4.7 tonnes of gorgeousness - the Helios range of horseboxes for sale by coachbuilders and manufacturers, Kevin Parker Horseboxes Ltd

Manufacturer Kevin Parker horseboxes are proud to introduce the new Helios Horsebox range

The name Helios is from Greek mythology, Helios was imagined as a handsome god crowned with the shining aureole of the sun who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day.

We have another website dedicated to the Helios range http://www.helioshorseboxes.co.uk

When we started designing and manifacturing the Helios, we had a clear goal to aim for.
The Helios had to be pleasing to look at from all angles, very strong and incorporate the latest materials for strength and lightness.
We are very pleased and know our customers feel the same. We have an alluring design that is also aerodynamic and even lighter than before. The smooth lines flow from the tilt luton down through the skirt to the moulded in rear lights. The new Helios shape is proving very popular with motor sport enthusiasts, so much so we now build motor sport transporters with drop well workshops.
Because each Motor sport transporter is unique we can build to individual customers specifications and there are always several in build available for viewing. For people who want to build their own horsebox or race transporter we now sell the basic Helios fibreglass kit as well as our new bumper design, please phone for details or see more details here.

The Website

To make browsing and buying one of our horseboxes easier we have listed a few pointers that we think are important in terms of the quality of the build of any horsebox. There are no catches or clever wording on the site and we have put all the information at your fingertips with very large pictures to show detail throughout the website.
In addition we can put you in touch with previous customers and for further information see our ‘Feedback’ section on the website for their recommendations.
Please note we build all our own horseboxes, we do not put anything out to tender to then sell on under our own name. Even our new Helios horsebox has been designed, modelled and built on site.
Our team are body builders by trade; time served and qualified and every horsebox for sale is made with pride by people who care.
All our designs come from our customers' requirements, so we listen carefully to each point and build exactly what they need.

Warranty

We are so confident in the quality of our builds we include a 2 year warranty on all our horsebox bodies, a full service, 12 months test, warranty on the chassis and breakdown cover. We only require a small deposit when the order is placed and the balance on collection. Again this is to give customers peace of mind, especially in the current economic climate.

More innovation with a full solar power system as standard

Again we are leading the way with a two panel full solar charging system now fitted as standard to the Helios range.
The system is maintenance free and the quality panels and charge regulator have been thoroughly tested over many years. This is not a token system to tick boxes but rather a large 2 panel system large enough to run all the LED lights on the Helios horsebox and keep the batteries topped up.
The panels are so efficient they charge even on the dullest of days, keeping the batteries topped up all year round.

When buying a horsebox weight must be one of the most important considerations

For instance a typical horse can weigh up to 655kg, a pony up to 455kg, feed 20kg, add to this, fuel, water, tack, driver.
Fines for overloading can be up to £5,000. If you are stopped and found overloaded a prohibition notice will be issued, banning the vehicle from being driven. To clear a prohibition notice, another vehicle may have to transport the excess load or temporary accommodation for your horses may have to be arranged. You could then face prosecution, as well as licence penalty points.
If your vehicle is overloaded, insurance cover also becomes void. We recommend that you always ask for a weight certificate for the finished vehicle as there are many horseboxes both old and new that do not comply with legal requirements, so BEWARE !
Our standard ladies Helios horseboxes are 4.7 ton so they are all legally capable of carrying 3 of the largest horses (they can legally carry over 2.5 ton of horses and tack)
We weigh each box on completion and give a certificate with each horsebox.
At the other end of the scale our heaviest Helios with all extras fitted, fuel and water weighs 5.3 ton.
Recently we have seen an increase in the number of customers wishing to trade in their horseboxes because of weight issues. These horseboxes range from self builds to coach built horseboxes by some of the larger manufacturers. In addition we have had many requests to reduce the weight in existing horseboxes. One of the ways we do this is by replacing all the heavy rubber mats and kick sheets in a horsebox with our Coat-x spray-on protective coating.
We repair quite a lot of horsebox ramps and these can be damaged or just plain heavy to lift, in these cases we replace the moulded rubber ramp mats with our Coat-x spray-on protective coating.

Dimensions

Height and width - our boxes are stalled for the largest 18 hand horses with 8’ width and 8' 2" height. The length of the horse area can be specified by the customer. The partitions can be moved up and down the horse area to suit and therefore fit any width of horse.
One of most distinctive features of the Helios design is the curved roofline, setting it apart from other horseboxes.
The advantages of a curved roof being; increased aerodynamics, greater load capacity, a more inviting horse area and most of all, a really eye-catching shape.
Other advantages of the Helios design are an overall height of 11’ 3” and the height of the ramp at just 2’ 8.5”, making it extremely low and very easily loaded.

Safety

For safety and strength we build a galvanised steel cage in the horse area that is welded to the steel center partition and to the ramp frame. The horse partitions are hung from this, adding to the safety and in turn the quality of the build.

Finish

Finish in the horse area is paramount and any horsebox must be able to withstand power washing and disinfectants on a weekly basis. We use COAT-X (www.coat-x.co.uk ) to coat the horse area and ramps, there are no seams and no water ingress. Each horsebox looks like new after each wash. We fit long drain tubes to take any water out of the horse area and past any chassis parts underneath the horsebox. These are not just holes drilled in the floor. Coat-X on our ramps has removed the need for capping. When a ramp is left down Coat-X stops water getting behind the edges and in turn stops swelling and rotting. Coat-X is sprayed at a high temperature and completely seals all edges for the life of the horsebox.

Sub frame and ramp

Our horsebox floors have bearer spaces of 10" TO 12" for maximum strength and clever use of materials means our horseboxes are far lower for better stability and loading. This in turn lowers the overall height of the box to 11’ 3”.

Ramps are perfectly balanced and we pride ourselves with making light ramps that can be closed easily.The ramps are foam filled with large hinges with grease nipples and hardwood slip rails. They are smooth faced on the outside with no screws or rivets to spoil the lines. They are the full width of the horsebox to make the entrance as inviting as possible. Again our unique design allows us to have a floor to top of ramp height of 2' 8.5". This makes loading the horses much easier. The whole design of the horse area is aimed around ease for loading and transporting horses. You will not find heavy stainless sheet heavy rubber mats, just a clean smooth finish made to steam clean and look like new each time.

Built to last

Product longevity is the key to building a quality product and we go to great lengths to paint, glue, seal and Waxoyl every part where appropriate. Having our own spray shop is of great benefit in this area. We do not have to complete a build and drive it offsite to a spray shop for painting.

After we service and prepare each chassis it goes into our steel fabrication workshop where the sub-frame and horse cage are fitted. Next it moves into our paint shop; the cab, engine, chassis and all steelwork are sprayed with 3 coats of oil resistant paint. After the box is finished it goes back into the spray shop and the underside is painted again and finally Waxoyl is applied.

Steelwork and partitions are galvanised keeping a quality finish for the life of the horsebox. On the same theme we use sealer glue on every part fitted to the horsebox. All rivets and screws are stainless steel and each hole is sealed before they are fitted. On the Helios range we have removed nearly all the outside fixings. Visit www.helioshorseboxes.co.uk.

Our commitment to improvement, innovative design and greater choice for customers continues with new products

• As part of our ongoing research and development and through our ties with Myerscough College we are running our own tests on the horse area and ramp colours. Latest studies have shown that gray floor colour has the most calming effect on horses and also the lowest percentage of adverse reactions. Add to this a maximum width loading area and an extremely low ramp height and this results in ease of loading and safe transportation of customers horses.
• Over the past year we have been asked more often to fit trackers, mainly because insurance companies have specified them. We are now agents for SmarTrack (The Thatcham Accredited Stolen Vehicle Tracking System) and offer a next day fitting service. We can demonstrate how the system works with a unit fitted to one of our company vehicles. Having a tracker fitted may reduce your insurance premiums.
• Through Equine Rescue Services we now include 3 months free equine and tyre support with the option to upgrade to full road recovery and rescue.
• We now have available an option of bonded windows. These have been designed by Kevin Parker Horseboxes ltd specifically for our Helios range.

Tilt cab

All our horseboxes for sale have tilt cabs, we feel they are a must. With the new Helios design tilting a cab is now a five minute job. It is just not possible to service a modern chassis when the cab is fixed down.

Soon all horseboxes will need vehicle type approval. Customers will need a certificate to get through an MOT test. This will ensure any vehicle alterations are done in a safe way and should remove some of the dangerous practices from the industry and thus give customers peace of mind. To this end in 2008 we became members of the VBRA (Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association).

Innovative Coat-X spray on protective coating

As predicted other manufacturers are now following our lead, word has spread throughout the horse community and many customers are asking for Coat-X in their builds as a lightweight alternative to heavy rubber mats and kick sheets. It is worth noting that any spray on protective coating is only as good as the people doing the job. It is the preparation and their experience and skill that count and our commercial spray shop team pride themselves in the quality of our Helios horsebox horse areas and ramps. It is easy to cut corners and hard for a customer to tell a good job from a bad one. We are so confident in our product and workmanship that we cover Coat-X as part of our 2 year warranty.
Coat-X is keeping us very busy, we sprayed horsebox ramps for other manufacturers , service vehicles, garden furniture, pet ambulances, South west water vehicles, even bee hives. The finish is just amazing when compared to heavy kick sheets and rubber matting. To read more about Coat-X visit www.coat-x.co.uk

Customer care

Product quality and customer care are our main objectives as a company. A good name cannot be bought, it must be earned.

With the Helios horsebox range customers are buying peace of mind. With our 2 years warranty and exceptional customer care program we aim to be amongst the best.

To this end continued improvement in quality and customer care have become our driving force. Off course all these words are only as good as the staff behind them and we have an excellent team, both skilled and proud of what they produce.

We aim to be as transparent as possible and customers are able to view boxes at all stages of the build process. We post all our information on the website including detailed pictures with a high enough quality to make informed choices.

There are no sales people as we let the quality of our horseboxes sell themselves.
We put great emphasis on ease of use and comfort for horses and owners alike and with over 30 years of experience can advise customers on the best ways to incorporate their requirements whilst staying within the load capacity of the horsebox.

Our opening times

7.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays
7.30 am to noon on Saturdays

We realise it can be difficult to get away in working hours, so if these times are not convenient and you would like to arrange an appointment at an alternative time please call Kevin on 07956222678.

Happy Customers!

It's always nice to get great feedback, we built a motor-sport box for rally driver Alister McRae, here's what he had to say...

"Kevin and his teams ability to build exactly what was required into my truck would give me no hesitation in recommending them no matter what your requirements"

» see Alister collecting his motor-sport box and read more feedback