[TowerTalk] Shipping Companies

[Jim McDonald]

I moved my HDX589MDPL, including a 20' Chromalloy mast, three times when I
relocated.  It went into the moving van with furniture and other stuff and
was "swallowed up."  It was tied down inside so it couldn't move, of course.

I had it on the two-wheel tower dolly that I had made, and a crane at each
end of the move got it on and off the trailer.  We looped two big nylon webs
around the dolly and tower which were looped over the crane's hook and gave
it a little shove when the cable (with a little slack) got to the back of
the trailer.  We reversed the process at the other end of the move.

Getting the dolly at the center of gravity of the tower is essential, as is
keeping the tower horizontal so it doesn't slide on the dolly.  Reflecting
now, attaching the tower to the dolly would be a good idea, so that gravity
alone isn't doing the job.

The dolly is useful to move the tower around the property and to set the
tower in place on the base.

Don't forget to take the heavy, steel T-base off the bolts in the concrete.
The last time we used a long pipe as a lever with blocks as a fulcrum to
lift it up.

If you tow a trailer, be sure to get one with a brake and use a big enough
truck. I personally wouldn't do that unless you're experienced at towing,
and the trailer is really long.

Jim N7US



-----Original Message-----


> In a message dated 12/2/2010 12:01:13 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> towertalk-request at contesting.com writes:
>
> >  I am in the process of purchasing the HDX589MDPL from  K0FF. I will be
> picking it up in MO in March. I was wondering what the best  method of
> transportation would be to get it from Missouri to California.  Ray, N6RV,
> mentioned I should ask here to see if there is a reasonable  shipping
> company. Skip, KJ6Y, said I could use a large U Haul flatbed. I  figure
> about
> two days travel.
>
>
>    Hauling it yourself can pencil out. Several years  ago I moved the same
> type tower from San Jose, CA, to the Seattle area. A  trucking company
> quoted me about $2k - I rented a flatbed truck and did it for  about 1/2
> that.
>
>    There's a reason why UST uses a trucking company  that picks it up at
> the factory and delivers it directly to the customer - too  much handling
> and
> damage otherwise. If you consign it to a shipping company,  there's that
> damage potential.
>
>    The trick is that you need handling on both ends  - I think the danged
> things weighs about 2000 lbs. (it might be 3000# - it was  a bunch of
years
> ago) - so you'll need a backhoe, wrecker, crane or something  similar.
> Driving it's easy - it's the loading and unloading that's the crux.
>
> Cheers & GL,
> Steve     K7LXC
> TOWER TECH