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Anyone have pictures of beehives on trailers, like a tandem axel utility type trailer

35K views 73 replies 23 participants last post by  Michael Bush 
#1 ·
A friend of mine is giving me a 16' tandem axel trailer, all I have to do to it is put a new deck on it! Im looking for pictures of people with something like this so I can get ideas of what I want to do to it. I plan on putting a boom on it to lift pallets with two hives each on them. Basically I am tired of hand loading hives into the back of my truck when I move them to places and eventually I want to get into small orchard pollination as well. So anyhow, just looking for some pictures or ideas on this!! Thanks!!
 
#2 ·
I have 6, 16 and 20 hive trailers with two hive pallets on them permanently. On two, they face to the inside so that I can work them from the back and they face to the center of the trailer. On the 6 hive trailer, they face two to the front, two to the back and the center two to the sides. I can work all six without standing in the flight path of the others. The 6 and 16 hive trailers have screened bottom pallets, and the 20 hive trailer has solid bottom pallets. The 16 and 20 hive trailers have 4' tall removable sideboards to hide the hives. I can move them by just strapping them down and netting them. The 16 hive unit is really not a trailer, but a flatbed moveable by my drop box truck.
 
#4 ·
If it were me, on a small sized trailer, I would make sides with heavy mesh wire panels that were insulated from the posts.(Removable of course to allow for hive loading with fork lift) Attach a solar charger system to the panels. You could haul your trailer full of hives to a new location and just leave it-without unloading. Charge the solar system to secure the hives from bears or vandalism and walk away until you need them back.
 
#5 ·
Lauri, that's exactly what I'm working on down here in the black bear heaven of SW WA! I have a trailer I think I can fit 8 hives in, and I'm going to tow it onto some property I've been placing and removing hives from each year. Hopefully I can eliminate most of the lifting!
 
#6 ·
I have run trailers behind trucks with the boom on the end of the truck. For you, be sure that you mount the boom on the front so you can also load the truck if needed. You may wish to consider loading single hives or stacks of 2 , one on the other rather than pallets of 2 hives. Issues you can run into are the unexpected move with supers on the hives and mismatched heights of hive pairs. Weight can be an issue when loading a trailer with a boom due to the torque exerted by the boom when hives are out on the end. Trailers are much lighter than trucks so more care must be used. 4 way leveling of the boom will be a must.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the replys!! I do plan on mounting a boom on the trailer itself, it will be a homemade boom set up using winches and stuff, still working on that design!! I just think a trailer would be the way to go and I can set it up the way I want to with storage and stuff. I will save a lot of time and wear on my back and if I need to move the bees I strap down and hook up and go!! Which will be handy in my situation.

As far as electrifying the trailer, I do plan on putting removable posts that extend out about 5' from the trailer that will hold a wire about 3' off the ground, but its more to deal with cows than bears in my country!! This way I can pull up drop the trailer set up the E-fence and leave, no more driving posts an dealing with barbed wire!!

Cant wait to get this rolling!!
 
#12 ·
Ace, why are you responding to any of my posts period? Are you lacking attention and need a hug? Or have you not posted in a while and need to get your post counts up? Or perhaps your still distraught that I punked you on another bee site?

I'm ALWAYS looking for better ideas and open to suggestions, unlike the controlling personality you have where it's your way or no way, now take your toys and go home little boy.
 
#18 ·
BeeGhost, I have 20 hives on a tandem trailer. I screwed 4 rows of pressure treated 4x4's to the deck, and I use them as hive stands... two rows to the driver's side, two rows to the passenger side. That way when it's time to move, I can easily run a ratchet strap under each hive. I leave my hives on the trailer permanently, though they are not permanently attached to the trailer, they just normally sit on the 4x4's.

To move the hives:
1. Ratchet strap each hive together.
2. Take 1x4's the length of the trailer, and screw them to the front and another to the back, attaching each row of hives together. My hives face outward.
3. I take 4 1x4's and screw them to a pair of hives at each end of the trailer, and a couple of pair of hives in the center.
4. I run a heavy duty ratchet strap across the top of each row, from the front of the trailer to the rear.

Step one ties each hive together.
Step two ties all hives in each row together, so they don't shift (too much, sigh)
Step three ties the two rows together, so that on uneven ground, the row of hives does not fall over.
Step four ties the two rows of hives to the trailer.

I learned this almost the hard way.... This system keeps the hives from shifting in any direction, although if one drives not very slowly over uneven ground, or around corners, well, use your imagination.
Regards,
Steven
When steps 2 and 3 are done,
 
#20 ·
Ace, get a tandem trailer with shocks, put 20 hives on it, some 3-5 stories high, move the trailer from one field to another via a paved highway, don't strap them down, and tell us how it goes.
Regards,
Steven
 
#21 ·
Thank you for the insight Steven!! And Aces two hives ride just fine in their permanant location on blocks. I love how he gives all sorts of useless ideas on something he has no experience with, but suggests it with such confidence at the same time trying to belittle others.

Again, thank you to everyone who have had some great ideas and have shared their experiences, I appreciate it.

And Acebird, please dont respond anymore on my threads..................thank you.
 
#22 ·
My bee trailers when I built them. A six jumbo hive trailer, a 20 hive trailer with standard Langstroth deeps, and a sixteen hive BeeBed with Langtstroth dimension boxes but Jumbo depth brood frames. I built these because I keep 50 hives on a commercial lot with permits for eight. I have been busted twice and want it quicker and easier to move next time. The sideboards hide them to a degree from prying eyes. In summer they stack up above the sideboards. To move I have to somewhat equalize their height, strap and tarp.

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/odfrank/Misc Beestuff/Bee Trailers/
 
#23 ·
Steven, did I say not to strap them down? Do you feel shocks would be a detriment and the ratchet straps will make up the difference? Will the straps also prevent the comb from being ripped from the frames?
 
#24 ·
Beeghost,

Please post the photos of what you come up with as I've wondered how to do that as well. I'm all ears when I can learn from others.

Odfrank,

Thanks for linking those photos.


Ironically I visit this site less than I used to because of the bird. The site that I know of that he left due to "censorship" has become pleasant again where ideas are exchanged without sniping. What some call censorship is what others might call ramifications of ignoring of common courtesy and web-etiquette.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Transport Vehicle Trailer Shipping container Automotive wheel system

BGhost, I'm trying to upload two pix of my setup when I moved them, hope it comes thru. My hives are further apart that OdFrank's, I like to have a bit of room to work, I can be kinda klutzy. And I like to set the lids between hives when opening them. Can set supers from one hive atop another when inspecting, lids are out of the way if I need to go get something.
Regards,
Steven
 
#27 ·
Transport Shipping container Vehicle Machine Railroad car
It worked!* Ok, in this picture you should see the 1x4's that cross brace the two rows of hives.* I'm not sure if the individual hive straps will be that obvious, but you can see the large yellow ones running lengthwise. If you don't cross-brace the two rows, on uneven ground they could tip...I barely avoided a catastrophe last year. Hope these pix help.
Regards,
Steven
 
#28 ·
Stephen,

Great photos. They tie up all the questions I had from your post. I'm considering moving a few hives next year in a fashion that I can move them back when needed with minimal effort.

One of my weaknesses is ignoring a self-absorbed bore. To avoid being one myself in said situations I've learned it may be best to remove myself. It's good for me but it can encourage the others' behavior because no one stands up to it. Fortunately, said fool eventually hangs themself with their own rope, blaming others (censorship) but is gone nonetheless. It's ironic that I check in and immediately run into the very person/behavior I was trying to avoid. I'll check back in a couple months.
 
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