• Welcome to The Bushcraft Forum

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to join then please Register

We bought woodland!

Im on the Isle of Wight Willie, so I have to factor in a hefty ferry fare!.......but thats what I will probably end up doing..
I think a Horsebox trailer has huge potential, prob need to replace the floor though!.....
 
Hiya, Paul.

Yes....I did search Isle of wight....but found nothing.....but there must be one there kicking about somewhere with your name on it :thumbsup::D.....Local auctions may be worth a look...or a wanted add in the local paper?

Good luck with your search mate.....look forward to hearing more about it when you have sourced one.
What a great project....I want one now :rofl:.....need a wood to put it in though:(:rolleyes:
 
Paul
As a fellow woodland owner. Before you give up on the idea that you cant build a shed, try finding a few fellow local owners or forestry societies to give you advice.
My interpretation of the rules is that you do have entitlement to erect a structure but its got to be purely for forestry use and managing the wood. The definitions of "forestry use" and "managing" are very vague so it seems to be how you define that and how you approach the authorities. (That's where some local knowledge comes in handy). But what is clear is that if it looks like you could sleep in it (even for one night) the local authority will not like it.
Clive
 
Well, its fair to say its been a while, life and allsorts got in the way, but the woodland did what it does and waited patiently.
In the meantime I found this locally, an old AlKo badged Noma lawn tractor, £60, it starts runs etc, no mower deck, which is handy as I domt need one! Great in the woods as a trailer tug though!
ZXTaFKX.jpg

It needed work!
It got an oil (sludge) change, plug, fuel filter, four new tyres, greased and lubed, the front axle pivot at the centre and was so worn at the pivot that the whole axle rocked fore and aft, so a mate welded a big washer either side to fix it! Also modded a couple of plastic trailer mudguards to replace the rotten steel ones...

Here it is running!


And with a garden trolley for a trailer in the woods where we are creating a ride (footpath) through.....the trailer means not having to go back to "base camp" clearing for more tools, I can get a petrol strimmer, hedge trimmer and chainsaw along with fuel and other tools etc to where I want to work in one trip...

mt56y7t.jpg
 
Other news we found a horsebox trailer on a local sales group, turned out it was someone I work with!
We bought it and towed it to the woods, part of which is on hill, it had poured down the day before, but I locked the Landy diff and booted it, trailer in tow, huge error of judgement, got stuck halfway up! Easy you say, reverse down, except it sild sideways onto the hedge/bramble/trees...bugger!
I managed to reverse enough to unhitch and found enough grip to at least get the 90 back down.
Retreated home well miffed.......
It played on my mind all night, how to effect a recovery, so went back the next day to survey options, couldnt get back and rehitch the truck, so we manhandled it back down using gravity and the trailer handbrake to control the speed, phew, no damage done!

This is the hill, where it levels out at the top, in the distance, is where we created "base camp" clearing where the tractor is kept under a pallet "garage" and cammo net, no one goes up there, it leads nowhere, so is as safe as it can be.....eventually grip permitting the horsebox will be sited at basecamp too.....when we bought the woods we had water installed too, not far from basecamp.

DEmDio2.jpg


This is the horsebox, the rear will be modded, the back will be panelled in with a house type door for access

FjjZHnG.jpg

We seem to have found some momentum and things are progressing at last...more soon, gotta go to work, dammit!
 
paulnb57 said:
Other news we found a horsebox trailer on a local sales group, turned out it was someone I work with!
We bought it and towed it to the woods, part of which is on hill, it had poured down the day before, but I locked the Landy diff and booted it, trailer in tow, huge error of judgement, got stuck halfway up! Easy you say, reverse down, except it sild sideways onto the hedge/bramble/trees...bugger!
I managed to reverse enough to unhitch and found enough grip to at least get the 90 back down.
Retreated home well miffed.......
It played on my mind all night, how to effect a recovery, so went back the next day to survey options, couldnt get back and rehitch the truck, so we manhandled it back down using gravity and the trailer handbrake to control the speed, phew, no damage done!

This is the hill, where it levels out at the top, in the distance, is where we created "base camp" clearing where the tractor is kept under a pallet "garage" and cammo net, no one goes up there, it leads nowhere, so is as safe as it can be.....eventually grip permitting the horsebox will be sited at basecamp too.....when we bought the woods we had water installed too, not far from basecamp.

DEmDio2.jpg


This is the horsebox, the rear will be modded, the back will be panelled in with a house type door for access

FjjZHnG.jpg

We seem to have found some momentum and things are progressing at last...more soon, gotta go to work, dammit!
Click to expand...
Some great ingenuity there Paul and a great location you lucky bug eater (that's what they call us on the ai8rgun universe forum):lol::lol::lol:
 
Hi, Paul.

Excellent update and pictures mate thanks for sharing :thumbsup:
The little tractor is a bonus for carting stuff around in there......nice restoration:)

Liking the Horsebox, glad you found one....looking forward to watching how you transform it.......and what you transform it into ( Lots of pictures ) on the way through Paul....if you have the time:thumbsup:

Following with interest:thumbsup:
 
Had a few hours at the Woodland today, did a bit more Ride (footpath creation) and a bit more to the Horsebox to mobile shed conversion.......

Arrived with the Bartender who is having a good nose before we crack on! Really nice day for it, Frosty overnight buy no wing, actually quite warm and bright, no coat.......

V3E3uUs.jpg



Newly created ride through the Hazel Copse...."Hazel Grove"

M8YHqSQ.jpg






ND66kau.jpg





Great views from the top of Horsebox Hill
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Part way along Hazel Grove is nice clearing which needs erm, clearing, but has potential for a bench
c49kA5b.jpg


At the end of Hazel Grove is "Slippery Slope" Clay underfoot and slippery when wet....

N0mNRx5.jpg
 
At the top of Slipper Slope we come back out onto Horsebox Hill, this are has loads of wild Orchids, this is where the water tap is located

Nlwz9Ih.jpg


View back down Horsebox Hill

2Vmh7qQ.jpg
 
Turn 180 degrees and continue to the summit

xVtM4D0.jpg

Our woodland contiues to the end of the fence this is where "Base Camp is located, well out of the way....the Horsebox will come up here in the trees when weather allows....
ft4vv4n.jpg
 
Horsebox Hill is so named as we got stuck almost at the top in the Land Rover with the Horsebox on the back, the whole rig slid gracefully sideways and wedged on the edge of the woods, luckily unhitching the Horsebox I got enough grip to get out!
We has to lower the Horsebox back down on its handbrake, my how we laughed....not!
So here is the Horsebox stealth shed......

vvoBywp.jpg
yTAEnn0.jpg


Et Voila!

Cladding over the ply than drown it in Creocote!
 
Loving it Paul :thumbsup:

What project!!......liking the names for the different areas of the wood :thumbsup:

That Horsebox is looking grand.....going to be a comfortable dry retreat for sure......and the beauty is you can take it anywhere if you wanted to:thumbsup:.
The stream looks like it has a respectable flow.

Keep us posted mate:thumbsup:
 
Been daydreaming and thinking about your options as a personal aspiration. Slightly longer term but have you considered fitting a couple of leisure batteries to the horsebox; these could be topped up by solar on the roof and a 12v trickle charger could then be housed with them to top up the tractor battery.

They could then power led lights/ radio in the box and boosted by your Lanny if they need it.

If you can, worth looking at the 1st/ 2nd series of George clarks amazing small spaces, there was an amazing beach hut interior that was very multi function and is probably not far off the footprint of your horsebox.

38
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top