With the growth projections in my apiary operation, the need to transport my hives efficiently are becoming greater. With this in mind, the need for a dually takes precedence. I have considered a gooseneck trailer and its still not off the table. 

 

The popular method for beekeepers of commercial sizes use flatbed dually trucks and then pull their loader on a trailer. 

 

The only consideration i would make for a dually is a 12v or 24v. But i need the towing capacities and hauling. Usually 96 hives fit in a flatbed over the axle and then trailer/loader. I'm looking for a 5 or 6 speed transmission and ex cab, 4x4.

 

Hard find at a decent price!

Flat bed trailer would be much easier to deal with than another truck. I'd say look into the gooseneck idea and just haul the hives on the trailer. This way you not into 6 tires for replacement. Now in the 3rd Gen's I would consider an single rear wheel 1 ton with a flatbed. Again that is a heck of a price tag for 3rd gen trucks.

Im pretty torn on what to do until i get to that final resting point. Which is using a dually truck. 

 

Either i spend 7k on a gooseneck for temporary means and haul at best 48 hives because of the loader and the trucks ability to haul that much weight or just take the 7k and reach a little closer to the end goal. I'm just having a hard time swallowing what people want for their trucks. Most want over 15k for 2nd gen Cummins duallys. Some have low miles on them some have 250k plus. 

 

At that price tag i might as well buy a newer 3rd gen. The other thing I've been considering is a 7.3l power stroke. They seem to be a done a dozen. I just need it to do a job and do it well. Got a buddy who I've been co-oping with and he's running a 7.3l f350. He loves them, has two of them and swears by them. 

 

I just feel so dirty with the thought of using a Ford...

 

The only thing about Ford's you have to remember is there is a need for a two post lift for lifting the body off. Even like the 7.3L I had a friend call me up to fix oil leaks on his 7.3L the only way to replace the rail plugs for the high pressure oil is you got to lift the cab off. There isn't enough room to remove the rear two plugs just to change the o-rings. The other problem is there is little room for the exhaust on the 7.3L Ford's so they crushed the pipe make it fit between the cab and the transmission. A lot of people have a shop beat a dent into the floor to install a true 4" downpipe. Remember there is no injection pump on a 7.3L Ford. There is the high pressure oil which is pumped into the injector on command which is used to pump the fuel up to pressure inside the injector. Oil change interval and high quality oil filters are a must. Then injectors on 7.3L are not like the Cummins they pretty expensive!

 

They got their own problems. 

I almost bought a 7.3 but then I found the truck I got now, which I'm happy I did now. Only wish it was a true 4 door, other than that that's all I need.

So let me hear your opinions on this matter fellas, currently, there are a few trucks up for sale on Craigslist. 

 

https://kpr.craigslist.org/cto/d/2001-dodge-3500-cummins-4wd/6491915104.html

 

https://kpr.craigslist.org/cto/d/2005-dodge-dually-cummins-6/6508947329.html

 

https://lewiston.craigslist.org/cto/d/built-98-dodge-dually-4x4/6508126640.html

 

https://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/d/2007-dodgel-cummins-6-speed/6492144661.html

 

There's others on eBay i have been eyeing. Several others that are just ridiculously priced also. 

 

Here's a search tempest result:

 

https://www.autotempest.com/results?make=dodge&model=ram3500&model_kw=&radius=any&zip=83856&keywords=Dually&minyear=1996&maxyear=2002&domesticonly=1&minprice=10000&maxprice=20000&minmiles=&maxmiles=&transmission=man&bodystyle=truck&saleby=any

Edited February 25, 20187 yr by hex0rz

I like the 4th on the list but I think the 5 spd trans would be better and I usually stay away from trucks that have had a lot of work done to them. I like them all original and look like they have not been worked too hard. I would try staying all original 5 spd. and under 200k miles with a nice interior.

Haha, but then the price tends to go way up..

 

With the 5 and 6spd transmissions, do they both suffer from the 5th gear nut problem? Isn't the fix pretty simple? Was thinking about the cheap 6k truck as a stop gap but dunno if the transmission is suffering from the nut problem or something else. 

The fix is only in the tail shaft and pretty simple from what I've been told.

 

You have to be careful because a lot of times there is a reason its available. That's why I like a tight truck all around original, not horsed with. To rebuild a 5 spd trans is less money than the 6 spd. I try buying from guys that have a good retirement income and think its time to flash with a newer style truck.

8 hours ago, hex0rz said:

With the 5 and 6spd transmissions, do they both suffer from the 5th gear nut problem?

 

6 Speed doesn't have the 5th gear nut problem. But parts are MUCH higher in price since NV5600 are not produced anymore. Now as for the NV4500 transmission there are more common place and use in both the Chevy and Dodge trucks and there is plenty of parts and upgrades being the NV4500 was used for many years. You have to remember New Venture went out of business.  

 

After 124 years, on Thursday, August 24, 2012, New Process Gear (New Venture) ended production and closed their doors for the last time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Venture_Gear

Yea, all i know about the manuals is how to shift them. Not their history...

 

I found a few more trucks through Facebook. Priced decently. May look at them. Just as a refresher, what things should i look for again with these trucks? What about the manua transmissions?

 

Blowby, 53 block, KDP, clutch slippage, shifting smooth or if synchro are bad. Fluid conditions, cracked dash, bent frame or bed, bad air filters, oil covers everything, lift pump presence, what else...

I don't know if I'd worry about it being a 53 Block.  I think any 53 block with some miles on it has been tried and tested and had it cracked it would have by now.  Mine is a 53 block, 130K miles, and I don't worry about it at all.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/195056857918144

 

Just looked at this today. It was a mixed bag on how i felt about it. It needed new tires, the dash was broke, had some sort of oil leak going on, no lift pump, aftermarket air filter. It has 293k miles on it. I offered 10k for it and she said i low balled her. After tires, lift pump, a possible vp44 replacement, and leak repair, it'd be thousands spent...

What do you mean by no lift pump?

Personally, I would run from that truck.

50 minutes ago, dripley said:

What do you mean by no lift pump?

 

No air dog or fass, etc. Didn't even have a fuel pressure gauge. It had pyro and boost though...

44 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Personally, I would run from that truck.

 

What's wrong with it, lol...

9 hours ago, Hawkez said:

I don't know if I'd worry about it being a 53 Block.  I think any 53 block with some miles on it has been tried and tested and had it cracked it would have by now.  Mine is a 53 block, 130K miles, and I don't worry about it at all.

  Mine is a 53 block too. But that doesn't mean people won't keep running it despite the crack. I dunno how bad it would make it leak...

Don't think ill for the truck. Just did a vin search on it: 1B7MF33631J563234

 

http://vincheck.info

 

Good thing i checked. What is it with people...

Did they say it was Salvage, I'm guessing not cuz that would definitely put a dent in the value. I bought a few salvage cars in my life will never do that mistake again. No wonder it has new paint job....

This is kind of off subject but I swear previous salvage vehicles are haunted, if it happened once it'll happen again. Just what I've witnessed.

 

 

I called the person on it and they were like, "yes it's a salvage. Bed was replaced and axle too". AXLE? ok, so frame damage too...

 

She won't take less than 12.5k. I won't give more than what i do to my toilet every morning...

https://moseslake.craigslist.org/cto/d/dodge-dually-1-ton/6510280867.html

 

^This is about the fairest ad i have seen yet... but it's an automatic. I still might consider. Fair price?

1 hour ago, hex0rz said:

Fair price?

Take the total of what the major parts are worth, salvage yard price, add 10% and no more.  This way if the truck turns into a turd you can part it out and brake even or better.