Buying horse lorry - recommendations

tiga

tiga

New Member
Oct 29, 2007
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Brighton, East Sussex
I am looking to buy a 2 horse lorry but it needs to be automatic (big pain). Can anyone give me any recommendations for either dealers in the South or good vans to look for?

I want one that is a couple of years old preferably but may need to get a new one if I can't find a second hand one. Problem is, now I have decided to get one I want it NOW!
 
Sorry i cant help with places to get one. Just wanted to say good luck finding one :D

I would love a horsebox to be my next buy its so hard work and expensive hiring one everytime i want to go to a show.. but as i cant drive not much point really.. :eek: lol
 
You can get automatic lorries, the chassis is about £1500 more than a manual. It's just that they are not around as much as manuals.

I am so looking forward to going to all the different training sessions, Ashdown Forest, the beach, little competitions and shows! :D:D:D:D

I know I could do the hiring, borrowing thing and it would probably be cheaper in the long run but I just want the freedom to do what I want, when I want.

I will have a look at those websites Libbyo. Will stop by if I'm passing. Size wise - I want a 3.5 ton that will fit two good sized horses in. Izzy is 15.1 but he has bigger friends and I want to be able to take another horse. Trouble is I'm not very mechanically minded so will have to try not to buy on what looks nice and is a good colour!

Cheers.
 
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Just a wee word of warning, check very very carefully for your payload. Obviously depends on the weight of your 15.1 but if you want bigger friends as well, please be aware that within the payload you need to include the weight of the tack, water, haynets, diesel in the tank etc as well as the horses' weight, so for a 3.5 ton, it soon becomes very easy to get up close to this and you really do not want to be chancing this!

Plus there are lots of roadside checks being done, someone up here was pulled over and then fined for being overweight.

Good luck and looking forward to the piccies!!
 
I am a bit concerned with the payload. I am looking at the York model from Alexandra Motor Company and the payload is 1.2 tonne. So with Izzy (about 500 kgs), me, tack, water etc we won't have room for another big horse and person.

But then I only have Izzy so really need to buy it for us rather than people who might want to come with us! Also, if we do want to go somewhere with a bigger horse, they can follow in the car with tack.

In an ideal world I would buy a bigger one but am not made of money unfortunately!

So many things to think about!!!
 
Good point Tiga, must admit after seeing the thread regarind York Horseboxes, they look nice.

You do have to buy for yourself and not necessarily who you will be taking.

More food for thought. A 4ton would be better as I'm not restricted by my driving licence.
 
If you can drive 4t with your license then you can drive up to 7.5t.

If you look at these larger boxes you will get much better value as all the 3.5t are snapped up by those who cannot drive bigger ones on there licenses. Ours is 5t and is just a bit longer than a 3.5 but similar width etc and actually cost less than a comparable 3.5 one
 
eml said:
If you can drive 4t with your license then you can drive up to 7.5t.

If you look at these larger boxes you will get much better value as all the 3.5t are snapped up by those who cannot drive bigger ones on there licenses. Ours is 5t and is just a bit longer than a 3.5 but similar width etc and actually cost less than a comparable 3.5 one
Click to expand...

With eml on this one - the 3.5t boxes are commanding an extortionately high price because they can be driven by anyone with a license including a newly passed 17yr old. You can buy a made to measure 7.5 conversion (about £16500ish) on a 4yr old chassis and pay only about £2k less to get an older 3.5t box that carries diddly squat :eek:
 
I do know what you mean about paying more for the 3.5 tonne than the 7.5 tonne. But I don't have anywhere to park a 7.5 tonne. I can park a little one on my livery yard, but a big one would be a problem. And I'm not sure I'm ready to drive a big beast!

I think for my situation at the moment the 3.5 t is the more sensible option. I will be heading back to Australia in a few years and I can take a 3.5 t back without a lot of hassle.

Being a complete numpty with anything mechanical I also like the idea of having a relatively new chassis so that I know less is likely to go wrong.

The one I am looking at is a 2007 chassis with a new box. It has 56000 miles on it. The only problem is it is in Yorkshire so am just checking about servicing etc. Otherwise I am going to fly up this weekend and have a look.
 
Eml, that's an interesting point.

OH seems keen to look at us getting a lorry.

Eml are there any good horsebox places in Leciestershire? I'm Staffordshire and quite happy to travel a bit!
 
3.5 ton or more ?

Many valid points raised here. Being overweight is potentially very serious and whilst you aren't likely to be daft enough to kill yourself you could easily rack up a serious fine and points on your licence.

My own car - a diesel Citroen C4 1.6 turbo diesel does more MPG than a mini. Size isn't everything. A bigger vehicle working less hard will last longer, be more fuel efficient and allow you to take a friend (who may possibly contribute to your fuel costs) without worrying about an overload.

If you have the correct licence but are worried about driving something bigger ask an instructor to provide a 1/2 day or full day familiarisation session in your vehicle. The are if anything easier to drive than a car and definately easier than a car & trailer unless you are one of life's natural tow drivers.
 
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