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Wow i knew you'd get two in the wheel arches but didnt realise 3 across without the arches.

Hmm. Food for though again. I assumed the hard tops where not that easy to remove.
 
I have a tree I pull up under and can take the top off single handed with a rope over a branch.
 
Definitely makes a difference as for 95% of the time i'd prefer a hardtop!
 
What are the running costs like on a basic double cab pick-up compared to a standard family car?
I know the mpg will be lower, what about insurance, service costs etc.
I'm guessing (=fearing) that if it's the kind of question you have to ask then you can't afford it.

With 30 or so hives and an open mind about future expansion but having a family compatible vehicle being essential, would you go for a double cab pick-up or a robust estate car ( Nissan x trail, Honda crv etc)?
My out apiaries are car accessible but carrying capacity is restricted to 4 hives or 16 supers in my current car.
 
What are the running costs like on a basic double cab pick-up compared to a standard family car?
I know the mpg will be lower, what about insurance, service costs etc.
I'm guessing (=fearing) that if it's the kind of question you have to ask then you can't afford it.

With 30 or so hives and an open mind about future expansion but having a family compatible vehicle being essential, would you go for a double cab pick-up or a robust estate car ( Nissan x trail, Honda crv etc)?
My out apiaries are car accessible but carrying capacity is restricted to 4 hives or 16 supers in my current car.

Get a fairly constant 30MPG from mine, insurance 300 odd IIRC.
What you get in your case I think would be dependent on terrain and accessibility to your apiaries (summer and winter) and how much you want to get in the back in one trip.
 
What are the running costs like on a basic double cab pick-up compared to a standard family car?
I know the mpg will be lower, what about insurance, service costs etc.
I'm guessing (=fearing) that if it's the kind of question you have to ask then you can't afford it.

With 30 or so hives and an open mind about future expansion but having a family compatible vehicle being essential, would you go for a double cab pick-up or a robust estate car ( Nissan x trail, Honda crv etc)?
My out apiaries are car accessible but carrying capacity is restricted to 4 hives or 16 supers in my current car.

Insurance quotes as commercial vehicles, not necessarily higher, just different insurers. Services around same perhaps a little higher. Use local garages not main dealers. My Izusu averages around 36, but depends where driven. Less off road and rural but up to 40 on motorways.
Needs depends on cab type, but King cab (4 seater , 2 door) does for me as gives more load space in rear. Hate hard tops as can't fish things out from the back of truck plus high hives don't fit inside. PITA to take off, even with convenient tree (that many of us don't have). But personal choice, might work for your needs but not for mine. Have a rolling truck tailgate, takes up room at end but means can secure valuables in back when required...like xmas scotch shopping :D
 
What are the running costs like on a basic double cab pick-up compared to a standard family car?
I know the mpg will be lower, what about insurance, service costs etc.
I'm guessing (=fearing) that if it's the kind of question you have to ask then you can't afford it.

Definitely not.

I think anyone would ask those questions before buying a car unless they had more money than sense.

I wouldnt buy a 4x4 if it meant i had to subsidise with my own money.

You have to weigh up the added benefits vs the added costs.

For me, its a no brainer as i am so restricted in my current vehicle and want the flexibility to carry bees, go off road, take my fishing stuff to coast, collect firewood from my supplier, collect building supplies, take stuff to the tip

All the things I cant (shouldnt) do in my A3!
 
I almost convinced myself that I needed a 4x4 a few years ago for my smallholding.

Well you obviously didn't need one.
Shame you need to suggest they are unnecessary.
Essential in my part of the world and terrain I need to move hives over. Although I do cringe at some of the names.
I just call mine "BigBoy".
:D
They are all mainly good buys, see what the best deal is when you look to buy and don't worry too much about make,.
...apart from the folding ones...
 
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Im steering towards an L200 again. Have just booked a test drive for tomorrow!
 
Do these count as pick-ups? ;)
Only 5x your budget and I think the mpg might be a bit lousy.


Mercedes-Benz-Unimog-yellow-Bee-Beekeeper-2.jpg

Those trucks are set to run as agricultural machines on red diesel, and do about half the mpg of the pick up n trailer, but also carry a lot more hives when moving. They are loaded with honey supers in the photo with the escapes on top ready for the next site.
 
Well you obviously didn't need one.
Shame you need to suggest they are unnecessary.
Essential in my part of the world and terrain I need to move hives over. Although I do cringe at some of the names.
I just call mine "BigBoy".
:D


That'll be you then

Yes that's me. I don't need one. I'm not saying that folks like you in genuine rural locations or with genuine reasons don't need 4x4's. I used to have an old Landy myself for the lanes and fields of Shropshire when I lived up there. But it is also easy to find reasons to buy a nice big Boy's toy when there are other possibilities. I'm saying that a few hours actual slippery off-road use a year with hives and kit on board may not justify buying and driving a minibus sized mainly empty vehicle for that other 99.9% of the time. My neighbour has an Audi Q7 "in case we get snowed in".
When I drive in to Bath there are many gleaming 4x4s which I suspect rarely leave the city limits. Same in most towns and cities I expect.
 
Those trucks are set to run as agricultural machines on red diesel, and do about half the mpg of the pick up n trailer, but also carry a lot more hives when moving. They are loaded with honey supers in the photo with the escapes on top ready for the next site.
"Like"
 
The problem here is you are trying to tick a few boxes, it never works. I'd buy an old hilux for your crappy jobs, and keep a good motorway car for your other work. I have had many vehicles, the one which currently ticks all the boxes is a VW Transporter, I do have a decent high mpg performance diesel car. I cant imagine the pain of cruising at 80mph in a pick up with sub 20's mpg, or throwing in half a ton of wood in a brand new hilux.

My perfect all rounder would be a VW transporter 4x4 but you need to decide what you spend most time doing. Full time beekeeper and a pickup would possibly work, you cant fit many hives in it though.



Definitely not.

I think anyone would ask those questions before buying a car unless they had more money than sense.

I wouldnt buy a 4x4 if it meant i had to subsidise with my own money.

You have to weigh up the added benefits vs the added costs.

For me, its a no brainer as i am so restricted in my current vehicle and want the flexibility to carry bees, go off road, take my fishing stuff to coast, collect firewood from my supplier, collect building supplies, take stuff to the tip

All the things I cant (shouldnt) do in my A3!
 
its a good point but I don't have the space to keep 3 vehicles, 2 of mine plus my fiancees. I also don't have the knowledge to fix second hand motors if anything goes wrong so could become expensive.

Again, if it wasn't being so subsidised by work, maybe I would think differently but reasons behind buying new also extend to the offered warranties.




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Changing the tray is worthwhile, fits an extra row of boxes and easier for strapping
 
I cant imagine the pain of cruising at 80mph in a pick up with sub 20's mpg
Neither can I - I keep having to check that the speed of my L200 doesn't start creeping over 80 into the 90 or 100MPH bracket
My fuel consumption is still a steady 30mpg, slightly more if I do a fair bit of motorway travel.

or throwing in half a ton of wood in a brand new hilux.

That's like stating you can't wear your brand new wellies in the mud in case they get dirty.
You buy a machine for the job - whether it's a lorry,JCB, pickup or car you wouldn't not use it in case it gets dirty.
I bought a fairly new vehicle because it means that hopefully it will take longer before it wears out (the last one kept going for nearly ten years.
Maybe I'm lucky in that I havent acquired the suburban english obsession of wasting every Sunday morning obsessively washing and polishing my car.
Last time I washed a vehicle was for SWMBO's graduation, so unless she decides to go for her Master's or the sister's kids ask us to go to their graduations if it ever happens then that's another fortune I've saved in time and car shampoo :D
And, when the next snow arrives and my mother asks me if I can help ferry her old workmates to man the hospital, I can't see me refusing in case I get rocksalt on the chassis or a dink if I skid.
 
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Really liked the L200 after a test drive.

They want £24k + VAT for the L200 Barbarian Auto which i think is ok for a brand new 67 plate and not a prereg. More importantly, its within budget.

Dont like the fact the warranty is only 5 year/62.5k miles though but you can pay £450 to boost it to 5 year/125k miles to id haggle and get that knocked off the price no doubt.
 
Defender 110 pick up with crew cab + full length roof rack and a 4 wheel plant trailer does the job for me ( Plant trailer as back drops down for easy loading and can also take the small digger).... should be able to get something almost reasonable for £25K.

Suzuki Jimney for quick wizz around when needs require "off road"*...... Borrow No1 sons Merc / Audi/ BMW / Lexus if I need to "drive" anywhere on metalled roads!

* which is any non A or B road at present in Cornwall... pot hole capitol of Europe!

Nadelik Lowen
 
has anyone considered hiring vehicle when bees need moving and using normal family car rest of time?
 
It's not just moving bees that is driving the choice of pick up over a car but I move building materials around a fair bit, go fishing to the coast, pick up logs for wood burners, move furniture around ETC



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