Pick up Truck

[BMH]

Nice.

I can imagine trying to park one of the those at work!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Toyota Hilux - will never let you down. Only down side is a sub par mpg.

Good vehicles, hard to get second hand with decent mileage and they are a wee pricey. Drove them out in Africa (they seem to be the chosen truck out there) and they take a beating - they're not without their problems though.
I finally went for the Mitsubishi L200 (4 cab) 2013 plate - although I wasn't fussed with the shape the low price due to being off VAT, really low mileage, clean as a pin apart from a tiny dink in the tailgate (since made worse thanks to my temporarily non functioning left eye ) and the Nissan next to it which I was looking at was a dog!!.
Having selective 4WD, Low Ratio & difflock swayed me plus (unusual amongst a lot of new 4WD vehicles) the ability to drive permanently in 4WD due to viscous couplings - handy when driving on tarmac in wet or slippy conditions with an empty rear tub as it can have a negative effect on handling in rear wheel drive.
Best investment I made.

Nearly all the aforementioned trucks are no good for beekeeping unless they have a single cab

I disagree - I can get eight hives in a single stack in the back of mine without even thinking about it, with the luxury of the rear passenger area for clean kit like beesuits, or even the occasional passenger!

 

[mbc]

I regularly need a trailer with my l200 but I can fit 26 supers in the lockable back.
One plus of the amarok is that the back is wider and fits a euro pallet.

 

[BMH]

Wow! 8 in a single layer in a double cab!

Must be as long as a bus!

It's not that I'm a fancy Nancy but the off road capabilites do have to come second (or third) to economy and refinement in the cabin.

it will get used for about 5% of it's total mileage to drive on pretty flat fields. the rest will be long, motorway driving.

I also do a fair bit of hauling furniture and bulky goods around so a pick up ticks all the boxes as my main job pays a decent £6k allowance per annum and then 45p a mile for the 20000 miles I do a year (45p for the first 10000 then 25p after that).

pays for itself after 3 years

 

[BMH]

what are people's thoughts on roofs for the back?

I definitely don't want a fixed hardtop but quite like the idea of a metal roller shutter.

the Navara trek had a hinged metal roof that only opens 40 degrees meaning you can't put anything in it? shocking design!

 

[Beeconcerned]

Wow. Petrolheads and a strong smell of Testosterone.

I almost convinced myself that I needed a 4x4 a few years ago for my smallholding. When I stood back and weighed the few hours a year I actually drove off road, and the even fewer hours of those I really couldn't avoid driving through mud and muck by choosing a better day or different route against the extra cost of things like fuel and tyres, and problems parking something the size of a caravan but empty most of the time I stuck with my trusty Golf and a trailer and wheelbarrow. The cash saved has paid for some good holidays.

 

[BMH]

Agreed but if money wasn't an issue if your company are effectively paying for it for you would you have gone for the 4x4 right?

Also I struggle to access my bees at the moment even in the dry summer months and the recent cold snap had us isolated for a good few days.

 

[BMH]

Plus I'd really like to move my bees around a lot more than I do. I have rape within 10 miles, on the door step of Heather moors and I don't want my bees to be too visible.

a real off broader makes that a lot easier

plus they look cool!

 

[mbc]

Wow! 8 in a single layer in a double cab!

Must be as long as a bus!

It's not that I'm a fancy Nancy but the off road capabilites do have to come second (or third) to economy and refinement in the cabin.

it will get used for about 5% of it's total mileage to drive on pretty flat fields. the rest will be long, motorway driving.

I also do a fair bit of hauling furniture and bulky goods around so a pick up ticks all the boxes as my main job pays a decent £6k allowance per annum and then 45p a mile for the 20000 miles I do a year (45p for the first 10000 then 25p after that).

pays for itself after 3 years

Six in a layer with the l200, I can fit four stacks of five and two of six under the hardtop, useful for when the bees are robbing but a pita if I need things from the front as everything needs unloading to get at them.
Nice vehicle allowance!

 

[mbc]

A trailer is best for moving any number of hives even if you have a pickup.

 

[BMH]

It's a good allowance , but it's fully taxed as income, so closer to £3.5k after tax and NI. the 45p a mile props it up and the fact I'm site based so ALL mileage is reimbursable.

 

[BMH]

A trailer is best for moving any number of hives even if you have a pickup.

really how come?

I don't have space to store a trailer which is a PITA

 

[mbc]

really how come?

I don't have space to store a trailer which is a PITA

By any number I suppose I meant anything over half a dozen, they'll have travelling screens so you need to fit roofs in somewhere, by the time spare supers and sundries like a smoker and cans of feed are included then you've maxed out most load spaces in king cabs.
Why not park a trailer at an out apiary?

 

[BMH]

That's not a bad idea.

I think if I can squeeze 6 in a single layer and double up to 12 then that will he more than enough I reckon.

 

[Beefriendly]

Now for bee trailers, take a look at this. Kinda on my wish list for migratory beekeeping.

 

[Millet]

A trailer is best for moving any number of hives even if you have a pickup.

What kind of Trailer ?, i have dragged a fair few in my time i would definitely not want to put the bees through what some of my luggage has gone through, the only ones i have dragged that do not bounce about like a space hopper is a 18ft trailer with 14 silage bales on to weigh it down, even empty they still bounce all over.
The state the roads are in today it would be like a shook swarm and migrating bees all in one go..

 

[Millet]

Now for bee trailers, take a look at this. Kinda on my wish list for migratory beekeeping.

I would be careful with trailers N , put some egg's in a hive and put it on the trailer and do a test run to where you would drive, my bet is you will have a omelette ready for the frying pan by the time you get back home..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wow. Petrolheads and a strong smell of Testosterone.

I almost convinced myself that I needed a 4x4 a few years ago for my smallholding.

That'll be you then
Some of us have real countryside to contend with - two of my apiaries would wreck a normal car or van within a season, and I still doubt I'd get all the way to the bees. That's not counting one or two other apiaries near the heather I've acquired where a 4WD is the only way to reach it unless you want to cart your hives over four fields a dry stone wall and two barbed wire fences.
There's also the winter hunting and farm tracks whilst fishing which would soon put the strain on a normal car.
And the smallholding we had years ago even tested a landrover to the limits.
Something like the L200 means that throughout the season the back is almost always filled with spare kit ready for the out apiaries and travelling to them by road is also comfortable enough.
Having a separate passenger area also allows the luxury of still being able to use it as a normal car, for the occasional trip to the office, shopping etc - thus I've saved the extra money needed for a runaround if I'd had a single cab.

 

[BMH]

I have to agree with the above.

For me, money spent on a 4x4 single cab would be a complete waste of money but the fact the double cabs can be used as a perfectly acceptable family car, makes the investment a lot more sensible and avoids having to have two vehicles.

A golf and a trailer wouldnt be suitable for getting to my bees and certainly not suitable for where I intend to take them.

Plus, sea fishing is going to be a whole lot more enjoyable not having to live with sand all over the car for the following month!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wow! 8 in a single layer in a double cab!

Must be as long as a bus!

Tub is 5ft long - I get two hives between the wheel arches then two rows of three

what are people's thoughts on roofs for the back?

I have a hard roof on mine - it's only six allen bolts to loosen and two men can easily lift it off. with the roof on I think I can stack the supers five high but if I do I can shut the tailgate but can't shut the top.