Tell me about lorries

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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My husband and I have decided to go down the route of a little lorry rather than a 4x4 and trailer. He isn't happy to buy a car which is very old and thinks that a lorry will be more economical in the long run. I am happy with a lorry, so we are officially lorry hunting. We have about 6 grand to spend.

We are looking for a small lorry, probably 3.5 tonnes (I am aware of payload issues and would only be driving my own horse around). I do not want any living as I want the box to be as small to drive as possible.

I have some questions:

1. Some people have said that a 7.5 tonne lorry would be cheaper to buy than a 3.5 tonne because there is not so much demand for them. In my searches, I cannot find any small, 7.5 tonne lorrys that are cheaper that 3.5 tonnes. Am I looking in the wrong places?

2. Are there some kind of approval agencies which check horse boxes before you buy them. Obviously I need to make sure that the floor, ramp and engine are all working. Can anyone recommend a body or agency who checks boxes before you buy?

3. Are there any dealers in the South of England who come recommended?

4. Where is the best place to go for breakdown services?

5. Any other advice or things that I need to consider are welcome.

I am so excited. I haven't felt this excited since I first bought Ben. I feel that all my dreams are coming true and can't wait till I get the lorry and can venture out to anywhere I want to go. This time next year my lorry will be full of ribbons I have won!
 
You won't find a 'small' 7.5t lorry, they aren't small!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-...UK_Sporting_Horseboxes_RL&hash=item33866ce47e

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/108931462/75t-leyland-daf-lorry.html

You aren't going to get a new one but you will get more for your money.

You may also find if you have a very large horse or multiple horses in a 3.5t you are over weight for your license if post 1997.

The thing I didn't like about the cheaper 3.5t lorries is that they look very 'high' and being so small just don't look stable, my friends older 3.5t used to make the feel sea sick stood in the back of it.
 
I don't want to drive a huge lorry - I want something small. The 7.5 tonne lorries are just too big and I don't need the living etc. I just want something small and easy to drive.

I don't like the converted horse transit vans, but I have friends who have nice small lorries and Ben fits fine and has travelled well in them.

Most 3.5 tonne lorries have a payload of about 1000kg. Ben weighs about 560kg on the weight tape, so more like 600kg in reality. That means that I could only carry him in the box, but that's fine because the whole aim of getting my transport is so I can do what I want, when I want without having to worry about anyone else. It will also be a good excuse for not taking other people out with me, because it would overload the lorry.
 
I have found one which looks very promising, but e mailed the seller last night and they haven't got back to me yet. I am losing hope on that one but my husband thinks I am just too impatient!
 
Mary Poppins said:
That is exactly the kind of thing that I am after but it's too far away for me. It needs to be in the South of the country though - anywhere around Berkshire/Hampshire/Surrey areas.
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I think if you want a box like that you'll need to be prepared to travel, they're golddust! Plus you pay a premium being in the south!

Yorkshire is lovely, go for a day trip!
 
Mary Poppins said:
I have found one which looks very promising, but e mailed the seller last night and they haven't got back to me yet. I am losing hope on that one but my husband thinks I am just too impatient!
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I had the same earlier this week, someone advertised the trailer I want in my budget, by the time she emailed back it had gone :(
 
Lot1983 said:
I think if you want a box like that you'll need to be prepared to travel, they're golddust! Plus you pay a premium being in the south!

Yorkshire is lovely, go for a day trip!
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I'm not sure that I'm prepared to go quite that far just yet. I have only been looking for one day after all. I am quite prepared to wait until the right lorry comes long and realise that may take some time. When I find something with potential I want to research the make/type etc. and then get someone to check it out mechanically for me. I know nothing about lorries and need advice.

I would be happy to buy from a dealer but I can't find any decent ones in my areas.
 
I'm sorry but I just don't believe those ads that say a 3.5 tonne horsebox can carry two 16.3 horses (as well as a lot of other storage in the case of this ad). It might be physically capable of fitting two big horses in, but I can't see how it can be legal (or safe) to drive with all that weight. You need to know the unladen weight of the vehicle first, then add the weight of horses/humans/tack/water/haynets etc. When we were looking we found some sellers were very cagey about the unladen weight of their vehicles!

I haven't looked on Horsemart for a while but I always liked that because you can filter your search down to what you are looking for and there were always plenty of ads coming and going.
 
Bodshi said:
I'm sorry but I just don't believe those ads that say a 3.5 tonne horsebox can carry two 16.3 horses (as well as a lot of other storage in the case of this ad). It might be physically capable of fitting two big horses in, but I can't see how it can be legal (or safe) to drive with all that weight. You need to know the unladen weight of the vehicle first, then add the weight of horses/humans/tack/water/haynets etc. When we were looking we found some sellers were very cagey about the unladen weight of their vehicles!

I haven't looked on Horsemart for a while but I always liked that because you can filter your search down to what you are looking for and there were always plenty of ads coming and going.
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That's why you have to be aware of the payload. The payload tells you how much weight you can put in a vehicle. For a 3.5 tonne lorry the average payload is about 1000kg, which covers my horse, myself and our equipment.

You could carry 2 16.2hh horses if you found a 3.5 tonne lorry with a payload of 1500kg (they do exist) but this often means that features of the lorry have been removed to make the lorry lighter and therefore you compromise on safety.

I think that if you want to carry two big horses, you need a lorry with a larger payload. This isn't necessarily a larger lorry, but most often is because the larger lorries all have living sections included.
 
But you get the payload based on the unladen weight do you not? So a 3.5T lorry with an unladen weight of 2.5T has a payload of 1T? So it is much the same!
 
Rubic said:
But you get the payload based on the unladen weight do you not? So a 3.5T lorry with an unladen weight of 2.5T has a payload of 1T? So it is much the same!
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Yes - the payload is the weight that the lorry can carry. It is the total weight the lorry is allowed to carry minus the unladen weight of it. The payload should be clearly displayed in all ads. I agree that some people try to market a 3.5 tonne by stating that 2 big horses can fit in it, but they ads don't mention any payload figures. That's where clever sellers can play on words. They state the the lorry will easily fit 2 16.2hh horses, but doesn't actually state that the lorry can be driven with them in. It's easy to be duped into buying something not suitable - that's why I'm doing my research and trying to find out as much as lorries as I can.

Still no e mail back from the lorry I wanted to see. Probably been sold!
 
Mary Poppins said:
Yes - the payload is the weight that the lorry can carry. It is the total weight the lorry is allowed to carry minus the unladen weight of it. The payload should be clearly displayed in all ads. I agree that some people try to market a 3.5 tonne by stating that 2 big horses can fit in it, but they ads don't mention any payload figures. That's where clever sellers can play on words. They state the the lorry will easily fit 2 16.2hh horses, but doesn't actually state that the lorry can be driven with them in. It's easy to be duped into buying something not suitable - that's why I'm doing my research and trying to find out as much as lorries as I can.

Still no e mail back from the lorry I wanted to see. Probably been sold!
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Definitely! I've had Rubic in one of the newer ones and it would comfortably have another Rubic sized horse in it but there is no way I'd put 2 in it! I would hope that most people would know that they'd be over the weight though... maybe not!

Don't be disheartened, something will come up!
 
Rubic said:
Definitely! I've had Rubic in one of the newer ones and it would comfortably have another Rubic sized horse in it but there is no way I'd put 2 in it! I would hope that most people would know that they'd be over the weight though... maybe not!

Don't be disheartened, something will come up!
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I hope so. I have only been looking for one day after all!! I just want one NOW.

I am not sure that everyone does understand payloads. I have been asking people about the payload of their lorries and I had have some very blank looks. I am guilty of loading Ben into friends little lorries without asking them to confirm the payload. This was because I ignorantly thought that if a horse could fit into a lorry, they could travel in it.
 
Rather scarily, a 3.5 tonne horsebox in my price range has just popped up on my facebook page from a local horsegroup I belong to. It is only 10 miles down the road! Got to be worth a look. Seems a little too cheap for what it is though, I am always suspicious of cheap but we will see.
 
Mary Poppins said:
Rather scarily, a 3.5 tonne horsebox in my price range has just popped up on my facebook page from a local horsegroup I belong to. It is only 10 miles down the road! Got to be worth a look. Seems a little too cheap for what it is though, I am always suspicious of cheap but we will see.
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OMG mp !! Best of luck with that one :D
 
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