Napa Valley Bee Company: August 2009

I’ve found the perfect beekeeper’s vehicle. It took me a while, but I finally made the commitment a couple months ago I bought a 1961 split window Volkswagen Single Cab. Like my cell phone, garlic press, and MacBook, I find myself asking myself how I ever got by w/o it. It looks cool, has fabulous storage space, fold-down sides that create a flatbed, and gets decent gas mileage. According to this website I found on-line (www.volksdoublecab.com) about Volkswagen Double Cabs, the larger more spacious crew cab to my car, the VW bus was invented by this cat Ben Pon in 1949.

I wasn’t there, but it’s said that he wanted a bug style car that was more commercial. Many of the components for this new “box on wheels” vehicle, including the engine, transmission, and running gear were borrowed directly from the Beetle. The new commercial vehicle, released in 1950 was called a VW bus, Type 2, or Transporter. These transporters were designed as simple work vehicles and were a hit for new businesses starting up after WWII. The earliest Transporters were so basic that they didn’t even have a rear window or bumpers. It took two years, but in 1952, Volkswagen introduced their first truck version of the VW bus. This truck version was called the Single Cab. The intended use for the VW Single Cab was for farm workers, beekeepers, single speed mountain bikers, and construction companies. The unique fold down gates [sides] of the bed allowed the VW Single Cab to carry objects larger than itself and made the truck versatile in many situations. Imagine being able to drop the sides and load-up 15 bee hives with ease. In 1958, VW took the production of the Double Cab in house and started making the vehicles at their own facilities. In 1958, the Double Cab sold for about $1800. That was about $300 more than for the Single Cab. I can’t say for sure what made me want a VW pick-up but once I spent a little time researching the vehicle and eventually saw one in person I knew it would be my perfect bee-mobile. Originally I thought I wanted the Double Cab and had even planned to fly up to Spokane WA to buy one from a guy named Matt Angelini.

Only by absolute luck did I stumble upon my Single Cab in Sebastopol. On the great advice of Joel at Joel & Ron's Harmony Garage in Cotatti I really took the time to look at two things. One was although the Double Cab had more room for passengers it created far less room in the bed of the truck for hauling bees and equipment. Secondly, why would I go nearly 1000 miles away, feeling a sense of obligation to buy the vehicle that I might not otherwise. He advised me to find one locally, or at least in a 50 mile radius. At the time I thought he was out of his VW tree cause not only were there slim pickins’ for this type of vehicle in the area but the specimens I saw were a fortune. TheSamba.com has some of the most beautiful examples of the car known to man but unfortunately I didn’t’ have suitcases of honey money to throw at the project. At one point I spoke with Jason Grace at Umpqua Bank about a business loan to float my VW dream. Luckily I didn’t need to take a loan, I met Mark Ashley, a vintage clothing dealer in Sebastopol. Mark had his 61 single listed on Ebay and it was in my own backyard. I had only seen a few singles in person at that point and most of them looked like 50 year old rusty work trucks.

So when I actually got through to Mark and saw his car I was pleasantly surprised. It was priced right and in really good shape considering its age. I wouldn’t call the car show quality but it certainly was in good enough shape to exist as a bee-toatting work truck. I spent the afternoon talking with Mark explaining my bee project and how I intended to incorporate the truck into my plan. We really hit it off, so much so that Mark not only gave me a better deal on the car but also took a bunch of my grandfather’s old coats, some misc. designer dresses from the 70’s, classic purses, a handful of military pins and badges, a smashed Lyle Tuttle penny, and an early model 50’s Rollfast bicycle in trade to sell in his vintage clothing store. What was I doing with all that stuff….? Don’t ask…… I ended up with an absolute steal paying only $4200. I also purchased the original yellow and black plates for the car that I JUST got reissued last week. I couldn’t be happier with the vehicle, it is wonderful for starting a conversation and makes people smile whenever they see it roll by.

Here are some visuals:

This is the car as I first saw it. Notice the beehives in the back, me sizing up the bed.

An image Meg made of Davis and I shortly after I first arrived home with the truck.
Check out Mark's initials on the inverted front badge. I have since taken it off and have been unable to get it back on correctly.

New 56 black on yellow plates. I had Art at Napa Valley Glass cut me a piece of plex to cover the 1961 registration sticker. The guy at DMV told me it would get stolen otherwise. Apparently getting old plates reissued is murderous. Mark had it all pretty well worked out for me when I bought the plates. They were two hundie extra but will substantially increase the value of the car.

Out at the College Avenue Apiary.

Loading up at Lyle's.

All sides dropped at the Carneros Apiary.

The "treasure chest" is a 3x5 foot storage compartment that runs the full width of the truck and has access to both sides. Perfect for storing tools!

Davis made these two photographs out the front window in the Carneros, obviously bored out of his skull.

Pretend pulling the Overlander bee observatory at Copper Iron Design. We are working on the trim of the trailer.

Working Chris Miller's hives on Soda Canyon Road.

Through the front window at Zinnia Ranch in Yountville.

Working Dorthea's hive on Monticello Road. Old school Voss Apiary stickers.

On a swarm call in Browns Valley with my bike in the back. It was a very small late-season swarm, I used it in a two-queen colony with one of the Carneros hives.