The Helios Horsebox range from Kevin Parker Horseboxes Ltd

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.

Design

When we started designing the Helios, we had a clear goal to aim for.
The Helios had to be pleasing to look at from all angles, very strong, 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.

Our commitment to improvement and greater choice for customers continues with new products.

* Over the past year we have been asked more often to fit trackers, mainly because the insurance company has specified one. So 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 vehicle.Another advantage of fitting a tracker is reduced 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 with the number one company in the UK.
* We now have available an option of bonded windows. These have been designed by Kevin Parker Horseboxes ltd specifically for our Helios range.

Warning to customers

It has come to our attention that some horsebox traders and builders are using text and pictures that have been directly copied from our websites. So far we have had all our copied content removed, please be aware this is common practice. It may also be worth a mention here that we have put solid research and innovation into our Helios range and have lead the way with Coat-x (polyurea) in our horse areas and ramps, composite materials throughout the builds and our solar technology, the list goes on. All these things are easily copied and in most cases done as cheap as possible just to tick boxes.
It is very flattering for us but not at all good for customers!
Considerable time and effort goes into all our websites and the content is factual and there for customers to make an informed choice. We realise this leaves us open to unscrupulous people copying design and content.
Our advice for anyone looking to buy a horsebox, research the firm thoroughly, ask to speak to several previous customers, how long have they been trading? Are they members of the VBRA? Do they have any qualifications in welding and body building?

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 hooks 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, 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 staff are body builders by trade; time served and qualified. They take great pride in their work.
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.
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 can be up to £5,000, if you are stopped and found overloaded a prohibition notice will be issued, banning it 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 horseboxes are 4.8 ton so they are all legally capable of carrying 3 of the largest horses (they can legally carry 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. In addition we have had many requests to reduce the weight in existing boxes. These boxes range from self builds to builds by some of the larger manufacturers
Dimensions.
Height and width, our boxes are stalled for the largest 18 hand horses with 8’ width and 8'height, the length of the horse area can be specified by the customer. The partitions move up and down the horse area to fit any width horse.
Safety.
For safety and strength we build into the horse area a galvanised steel cage that is welded to the steel center partition and to the ramp frame. The horse partitions are also hung from this, this adds 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 even 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's as ramps are often left down and water gets behind edges rotting and swelling up, COAT-X is different because it 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” whilst leaving 8’ height for the horse area.
Ramps are perfectly balanced and we pride ourselves with making light ramps anyone can close easily.The ramps are foam filled with large hinges with grease nipples and hard wood 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 34". This makes loading the horses much easier. We have aimed the whole design in the horse area around 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 brand 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. Would anybody buy a car that was fully built and then painted afterwards?
After we service and prepare each chassis it goes into our steel fabrication workshop and all 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.
Steel work and partitions are galvanised keeping a quality finish for the life of your 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.
Tilt cab.
We have always built tilt cabs and feel they are a must. With the new Helios design this 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. It is worth noting that any spray on protective coating is only as good as the people doing the job. It’s the preparation and their experience and skill that count. 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 have sprayed horseboxes and ramps for other manufacturers , service vehicles, garden furniture, pet ambulances, South west water vehicles, even bee hives. the applications are endless! and the finish is just amazing when compared to kick sheet, carpet 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 in 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. We have detailed close up pictures available for customers who live some distance away.
There are no sales people as we let the quality of Helios brand sell itself.
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.
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"

Each horsebox has
• 12 months test
• Full service
• 2 years warranty on all bodywork
• Gas safety certificate
• Electrical Installation/safety Certificate
• Weight certificate
• Can legally carry 2.5 ton of horses and tack
• Chassis and steel work fully painted
• Underside steel work sprayed in Waxoyl
• Ramp and horse area fully coated in Coat-X

For more information please visit http://www.kevinparkerhorseboxesltd.co.uk
For more information about COAT-X Spray on Protective Coatings visit http://www.coat-x.co.uk