Lightening your lorry.

[cp1980]

So... my mate has a weight issue.

She has an old Iveco Cargo 7.5t lorry with living. It weighs about 6.4t unloaded. She needs to carry around 1.6t (I did the sums - one warmblood, a carriage, lots of harness, tack, and a hitched-on trailer).

It is an over-engineered lorry.

Somehow she needs lose about 500kg.

She's made a start:

The flooring alone is about an inch thick of four old ply sheets with an old heavy rubber mat - that is being replaced with an alumninium alloy one and a more modern horsebox mat, which is apparently better and weighs much less.

She's taking out the old built-in generator and removed some of the rubber matting that drapes from the over-engineered partition. The heavy old ramp wings are being replaced by modern light composite panels. She's even taken the matress out of the Luton bed.

She must be saving a couple of hundred kilos with these steps so far - at least.

Can anyone give any other advice or ideas on what she could replace or remove to lighten the load?

Does anyone else have any positive experiences of losing weight (off your lorry!)

Thanks

[ROG]

Originally Posted by cp1980

So... my mate has a weight issue......Somehow she needs lose about 500kg.

She's made a start:

Good for her - hope she keeps up with the diet and exercise routine

Well, someone was going to say it sooner or later....

[perfect11s]

Big job but a lot of the older lorrys and some newer ones used domestic type kichen base units and worktops which are very heavy compared with the caravan stuff you could also look at the floor and seat bases gutting the old living and striping a caravan to replace it may be the answer!!! you could also look at the skirts and locker boxes see what they are made from, sadly so many lorrys were badly enginered and or builders used the wrong or cheap matrials or didn't care I the past but now a modern build will weigh in at about 5 tons as there isnt much point in having a 7.5 tonner if you can only carry one horse and unlike years ago you have a good chance to be done for overloading...

[cp1980]

Originally Posted by perfect11s

Big job but a lot of the older lorrys and some newer ones used domestic type kichen base units and worktops which are very heavy compared with the caravan stuff

The main carcases are kitchen-style laminated chipboard, but the doors are thinly framed ply. Stripping the living could be an option, but my friend finds it rather frightening so has put that to the bottom of the priority list.

you could also look at the skirts and locker boxes see what they are made from, sadly so many lorrys were badly enginered and or builders used the wrong or cheap matrials or didn't care

An experienced horsebox builder friend has offered to sort out her lockers too. He noted that they were made from heavy duty ply and steel and could be replaced by lightweight ally units. The on-board water tank was also thought about, but again they don't have to be full. If it is steel, perhaps a smaller plastic one may be useful.


Thanks for your suggestions.

[Bangagin]

I didn't need to reduce the weight of my lorry, but took out one of the partitions (as never needed to carry more than two horses) and this made a huge difference as the partitions are very heavy. I also don't tend to carry the spare wheel with me - it's not necessary to carry it as I checked with my breakdown company - and that saves a bit of weight too.

[Goldenstar]

I calculated it was impossible to get my modern lorry to carry carriage warmblood horse stuff food for a weekend etc etc it was just too tight.
So I take a car and trailer too it adds to the expense but I don't do many competions a year.