Your preferences - Horseboxes...?

GinaGeo

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Our present set up is an Ifor Williams 505 with no partition (horse won't travel alone, with one) and an old Jeep Grand Cherokee to tow - we've had this set up for the last 11 years and it's seen us through from 12hh ponies to horses. The Jeep is starting to get unreliable, expensive and we're lacking space and facilities. Mum and I have tentatively begun saving for a horsebox and whilst it'll be awhile yet we're starting to arrange our thoughts so we know what we're looking for. We've only ever had our trailer before, but mum is a confident driver and can drive upto a 7.5ton lorry. I was going to do my trailer test over summer, but am now going to hold fire and perhaps do the C1 test instead.

So what we need...

-We tend to go out at least once a week, usually with only one horse, either a 14.3hh Connemara or a 15.2hh Welsh D x TB. Sometimes, we go hacking or hunting together so need a bigger pay load than a 3.5 ton van would offer.

-We have several overnight stays planned for this season and spend a lot of time attempting to get changed in either the wind tunnel of a trailer, or discretely inside the car. My Grandmother, has also started to accompany us, and will need somewhere comfortable, warm and dry to sit. So a well arranged living is a must.

-Not too long - we live up a relatively tight, narrow bridleway. We've had big lorries up the driveway in the past, it is do-able. But don't want to upset the neighbours anymore than necessary!

Things we're not sure about...

-direction of travel? Herrigbone/rear/forward
-direction of load? rear/side
Mum's worried about a side ramp. What if anything were to happen and the lorry ended up on the side of the ramp? Does a side ramp unbalance the vehicle? When having to unload in tight spaces (hunting) is a side ramp very inconvenient?
-make/model? What's the most reliable/ nicest to drive/ gives the best drive
-size? 6.5ton/ 7.5ton
-who to buy from? dealer/ private seller
-Tack locker? in the horse area/ living area/ non at all
-How much ventilation is necessary?
-How much more money (roughly) does it cost to run a box per year compared to a car and trailer.

We have friends with a variety of boxes, I know the Connie will travel happily in a herringbone box, the younger boy has only travelled in the trailer, and he's the one that won't travel with a partition.

Is there anything else that you'd like to have/ would change about your boxes? This is going to be a big expense for us and we don't want to get it wrong!

Dad is an engineer/mechanic and will be coming a long to look at any prospective box when the time comes.

Thanks in advance!
 

blood_magik

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Typed out a huge paragraph and then lost it :(

We currently have a 7.5T Helios by Kevin Parker on a DAF LF-45 chassis (2T payload, 26 feet long) but we're in the process of having a 12T Helios built on the new DAF Euro 6 chassis (5.8T payload I think and 28 feet long). The new one should hopefully be ready in about 4-6 weeks.
I went to a coach builder for both of ours. I spent hours online looking at the likes of Prestige, Whitaker, Alexanders etc, visited a dealer and then drove down south to talk to two builders before making the decision to go with Kevin.

The 7.5T drives well - it's pretty easy to drive and the horses travel well in it. The new one is automatic and has air suspension so I'm assuming it's going to be like driving a very long car. :p

Our partitions are currently herringbone because my big lad is too long to fit in sideways with the tack locker, which runs the full length of the horse area. They'll travel sideways in the new one as the tack locker will only go into the first partition - we designed the new lorry specifically so that the big lad would fit.
We load from the rear. I've been to shows where we've struggled to open the tack locker and underfloor store area because we've been parked so close to another lorry.

Ventillation-wise we have an air extraction system fitted in the horse area.

I've never had a trailer so can't comment on the running costs.

We added a few extras to our boxes - a built-in generator, lights over the external tie rings, we changed the skirt locker doors/tack locker door to piston hinges, we changed the tack locker set-up and added drawers to the underfloor storage, added tie rings to the first partition so it can be used for additional storage and changed the covering on the floor in the horse area. We also added an extra light over the ramp to make it easier for loading/unloading if its dark and there are no streetlights.

Hope that helps.
 

charlimouse

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From my experience, I would always buy a lorry built by a reputable horsebox builder. There are a lot of horseboxes cobbled together by people who think all you need to do is stick a box on a van and give it a fancy paint job. I once came across an accident on a roundabout where the box part of the horse box had fallen off the chassis. Turned out the box had been held on the chassis by just 4 small screws :-0!

The rules I would aim to stick to are:
• Go for a tilt cab (makes any repairs much easier and cheaper).
• Take the lorry to a public weighbridge before buying
• Don't be blinded by a fancy paint job.
• Buy a lorry built by a well respected professional horsebox builder. You don't necessarily have to buy it direct from them, but will give yourself more chance of buying something of decent quality.
• Get recommendations. If you are at an event keep an eye out for what lorries you like, take a note of who built them. If there is a person at the lorry who doesn't look busy, ask them their opinions on it (people will sometimes give you a tour round!).
 

Landcruiser

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I've recently moved from a trailer to a 7.5 with living, and I'm still tweaking the lorry a bit to get it more how I want. I have an old Leyland Daf, which is comparatively short and also narrow. It was stalled for 2, but my horse rubbed his tail in it, so I've had it altered to herringbone, but have lost the ability to carry 2 by doing this. I can change back if necessary, but as I only have the one to transport, it's fine. I've used the new "corner" area as a tack store, so it's basically in behind the horse, which is also fine. This particular lorry seems to have had more emphasis on a large living, with a small horse area - one horse or two ponies.

The living originally had a gas heater and water heater, but both were removed on the advice of my mechanic, who thought they were CO death traps. There is still a hob and grill, a fridge, and a sink, plus a separate toilet compartment, and a huge bed in the luton. It's done 150,000km and was £3500, although I've spent a few hundred on top.
Oh, it has a rear ramp, which is hydraulic (it's so heavy it's almost impossible to shut manually anyway).

I haven't had it long and have only really just begun using it, but I think the rear ramp is a good idea. I think you had best make a "must have" and a "would be nice" list and be prepared to compromise unless you can afford to get one built!
 

GinaGeo

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Thank You! The budget isn't going to be endless by any means and compromises are going to have to be made!

The most important factor is of course horse safety and horse comfort.

I'm building a "must have" list at present!

-Rear ramp - fits better into small spaces. And thinking about it not sure a lorry, side ramp and equine loading space would fit on the drive at home!

-Will definitely get whatever we get weighed - don't want the perfect box but not be able to use it!

-Pro build to ensure quality. Won't be buying new, so will have to go off recommendations and questioning fellow horsey people!

-It has to carry two small horses comfortably.

Thank You so much - keep the suggestions coming as well - they're so helpful!
 

Ditchjumper2

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We have 04 Daf LF with just a hunting box. Ours go herring bone just fine. Would avoid a side ramp especially if you hunt as it makes parking on the side of a road or in a tight space impossible.

We had lights fitted inside and on ramp for those dark mornings, other than that it is pretty basic but suitable for what we do. The new Dafs are lovely to drive. The only downside is that instead of a mechanic with a hammer and an oily rag you need a man with a laptop when they go wrong!!
 
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