Hi Art,
I'm sure you will get many responses, but considering your situation, here's
some ideas:
Option 1: Rent a boom fork lift truck (such as a Lull or a Terex) from your
local equipment rental company. You should be able to rent by the day.
The rental company should be able to transport the equipment to your
location, show you how to operate it, and pick it up when you are through.
Option 2: If you are not comfortable operating the equipment yourself, then
get a quote from a rigging company. You may also want to just check with
some local contractors - many general contractors and mechanical contractors
own their own equipment and might possibly be willing to help you out.
Option 3: Make arrangements to have a contractor take delivery of the tower
in their yard where they can offload it for you onto a 20' low-boy trailer
for delivery to your home (you rent the trailer or make arrangements with
someone who has a truck that can pull it). Rent or buy a cherry picker
and use it to take the tower off the trailer at your installation location.
For moving towers around a jobsite...
Option 1: If you rent a boom truck, no issue, use it to move the tower
around the site as needed.
Option 2: Use a pair of 4-wheel furniture dollies - one on each end.
If/when you need to move it off the pavement, get some heavy plywood or
sheathing to use as a mats. With 4 sheets you can walk it wherever you want
provided you are dealing with flat terrain.
Option 3: In a pinch I have used two heavy duty 2-wheel dollies, one under
each end. You basically jack up each end a few inches off the ground and
then roll it across the site while levered up off the ground. It's not
the best solution but it works if you have some (strong) helpers.
Another tip - it helps to have some spare 4x4's on hand to set the tower on
as you need for storage, rigging, etc. I have loaded, transported, and
unloaded a lot of towers over the years, literally coast-to-coast many times
by myself. There's some pictures here if you want some ideas of how to rig
it for hoisting.
http://www.flukey.cc/km5vi/New%20Station/Tower%20Prep/Tower%20Prep.php
Anyway, hope this info helps in some way. Above all - please be safe &
good luck on your project.
73
Matt
KM5VI
-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Art
Greenberg
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 6:09 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Receiving a crank-up tower
I'm in the research & planning stages of a crank-up (telescoping) tower
purchase. It would be my first such tower. I'm looking at "small" towers
(for < 12 square feet of antenna) in the vicinity of 50 feet height.
Considering both steel and aluminum, but at the moment the steel tower seems
to be in the lead. I'll probably post questions during the selection
process. But for now, I have some questions that pertain whatever the
choice.
The manufacturer of the steel tower told me that the shipping weight of the
tower is around 1,000 pounds, and that it will be shipped fully assembled
and crated in an enclosed truck (probably a tractor-trailer, going cross
country). The length of the assembled and crated tower as-shipped will be
about 25 feet.
I live on a narrow street, and there is zero chance that the delivery driver
will be able to bring his truck (assuming a tractor-trailer) onto my
driveway. My property is fenced with a lot of trees, meaning the best route
onto the property is though the gate at the end of the driveway and then
following the not-at-all-straight driveway to its closest approach to the
tower installation location. But to do that, the tower would have to travel
down the driveway lengthwise - crosswise on a forklift won't work too well
due to the trees along the driveway.
My questions:
1. How the heck do I get a 25-foot long 1,000 pound crated tower off of the
truck? A reach forklift? Something else?
1a. I'm not a forklift operator. Any suggestion as to where to look for one
for hire? Do such people provide their own equipment, rigging and tools?
1b. What (other) tools/rigging am I likely to need?
1c. I'm twisting myself into a pretzel obsessing over how to coordinate the
forklift with truck arrival. Is it really as difficult as I imagine?
2. How do I get the tower through my gate and to a suitable spot on my
property to await installation?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and advice!
--
Art Greenberg
WA2LLN
art@artg.tv
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