Even with a 1.2t payload, you will struggle to get two horses in, water, people and tack.

Sorry.
 
As above really,we found the biggest paye load was around 1.2 ton but then they were very flimsy. You won't get 2 horses, 2 people, fuel, water & all the gear on there.
You've also got to think about strength, if god forbid you were involved in an accidentin some of these lorries there is little to protect the horses.
We went for a 7.5 ton which will legally carry 2.
Good luck.
 
Have you looked at any 3.5 tonnes? I don't think you'll have anything like enough room for herringbone... Also if you get rear load the horses have to revserse off, every 3.5 tonne i've seen is side load, either front or rear travelling (usually rear). The only rear load ones I've seen are the Ifor bodies mounted on a flatbed, which always look a bit perched and precarious to me!

Mine is side loading, with the extra long top door, which I would say is ESSENTIAL for the bigger horses, and useful for ones which are new to side loading 3.5 tonnes, as they do have to turn as they walk, not walk in and then turn as they do on a big lorry.

Mine is a Vauxhall Movano van conversion, with NO living as I wanted to keep weight down. Being done with lightweight EVA matting and lightweight white plastic lining sheets the unladed weight with 1/3 tank petrol is 2 tonnes - giving 1.5 tonnes of payload. If you start adding living to this however you will start eating into your payload. If you really need living I agree with OP that you'll have to go to 5.5 or 7.5 tonne...

The 3.5 tonnes are fab and I love mine, but I would say not really suitable for carting loads of stuff and staying away in...
 
1.2 payload means that if you have 1 x average MW 15.2, plus tack, haynet, water, person driving, full tank of fuel & associated picnic/handbag/grooming kit etc you are very likely to have around +/-450kg left.
This is very tight for another 15.2, let alone the gubbins for the 2nd horse, its rider etc. (have always budgeted around 100kilos for each person on a lorry, as by the time you have them & their bits & pieces etc its getting on for that - or more!)

1.2 is also not likely to be achieved if you are carting mattress, human bedding, catering facilities ( even a gas bottle is at around 10+kg) etc too.

Worth doing the sums & look for a 6+tonner IMHO :)
 
I've got a lovely little lorry but I agree with the others that you will realy struggle to get everything you've asked for, plus two horses, in a 3.5T.

Mine is:
Side loading (rear Facing)
Internal tack locker
Small changing area with wardrobe
Space above the luton

Mine has a 1.2T payload and you could never travel two plus kit in it. When we do another one I will either have a totally seperate horse area or will have a collapsable partition and extra wide rear door in case of emergencies.
 
My husband has just converted a Merc 410D for my daughter. He converted it specifically for her 15.2 horse and our needs.
It is rear load, herringbone with a fairly large living area (room for 2 to sleep over luton and 1 on seating). Due to having this living (built for comfort to suit hubby when coming to shows) and having used ply and rubber matting for horse area strength, the box has a payload of 2700kg(we weighed it last week), giving us 800kg to play with for our daughter's 15.2 lightweight horse and equipment.
I agree with the others, for 2 horses with equipment AND a living area a 3.5 tonne will not be enough.
To demonstrate this: we also (at the same time) converted a Ford Iveco. Similar stamp but larger horse area and larger living as a much longer vehicle. Unsuprisingly, this has weighed in at 3100kg and we are applying to uplevel it to a 4.5 tonne box, giving 1400kg to play with.
My friend came to see the boxes and said how it would be nice to have x, y and z and I had to explain that she was thinking more of a 7.5 tonne box if she wanted all the mod cons AND a low payload!
 
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