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Post by conniegirl on Mar 18, 2012 18:30:52 GMT
My ford cargo is a 1990, it has a bit of cosmetic rust but is super efficient and no rust under it. mine only has a 2.5l engine so is extremely economical and doesnt sruggle much on the hills
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Post by welshshowcobs on Mar 18, 2012 20:26:54 GMT
dancer yeah thats right,20 miles,half an half,too be fair tho we do windy roads and my mum drives too slowly quite often.we get about 15 miles to the gallon
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Post by welshshowcobs on Mar 18, 2012 20:28:49 GMT
also its in water,them roads were not made for horseboxes!
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Post by whispers2012 on Mar 18, 2012 20:46:09 GMT
Very much doubt it would be cheaper in any of those lorries, it's the cost of diesel that is making things expensive! I would look at your 4x4 change that rather than buying a lorry, there are many costs in running a box not just the fuel :-(
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Post by conniegirl on Mar 18, 2012 23:51:21 GMT
we changed from a 4x4 to a lorry and small car, has worked out much cheaper.
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Post by sometime on Mar 19, 2012 2:36:15 GMT
Yes we changed from a 4x4 to a lorry and a small car as we both did very high mileage to work and running the tow car back and forth was to expensive so we save money by having the lorry. Not sure it applies now as I don't work and OH likes his big car
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Post by sunnylynn on Mar 19, 2012 7:30:03 GMT
Thank you for all replies. Am fed up with my 4 x 4 using 15 to gall when towing. Seem to have narrowed it down to a Ford cargo 813 or a VW Man. Sunnylynn please ask your husband if they are ok. Any advice so welcome. Would always advise someone with limited knowledge to take experienced person with them yet I m looking at horseboxes without backup. Thank you. Just spoke to hubby and got a long winded speech on lorries (he's a bit of a geek when it comes to horseboxes - when we go to shows he goes round looking at the different types )....TBH he said he wouldnt touch either.....(depending on how old the VW is, but if its old he wouldnt touch). Both will be hard to get partn on....he said save up the extra and get a DAF 45 or iveco cargo (not ford cargo) as you will be able to get the parts much easier
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Post by keyhole on Mar 19, 2012 11:03:03 GMT
Keep away from the cargo as you'll struggle to get parts now. Dad are briliant in terms of back up an up there in terms of economy. Man's ok but parts can be dear snd dealership network not the best. Expect between 15 &20mpg dependant on load and driving style, keep in the green band and always try to do a rolling start this will greatly improve MPG & block change when possible.
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Post by m1hht on Mar 20, 2012 19:46:03 GMT
Daf would be recommended. Iveco brakes callipers cost a fortune to replace as thay seize regularly, especially on older vehicles.
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Post by rhosyn on Mar 20, 2012 21:06:40 GMT
peppercorn, do you have an auto Navara by any chance?!?!
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Post by honeypot on Mar 21, 2012 18:03:01 GMT
I had a 1979 Bedford TK . Loved it, fuel economy was good because I could only do 55mph top speed. Sold it when we stopped doing PC and shows and now I have a very old Rice Europa and an old Discovery, which seems to take no more desial wether I am towing or not about 28-30 mpg. I have an old AX for everyday that does around 45-50mpg.
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Post by bleanwoodro on Mar 22, 2012 7:15:12 GMT
My e reg dodge is fab Wales and back a couple time all over the country. Really Eco on the fuel last week 6 hour driving we did for around 65.
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katy1
Full Member
Posts: 278
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Post by katy1 on Mar 22, 2012 21:37:38 GMT
I believe there are companies remaking ford cargo parts as there are still so many on the road. We have never struggled to get anything for ours.
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Post by armada on Mar 22, 2012 21:48:01 GMT
I believe there are companies remaking ford cargo parts as there are still so many on the road. We have never struggled to get anything for ours. These parts are kalled patent parts, an get them pretty muh for anything, used them for years. Honeypot, I kant believe you got 55mph out of a Bedford TK, I had the odd smart one, dont believe any had a turbo and 55mph was a pipe dream! I must say though, we have a 17t Skania, 9 ltr engine, and with 2 or 3 riding ponies on board, plus essential extras for a few days away, it does'nt use muh more fuel than our Isuzu towing a rise double trailer. A trip to Bukingham then Bury Farm and home, and I'd shange from £150, the Trooper would have kost no less.
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dazycutter
Happy to help
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his Tongue.
Posts: 7,933
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Post by dazycutter on Mar 22, 2012 21:56:19 GMT
Have a DAF 45. Carries 4 big ones and is un restricted so flies along lovely to drive Reliable as anything and is more economical than my mitzy challenger.
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katy1
Full Member
Posts: 278
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Post by katy1 on Mar 23, 2012 8:59:44 GMT
I think we get about 20 mpg out of our cargo, I put £20 in for a 45 mile round trip and have enough fuel left to run about to a lesson and collect hay, I had visions of downsizing and took a rice trailer with one 13.2 pony in towed by a discovery, the same journey took £30 and I was running on red coming home! I def find it more fuel efficient in a lorry and comfy when you get there!
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jonp
Junior Member
Posts: 170
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Post by jonp on Mar 23, 2012 11:47:26 GMT
Here is part of a recent Press Release that I thought you might find interesting: RUNNING ON EMPTY…….. That’s just what too many of us are now doing in our horseboxes according to the latest research figures released by PRP Rescue Services, the company responsible for the breakdown and recovery service provided by the Organisation of Horsebox and Trailer Owners and NFU Mutual. “There has been a 35% increase in breakdowns caused by running out of fuel during February and first part of March” explained Jon Phillips, M.D. of PRP Rescue. “Apart from the normal post-winter problems of water in the tanks and tyre blow-outs, we have seen a massive surge in breakdowns caused by low fuel levels. Unfortunately, as no breakdown company covers this type of driver error, it does result in some rather large bills being sent out to those concerned. The average cost varies between £250 and £300, but can quite easily be a lot more if the sediment that accumulates in the bottom of a diesel tank is dragged up into the fuel lines, filters and jets. Quite often this will also result in a secondary breakdown with fuel blockages.” With fuel prices now at their highest ever we asked Jon for some tips to improve your fuel economy and save some money. The figures below are based on an annual mileage of 5000 miles at 15 miles per gallon. • Tyre pressures are the first thing to check. Underinflated tyres will increase rolling resistance and result in a 2% loss in fuel economy – that is 7 gallons of fuel or £52.50 per year. • When it comes to buying new tyres consider radials. Goodyear claim that they could save up to 6% on fuel. They might be more expensive to start with, but could save you £112 per year. • A Loose fuel cap can result in 10 gallons per year evaporating into the atmosphere - £75.00 per year. • Simply reducing your speed from 56mph to 50mph and will improve your fuel consumption by 22% - saving you 60 gallons of fuel - £450 per year. • When planning your route stay away from B roads. Try to use motorways and A roads where you can maintain a steady speed. Sometimes the journey might be longer in distance, but the lack of gear changes (every change up will increase economy between 10-30%) and the higher average speed will save you money. Try to “block change” (skip gears) when changing gear. This could save you another 20 gallons of fuel - £150 per year. • When it comes to your next engine service ask your mechanic to use synthetic engine oil. It might be more expensive to start with, but Mobil claim an improvement of up to 4.7% in economy – that’s 15 gallons - £112.5 per year. • Use the momentum of your vehicle where it is safe to do so going down hills. • When you come back from a show and have unloaded, make sure you park the right way round to drive straight away on your next journey. Manoeuvring on a cold engine first thing in the morning is very expensive. • Keep weight down to a minimum and never overload your vehicle. Apart from the obvious fuel implications, you are guaranteed to have tyre problems. • Check your fuel gauge is accurate and never run “in the red”. • Use a reputable breakdown company that knows what it is doing – you might have to pay if you run out of fuel, but at least you will not get ripped off. So our vehicle that travels 5000 miles each year is going to use around 333 gallons of diesel. At the current rate of around £7.50 per gallon that is £2500 per year. The above savings are now recognised throughout the professional haulage industry. If you do your best to follow them it really could result in a saving of up to £950 on that £2500 annual bill and maybe even save you another £300 by not running out of fuel in the first place! Jon Phillips M.D PRP Rescue Services, www.ohto.co.uk, www.prprescue.me. 22nd March 2012.
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Post by dancer on Mar 23, 2012 11:59:52 GMT
Any ideas on how to stop diesel being stolen?
My lorries have been syphoned twice in the last year so I'm reluctant to completely 'fill up' as any fuel left at the end of a journey is at risk of 'disappearing'.
Both lorries had locking fuel caps but the insurance company have advised against replacing them as this increases the risk of the tanks being drilled - at the moment the only option seems to be syphoning any excess fuel off ourselves at the end of the day so there is nothing left to be stolen!
Has anyone else had the same problem & what have you done to prevent it happening again?
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Post by conniegirl on Mar 23, 2012 12:05:39 GMT
dancer I always leave my lorry with only enough fuel to get me to the nearest fuel station (5 miles away) I fuel up the morning of the show on the way out!
JonP, whatever breakdown SEIB uses covers running out of fuel. Our very old merc ran out of fuel about 500m from a fuel station because the fuel guage was still reading 1/4 of a tank. SEIB sent someone to check the lorry, discovered that it had no fuel, I walked to the fuel station and got fuel whilst the mechanic set to cleaning the fuel filters! Lorry was started again and driven to the fuel station to fill up.
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Post by dancer on Mar 23, 2012 12:15:02 GMT
Conniegirl - the problem is that when it's stolen they totally empty the tank so there isn't enough left to get to the nearest petrol station & very often we are setting off so early the garage isn't even open!
The last time it was stolen it took £80 diesel before the guage even registered in the red - that's a lot of trips to garage with 5 litre fuel cans!
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jonp
Junior Member
Posts: 170
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Post by jonp on Mar 23, 2012 13:23:55 GMT
Conniegirl, Most breakdown companies will cover you if the fuel gauge develops a fault that is diagnosed by the attending agent - but only once, you know about it after that and should get it fixed.
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