Truck Recommendation

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

I do not have any of the equipment i mentioned. I plan on getting at least the truck by the end of this year.....

mike

[FarmerJ]

I do not have any of the equipment i mentioned. I plan on getting at least the truck by the end of this year.....

mike

So let's set it up.

How are your hive put together and what’s their weigh? 4 to a pallet, 2 deeps tall?

Cl 6 (15k to 19k gvw) or 7 (26k to 33k) truck? Tare wt, you are going to have about 8900 pounds for an empty truck. Bees are going to be what, about 10K, plus another 1200-1300 for pallets? (24 pallets X 100 lbs each hive)Right there is almost 20K in Gross weight, and you haven't added the trailer or the skidder to it.

What size skidder?

What size trailer?

Space-wise:
24 pallets fill a 48' flatbed. 12 per side. Stacked two layers deep, that's still a 24' bed. 3 layers would be a 16' bed. Each layer is about 30" tall, with a 4' deck height, that would put you at a height of 12'6".

Can you fill in the rest? Or use industry standards and assumptions there too?

[PCM]

My question is;

What use are you going to have for this large of a truck once you get moved ?

You mention $15,000 dollars, add licening, taxes, & insurance.

Are you going to use it to move your bees, also move household, personal goods,to the South, in multibule trips ? Maybe, but just to move 100 hives, cheaper to have them hauled.

But what do I know ?

PCM

[michael-bees]

There always seems to be more interest in trucks than pollen sub.

[bluegrass]

Wow, that is a beast!! Do you just convert them
to a flatbed?? What size bed will they sport? It
must be a kidney banger. Cheap for sure.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/M35a3...ehicleQ5fParts


Thanks

No kidney banging, they are a Cadillac as far as military surplus go, They have power steering and the automatic transmissions. The bed is actually drop side so you have sideboards but they fold down for ease of loading. Top speed is about 55 though. I could fit 70 hives on the A2, The bed for the A2 is the same as the A3. The A3 was actually an attempt by the government to save money, They turned 2 A2s in and received 1 A3 back all refurbished. It ended up costing more then buying new trucks so the program was scrapped. If you wanted to change the bed out it is removable with several U-bolts and would bring enough as scrap to pay for a large chunk of having a flatbed put on.

Fuel consumption loaded is about 8-10mpg on the highway.

[FarmerJ]

considering the price, how the trucks been set-up and repair parts for it,

Mil-Surp would be the last thing I would recommend.

Seals, while similar to what's on the common market, they are not the same. We ran into that when we were on flood duty in 97. Tried to go down town and there's an "M" identifier that was on our parts. Just enough of a difference you can't use shelf products.

If you do get one, put in a bigger fuse on the fuel pump. During flood duty, we had trucks getting new pumps all the time. Kept blowing fuses. Troubleshooting them, I found out the start up amps were enough to pop the fuse, but not the running amp. The army felt compelled to have a 3 amp fuse. I got permission from TACOM to put in 10amp fuses and the problem went away.

They ride like a block on wheels. They are rated at 2 1/2 ton cross country and 5 ton on the road.

Plan to wear ear plugs in these trucks. They are loud. Just how they are. You don't think so, but after three hours on the road, your ears are ringing good.

They are goverened back to about 50-55 mph. It's just the march speed that the military has. Everything tactical is that way. Most speeds run in a convoy had always been 45. Might get lucky with 50 depending on who was convoy commander.

It's got a 50 gal tank, expect to get about a 300 mile range. Again, standards for the army. Everything had similar range and speeds.

This thing is set-up for a 24 volt electrical system. Most commercial trucks are 12 volt, some having a 24 volt starting system.

[Sundance]

My question is;

What use are you going to have for this large of a truck once you get moved ?

You mention $15,000 dollars, add licening, taxes, & insurance.

Are you going to use it to move your bees, also move household, personal goods,to the South, in multibule trips ? Maybe, but just to move 100 hives, cheaper to have them hauled.

But what do I know ?

PCM

We will be making an annual round trip. The return
trip will be 100 - 150 hives + 100 Nucs

Also I have a garage door business and the flatbed
will be utilized for that as well. And I'd consider freelance
hauling south or north while there.

[Sundance]

Although the military surplus is interesting, I won't
be going that route. My wife and I both want a few
more comforts.

[FarmerJ]

Another point of interest...

Make sure you plan on a side box under the bed. Likely even 2. One for the Netting and possibly Bungee cords. As well as a place to carry straps when the load isn't on the deck. That'll add a couple hundred extra pounds of weight to the vehicle.

[Sundance]

Another point of interest...

Make sure you plan on a side box under the bed. Likely even 2. One for the Netting and possibly Bungee cords. As well as a place to carry straps when the load isn't on the deck. That'll add a couple hundred extra pounds of weight to the vehicle.

Got em' on my 3500HD with the 16 ft bed...

[FarmerJ]

if anyone is interested...

http://www.k-bid.com/cgi-bin/mnlist.cgi?klosteria212/9

No way associated with it, just saw it today and passing it along.

[HVH]

Why do you keep saying this?
You stated this in a prior thread and it is absolutly false!
Is section 391 strictly about medical cards?
READ SECTION 391 for crying out loud!

The exemptions in 391.2 cover MUCH MORE than just the medical card. (for the second tiime)

And for everyone else, please read the following. Pay attention to 391.2:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...px?menukey=391

I've tried to be clear about the 150 mi requirement and crossing state lines. If it is under 150 miles and not crossing state lines then that's different. Once you cross state lines you have federal definitions and 10001 is commercial with all the DOT crap and log books. I got pulled over by a commercial highway patrol and all of this was confirmed. I told him I was a beekeeper and he said the 391.2 applied to the med card but since I was going over 150 mi and crossing state lines then I had to have a DOT number, keep a log book, etc...
If you can get away with less then great.

[Sundance]

if anyone is interested...

http://www.k-bid.com/cgi-bin/mnlist.cgi?klosteria212/9

No way associated with it, just saw it today and passing it along.

Nice...... Royalton is the salvage capital of Mn (at least
when I lived in St Cloud).

I wonder what's wrong with it??

[jean-marc]

It's just waiting for bee hives to get hauled.

[dbest]

Here buy my truck.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247830

[Sundance]

Very nice truck..... If I had and extra $8,000 I'd
jump on it. Good price though

[suttonbeeman]

sundance:
I started with a dodge 3500 and 27 fl aluminumn gooseneck. Problem was with 1 1/2 story 96 hives and a swinger you are at 26k. with 144 hives and swinger youare over 30k. While i used this setup for 4 years I also went thru two transmissions. On load from kentucky to florida I was grossing 28,880. I then bought a freightliner fl70. So her is my recommendation. First off air ride is a must! Makes a huge differance on the bees. Second you need a 9 speed eaton roadranger ( same heavy duty tranny as 13 speed in semi just doesnt have extra box). this gives you road speed up to 75 or 80 and low end in field. With the 6 speed you top out at 55 with low end tranny(goood off road as slow in field) or with top end of 75 on interstate you go thru field at 10 mph bounding bees like a paint shaker. Bees are heavy...Usually ave 100 lb each including pallet 1/2 story. at least 75 lbs each. My 94 freightliner has 4' double bunk sleeper 22ft flatbed (228 double deep hives or 168 double deep with super. tag axle(can gross 54,000 plus trailer) 9 speed roadranger, air ride, dual 75 gal tanks. truck gets almost 10 mpg empty and about 8 loaded. has ball hitch for trailer. air ride seats Good rubber all around. Truck is for sale for $9,000. Only reason for selling is I'm buying a full size Kenworth to be able to haul 80k. If you are not interested in it I would get something simular. DO NOT geta 7 speed international. From what I hear some problems with tranny.

[Roland]

I can support Sutton on the transmission issue. I like the Eaton Fuller 8 +L+LL, but that is a big transmission. The double reduction low is great for creeping thru rough off road sections. Of cource, no synchros, so once you get rolling, no clutch to shift. In dumptrucks, which are rough on transmissions, the average time to take-out is 400K.

If you are talking big trucks, the Mack triple countershaft transmission is even better. No reverese "hole". Button on the side of the shifter puts alll 6 holes backwards, 10 forward.

Crazy Roland

[Sundance]

Sutton and Roland....... Thanks a million. That's the
kind of info I need.

I know I might get by with my 3500 towing a gooseneck,
but I'd have to buy that gooseneck....... as I only have
a standard car hauler like trailer. And as you've said,
I'd likely be burning up a couple spendy tranys along
the way.

With a truck like sutton's I could pull the car hauler
with the bobcat on as well as other equipment and
have less $$$ in that rig than if I sold the 3500 (and
factoring in the expense of a gooseneck)