Areion is a NZ owned and operated boutique manufacturer that specialises in building what you, the customer, wants.
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Owners of Areion, Tanya Bijl & Sean Hallowes, have been riding horses for over 30 years, so are both very familiar with the needs of horses and owners, such as large horse bays, smooth edges and lots of storage space.
We have now developed a range or 2, 3, and 4-horse angle load trailers, with or without living areas, all having a very light tare weight of around 1500kgs, so they can still be towed legally and safely behind a Japanese ute or similar style vehicle, and are on WOF, therefore taking all the hassles out of your transport needs.
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Customer service is very important to us, and our customers are our best advertisement of our product and our impeccable service. Our focus is to make your life easier and we listen to your needs to ensure we make your new trailer or float exactly as you want it. Check out our very happy clients' comments and the vehicles we have built for them.
Sean’s background began as an automotive spray painter, then advancing his skills into designing and building large, luxurious motorhomes, coaches and horse trucks,
So comprehensive fit-outs is no new thing to us, We can give you a basic entry level trailer or the most luxurious trailer you can imagine.
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A massive benefit of our construction method is that our trailers are very light, due to the material we use for our walls, being composite fibreglass and aluminium, making them very strong, but much lighter than a conventional build with steel framing. There is also the added bonus that our material will not rot or rust, and is fully insulated in both living area and horse area.
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We have used this method for over 10 years on various vehicles, so it is tried and tested.
Contact us today to discuss your requirements or get a quote/estimate of work. We look forward to hearing from you.
Testimonials
Helena Mason, Feb 2023
"I am so pleased with my Areion Horse float, it is just what I had always wanted in a float. Really happy with the layout and simplicity of design, also the ease with towing, hooking up etc. Not to mention such wonderful customer service, always there to help whenever I needed to chat about the build of my float... you made this part super easy. Keep doing what you are doing, this design and service is one out the box for sure!!"
Sarah & Phil Dalziell-Clout, Aug 2022
"We are rapt with our Areion trailer which is a bespoke design that Areion happily accommodated & made happen. It travels horses spaciously & safely, is multi-use with bike tie-downs, while also accommodating our entire family in comfort & warmth. From initial float inquiry right through to after-sale service, Sean & Tanya have been consummate professionals - great communicators, honest, accommodating & helpful. We feel a little spoiled every time we use & it and can't recommend Sean, Tanya & Areion highly enough - they are experts in the field but were respectful of our requirements and made our individual needs become a reality!
Grace & Adam Evers, April 2022
"We chose Areion because we wanted a local coachbuilder who could accommodate a very bespoke build. Sean and his team did exactly that, listening to everything we requested, troubleshooting difficult design options, and using state-of-the-art materials. The end product was market-leading from both a quality and design perspective, and their communication throughout was faultless. Advanced suspension, innovative storage options and safe, horse-friendly finishing is what set this apart from other products on the market. My husband is fastidious at best, some might say challenging! Sean achieved everything we asked for and we were thrilled with the end product. We cannot recommend Areion highly enough for any equestrian or motorhome vehicle fabrication."
Nicole Brown, Nov 2022
"Over decades I have been using horse floats in Germany with exceptional high standards. Now living in New Zealand, I have been struggling to find a match until working with Sean and his team. I’m now the proud owner of a double angle loader float with living compartment in the front. Plenty of storage for Hay, tack, and wet weather gear as well as comfortable living are just some of the features that I value. My float is loved by my horses, who are traveling very well and happy as much as by my family. We recently enjoyed our camping holiday with the bikes and outdoor gear in the horse compartment. My son loves the bunk bed above our double comfortable memory foam assisted double bed. The Areion horse floats incorporate clever functionality, perfect size as well as impeccable workmanship. Sean and his team have not just excelled in crafting my horse float, the follow up care and correspondence has been exceptional."
National 120 km Endurance Champion Ola Schreurs
"I have been so impressed with my new horse float purchased from Areion in 2021, it far exceeded my expectations upon delivery, and has continued to do so from that moment, My horse travels so well and when I arrive at events my horse Cercei is relaxed & ready to compete. So much so that I used my new Areion trailer for the 2022 season and won the National Endurance Championship Title,!!! I strongly believe in having a relaxed and non-fatigued horse before you start your ride & this trailer delivers that. I have tried a lot of other trailers on the market and have been disappointed but finally I have my dream trailer."
Sean Hallowes was brought up in Northland originally from a farming family where he was on a horse from a very young age. Completing an automotive body building & spraypainting trade in 1989. This developed into a coach building and custom vehicle building and manufacturing business in 2005 when he started Phoenix motorhomes.
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Realising that the most common problem with vehicles in NZ was rust and body rot, Sean consulted experts in the marine technology industry to adapt boat building materials to vehicle building to overcome this common problem. From there a new generation of custom coach bodies was born.
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For 7 years Sean built numerous large luxury motorhomes and custom vehicles and even a large mobile training and recruitment vehicle, with a full cinema with seating for 16 people and slide out rooms to maximise space, was built for the NZ military service.
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During this time Sean designed a new range of horse floats and trucks but simply couldn't devote his time to specialise in the horse transport industry completely so it was put on hold until the business was sold in 2012 and then in 2019 Areion was born.
Tanya Bijl came to NZ in 2011 on holiday from The Netherlands and instantly fell in love with the Bay of Islands. Shortly after she met Sean and found they both had a love for horses. They soon bought a lifestyle property to accommodate their horses.
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Her experiences after years of travelling up and down Northland with a big American gooseneck full of horses has contributed greatly to the design of the floats they build today like, horse comfort in transit, plenty of storage and even glamorous camping overnight.
Tanya also designs and handcrafts all the beautiful halters, lead ropes and reins herself that you can find in the webshop.
