How to move from MD to TX with a big a** toolbox!
- Thread starter ReCal8
- Start date
38Chevy454
Well-known member
In a truck? That's less than a full length pickup bed. Wrap it good with stretch wrap and then a tarp to keep any weather issues. Or put in the back of a covered box truck. You moving other stuff as well I assume?
That's the biggest item to move, I've thought of a truck (u-haul) but they don't have ramps and its a very heavy toolbox, thanks for the suggestion though.
Higgins
Well-known member
I would suggest wrapping your socket sets, and wrench sets in stretch saran wrap wrap to keep everything together. Otherwise, your going to spend weeks sorting stuff out!
Ray-CA
Well-known member
Can you get a truck with a lift gate?
When we moved my big boxes, I made sure to lock the drawers, ran straps around the box over each set of drawers and wrapped it all stretch wrap. None of the drawers opened. The U-Haul we used had a ramp, but a lift gate would have made unloading a whole bunch easier.
Ray
When we moved my big boxes, I made sure to lock the drawers, ran straps around the box over each set of drawers and wrapped it all stretch wrap. None of the drawers opened. The U-Haul we used had a ramp, but a lift gate would have made unloading a whole bunch easier.
Ray
That's a great idea! thank you.
Who rents trucks with lift gates? Penske maybe? Cos I'd like to keep the cost down and drive it down myself as opposed to paying a moving company or a transport company.
Higgins
Well-known member
We used Penske last yr. Great trucks!!!
As I recall, the lift gate trucks start with the Diesel trucks and I think they are 18 Ft.
Capt Crash
Well-known member
I have used Penske and Ryder trucks with lift gates for my work.
cvairwerks
Well-known member
You won't be able to push a full 84" box up the ramp on a U-haul truck without it collapsing and you would be near, or above the weight limits on most of the lift gates on non-commercial trucks. U-haul ramps have a weight limit of about 1500 lbs, and most of the lift gates are 2000 or 2500 lbs.
How are your household items coming? If they are in a regular moving van, then have a rollback pick the box up and load in the van. Lock, wrap and strap box and the crew will wrap with pads and secure to the truck. Rollback to unload at the new place.
How are your household items coming? If they are in a regular moving van, then have a rollback pick the box up and load in the van. Lock, wrap and strap box and the crew will wrap with pads and secure to the truck. Rollback to unload at the new place.
finn
Well-known member
I used an enclosed car trailer with a ramp door, but I had regular sized rolling tool boxes. Even then, I had to partially unloaded them to make it up the ramp. The wheels were difficult to get over the lip and the hinge gap.
When I arrived at my destination, 450 miles away, one had tipped over, even though I thought I had them braced pretty well.
What a disaster that was. If I had to do it again, I would move them with at least the upper drawers empty to lower the cg.
When I arrived at my destination, 450 miles away, one had tipped over, even though I thought I had them braced pretty well.
What a disaster that was. If I had to do it again, I would move them with at least the upper drawers empty to lower the cg.
Move it empty. Mine was just moved due to a house fire - everything had to be cleared out of the house. The company that did the clearing, deodorizing, etc moved it full. None of the drawers were overloaded and the drawers were locked when they left.
It destroyed the drawer slides.
These boxes are designed to be moved across shops, not down the road in a truck. A full drawer of tools bouncing up and down in a truck for thousands of miles will damage the drawers, slides or something. Heck, mine was moved less than 100 miles and it was damaged (it was not a cheapy 21 gauge frame box either, but a 30+ year old made in USA heavy box).
Yes, it's a pain in the **** to empty and pack everything. However, think about the cost of that tool box. On the plus side, they bought me a new one, but you'll be buying / fixing yours. It's worth the time to remove the contents.
It destroyed the drawer slides.
These boxes are designed to be moved across shops, not down the road in a truck. A full drawer of tools bouncing up and down in a truck for thousands of miles will damage the drawers, slides or something. Heck, mine was moved less than 100 miles and it was damaged (it was not a cheapy 21 gauge frame box either, but a 30+ year old made in USA heavy box).
Yes, it's a pain in the **** to empty and pack everything. However, think about the cost of that tool box. On the plus side, they bought me a new one, but you'll be buying / fixing yours. It's worth the time to remove the contents.
Lucky13driver
Well-known member
I'd unload it. All that weight bouncing down the highway for over a thousand miles could cause damage to your box.
vavet
Well-known member
I have a Matco 2-bay - 55 inches wide. It has plenty of tools inside, but it's not jam packed. I took everything 3 grown men had to push it up the ramp to a penske truck with the truck pointed down the hill. The ramp had a gentle slope up. Keeping it from crashing into the wall at the back of the cab was the next challenge.
I don't recommend this approach.
I've seen it done using a rollback truck. The rollback winches up the toolbox, then uses the wheel lift to raise the back of the tow truck to the same level (or very close) as the moving truck. Then the truck's ramp comes into play....or an army of men.
I don't recommend this approach.
I've seen it done using a rollback truck. The rollback winches up the toolbox, then uses the wheel lift to raise the back of the tow truck to the same level (or very close) as the moving truck. Then the truck's ramp comes into play....or an army of men.
cderalow
Well-known member
I'd second (or third) the move empty concept. No harm in taking precautions for a very expensive box.
Plus, gives you a chance to re-evaluate organization etc. or just take pictures of every drawer, pack each drawer into a heavy tote/box and unpack as it came out.
if it were me, I'd be emptying my $5000+ tool box. if it were a cheap harbor freight, I might take the chance.
Plus, gives you a chance to re-evaluate organization etc. or just take pictures of every drawer, pack each drawer into a heavy tote/box and unpack as it came out.
if it were me, I'd be emptying my $5000+ tool box. if it were a cheap harbor freight, I might take the chance.
IDK, I moved my 3 bay matco loaded to the brim with tools in an enclosed trailer. 0 problems. nothing really moved.
Now, the times I had it moved 5 miles up the road on a flatbed, everything moved around. Probably because of the harsh suspension on the tow truck. It did fine inside a dual axle trailer.
Now, the times I had it moved 5 miles up the road on a flatbed, everything moved around. Probably because of the harsh suspension on the tow truck. It did fine inside a dual axle trailer.
red94chev
Well-known member
Box trailer and strap it to the wall and to the floor.
jeepinerdeep
Well-known member
Use rollback to load it level into anything. Box truck, HD pickup, van trailer etc. Piece of cake.
My local outfit charged me 45 bucks to unload a plasma table from a van trailer. Took about 10 mins, never broke a sweat.
My local outfit charged me 45 bucks to unload a plasma table from a van trailer. Took about 10 mins, never broke a sweat.
nadogail
Well-known member
I pulled a wheeled generator set up a ramp, into my van with a cable come-along. The same come-along lowered it down my home built ramp.
crewchief888
Well-known member
i moved all my stuff 1200 miles in a 17ft uhaul...
removed all the drawers, rolled the boxes up the ramp, reinstalled the drawers and strapped them to the sides of the truck.
rode my harley up the ramp, and strapped it down. tossed my clothes, guns, ammo and reloading equipment in the leftover space and pulled out of the driveway.
reversed the process when i arrived at my destination
ive move every one of those boxes, (and a few more) fully loaded on a utility trailer, and in my pickup several times since then.
all with no help on either end.
removed all the drawers, rolled the boxes up the ramp, reinstalled the drawers and strapped them to the sides of the truck.
rode my harley up the ramp, and strapped it down. tossed my clothes, guns, ammo and reloading equipment in the leftover space and pulled out of the driveway.
reversed the process when i arrived at my destination
ive move every one of those boxes, (and a few more) fully loaded on a utility trailer, and in my pickup several times since then.
all with no help on either end.
lakelandcat
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2017
- Messages
- 7,327
Had a Matco tool truck, had a lift gate, thats the only "Safe" way IMO. Unload the tools, and have a Transportation service deliver to local warehouse. Find a local tool man and pay the extra to have him pick up and deliver. He would be happy to for a new cust.
rsanter
Well-known member
How do you plan to get the rest of your stuff there?
When I moved I used the same truck for the furniture as I did the toolboxes.
If it was me I would remove the heavy stuff from the box and put them in the plastic tubs from Costco. The lighter stuff can stay there in the box.
You can remove the drawers to load the box and then put the drawers back in
If you are afraid of scratching the box then wrap in padding and then shrink wrap
When I moved I used the same truck for the furniture as I did the toolboxes.
If it was me I would remove the heavy stuff from the box and put them in the plastic tubs from Costco. The lighter stuff can stay there in the box.
You can remove the drawers to load the box and then put the drawers back in
If you are afraid of scratching the box then wrap in padding and then shrink wrap
Paul Yoder
New member
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
- Messages
- 1
Sun Belt rentals rents a hydraulic drop deck trailer for moving scissor lifts that works perfectly to move big tool boxes. The deck lowers flat to the ground and you just roll it on, cover with moving blankets to protect from road dirt / debris and strap it down. The tie downs on the trailer are perfectly spaced. It is the safest way I’ve found to move big tool boxes. I’m sure there are other nation wide rental companies that rent these type trailers. Rent in MD turn in in TX.
joe_padavano
Well-known member
^^^THIS! This is how I did it every time.
jhrodd
Well-known member
I second the rollback suggestion. Well worth the money. When I was trucking we used local tow companies quite often when we stacked cars in our trailer or to get things to the ground that were over our lift gate capacity, like CT Scanners.
CraigStu
Well-known member
No thoughts on moving the box but hearty congratulations on moving out of Md to Tx.