Scruit Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 (edited) I ordered a big go-kart for my son. It will arrive tuesday morning.I found out from the seller that the go-kart arrives mostly disassembled and in a box that is a little less than 5'x4'x2' and weighs 385lbs. I also called the shipper (UPS Freight) and found they are going to be bringing it on a semi with a liftgate - which means they will drop the thing at the end of my driveway and drive away.I have to get the ~400lb box about 200' from the road to the workshop where I can assemble it. Half of that is loose gravel about 2" deep on top of hard-packed gravel which is like concrete. The other half of the distance is tarmac.Plan A: I originally reserved a u-haul trailer from a location about a mile from me, thinking we could just push the box from the liftgate onto the trailer and I could just drive down the driveway. They just called and said that they won't have a trailer available at my location so I have to drive 45 minutes get the next nearest one, same again to return, and pay for a second day. They were surprised when I cancelled.Plan B: I have a call in to Sunbelt - I can rent from there Tuesday morning and their location is only 10 mins away. They may or may not have one available, will find out tomorrow night (giving me no chance to come up with a plan C unless I plan that now)Plan C: Anything you guys can help me come up with.I have:4 1000# rated wheel dollies with 3" metal wheelsHand truck with 8" rubber wheels, 400lb ratedA few 4x4 postsPlenty of ratchet strapsA lawn tractorA couple of trolley jacksengine hoistMotorcycle jackAnd plenty of other things, like chain, misc hardware and fasteners etc.I guess I *could* just try to use the hand truck. Anyone here ever tried to move 400lbs with a hand truck? I'm not a small guy, 6'2" and over 200lbs. I worry most about setting it back down again - that's a lot of weight liekly to be on my back as I put it down. Maybe I can set up the engine hoist in the workshop so after wheeling the thing into the workshop I can just hook the handle of the hand truck to the raised hook of the hoist and use the hoise to safely lower the box.Plan Z is to use the 4x4 posts and wheel dollies together to make low rolling platform. Then we could slide the go-kart from the liftgate onto the platform, and I could tow the platform with the lawn tractor... Maybe scraping the gravel to the size with a shovel to reveal the concrete-hard layer beneath for easier rolling. The gravel would make it too difficult to push or pull by hand.Any better ideas? Edited June 10, 2012 by Scruit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gen3flygirl Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 But 2 sheets of ply wood cut them into strips the width of the dolly and roll the box on the ply wood. You can just lift the previous ply wood strips and place them along the path in front of you.Or call the company you bout if from and see if they can have ups freight back into your drive way far enough to drop it on solid ground. There is no reason they should be able to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 But 2 sheets of ply wood cut them into strips the width of the dolly and roll the box on the ply wood. You can just lift the previous ply wood strips and place them along the path in front of you.Or call the company you bout if from and see if they can have ups freight back into your drive way far enough to drop it on solid ground. There is no reason they should be able to do this.I like the plywood idea. It's coming on a 45' semi - they can't back that down my driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHill Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 (edited) use the straps to secure the dolly on the front side of the box. Throw the 4x4 on top of the box(may want to screw it on) right in front of the dolly so it spans the bars. Use another strap to loop around the 4x4 and go through the dolly....attach it to a hitch or the tow loop on a car. Slowly drag the box.you could skip the 4x4 if you really dont care about damaging the dolly....just strap directly to it at a height slightly above the box. Edited June 10, 2012 by RHill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHill Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 depending on how loose the gravel is it may become a plow hahaactually if you could cut a chunk of 2x4 as wide as the dolly and place it under the box on the tongue of the dolly, I'd think this would work without displacing much gravel at allonce you get to the harder surface you can throw the wheel dollies under the trailing side to avoid marking the surface Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 I'd definitely use the mower to tug it, but I'd stand the crate upright and strap the longest 4x4 you've got to the underside of the crate leaving the long end towards the direction you want it to go. drill the long end for a long bolt or pin to hitch it onto the mower, then drag it to the workshop? That way you're only dragging less than 4" wide scrape and it's all the way at the other end so not much of the gravel would get moved aside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4DAIVI PAI2K5 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 D: load your tool box in your truck and put it together at the end of the drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Find another hand truck with 8 inch wheels, and put one on each end strapped on tight. Jam some wood between the trucks and the box so they tilt back a little bit and put the wheels on the ground. Push or tow with helpers to keep it balanced.I think if it can be tilted up just enough to tow with the tractor, just one hand cart will work ok. You'll have to have enough people to push/lift it onto the hand cart. Lit one end and shove the hand cart under? (And strap it.)Or open the box and carry it all in, one part at a time.I used to move skids by hand that had hundreds of pounds on them. Just lift one corner a tiny bit and swing it around. The skid is the lever, with the weight in the middle. Endless amounts of turning it till it gets to where it's going. Won't work too well on gravel.And.... the proper way is with a J-Bar and dollies.http://www.paccin.org/content.php?43-Moving-Crates-with-J-bars-EtcAnd if it comes on a skid that's open across the bottom. (And it probably will.) Run 2x4s through there and get some help. Just lift it and carry it or use the dollies too. I like this one. It's way quicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 (edited) Or get primitive on it... travoishttp://sonic.net/~yeager/smtravios.JPGhttp://www.indiandogs.com/images/dogs/dog_travois_web.jpghttps://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/images/March-2012/Travois-prototype.JPGGet the hand truck under, strapped to box, with long 2x4s zip tied to the hand truck. Tow with tractor.Or put 2x4s through the skid, zip tied in place, and just drag it with the tractor.edit: 10 foot 2x4 would reduce the felt weight (when lifting) by 3 to 1 or better. So 400 pounds would feel like 130 pounds, and that's split on each of two 2x4s. Edited June 10, 2012 by ReconRat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSB67 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Open box. Move individual parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thGix Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Open box. Move individual parts.werd! Have the kid move it for buying it for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baptizo Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Open box. Move individual parts.This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSB67 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 On second thought, as long as you can stand it up on end, you should be able to dolly it. I used to easily wheel 300lb nitrogen cylinders around all the time, and I am not a big guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHill Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Or get primitive on it... cut down tall straight tree, cut it into smaller logs, place logs under box, roll box till trailing log comes out, move rear log too front...repeat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 D: load your tool box in your truck and put it together at the end of the drive.Win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Or get primitive on it... travoishttp://sonic.net/~yeager/smtravios.JPGhttp://www.indiandogs.com/images/dogs/dog_travois_web.jpghttps://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/images/March-2012/Travois-prototype.JPGGet the hand truck under, strapped to box, with long 2x4s zip tied to the hand truck. Tow with tractor.Or put 2x4s through the skid, zip tied in place, and just drag it with the tractor.edit: 10 foot 2x4 would reduce the felt weight (when lifting) by 3 to 1 or better. So 400 pounds would feel like 130 pounds, and that's split on each of two 2x4s.I like the extended handle on the hand truck. I can extend the handle to 8' already, so if turn the box sideways I'll be carrying about 192lbs. Problem is the box will start off flat and wind up flat - so I don't want to lift it up on one end if I can avoid it. I can look to see if I have something I can use to extend the handle further. Or I could try to attach wheels near the handle of the hand truck and just use it as a flat dolly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkow97 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 I'm with Brian on this one. Open the crate and remove the largest parts you can grab, then take four 100 lbs. trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imprez55 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Take is apart. Sometimes simplest answers are best, instead of trying to build something to move this, just so that you can take it apart, and then actually get around to building the go cart. I can't lift 600# but I can take apart machinery enough to move the smaller parts and have done so multiple times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 (edited) Got my solution...Made a trailer from my hand truck by adding front wheels and a tow hook to the handle so I can tow it with the lawn tractor. I don't have much turning radius, so I have to remember that.The liftgate of the semi can be lowered down to the level of the "floor" of this new "trailer", then the box can be easily slid onto the trailer. Then I can roll it away from the liftgate, hook it into the tractor and then tow it to the workshop.Not pretty, but it will work fine for this one time. Edited June 10, 2012 by Scruit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Not a bad idea, for one time use that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Butters Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 lift it up and carry it. with your weiner. like a real man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 werd! Have the kid move it for buying it for him.It is a surprise. He doesn't know about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 lift it up and carry it. with your weiner. like a real man.I want to carry it, not throw it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh1234 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 why don't you open the crate and take out the parts? it's probably got 50 lbs of packing materials and several pieces that are heavy enough to add lots of weight, but light enough to move by hand or dolly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapesmuggler27 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 It is a surprise. He doesn't know about it. He will be surprised when you make him help carry the parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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