Horse truck has everything, even kitchen sink

EVA BRADLEY/The Dominion Post

LAP OF LUXURY: Jaques Duncan, with children Georgina, 8, and Harry, 12, in the family's "mobile bach" horse truck.

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Horse trucks can cost as much as the average house, with some of New Zealand's finest this week parked up at the Kelt Horse of the Year show.

The Duncan family, from Hunterville, sold their bach to buy a horse truck, and now spend just about every weekend living in it.

They were at the Horse of the Year show in Hastings this week, camping in the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds alongside thousands of other people in everything from tents to caravans to the latest "horse coaches".

The Duncans' truck is no ordinary one, with room for seven ponies, three children and all the mod-cons necessary for a comfy existence: king-size bed, about 12 square metres of super-sleek kitchen with full-size oven and fridge, leather lounge suite, flat-screen television, dressing room and fully equipped bathroom.

Under its belly, the truck hides a pullout barbecue and a silver Vespa scooter.

The children, aged 8, 10 and 12, are keen show jumpers. They have travelled to events around New Zealand nearly every weekend since November, being ferried about in the custom-built Lysaght truck.

On reaching a show the ponies are emptied out of the back into stabling, the rear portion cleaned out, the carpet rolled down, the side of the truck "popped out" and "we're ready to go".

Farmer Ken Duncan, while tight-lipped about the price of his truck, said buyers could spend $400,000 on something similar. The family was getting its money's worth, he said. "It's our bach on wheels, it's a lot of fun."

VAMPING IT UP

Take your basic four-horse truck with kitchen and living area, price in the hundreds of thousands, depending on length and basic specifications, and add:

Pop-out side extension: $17,000

Air conditioning: $3000

Awning: $5000

Shower: $4300

Washing machine and dryer: $2600

Flat-screen television: $1300

CD player and speakers: $1200

Pull-out barbecue: $1100

Pull-out pantry: $1000

Roof glass: $1000

Extra window: $700

Floor-to-ceiling wine rack: $500.

- © Fairfax NZ News