# Finally bought my dream bee truck.



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

I have been wanting one for about 10 years and finally made the leap and bought two, the second one has the cab heater that I wanted and the first has the drop down side boards so I can load stuff with a forklift from the side. There are not very many available like that so I had to take the one I could find. Maybe one day I will get my hive numbers back up high enough to need a truck like this


----------



## NorthALABeeKeep (Nov 10, 2004)

sweet!!!!!


----------



## 11x (May 14, 2009)

if you ever need a driver for that truck i have got thousands of hours behind the wheel of trucks just like that one. and the blisters on my gear shift hand to prove it hahaa


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Oh thanks for the offer. I have a CDL so I think I can handle it But with your kind of expertise I may hit you up with some questions later For example: I have never driven a newer one with the multi-fuel compression ignition engine, just the old gas models, so where do I find the fuel shut off on this thing? When I pick it up I don't want to look foolish trying to start it with the fuel turned off


----------



## Dalantech (Oct 1, 2009)

Nice looking rig!


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Trucks finally home after a three month wait.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/smithie128/Random photos by Brad/100_1802.jpg


----------



## HAB (May 17, 2008)

A whole lot'a folks up in the snow belt (ICE Belt) probably wish they had one'o those this week.


----------



## Durandal (Sep 5, 2007)

I drove one of those from Norwalk down to KnobCreek Gun Range for the Machinegun festival one year.

You want an M105A1 trailer to go along with them? I have one that I would be willing to part with.


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

I pulled the parts I wanted of of the truck with a canvas bed cover all ready and resold that truck. I have a 18 ft utility trailer that goes nicely behind the other truck and with the drop side bed. I have calculated that I can move 72 hives on the truck, plus some on the trailer in front of a bobcat and not be over weight for the truck. I originally wanted to blast and paint this truck a different color, but the CARC was applied in 01 so it is still in pretty good shape so I may leave it camo for a few more years. 

These are actually incredibly bad in the snow with the NDT tires on them... I am going to get the tires grooved this summer as well as have a plow mounted on the truck. 

As the weather warms and I start using it a little I will post more pics.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

HAB said:


> A whole lot'a folks up in the snow belt (ICE Belt) probably wish they had one'o those this week.


Those rigs get stuck too. And when they do it takes a semi wrecker to get them out. I know.

Did you get the second one free? A buy one get one free deal? Enjoy them.

How many gallons per mile, by the way?


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

No I paid for two because the second one had some features I wanted for the truck I was planning to keep.

Empty it is getting between 10-11 GPM highway. It is a turbo diesel. (multi-fuel) 

And oh yes they can get stuck.... The local wrecker service charges 150.00 hook up fee and 100 hr travel time to pull one out. I have not had this one stuck, but have experience behind the wheel of a concrete mixer and they end up stuck all the time.... So I have a pretty good relationship with the wrecker operators.


----------



## Rohe Bee Ranch (Feb 12, 2008)

Those are great trucks! Now you just need to add the .50cal ring mount to protect your hives.


----------



## HAB (May 17, 2008)

sqkcrk said:


> Those rigs get stuck too. And when they do it takes a semi wrecker to get them out. I know.
> 
> Did you get the second one free? A buy one get one free deal? Enjoy them.
> 
> How many gallons per mile, by the way?


Drove'm for years. Never got stuck in snow or ice but seen many a young driver do it. Now a really good swamp is another question. Down at Eglin, AFB, once had one go down so deep the hood was covered.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Years ago, while working on a farm in western NC, we got one stuck in the middle of a field of corn that we were green chopping for feed. First the tractor, green chopper and wagon got stuck and then the truck. Quite a convoy.

Bluegrass, are you really going to use this rig for beekeeping? I, and most of my compatriots, tend to like to have a truck whose bed is alot closer to the ground so we can have easier access to the bed and so we can stack hives and equipment using the skidder.

We also like to have a more fuel efficient vehicle if we can get it. What's your other line of work? Banking?  (just kidding about that.)


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

My other line of work is Nursing
It is the same height as any other full size flat bed truck (48"). I will not be throwing full hives on by hand, but a bobcat with forks will load her quite nicely. I plan to use it for a lot of things including beekeeping. I am putting a plow on it for next winter. I will also be using it to haul hay and firewood. 

You missed the (multi-fuel) part higher up in the thread. I don't care what it gets for mileage... I don't fill it up at the filling station.


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

View with the side board dropped down. I can also remove the hinge pins and both sides and the rear gate come completely off. It has a fording kit on it, but the snorkel was removed at some point in the past. I am looking to replace the snorkel in case I ever have a situation like Chef Issac had when his bee yard flooded out and he could not reach it. Without the snorkel it has a 36 inch fording depth and with it it can ford up to 84" depth... though I think I may be drowning at that depth.


----------



## longrangedog (Jun 24, 2007)

I drove several over a span of 22 years. You have to try hard to get one stuck but if you manage to get it stuck it's STUCK. About 3 MPG is the best you'll get (unloaded). Get some hearing protection- it's loud in the cab with the window down.


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

3 GPM lol... I guess I am doing well seeing as I am getting 10-11 GPM.


----------



## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

Bluegrass I'm with you. One of my sons buddies has a duece & 1/2 (diesel) and he came over a short while ago and pulled a tree out of the woods with a 10 ton winch on the front. (one I had hung up pretty well because I wasn't paying attention). The cable looked like it could pull Mt. Rushmore up Mt. Mckinley. My Son has looked at them here and you can get a pretty nice one for abuot $4500. I wonder how long it would take to get from NY to SC loaded? I here 50-55 is flying on the highway. I assume all that smoke would keep the bees calm!


----------



## Beee Farmer (Aug 11, 2008)

when fording you take the top off. Set the vermeir throttle. sit on the seat back and steer with your feet. I have run them so deep my but got wet. before.


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Joel said:


> Bluegrass I'm with you. One of my sons buddies has a duece & 1/2 (diesel) and he came over a short while ago and pulled a tree out of the woods with a 10 ton winch on the front. (one I had hung up pretty well because I wasn't paying attention). The cable looked like it could pull Mt. Rushmore up Mt. Mckinley. My Son has looked at them here and you can get a pretty nice one for abuot $4500. I wonder how long it would take to get from NY to SC loaded? I here 50-55 is flying on the highway. I assume all that smoke would keep the bees calm!


A guy I know came down from Northern NH and picked one up and drove it back. 1100 miles took him 33 hrs. Top speed according to his gps was 53 mph. That is an advantage in case a few bees get out of a hive they can catch back up. They ride pretty smooth if you take the NDT tires off and switch them out for radial tires. I hear that will add a few MPG as well. Yeah the going price for a good one right now is right around 3500-4500... I shopped long and hard to find one with a drop side bed...


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

bluegrass said:


> My other line of work is Nursing
> It is the same height as any other full size flat bed truck (48").
> 
> You missed the (multi-fuel) part higher up in the thread. I don't care what it gets for mileage... I don't fill it up at the filling station.


Yes, I must have missed that part of the thread. And I'm not trying to be stuck up about it. Whatever floats your boat.

48" is still a little high, but not unreasonable. I'm sure that it fits your system and that is what is most important for you. Economically you are probably ahead of me in many ways, seeing as you seem to like to do alot of things yourself rather than paying someone else to do them for you. That's a great thing.

Not meaning to be critical.


----------

