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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Horsebox Inspections

7 replies

Moaning5 · 15/01/2026 21:07

I’m FINALLY in the position to buy my own wheels woohoo !
Just a 3.5 with a budget of up to £30k

I don’t have a massive wish list and I’m not too bothered about payload as it’s just for 1 15.2 horse.

Should I be arranging a m inspection pre purchase ? If so, who with ??

Some of these boxes are literally 100s of miles away and I know nothing about anything! When I buy cars I get them local with warranties and service packages.
Even thought the trade ones come with warranties, I’m not going to be able to get them back there !

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angel1977 · 15/01/2026 21:48

This is a lot of money on a big purchase. You need to think about what you really want. Breast bar or not, stallion stall or lockers, not both. Jump guard or escape door, solid wall or emergency back door.
Go and look at lots of nearer ones to get feel for what your money buys.
You will need to get into the gritty bits and look under the floor, prod into the bottoms of everything, inside lockers, check the tyres, check out the previous mots for repairs.
Clocking and mileage blockers are rife in work vans that have been converted into horseboxes and £20k added to the price.
Do not be fooled by a nice paint job. Stick with a well known mane, John Oats, Bloomfields, Equimark, avoid Equitrash.
Hire one to make sure your horse likes it and fits ok.
Get a payload certificate or weigh it yourself, some vans have as little as 650kg payload and with horse driver and tack on are well over 3.5t.
Dont think because its at a fancy dealers they have spent a penny on it. Find everything wrong with it and get them to fix it before you take it home.
If it has living with gas get a full habitation inspection. If you are settled on one definately get it inspected and expect them to find things. Dont believe a word you are told, test it, check it, drive it. Be that annoying person.
I saw so many 10-15k aged 2006-2016 boxes that were pure rubbish, deathtraps, rotten floors, flimsy partitions, leaking ramps that were soft, leaking gas cookers, rusted out brake and fuel lines, awful suspension with rattles, knocks and banging over the smallest bumps, juddering brakes, knackered engines, blown turbos, dodgy electrics.
We bought the most beautiful looking campervan, FSH,low miles, reputable conversion, looked pristine and shy of £40k. We have spent ££££ on repairs in 6 months as its only when you get it home and use it you find out what you really have. The windows dont open, electrics only work on certain days, central locking has a mind of its own, gas leaks, windows leak, bed wont roll out, poptop leaks, heater hardly heats and cuts out. Changing the gas bottle is a pig, new leisure battery needed, turning the seats is almost impossible, new brakes, springs x6! drop links, hand brakes cables, the list is endless.
Beware anything old, 2008-9 boxes are rusting out and junk.
Be careful and haggle, so many grossly overpriced.
Friends bought box and cant get horse in it. Others bought and have spent £££ keeping it going.

Moaning5 · 15/01/2026 22:20

What a great reply thanks @angel1977 !

I know I want a full wall with stallion partition and I want 1 external tack locker.
I did want a crewcab but that narrows my choice right down so will have to forget about that.

I’ve seen someone post videos of inspections and they are finding all sorts of rubbish like you are describing ! This box has got to last me. There’s so many people now doing conversations so they all look the business with a great paint job but it’s an old van underneath.

Someone’s recommended the MOT checker on the Government website which is really interesting, and checking Company House for their accounts history.

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CeliaCanth · 15/01/2026 22:27

If you’re in the Essex/Suffolk area I can recommend someone who’d carry out an inspection for you.

Pleasedontdothat · 16/01/2026 10:34

Absolutely get it checked out - we got a local HGV mechanic who specialises in horse boxes to have a look at ours before we bought it - he says he sees so many that have lovely paint jobs but are falling to pieces underneath. You definitely want to test drive one before you buy so I would try to see if you can get something relatively local if possible. I got ours from putting a wanted ad on a couple of local horsey Facebook groups - the old owner had been thinking of selling but hadn’t got round to advertising it yet. The added bonus was it was very local (I went past our house when I took it for a test drive!) and I knew lots of people who knew the box and the owner so it felt like less of a risk.

XelaM · 19/01/2026 01:33

If you're spending that kind of money contact horsebox companies like Bloomfields and ask them for their second hand lorries. Then you can be certain they are well-maintained and properly checked and you get a warranty.

Whereas I've bought old lorries from facebook marketplace 🥶 and got a mechanic to inspect them beforehand, but they were around the £2500 mark and old. Your budget can get you a nice lorry.

XelaM · 22/01/2026 04:21

Just to add, if I had your budget I would look at the Theault Proteo 3.5 5-seater.

Truly the best 3.5 lorry I have ever seen as the use of space was amazing. The cabin had 5 seats and 2 bunk beds. Beautiful lorry and the second hand ones are around your budget from official dealers. We hired one once and I still dream of owning one when I get rich 😀

Moaning5 · 22/01/2026 21:07

Ooh thanks I’ll have a look now.

So far I have seen a new build Regent and was very disappointed in the build quality. It also had a patchy paint job.
And I’ve seen the Equus ones which seemed really solid and well thought out.

I know I can’t a Bloomfield or a Krismar but I can still look 😂

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