Handling 150 lbs devices -- my plan

That designer had a sense of humor. Looks like something from the movie, _Robots_.

If you are just trying to get a 150# device out of the bed on to the ground, drop it into a big box of styrofoam popcorn.

If you take off the tailgate (I think on most trucks you can do this with out tools) the ramp will rest on the top of the bumper and be close to flush with the floor of the bed.

hope this helps. Andy Lynn

yeah... my neighbors will surely love a little styrofoam popcorn blizzard...

Hm, that's a thought too. I will check into that. I also know that I can at least remove tailgate supports so that the tailgate can go below horizontal, that would also work for me and it is very easy. Thanks.

Word of advice (from experience) - make sure that you rig a way for the board/beam to be hooked to the bumper. Gets painful and exciting when it slips off the bumper mid-move.

Your tailgate should be trivial to remove. Most American trucks, you remove the side supports, raise to 45 degrees, and pull up the right side, then the left side comes out. Dropping heavy large things (even

My suggestion, particularly given the amount of junk you move, is to get a nice cheap refrigerator dolly - two wheels, a short bit on the bottom, a long upright/handle section. Then nail up a set of ramps, or one wider ramp (with some sort of hook for the bumper on either type) and roll things into or out of the truck. Simpler and safer, and useful in the long run for other things.

Yes, absolutely. There is a little "step" into the garage and I will use that as a stop for the board.

I will check, if I can do it, I will remove the tailgate.

Thanks Ecnerwal. I will check into it...

What he said - we call that sort of dolly a "handtruck" and, although we don't use it often, it's great to have here when we need it. Available at any good hardware store or home center.

They also make ramps for getting a motorcycle or similar in and out of a pickup truck - you could check out those, but a couple of 2x6's would probably work as well for the handtruck or even just sliding your 150 lb. objects.

-S-

Roy, thanks, good point. I will remove the tailgate or at least lower it so that it lies on the board.

Thanks Steve. I do have a dolly like this, and will use it.

Hi Iggy:

Is there any way to suspend from an overhead point in the garage? If so this can be the faster, safer and cheaper route to go. Heck. it's only 150# and almost anything is sturdy enough to handle the weight without extra bracing. If you weigh at least 150# just give it a try.

dennis in nca

Yes, but that means at least an hour of unloading. These things do not have a lifting eye, so, it means using a lot of stuff to just get them suspended, then a lot of truck back and forth driving, untying etc. With a ramp, I think that I can be done in 15 minutes.

Woops. Just read the other 51 posts. First, the 150 is not much. When I unloaded my 150# anvil last year I picked it off and set it down, by hand, with no problem (and I'm retired, by the way). However, because of the dimensions of your piece I wouldn't try it that way. You say it's too much hassle to hang a "fall" but what about one of those little 500# or 1000# cap. jobs from HF? Or one of those little rigs used for dressing game? I wouldn't even use those however (even though I have a couple). I'd only use about 3 turns of suitable line (heavy nylon, 1/2" or so) around the overhead support and let the friction control the decent. Should only take a couple of minutes.

dennis in nca

As a rigger, I am surprised you would suggest or condone this. Ceiling ratings in garages are usually rated at 10# per square foot, and yes, you can put a 4 by on top of the rafters perpendicular.

It may work. It may not. If it does not, the results can be catastrophic. At the least, it will probably stress the roof, and may cause some of the drywall nails/screws/mud to pop. Or a tape seam to split.

I would suggest getting some old timbers, either 4x4 or larger, building a temporary frame, and lifting with a come-along. All you have to do is lift it one inch and drive out. Think simple.

A ramp would be quick and easy, too. A sheet of 3/4" plywood with eight or ten 2x4 stiffeners underneath cut at an angle to meet the plywood.

If you do try the garage thing, keep us posted.

Steve

Thanks, Steve and rigger. I do have a chain hoist in my garage

On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 17:28:07 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, Ignoramus16172 quickly quoth:

Hey, stitch together some nylon harnesses from 1" nylon strapping, Ig. Use a large ring at the top and make a 3-way harness which will fit the units, then clip the 4th strap to the ring via a clip or just tie it on. It'd take half an hour to measure, cut, stitch (with fishing line or good nylon thread. SWMBO surely has some big needles and will help.) Look at toddler's swingsets for the basic idea.

Someone also mentioned a hand truck. With the tailgate let down, one of the pneumatic-tired trucks could work easily. Bungee the unit to the hand truck and roll it off the end. The tires will absorb the drop as you physically lower it to the ground.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- The more we gripe, *

I use a pair of 2" x 10" x 8 foot planks as ramps. There is a bent piece of 1/4" steel plate carriage-bolted to the end of each plank. That sits on the tailgate to both "hook" the blank to the tailgate and provide a nearly stepless transition from gate to plank. I load and unload lots of stuff with those planks: a riding mower, a 250-lb welder, gonna move a safe next weekend. I glued some 3M stairtread on the planks so they have good traction even when wet. If I were to load something of 300 lb or more, I might reinforce the planks with vertical posts mid-span or maybe just a 2 x 4 beam lagbolted on the bottom of each one.

A 4- wheel dolly -- some 2 x 4's or steel angle or rect tubing assembled into a rectangle with sturdy casters -- can make things a lot easier if a load doesn't have wheels of its own. It's best if only one pair of casters swivel. Then it will "track" with a belaying line on the load and the swivel casters on the uphill side.

Good downhill control can be accomplished just with a length of rope. Hook a chain across the front stake pockets, wind the rope around the chain. There's enough friction to afford good control of downramp motion with modest tension on the rope.

I have a $49 electric winch from HF that I intend to rig to the front of the truck bed for absolute control of loads on the ramps. Finger off of winch control button, load stops moving either up or down. Comalongs are too danged slow, and hand winches can be dangerous because the crank can get away from you when downloading (ratchet disengaged) and break a finger or wrist. (Voice of experience!) A chainfall with a Weston brake would work OK, but for $49 I'm gonna go electric. 30 seconds travel time up or down with load always under complete control.

I have been just driving the mower on and off the truck, but as I get older that is getting to be more excitement than I want.

Don. thanks. How do you mount the winch to the front of your bed? I have pretty thin sheet metal there. I am doubtful it would withstand really have loads.

Maybe not this time, but I will try to build a nice ramp. I have to load a 140 lbs piece on my truck today (different story), and lack of ramp is becoming a hindrance. If I could find a way to mount a winch, I would do that also.

I do have the dolly that you are describing (2 rotating wheels and two fixed wheels), it is homemade. I made it for my Onan generator originally.

Thanks a lot.