A Weighty Matter - the payloads of 7.5 tonne chassis

The start of 2014 brought in new emissions standards for goods vehicles (including horse lorries).  The Euro 6 standard requires quite a bit of technology to further reduce the nasty stuff coming out of the exhaust of diesel engines.  Although the technology is necessary, helpful and impressive, it unfortunately reduces the payload of most new lorries (and increases the cost of buying new).

New Euro VI DAF LF

The Euro 6 (or VI if you are being fussy) offerings from the likes of DAF and Iveco have seen an additional bit of weight added to 7.5t chassis ranges.    A Euro 5 DAF LF (7.5t, 4.3m wheelbase) came out of the Leyland factory gates with a body and payload allowance of about 4450 kg; the Euro 6 version has lost around 100 kg from its body and payload allowance, leaving it with about 4330 kg for the body and cargo.

 Iveco Eurocargo's have only 4.1 tonnes or so to spare, whereas the impressively specified Mercedes Atego chassis won't give you much more than 3.7 tonnes. 


However, there a couple of vehicles which still have an "old school" payload allowance. 

A 7 tonne Iveco Daily converted by Paragan Horseboxes

Firstly the Iveco Daily 70 has a gross mass of 7 tonnes, yet still comes with a payload of over 4.7 tonnes! Although this robust little truck can accommodate bodies of just over 6m long, Iveco specify a maximum width of 2.35m (as opposed to 2.55m for most in this segment), so horses would have to travel length ways, rather than herringbone. 

From Japan, the Isuzu N75 7.5t Euro VI chassis still offers a body and payload allowance of well over 4.5 tonnes, though again with a narrower permitted body width.  This chassis is used by EquiTrek for their 7.5t range.

Toyota's Hino brand has long been established in the UK's heavy construction sector.  In recent years, the Hino 300 series has been trying to find its place in the 7.5t sector.  The chassis offer a body and payload allowance of around 5 tonnes. 

A FUSO Canter 7.5t lorry

Mitsubishi FUSO  (now a subsidiary of Mercedes Benz's Daimler) have seen a steady increase of their Canter range over the past few years.  A popular truck amongst the building trades, the plucky Canter's 7.5t biggest chassis  can accomodate body lengths of 7m long, widths of 2.55m wide and yet still have a body and payload allowance of 5 tonnes. 

Horsebox builders and uses tend to prefer the tried and tested European vehicles, liking their heavier duty engineering.  But as the lighter 7.5t vehicles show a healthy sales record the option for utilising lighter base vehicles will doubt be attractive to many in the next few years to come.