This article is from the September 2020 Horse Deals magazine.
Liz Richardson’s vision for a new horse truck has been realised in a most impressive renovation, thanks to her builder husband David’s hard work. This isn’t the first time the Victorian team have put their marriage to the test, with their last build carting the family and horses to showjumping events around the country.
“My judgment on what makes a good truck is based on how long it takes you to set up and then pack up at the end of a competition,” says Liz. “In our previous truck, we didn’t have a large enough living area and our daughter Sam would have to set up her bed in the horse area.
“I knew exactly what I wanted in a new truck but I couldn’t find it on the market. I guess anyone that knows me, knows I am a little fussy!” Liz laughs. “We found this truck in Horse Deals. It was not exactly what I envisioned and it was in upper New South Wales, but it was a neat truck with low mileage and the sellers were lovely, genuine people.”
On purchase, the 2004 Isuzu FSR 700 carried six horses on a straight load with a small living area at the front. Over the 12 months that followed, David and Liz set to work; gutting the original living and extending it into the horse section. The end result was a kitchen, lounge, room to sleep three, a toilet and shower, and bays for four large horses on the angle.
“I am so lucky to have such a clever husband and we also have some great friends who were willing to share ideas with us or help out,” Liz continues. “During the planning stages and the building process, I was checking out other trucks at shows and gathering ideas. All the planning and research has been worth it though; I can’t think of anything else I would want to add. I think David is a bit relieved about that.”
BEFORE: One of the key considerations with the reno was the weight distribution of the horses. Since the horse bays were now going to be on or past the back axle, it was imperative this was passed by an engineer. Liz got in touch with Peter from Rivenlee, who built the horse box years ago, and he was happy to offer advice and give the OK.
The kitchen needed some love.
The dividing wall was made up of a swing around tack box which swung into the kitchen whilst travelling.
The plan was to move the dividing wall past that first window, making room for the toilet and shower and another bed in the living area.
Another alteration to the horse area was rebuilding the chest boxes so they are 10cm deeper and also go along the whole horse area. This makes additional room in the exterior tackbox.
The chest box finishing touches include a stainless steel top, rubber matting on the sides and a cupboard nearest to the living.
Framework for the new dividing wall and PA door all in place.
The gutted kitchen ready for rebuild. David sought professional help for the plumbing and 240v wiring.
Luckily David and Liz realised they needed to bring in the fibreglass shower and toilet cubicle before they completed the dividing wall! Glossy white aluminium panels were used to line the inside of the living space.
David built the cabinets himself under the watchful eye of designer Liz.
A storage and a pantry was installed on the exterior of the toilet and shower cubicle and a place for the TV above.
For improved safety, ridged rubber matting was added to the ramp.
The truck had a very neat exterior so Liz and David were careful not to alter anything that would require the whole truck to be repainted. The main change to the exterior was adding new underbody boxes, which David created himself with some welding help from fellow showjumper Sam Robertson.
The underbody storage under contruction. Shiny new chequer plate completes the overall look of the truck.
The new kitchen boasts a full-size oven, sink and microwave and marble look laminate and backsplash.
The lounge, which slides out to become a king single, was again constructed by David and has drawers underneath. The upholstery was completed by RV Upholstery.
“In an ideal world we would have added a luton peak, but it just wasn’t cost affective,” says Liz. They had to get creative and came up with this swing down king single bunk, which folds up out of the way during the day.
Looking to the back of the truck is the fridge, hanging closet, drawers and Sam’s bed above. To the right is the kitchen pantry and TV above.
The single bed has a reading light, power points with USB and safety rail.
A privacy blind was installed to extend the bathroom space when showering — meaning you have a larger area to get dressed in!
Each drawer under the bed is big enough to fit a suitcase. The bottom drawer holds the essentials; boots, helmet and celebratory drinks.
The door to the toilet and shower cubicle is retractable. Coat hooks are located to the right.
The new toilet and shower area gives a much more homely feel than showering in the horse area.
On completion, the horse area looks sleek and user friendly. The horses on board enjoy a roomy bay with large windows for ventilation. The rug racks above remain unchanged.
Although they look brand new, the old dividers were re-purposed to work on the angle. They were reinforced and rubber drops were added.
The storage area in the chest box is generally used for feed.
“We added breaching gates because they act as the last divider but also help guide the horses when loading and unloading,” comments Liz.
Space is a hot commodity so the additional 10cm of room added to the tackbox was appreciated. The drawers on the left slide in and out for smaller items like boots and bandages and the saddle racks are adjustable as they are on jump cup tracking.
The underbody storage means that the hot water service and batteries don’t take up precious space inside the truck.
Ready to hit the road!
Article: Rachel Clayfield.
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