This is a solid possibility, I was too hard headed to think of this,
but a good alternative it is .. mac/mc
On 2/18/2019 6:44 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
I rented a 24 foot flatbed truck to move my HDX-5106 500 miles.
Piece of cake. Held it down with the ratcheting straps that
came with the truck. All 4000 lbs of it up and down over the
Grapevine.
Rick N6RK
On 2/18/2019 2:57 PM, Mac wrote:
Speaking with very recent experience transporting a HDX-589 with
raising arm fixture as well 'T' base plate over a 900 mile trek
within the past 3 weeks. Using a 16' trailer is my words a High Risk
effort.
By way of background, a local ham pal when he heard of my NEED and
what i was wanting to move showed and then offered to me a used boat
trailer, with ONE caveat, I could not return the trailer to him or
his property. EVER !
When i reviewed the trailer i could see what was good looking tires
but upon inspection 11 years old, the trailer offered however one
very neat feature, the tongue was a 2 1/2" square tube with what i
call a Bulldog hitch for a 2" ball. i bought 2 new tires repacked the
wheel bearings, and along the way asked myself your very question
where or how was all this going to lay out and pull safely with the
589 weighing prox 2,500 -2,800 #s .
The tongue was removable normally slid into a 3" sq tubing and bolted
into a fixed length but allowing the boat when carried to be weight
balanced and pulling safely, but no way was my 589 going to fit the
trailer single axle fixed location and not protrude 5-6' off the
front and back. Remember please the 589 fully retracted is closer to
29-30' than 20 or so feet in length, so i was doomed at the outset
with my then 16' boat trailer.
My solution was pretty simple really i bought a new 9-10' piece of
2.5" sq tubing and welded a new coupler and drilled the receiving end
out to match the original tongue bolt pattern into the 3" boat frame
tubing.
Arriving at my sellers location i knew he had ample lifting
capability, we experimented a few tries to be sure we had the C/G of
the tower and T plate, lifted up the tower and i drove the trailer
back under the 589 and centered where my best experience said it was
best and keep in mind i was shooting for 400 or so plus pounds tongue
weight onto my truck [Tahoe] 2" ball receiver hitch. Being modest id
say i nailed it damn good.. Looking at the truck/trailer combination
profile it was very good .. we tied the raising fixture along and
toward the front side.
When loaded it was however very obvious i had one giant flaw and this
circus was never gonna make Texas in one piece. That near 9' of new
tongue length had no support along it axis to hold the tower. But i
had achieved the perfect C/G and weight ratios. problem pretty easily
solved, we made up a block support the take up the void between the
tongue and tower void, as it turns out a 2x6 was the perfect fit.
then using the 2" ratchet nylon straps we just bonded the tower to
the tongue and every problem was solved.
Until the poor Mississippi I-10 roads and the entry and exit of
bridges bounce began to shift the tower to one side. Where i had gone
in and made a level line for every support point along the towers
flat horizontal side, by Vicksburg it was 2pm it was gonna be dark by
6pm, the locals called it Home Depot but i found the name and credit
card receipts said Lowes I didn't give a rats ass. I had money and
they had materials ..
In prepping for this venture i debated what tools to take and
hopefully never have to use, it was too endless, i opted for a small
hand tool collection and the 3 ton shop alligator jack. We hit the
Lowes and bought a new battery drill package and 4x4 treated lumber
plus screws. i asked that the 4x4 be cut, crap you would have
thought i was asking for the moon, Oh no ! we are not permitted to
cut the stuff ONLY sell it [treated lumber] Ok fine i bought a small
hand saw and we set up shop out in the HD err Lowes parking lot.
4:30 and the sun is going down faster than i want it.
I got my wife and GSD and making a mess out in the parking lot, I'm
gathering a crowd and the every 5 minute question is "Hey Man
whatcha doin" But in that group 2 of the nicest guys came forward,
they had grasped the problem and understood the objective. By dark
the tower was centered back onto the trailer and while the jacking
process and pulling the tower back parallel to the trailer supports
had shifted the tower forward about 6" we were set to go. The 6"
shift effected road worthy a bit where it had been safe to reach as
fast as 80 mph the extra load-shift forced us to never go beyond
75-76 or then trailer wagging would set up and that is not a pretty
sight or safe condition. By Louisiana the rains had come back on our
ass, when we reached Shreveport we called it good, had no hotel
reservations, while willing to accommodate us the Marriott wanted
$1.00 per pound for my GSD [=78.00] the Hilton offered a flat $30.00
extra fee. But when it came time to park the truck and circus
trailer, well that was another 30.00 "fee" $223.00 for the night and
we got up next morning and hauled ass for Texas.
Drury Inn was the best and always most accommodating for my GSD. I
omitted i had bought and rigged up a set of magnetic lights to mount
directly onto the very end of the tower as well keeping the original
trailer lighting scheme.
The trailer, well the tower is still on the trailer awaiting
installing here at w5mc I'm taking down a TM-90' tower and will give
or offer the trailer to go with the tower in the very near future.
But to wrap up this "fishing story" IMO a 16' trailer you wont be
safe at all, too much overhang front and back, but i guess it also
depends on your overall distance, in town maybe ok, on the road not
for me, and im a risk taker, but not as it is contemplated in this
original post/question.
If i can forward some pictures and measure some stuff let me know,
presently i have the tower while still on the trailer run out about
8' feet trying to get measurements for the rotor plate and stuff.
The bigger stumbling block for me is adapting my TM-90 base plate to
accommodate the 589 T plate, me and the GSD did make a run to Houston
last Friday and picked up a 1" steel plate 40"x40" to help adapt to
the tm-90 base bolt pattern to the 589 T plate base.
Best: mac/mc w5mc
On 2/18/2019 1:42 PM, Wilson Lamb wrote:
OK, that's about it.
Of course I can estimate, but wonder if anyone has a CG location for
a nested tower, horizontal.
Yep, I'm calculating ballast for my 16' trailer.
Weight is trivial, but stability something else!
Wilson
W4BOH
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