Tales of a Horsebox Conversion...The hard way

Elly Koopman

Elly Koopman

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Oct 22, 2004
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Some of you may remember my thread about the slight *ahem* mistake I made on ebay the other week - for a reminder the thread is here.

Well, we are now the *cough* proud owners of a Mercedes Atego 815 and this is my thread to chart the progress in case anyone else is daft enough to do the same :D


To start of this journey of conversion, I have a couple of tips that we have picked up so far:

1. Just don't... it's more stressful and expensive than owning the bleedin' horse.
2. If you decide to buy a lorry to convert off ebay, think hard about whether this is really the best way to buy it. Especially if you value your sanity, your life and your car.
3. If you have decided that you like life on the edge and have bought a box of the infamous auction site, please take a friend/OH with you - they will calm your nerves (or in my case scare the livin' be*esus out of me). Make sure people know where you are going and preferably avoid a NW London location on a Friday evening. If you don't, at least keep windows up and doors locked, engine running with the car in gear and handbrake off. And make sure your OH doesn't fart in fear in said locked car
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4. Again, just don't :o

In case the link to the ebay page stops working (I think they only hang around for 30 days) this is the blurb for the Atego:

Mercedes Atego Box with DHolland, Full flap alloy light weight heavy duty tail lift. X reg. This truck would make a beautiful horsebox or race car transporter. Its measurements are21ft by 8ft by 8ft6inch high. It has a full flap tail door. This truck has had one owner, long mot and tax and LEZ compliant. It gave its life transporting computer components so hense low miles. Full service history and very tidy truck indeed.

Good points: Full flap hydraulic rear door

Air Ride Suspension

LEZ Compliant

Taxed and Tested

Ready for Work Today
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The only true bits are top two sentences of the 'good points' :rolleyes: But thankful for small mercies it is T&T, if only for a couple or three months! As for low mieage - Hmm 600k km :eek:

I attach a picture of the interior to show how clean and tidy it is but please bear in mind we have emptied the numerous food wrappers and tissues out. The glimpse of the anti-bac in the bottom left hand corner just about sums it up :D
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The middle seat was the cleanest of the three and is so far the only one still to be cleaned as OH can't get the cab to tilt (cable snapped) to unbolt it off. The others have gone through the washing machine and subsequently killed it (well that’s what I told my OH, but I think it was more to do with the fleece rug I put in to wash before hand
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More to follow :)
 
I think I probably ought to point out that OH thinks we are going to be able to put the aged one on and ship her over to the Royal London.

Which is in 16 days.

To give you an idea of what we’re up against, here are a couple of photos of the lorry as it is at the moment:

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It is being sent off to EA Horseboxes on the 24th to have the bulkhead put in and we are buying the DIY kit for the horse area so OH can fit it out when it gets back on the 27th…and fit the external grooms door…and fit the windows…

Will update as we do more :)
 
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Was wondering the other day what was happening with this :) My OH was on about buying a lorry the other day and converting to a horse lorry havejust shown him the pics and inb true man sense he sadi shouldn't be that difficult:rolleyes: Look forward toseeing how it progresses
 
I know a friend who decided this would be the best way to purchase a horsebox and uumm needless to say i decided to purchase a trailer :p

I wish you the best of luck and look forward to the transformation piccys :)
 
That was hilarious!! Me and my OH were rollin' about on the couch in fits of giggles!! Hope it all works out well in the end, please do keep postin' it'll be fab to find out how much it changes!!

Ps my OH wants to know if your from SA? Hes a wee SA boy and recognised the surname!

x
 
board up the sides ad in a slip rail for her to lean on, cut some air holes so got a air conditoning goign on and bish bash bosh ! seriously!!! thats all itll take sitck in a tie up holes for haynets soem shaving and youll be able to travel!!!
 
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I think it's excellent that you are treating this purchase in such a light hearted manner. I'm afraid if I had been in the same position, I would not have completed the transaction on the fact it was advertised as 'low mileage' vehicle, when it had actually clocked up 600k km.

That said, I'm sure it will eventually make a good horse transporter. :)
 
ameliet1971 said:
I think it's excellent that you are treating this purchase in such a light hearted manner. I'm afraid if I had been in the same position, I would not have completed the transaction on the fact it was advertised as 'low mileage' vehicle, when it had actually clocked up 600k km.

That said, I'm sure it will eventually make a good horse transporter. :)
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We did try, but the guy was built like a muscled weeble and then others started appearing from the undergrowth and frankly we got scared so we just did the British thing of smiling and nodding :D
 
Bit of a bugger about the mileage :rolleyes: If you do a good job with the box you'll have something you can keep & stick on a new chassis when the old one wears out :) Good luck with it!
 
Elly Koopman said:
We did try, but the guy was built like a muscled weeble and then others started appearing from the undergrowth and frankly we got scared so we just did the British thing of smiling and nodding :D
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Been there, done that! :rolleyes:

Been sniggering at your post, reminds me of the caravan buying in "Snatch" :D
 
Oh will just add to make you feel better - ours didn't have a ramp. The local blacksmith put one on, he had horses all his life so it was all "don't worry it will be alright, I know what I'm doing" and "it won't be expensive" - genuine "good bloke" ....

The ramp was only liftable if you were 6ft 4 with serious muscles, it cracked where the hinges joined the lorry almost immediately. It was done in August and despite repeatedly asking "how much" we got a bill at Christmas for over £2000, then a nasty reminder seven days later saying the bill hadn't been paid!!! We took it to another lorry - horsebox converter who laughed hysterically at the ramp, condemned it utterly to scrap and put a nice new (and totally differently sprung/built) ramp on for us at another £2000.... Worlds most expensive horse box ramp ours! :)
 
Made me laugh too :D:D:D

Seriously though I dont think the milage is that high for a lorry and it looks OK, you will have a great vehicle when its finished :D

Also made me think about purchasing things on ebay. I actually take where the thing is into consideration. I dont buy from cities :o

Towns and countryside OK :confused:

Sorry to all the city folk :o
 
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