I’ve found a lovely replacement cart for my EE, however, it’s a 21 hour drive away in Manitoba! Beyond UShip and posting on relevant Facebook groups, is there something I’m not thinking of as far as finding a way to get it here to me in Ontario? It’s for a VSE so quite portable and light, relatively-speaking.
My question is when you add up purchase price and shipping costs, is the vehicle worth that much money? With all the sale ads I see on FB, it seems there should be a mini vehicle MUCH closer, or have one built for the same money, much closer to home.
There are private haulers who move carriages and animals, but hauling is NOT cheap. Especially true going across borders or to unique locations. We found this out buying Canadian horses in Saskatchewan to bring them Michigan. There just was no one who would haul them! We went and hauled them home ourselves. A VERY long trip. Same thing buying a horse in Louisiana. Gosh, nobody professional hauls in or out of there! You can’t PAY them to make the side trip, so far off normal routes! Had to go get him ourselves again.
What in particular are you wanting in a vehicle? Certain name brands, features that are special? There is a lot available now for minis, with folks doing custom creations as requested. We can offer maker names if you like.
I just think you can find something terrific MUCH closer to home that won’t cost so much in getting it to you. Unless the vehicle is free, though you still have the shipping…
I get what you’re saying … buuuuuuut… I found a lightly used Frey Sprint VSE/SP with $1k in upgrades (including tufted seats which I desperately wanted) for $1400 
There was another similar cart, a little closer (still a 8 - 9hr roundtrip), but the seller wanted 3 - 4x more.
Quotes are running $300 - $550 to get it here (a 20 hr drive away). I found someone in the middle of that range who is supposed to collect it this Wednesday and bring it back in a box stall since it falls along her planned route. The shipper also lives 15 minutes away from the barn, so on the receiving end, things couldn’t be easier.
(The first shipper at the lower end of that range didn’t want to make the side trip (sound familiar?!), only she didn’t tell us this until the morning of the scheduled pick-up and just assumed the seller of the cart would drive two hours roundtrip to meet her elsewhere with only an hour or two’s notice).
When I priced out a new cart like this, I figured it was going to run me about $6500 after upgrades and delivery. (Nice carts like these rarely come up for sale around here, so buying new was an option on the table albeit briefly).
If I can get the used one here for under $2000 delivered, I’ll be thrilled!
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I feel the need to add that I did look at other cart manufacturers after all the great recommendations in one of the other threads in this forum, but the Frey kept coming out on top.
The higher singletree was important to me (the Bennington and/or Aerocrown seemed to run a little lower) so the traces wouldn’t pull down on the breastcollar as much, and the Ahonen and Patty’s Pony Place carts just didn’t seem to exude the same effortless elegance that a Frey with a tufted seat did.
It’s all personal preference, isn’t it?!
Sharing those details, it does sound like a good buy on the Frey cart! I was just bringing up things so you could see the whole picture before purchase. Often people buy vehicles for high prices because they don’t believe there are more available. Just not yet knowledgeable about driving things. I hate seeing someone spending lots more than they need to in finding nice equipment.
But you covered all the bases AND found a hauler to get the cart to you! Good job and congrats on a new cart!
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It’s heeeere and it’s ah-mazing! The difference between my too-small easy entry and this Frey is night and day. The way it sounds, the way it rides, even the way my mare goes in it.
Unfortunately it didn’t arrive until 3pm today, so getting it re-assembled (it had been taken apart to fit in the hauler’s rig) and fit to my mare was more involved and last-minute than I’d have liked 
We have our first show tomorrow so it’s since been loaded back on a trailer (mine) along with any tools for last-minute adjustments. No time to even wipe it down, so I’ll be doing that at the showgrounds tomorrow morning too!
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Hope you had a good show. You are in Ontario? Was it the OCDA at Bruders? Are you going to the GLCC? I am volunteering on the Saturday. Always like meeting fellow drivers!!!
Oh, thank you! The show was a learning experience for sure, but everyone was very kind and welcoming (and yes, it was the one at Laurie’s). Not sure about GLCC yet, still thinking about going to spectate. Was going to drag the family along for an afternoon but am now reconsidering after today (my 6 y/o son has the attention span of a gnat where horses are involved) 
I’ll PM you if I end up going on the Saturday!
Yay for your new cart! So glad it worked out well 
We are also in Ontario and missed the show this weekend, but I plan on showing a single (part of our pair) at GLCC so hope to see you guys there!
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