Dang it! I've been looking in the wrong forum! I know some of you guys have heard me talking about COE conversions and wondering how they integrate the COE cab and still let it tilt forward. Now all I got to do is find someone who can make me an English horse lorrie!

Ok Chevy, how do we get one (or 2) of these imported? Take a look at these Lehel

I WANT one of these!!! They say the "big" one can sleep 6 and still have room for 9 horses. So I figure, keep the living area and I'll fill teh horse ara with the toys!! I wonder waht one of these goes for? And who do we contact about getting one built? Or just getting the chassis/box mating info so we can build on an Argosy?

.....Bill...are you sure your wife is going to travel around the country in a "horsebox"....[sounds like a gyno term of some sort]....I live next to Indian Hill, Ohio where the major players in the area live amongst Old Oak Trees-Daisey fields-and Fox Hunting......believe me there are NO "Horseboxes" to be had around here or these people would have a fleet at the tailgate parties....it is bad enough to have a Mercedes with wine and cheese in the trunk with a butler serving on silverware....Most of these people have commercial haulers do the moving as there is an insurance issues with moving your own "horsemeat" around.....the hauler is usually Sallee out of Ky....they are contract haulers for horses.....geofkaye

Kaye - no problem there. Anyway, the HORSES label on the front is just vinyl graphics anyway.

I sent an email to one of the companies asking how they did what they did. They replied this morning. Basically they rigid mount the cab to the frame. They then remove the seats and cut the floor open to create a huge "bonnet". They hinge this and replace the seats. Then they build the body. They claim that the mechanics actually like to work on them this way vs the flip cab. Also, the engines they have are damn near bulletproof. They are also built to be hauling 3-6 times the amount of weight they do when in a horse lorrie, similar to our conversions so the likelyhood of needing to gain full engine access is probably slim. I could see doing this but also creating a smaller access to check the oil and such.

I wonder how hard it would be to mount the cab to slide out rails (per Kaye) and then use an inflatable seal like those used by Newell Coach and the airlines for their doors. We could make it on a contact switch so that when the cab is released it automatically deflates and then once the cab gets locked back in place, it inflates the seal to seal off the cab again. Obviously you would not want to do this when it is raining or snowing outside!

You know what, this may just work afterall. The one thing the European trucks have over the Argosy is that they have a lower bumper height requirement and the cabs sit a bit lower which leaves more room for the upper bunk and lowers the COG.

Bill... interesting what they told you in the email as on their webpage they say: "Our tilting cab system comes as standard at no extra cost. "

Guess they have different ways.

Also they mention they built on Mercedes and MAN chassis, but the pics show Scania and DAF (the smaller one). So I guess they built on anything.

I thought the Argosy here in the states is the same as in Europe. Did not know there were differences between them. I think its Mercedes's bestselling truck over there, from what I could see on the freeways on my last visit.

Hey 57p-up.

Why are Over Engineering this whole thing????
Do I have to send you those prints again,You could have had the friggin thing built by now.
Well then again I forgot that you are on the
wrong coast and everything on your side is still
goin in slow motion from the Brown Acid & Residual Smoke still lingering in the air.

From speaking to some family members alot of the cabover (with lutton areas) removal trucks don't allow the cab to tilt while the body is in place. All the regular maintenance can be done from the access areas and some more complicated items from underneath (I know kaye's not going to like that idea!). However something major like an engine swap requires the body to be lifted.

With a newish or fully overhauled (by someone you trust!) engine and some thought into making the body easily removable I wouldn't have a problem with this (as someone pointed out the milage and weight in this configuration is peanuts compaired to commercial service).

What do you think?

quote:

Originally posted by WalliK:
Bill... interesting what they told you in the email as on their webpage they say: "Our tilting cab system comes as standard at no extra cost. "

Guess they have different ways.

Also they mention they built on Mercedes and MAN chassis, but the pics show Scania and DAF (the smaller one). So I guess they built on anything.

I thought the Argosy here in the states is the same as in Europe. Did not know there were differences between them. I think its Mercedes's bestselling truck over there, from what I could see on the freeways on my last visit.

I had actually emailed several of the coach companies in the UK that buile these. The one that has replied, it was a Sat night afterall, gave me the info I posted. I have now looked at 12-13 of these horse lorry companies. They range from the very basic to the very extravagant. Some of them even say that they have shipped truck to the US. I am trying to get ahold of these companies to see how the import was handled.

All European vehicles have slightly different bumper heights and some other specs than their US brothers/sisters. You may be right about the Argosy...do you know which model it is in the MB European lineup?

Marc,

Can you send me the plans you are referring to? I would be very interested in seeing them.

Hey Bill, Send me your email address, I cannot seem to upload anything to this site. I think I may not be doing it right.

mcharley02@yahoo.com