| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Rebeckah
Silver Member
 England
330 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 3:17:28 PM
|
Sorry about my influx of topics today!
I am fed up of not having any transport and relying on people for lifts everywhere.
As I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing I am asking the forever useful and reliable AL! I need an old banger really as my budget is very small! I can only spend £2000 at most which I know is very little. I'd prefer rear loading as Anubis gets a bit confused by side loading although with our budget beggars can't be choosers!
It would need to be driven on a non-HGV car license and be able to take a 15'2 horse, although it would be nice to have the option of giving other people lifts if I could.
What am I looking for? What are the pitfalls? It would only be used locally so not really for long journeys. I'm aware that horseboxes need taxing, MOT-ing and insuring like any other vehicle but do they need anything else?
I have had a look on eBay and found a couple. Here they are - let me know what you think. Hope this is OK admin?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220197113909&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270207315678&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=017
|
      |
Edited by - Rebeckah on 02 Feb 2008 4:59:34 PM
|
|
Report to moderator
|
|
|
rafabreeze
Gold Member
757 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 3:23:58 PM
|
| Years ago (again) when I was showing we had an old Bedford TK 'T' reg, it was £3000 but that was back in 1998. It was very reliable and took my 2 15.2hh arabs. It had day living with a large luton for sleeping. It was great to have my own transport, but costs are very high, with the plating, insuring etc for the amount of use we actually had. Now Im back into showing and would love to buy something along those lines, but would have the pay something in the region of £6000 for something similar. It is good to have your own transport though and not to have to rely on others. I suppose one good thing for me is that my hubby is mechanically minded so I never had any garage bills. Obviously condition is paramount, the ramp and floor etc. Perhaps you should take someone along with you who knows all about horse transport when you go to view a lorry? Just looking at the second one you listed, it looks like it should have more wheels on the back, doesnt look very balanced to me? |
   |
Edited by - rafabreeze on 30 Jan 2008 3:25:49 PM |
Report to Moderator  |
|
|
Geena
Platinum Member
England
1510 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 3:42:06 PM
|
| Be careful that you don't buy something to high of the ground or as rafabreeze said that looks uneven. I went to look at a ford transit with a IW box on the back at it was very high off the ground which made the ramp steep. I was told not to buy it by my mechanic as he said it wouldn't take much rocking to tip it over and my horses back then was a very nervous traveller and shuffled alot. |
  
Zebedee |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 3:52:30 PM
|
Go onto the Horse & House website & search for buying a lorry - lots of interesting stuff!!! |
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
baxter
Gold Member
England
1123 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 4:02:22 PM
|
Hello,
I have a Leyland Daf, with Ifor Williams box, 3.5tn.
Mine gets us about to all the shows and has been consistently reliable, if i get a nice big bonus this year i will be selling it and going for a Renault Master or Chaigley Duo or such.
Anyway.... be careful on payloads, mine is 1.2 so just (and only just) travels people, tack water, a very light anglo and the fat orange one. Aurran is 15.3hh and can bump his head on the roof, be very very wary of anything that say it can take bigger than this height, the box will be way too top heavy. The downside of these kinds of boxes as they do sway in wind, and the ramps are steep, however my two non loaders now load and travel very well in my box.
Check the floor most importantly.
Hope this helps a little.
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Hollyhill
Gold Member
589 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 4:53:57 PM
|
Hi Rebeckah; I have no experience of lorries (always used a trailer) but I personally would stay well away from these two; the first one is very cheap but has no MOT and could cost a small fortune to get one, and the second one just looks well dodgy to me!
With a limited budget, why not go for a trailer - you could buy a really nice used trailer for £2K and no extra running costs.
Just a thought :-) |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Rebeckah
Silver Member
England
330 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 5:14:28 PM
|
| I'd much prefer a trailer but I don't have anything to pull it with! I have a Toyota Yaris but that wouldn't pull a toy trailer! |
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Hollyhill
Gold Member
589 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 5:19:48 PM
|
but then again, would sale of the Yaris fund a 4x4 and a trailer..... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Rebeckah
Silver Member
England
330 Posts |
|
|
moatside
Platinum Member
England
3224 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 5:46:05 PM
|
| I tend to agree with Hollyhill.... be very careful. Older Fords tend to need alot of welding to keep them on the road! Would you not be better saving a bit more and getting something more purpose built/newer. There are some out there - I recently brought a LT35 N reg(1995) part converted for £2750 and spent about £500 finishing it off. |
www.spanglefish.com/kasanarhythmbeads/ |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
ang678
Gold Member
England
732 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 6:21:26 PM
|
Hi
I wouldnt buy any horse box for that kind of money it will be ancient rusty probabaly dodgy floor, there have been horrid accidents with horses going though floors etc, and they roll alot so dont give the horse a nice ride, the newer purpose built ones are great but you would probably have to spend a mininum of £8000. If you go for any get a specialist to check it out (there are a couple in H & H )Trailer sounds a far better option on the budget but have that checked over as well, after all its your pride & joy thats going to be riding in there.
Ang x |
 |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
mazey
Gold Member
England
501 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 6:25:53 PM
|
| I have a (dead) Ford Transit and agree with Moatside - mine failed its MOT as it needed more welding than it was worth. It is Ford 2.5 litre with a luton back and has a steep ramp and is quite high off the road. My mare travelled ok in it but its difficult backing out because of the steep ramp, so the horse has to get used to that and it was also noisy and a bit wobbly I think. I wouldn't get another - if I had the money I would get a Renault with horses travelling backwards and low side ramp. |
   |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
jaybird
Gold Member
France
1192 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 7:15:24 PM
|
Hi
Were are you Rebeckah? remember there are new laws coming into force for inner London areas for old vehicles.
Jaybird |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
azraa
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1030 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 7:44:03 PM
|
this looks good but its alot more money
i went to look at the ads as there is someone sells quite alot of boxs at ok prices
VW LT35 HORSEBOX HORSE BOX DUAL FUEL EXC COND
NEWLY REFURBISHED - LOW MILEAGE - NO RESERVE
- |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Moosie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
717 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 7:58:44 PM
|
| if it was me i think i would consider selling the yaris and add lorry budget to the proceeds. then you could get an ok towing vehicle. then hire a trailer when you need one till you can afford to buy one. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
joanna_piana
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3935 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 8:47:08 PM
|
| Hi I sold my old Transit last year for only £1,300 on ebay and I have to say the person got a real bargain. It was always reliable, mechanically sound and had a good solid floor. When I bought it I had a mechanic check it for rust and as a G reg it obviously had some but not a lot and it passed the MOT with the minimum amount of welding and following year none required so you can get a good bargain as long as you get someone who knows what they are looking for to check it out for you. I was amazed how long it took me to sell mine as I had a year's MOT on it but it took me six months and I was originally advertising it for £3000 and took that much of a drop. So I would say don't discount them cause it's cheap you can still get something reliable. |
      
Harthall Rashida RIP, Binley Ishara, Bouchan
Chorleywood, Hertfordshire |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
nicolanapper
Platinum Member
England
4247 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 8:49:16 PM
|
Rebeckah, please be careful, I think you would be best off buying a trailer and then something to pull it, rather than saddle yourself with some old dog of a transit!!!!
Nicky |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
MinHe
Platinum Member
England
2927 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2008 : 9:41:38 PM
|
A big disadvantage with the boxes on Ford Transit chassis-es (is that the right plural?? ) is that they ahve a very high centre of gravity and can be quite hairy to drive - so presumably are equally hairy for the horse inside! I used to rent a fairly new one, and had a VERY nasty experience with it getting stuck in the lorry ruts on the motorway - I honestly thought the whole thing was going to topple over and even though it had power steering I was having to fight it the whole way. I had something similar with a Transit minibus on a section of road with a long curve and marked camber, so I would suggest NOT going for a Transit!!!
Bedford TK lorries may be cheap, but the parts are getting harder to find, and they are incredibly easy for people to nick!
I have a Rice trailer now and am very happy with it - for what you would pay for a decent lorry, you could probably get a good early model Discovery and a solid old Rice Beaufort or similar.
Keren |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
shah
Gold Member
England
1356 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jan 2008 : 08:49:19 AM
|
I was in the same predicament last year. I went and looked at several boxes around the £3-5k mark and they were all old, needing work and not as reliable as I would have wanted to.
I ended up buying a single trailer in good condition for just under £2k and I then hired a car with towbar every time I wanted to use the trailer as I only had a little Fiesta myself. This worked well for us last year, the hire car cost in the region of £60-75/day, less if I hired for a weekend or a few days on the trot. I knew the hire car would be reasonably well looked after and, more importantly, it had a big engine that easily towed. It is hard to find a place that will let you hire to tow with but I phoned around lots and found three places to choose from in the end so if a car was out in one place I could always get something else.
I've then saved up money over the year to now finally being able to afford to buy my own towing car - with a single trailer you have more choice as to what vehicle you can use so you don't have to shell out for a large Discovery.
This was the only way I could get around our transport problem 
OH still takes the mick though "horse has to have his own car and carriage as he can't wear out his little leggies"  |
West Sussex |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
azraa
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1030 Posts |
|
|
Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jan 2008 : 9:37:19 PM
|
I've never had trouble with my Transit. It has rear and side ramps and although the ramps are heavy (I need a second person with me to shut the rear ramp) it has taken two horses happily, all my show gear goes well in the Luton which has a saddle rack, and the engine is fantastic. I put ramp gates on when I bought it and it has partitions which have been adapted so you can put horses or ponies in. It's driven well, though not as fast as a Porsche up hills...
I'm only having to change it because I need living and have one horse that really needs to be travelled facing backwards.
My fear about trailers, especially Ifor Williams, is that around here, they will definately get stolen if they're not secured right next to a house. We have the most TERRIBLE theft rate. Both my next door neighbours and a livery yard nearby have had theirs stolen in January, with the thieves taking them with everything stored in them (hay, rugs, vet boxes, grooming kit, rugs etc), cutting through their locks with ease and cutting through gate chains and padlocks like hot knives through butter. My direct next-door neighbour's was taken two weeks ago and they left the field gate open, and accessway gate. Fortunately the horses were behind a single strand of tape but would have been able to wander into the road within two minutes. |
Roseanne |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Rebeckah
Silver Member
England
330 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2008 : 4:59:03 PM
|
Just thought I'd update you...
As luck would have it my mum's stinky stables car had died a death. We have decided to try and find a cheap vehicle with a tow bar so we can share it as a stables car but also hitch it to a trailer. On the same day this happened I won a trailer on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280196648219&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=018)
for a very reasonable price and I am having it delivered tomorrow. Excited is not the word!!!
My best friend also has a Toyota Liteace van for sale so we are looking into the towing weight for that to see if it will be able to pull the Rice Beaufort trailer.
I am also under the impression I will need to take a towing test to get a license as I passed my driving test after 1997. Has anyone else taken this? |
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
brenda c
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
171 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2008 : 02:36:21 AM
|
Hiya Rebeckah,
Im glad you got something sorted and i definately think you made the right choice choosing the trailer as aposed to the lorry. |
 |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
nicolanapper
Platinum Member
England
4247 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2008 : 7:49:39 PM
|
Brilliant Rebeckah, glad you went for the trailer option.
Nicky |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Rebeckah
Silver Member
England
330 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2008 : 8:00:08 PM
|
Hiya
Thanks everyone! It has arrived and it is perfect - rough and ready but safe and easy to use. I am dead chuffed with it. Now I just need a towing vehicle and to pass my towing test - I'm 45% there! I will be mobile at some point! |
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2008 : 09:28:11 AM
|
| Much better idea than a cheapo lorry but please get someone who knows about trailers to check the floor for you before you put your pride and joy in it. You can't tell how sound it is from just looking. |
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Topic |
|
Topic Locked 