Beetruck

About This Project

This project was inspired by a mobile bee house discovered during a walk through the Slovenian countryside. Combining local beekeeping traditions with scale modeling, the build celebrates Slovenian beekeeping heritage, a distinctive part of the region’s cultural landscape.

Full Story

During a walk through the fields and forests of the Gorenjska region of Slovenia, I came across an unusual sight: an old truck converted into a mobile bee house, parked on the edge of a forest beside a flowering meadow. Beekeeping has deep roots in Slovenia, and vehicles like these can occasionally be spotted in the countryside. The scene felt uniquely local and became the inspiration for this project, created as a small tribute to Slovenian beekeepers, bees, and the landscape they help sustain.

The project began with the Academy German Cargo Truck (Early & Late) WWII Ground Vehicles Set-5 (13404). The original cargo bed was removed entirely and replaced with a custom-designed bee house. The structure was modeled in Cinema 4D, printed on a Solus3D resin printer, and detailed with roof overhangs fabricated from aluminium, brass, and copper.

After painting, the various materials and colors were unified using AK Interactive weathering products, including rust effects, streaking grime, washes, and subtle mud deposits on the lower surfaces. The goal was to create a vehicle that felt naturally weathered by years of outdoor service rather than heavily neglected.

Access to the bee house required a set of miniature rear stairs. These were scratchbuilt from styrene, with the RP Toolz Mitre Cutter proving invaluable for producing perfectly repeatable cuts and clean joints.

To complement the truck, I built a tree from twisted brass wire, forming the trunk and branches before covering the structure with putty and textured sawdust. The foliage was created using stretched Woodland Scenics Poly Fibre, fixed with hairspray and layered with several shades of fine leaf scatter to achieve a natural appearance.

The completed scene was set on a small hillside carved from styrofoam and covered with a blend of static grasses of varying lengths and colors, applied using a homemade static grass applicator. Together, the truck, tree, and landscape create a peaceful snapshot of the Slovenian countryside, capturing a tradition that remains closely connected to the region’s identity.

Model: German Cargo Truck (Early & Late) WWII Ground Vehicles set-5 (Academy 13404)