# What are your horsebox running costs?



## splash30 (10 February 2012)

I thinking of upgrading to either a 7.5t or 6.5t and wanted to know what are your running costs? i.e. tax, plating/MOT, servicing, insurance to keep you on the road per year. And are there any hidden costs that would be applicable that are different from a 3.5t.

At the moment I have a 3.5t which doesnt quite have enough carrying capacity and im always verging on the limit of being over laden which im not happy with so hence the question. 




I can offer Twirl bites for anyone  Fat Friday!


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## ihatework (10 February 2012)

splash30 said:



			I thinking of upgrading to either a 7.5t or 6.5t and wanted to know what are your running costs? i.e. tax, plating/MOT, servicing, insurance to keep you on the road per year. And are there any hidden costs that would be applicable that are different from a 3.5t.

At the moment I have a 3.5t which doesnt quite have enough carrying capacity and im always verging on the limit of being over laden which im not happy with so hence the question. 




I can offer Twirl bites for anyone  Fat Friday!
		
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Tax is £165 a year (I think, need to double check)
Insurance (including breakdown cover) for anyone over 25 is approx £300 a year
Last service was around the £600 mark - this included the service, mechanic taking to plating, plating fee (aound £90 from memory), and some minor bit's and piece on top of the service (bit of welding, bush replacement etc)

Diesel to run obviously costs more than a 3.5T and if something big goes it may well cost more to repair than a 3.5T

Hope that helps


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## measles (10 February 2012)

Insurance on 7.5t is the same as the 18t lorry we have just bought which surprised me - about £250 a year each inc breakdown cover. Tax is about £185 for a year (if I remember from the renewal reminder that came in earlier this week). Plating test is £70ish from memory but I could be out on that. 

The running costs come down to luck I find - depends on how your lorry has been maintained and what needs fixed in any year. We put a new clutch in our "new" old lorry and with a service and plating it all came in at just over 1k last month. Sone thing else could go or instead it might be a few years before we need to spend on it. If I had to guess I'd say we spend on average £5-700 a year on repairs on a horsebox.


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## smiffyimp (10 February 2012)

As a new 7.5tonne owner i only have limited experience. We sold a Navara and trailer for the lorry. The lorry is no more expensive, if not a little cheaper on fuel that the Navara and trailer. £165 tax, £300 insurance with breakdown. Plaiting was £90, done for us by Thorpe horseboxes who actually collected the lorry and did a preplait and some repairs for us - this was a big bill but as the lorry is old and had been unused we wanted it done, for eg we needed 2 new rear calipers - these are about £500 ea new, Thorpe put us on second hand ones for £500 for the pair. New tyres on the back were about £80ea as I remember. There were various other bits but nothing major, all in all a £1400 bill (which when broken down was very reasonable for what they done), we wont need this every year and my hubby can do most jobs on it. But keep them moving, I take mine out for weekly exercise with or with horse
As my hubby says - lorries are big therefore so are the parts and the bills that come with them!


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## SpottedCat (10 February 2012)

Depends on the age too - cost to get mine through its MOT last year was a couple of hundred including a full pre-mot check by the mechanic, steam clean of the engine, his time to take it to the test, the cost of the test and a couple of minor things that needed doing. As said before, tax is £165 and insurance including breakdown about £300.


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## splash30 (10 February 2012)

Its interesting regarding the tax as they are all cheaper than my 3.5t 2008 plate horsebox! 

At what point is plating required not MOT is it anything over 3.5t?


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## smiffyimp (10 February 2012)

Hi, yes it is


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## SpottedCat (10 February 2012)

splash30 said:



			Its interesting regarding the tax as they are all cheaper than my 3.5t 2008 plate horsebox! 

At what point is plating required not MOT is it anything over 3.5t?
		
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People call it plating when what they really mean is annual test (lorry equivalent of MOT). You have to get it done at a specialist center, but it is still essentially an MOT. The 'plate' is the certificate showing maximum authorised mass of the vehicle which is usually done when it is first made, but you do get things like 10 tonne vehicles downrated to 7.5 tonne and to do that they have to be plated again. 

Your annual test is what needs to be done - you can book them online through VOSA. I have no idea where the thought that these are called the 'plating' originated, because they are just an annual test for your vehicle like your MOT is an annual test for your car! The plating is something entirely different as I understand it. But no doubt Perfect11s or Popsdosh or Mike007 will be along to set us straight if not


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## humblepie (10 February 2012)

Hi those of you who have insurance and breakdown for about £300 do you mind saying who it is with or pm'ing me?  Have just had my insurance renewal through which I think is about £240 but I do breakdown cover separately.   It may be that we are with the same people and that when I add mine up it comes to the same figure but my insurance and breakdown renewals are at different times as when we bought the lorry we were doing work on it for the first few months before we started using it.   Thanks. 

Re the OP, one of the big things is I think the cost of parts but as I haven't had a 3.5t no idea how they compare.   The mpg will also be a big difference or at least it was gong from a 5t to a 7.5.   The bigger lorry though is much nicer for motorway work.


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## ecrozier (10 February 2012)

Exactly as others really, around £185 for tax and £300 for insurance and breakdown. I've had this lorry 2 years (1994 merc) prior to that I had a 1984 Bedford, and cost of annual service and test has never been over £1200, usuall between £600 and £800.


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## Polotash (10 February 2012)

I was suprised 7.5 tonne is cheaper on tax than a 3.5 tonne too!

KBIS do my horsebox insurance - it's £212 for the year.


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## ArcticFox (10 February 2012)

Is the horsebox insurance fully comp about the same regardless of the value of the box?

was just wondering if it was the same for a £5k lorry, £25k or even a £100k one.  When I had my £5k lorry I remember it wasn't a huge amount but lorries these days are worth a fortune so thought it might be different


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## splash30 (10 February 2012)

I'm always suprised for a year my tax is £220!


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## measles (10 February 2012)

humblepie said:



			Hi those of you who have insurance and breakdown for about £300 do you mind saying who it is with or pm'ing me?  Have just had my insurance renewal through which I think is about £240 but I do breakdown cover separately.   It may be that we are with the same people and that when I add mine up it comes to the same figure but my insurance and breakdown renewals are at different times as when we bought the lorry we were doing work on it for the first few months before we started using it.   Thanks.
		
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Ours are insured through NFU.


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## Coop (10 February 2012)

My 6.5 tonne N reg:
Tax £165 a year
Horsebox Owners Membership Organisation (breakdown) £205 i think, used them as reviews good. Full membership included laden and unladen.

Plating £115
Service with nice lorry man £250 ish a year, or anything it needs for plating. + new tyre this year £130. Cheap to service as has normal bonnet like a car.
Insurance with Anthony D Evans for anyone over 25 to drive £208 (just renewed today, has gone down by £15!)
As cheap to run as towing with the Daihatsu Fourtrak and Ifor 510, plus I can make tea!


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## humblepie (11 February 2012)

Measles - thanks.

Re tax - makes OH cross that my lorry costs less to tax than his car.


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