# Ford 650 as a bee truck



## matt1954 (Sep 8, 2010)

I am looking at a F650 for my operation. I know some people like and use this vehicle but am looking for those with experience maintaining these. It has a Cummins engine, 187k in miles and is a 2010. What pitfalls should I be looking for here as I meet with the seller? Any long term maintenance issues I should be aware of? Here are the particulars:

*2010 Ford Super Duty F-650 Straight Frame, 325 Horsepower Cummins Diesel, Allison 3000 Auto Trans., Hauler Bed, 300 fuel capacity, air brakes, air suspension, air seat, 2 speed rear, gooseneck, pintle, and receiver hitch.*

Is a "straight frame" a positive or negative? Primarily this would be for local and long haul of 100-150 colonies at the most at a time. thanks for your input.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Dream ... I'd put on a 16' deck and roll!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Nice looking truck. Is that the 300 gallon fuel tank on the deck? Where a row of palletized hives could sit? I don't have any answers to your questions, just questions of my own.

Does a maintenance log come w/ it? That might be nice to have. Do you need 300 gallon fuel capacity? Can you set a row of pallets on top of the fuel tank?

If the price is right you'd better grab it up before someone else does. You snooze you lose.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Matt, not sure if straight frame is referring to the general condition or more of a general statement about its ease of upfitting as needed. I know a straight unbstructed frame is a selling point for new trucks.


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## Crabo (Jan 17, 2012)

That is a lot of truck. How are you going to use it? It look like a lot of truck to service beeyards. 

We have a single cab F450 16'flatbed and it works good for stacking up boxes and pulling a skidsteer. When we run between Texas and North Dakota with 2 adults and 2 dogs, I would love to have something like that.

The Cummings engine is hard to beat for longevity and fuel milage.


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## scokat (Apr 19, 2011)

sounds like a good truck, air brakes means CDL.


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## matt1954 (Sep 8, 2010)

Primarily using it for transporting colonies between Virginia and Florida and further North. Need to look at the CDL requirement. Did not think of that. I think I saw "Auto" trans and immediately thought it was Non CDL.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I have a 98 F800 with a Cummins and Allison tranny. In a Ford truck thats about as bullet proof as you can get in a truck in that class(26000 lbs). Its not the fastest or most comfortable truck but I haul 96 hives on it and feel its dependable.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

As _Matt1954 _appears to be a VA resident, I don't see anything in the VA license rules that says he must have a CDL _simply _because a vehicle has air brakes. The first paragraph here:

http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/dmv60.pdf
defines a commercial vehicle, and air brakes is not mentioned. It is true that IF you have a CDL, you do need an air brake endorsement to drive a vehicle with air brakes.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

True Rader and I wondered about that too when mentioned before. But being as what is being discussed is a Ford F-650 I believe that the GVWR will put the driver into the CDL Class, especially if almost any kind of trailer is hauled behind.


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## scokat (Apr 19, 2011)

you are correct, somehow the beginning of the second sentence "GVWR and" .... got left off. my mind is a terrible thing to waste. :doh:




Rader Sidetrack said:


> As _Matt1954 _appears to be a VA resident, I don't see anything in the VA license rules that says he must have a CDL _simply _because a vehicle has air brakes. The first paragraph here:
> 
> http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/dmv60.pdf
> defines a commercial vehicle, and air brakes is not mentioned. It is true that IF you have a CDL, you do need an air brake endorsement to drive a vehicle with air brakes.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Ford F-650 current (2013) specs are here:
http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/f650-f750/specifications/

The _base _model is 26,000 lbs, so would be in a weight class that does not necessarily require a CDL. With a non-CDL license, you could tow a trailer with a GVWR of 10,000 or less.

Other F-650 models do _exceed _26,000 GVWR. It appears to me that a key issue would be the nameplate GVWR on the specific vehicle under consideration. If it exceeds 26,000 lbs, a CDL would be required.

You can read the _exact _wording of the of the 26,000 GVWR dividing line at the link in post #9.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Ford F-650 current (2013) specs are here:
> http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/f650-f750/specifications/
> 
> The base model is 26,000 lbs, so would be in a weight class that does not necessarily require a CDL. With a non-CDL license, you could tow a trailer with a GVWR of 10,000 or less.
> ...


Is the cut off weight 26,000 lbs gross or above 26,000 lbs gross? I thought it was 26,000 lbs.


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## Crabo (Jan 17, 2012)

We can put 80 doubles, or 160 singles, with pallets on our 16'. That probably puts us overweight. I didn't weigh it and wished I had.

You wouldn't even feel that load with that truck. Any idea how long the bed is? I am guessing 10-12?

At one time I was looking at getting a trailer and I called a couple of DOTs and they said when the combined weight of truck and trailer reached 28,500 pounds, then a cdl was required. (I think that was right)


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I put that many on my F-450 w/ a 14'3" deck. Don't run overloaded.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

I am not a fan of Allison transmissions, fuel mileage being the issue. I much prefer an Eaton-Fuller non synchronized transmission. 

Crazy Roland


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