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From Cherry Picker to Horse Truck

This article is from the February 2024 Horse Deals magazine.

The once Isuzu cherry picker is now a glorified five-horse truck with living, fully custom-made by Ronny, Jaimie’s father.

When Jaimie’s dad Ronny rocked up home after a five-day trip with a cherry picker truck, Jaimie said that it was not what she had envisaged and she couldn’t see the vision.

Three years later, after a lot of hard work and renovations, the truck now holds five horses, two dogs and has a massive living space - so much more than Jaimie could have ever imagined. Horse Deals takes the tour.

Having grown up with two horsey parents that both evented, it was inevitable that Jaimie would do the same. Since the age of five, Jaimie has been doing just that, and worked her way up the levels right through to five star. As an eventer, living in South Australia is limiting as there are very few events. Therefore, to compete regularly, Jaimie is required to trek across the country, and for quite some time this was done with a two-horse float and a bus that was converted into the family’s living quarters. However, this became more difficult as Jaimie’s team of horses increased and her own equestrian training business evolved rapidly.

“Dad built floats for our business ‘Image Floats’ for over 40 years, and the dream had always been for him to build me a truck. But as the saying goes, if it is your profession, your own will never be completed. It wasn’t until Dad retired that the dream of building our own truck became real.”

“My godmother, who was a massive influence in my and my mother’s life, unfortunately passed away from brain cancer in 2010. She left me some inheritance to put towards buying a truck that Dad could renovate as she knew it was my dream, and that horses are and will always be a big part of my life. If it wasn’t for her the truck would never have been possible, hence the memorial sign on the exterior - I owe it to her.”

“Back in 2017 we went out and bought a magazine, and Dad flew up to Queensland to look at a truck. I left it in Dad’s hands to find the perfect truck, and yet five days later he rocked up home with an Isuzu prime mover set up as a cherry picker. I remember saying ‘What the hell are you going to do with that?’ It was certainly far from what I expected, but Dad knew what he was doing and he had a vision, and from there the renovations began.”

The Cherry Picker renovations began with Ronny removing and later selling the cherry picker, pulling the whole truck apart so he could start from scratch. From there it became apparent that the chassis was too short to fit the dream of five horses and a large living area, so he had to use mechanical engineering to cut the chassis and stretch it to suit the requirements.

The floor was next, followed by the rest of the framework, insulation, wiring and re-sheeting. “Dad did it all on his own, from the big shed in our backyard,” says Jaimie.

Unfortunately, the renovations weren’t all smooth sailing, as part way through COVID-19 hit, which, although allowed Jaimie and Ronny more time to work on the truck, resulted in many delays and a decrease in materials that were available, prolonging the project by a year.

“The challenging part was getting the materials in during COVID. It was a total nightmare and we had to compromise on a lot. We changed the types of materials we used, but even then it was all still delayed,” said Jaimie. Due to the delays, Jaimie and her father decided to put the living and kitchen areas on hold and solely focus on the horse section. “It was frustrating, but at the end of the day it is useable now, even though it isn’t complete, but it’s well on its way.”

With a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and the removal of the shed front in order to get the newly built truck out, it hit the roads in 2020, a mere three years later. “It is more beautiful than ever, it turned out way better than I could have imagined. I certainly didn’t think it would look as good as it does - I love it!” said Jaimie.

Article by: Safari Smith.
Photos: Ty Manning Photography

The Isuzu FVR 950 long truck caught Ronny’s attention as it had low miles, was a reliable prime mover, and a good age and a good price. Even though it was set up as a cherry picker Ronny saw its potential and flew to Queensland to pick up the truck and drive it the five-day trek home. Jaimie was shocked when her father rocked up home with this cherry picker declaring it was going to be her horse truck - “all I wanted was a truck to put my horses in and for it to be nice to drive. It looked nothing like that and I thought what the hell are you going to do with that,” said Jaimie.

Once stripped, the first step was to increase the length of the chassis. Ronny cut the existing chassis in half and stretched it to the required length to fit five horses and a large living space.

The important preparation for a perfect floor came next.

Once the framework for the flooring was created and installed, Ronny set about framing the rest of the truck. This required a lot of planning to ensure Jaimie’s one request of ample storage capabilities were met.

The truck has now been insulated and <br>
re-sheeted. Next come the windows and the paint.

The truck has now been insulated and
re-sheeted. Next come the windows and the paint.

In this image, you can see the beginning of the pull-out - a feature that Jaimie requested to ensure ample space in the living area.

The living section of the truck is yet to be completed. The plan is to have a blue leather couch and table in the pull out as shown, which will convert to a double bed to go along with the king size bed in the luton peak. The wall opposite will hold the main living requirements of bench space, a sink, fridge, oven and stove. Jaimie has also designed floor-to-ceiling cupboards to maximise on space. Comfort has been at the forefront of Jaimie’s mind, and therefore the installation of underfloor heating was essential. Don’t be fooled, Jaimie has ensured the blue accents carry through to the living and kitchen area too. “Everything will be blue,” said Jaimie.

The horse section took priority in the build. Now fitted with five bays, eight vents and windows down each side, it ensures ample airflow and natural light seeps through for the horse’s comfort.

Each of the five dividers are fully adjustable, allowing ample room for the range of horses that come into Jaimie’s care.

The deceivably short but deep rug rack holds all the rug requirements necessary for interstate travelling. Again the blue accents popping.

Storage was of utmost importance, so the inclusion of three large tack boxes and eight smaller storage compartments ensures everything has a space, including feed, hay, buckets and gear.

The extra large tack box holds six saddles and still has ample room for the necessary gear required when transporting five horses across the state for eventing competitions.

The electric blue drop-down steps lead up into the living area through a standard caravan door.

Barb Heine, Jaimie’s godmother, was a massive supporter of Jaimie and her horses. When she unfortunately passed, Barb left some inheritance to Jaimie so she could go out to buy a truck. It was of utmost gratitude and love that Jaimie honoured Barb within the build of this truck and hence a beautiful memorial that sits prime and centre for all to see.

The 32ft long truck is run on a generator, with solar panels on the way. Jaimie doesn’t carry much water on the truck as the shower and toilet onboard work by being hooked up to water at events. The DIY project was the last and final build that Ronny ever made, making it all that more special. A rig made with heart, soul and love.

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From Cherry Picker to Horse Truck

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