Moving a Conex Box

[tinmanwpk]

We have to move our Conex box to make room for a 24 x 12 garage. It is a 40' box and weighs about 8200 pounds according to what I read on the internet. The box is currently on a large concrete slab and needs to go onto a dirt lot just off of the existing slab. We have a forklift that can lift 6000 pounds, but it is only good on hard surfaces like the concrete slab. Does anyone have any suggestions for a DIY move? We can rent an all-terrain forklift and/or a wrecker to help move it.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

We have to move our Conex box to make room for a 24 x 12 garage. It is a 40' box and weighs about 8200 pounds according to what I read on the internet. The box is currently on a large concrete slab and needs to go onto a dirt lot just off of the existing slab. We have a forklift that can lift 6000 pounds, but it is only good on hard surfaces like the concrete slab. Does anyone have any suggestions for a DIY move? We can rent an all-terrain forklift and/or a wrecker to help move it.

Jack it up, put round fence posts under it about every 4 ft, and pull it with a pickup.

 

[mike93lx]

Yep, roll it on pipes/poles. Should be reasonably easy, downside is having to buy and store all of the stuff. Not sure where you could rent that from

A tow truck may be able to move it by lifting and pulling

 

[Zeke]

You moving it sideways or lengthwise? Always good to provide complete info. How about the soil? Loose, wet. hard? Pipes don't always work. One more thought, though with the current info I can't help much, but your FL will lift one half of it.

Scissor or wiggle it?

 

[jack stand]

Money well spent on a guy with a medium duty roll back with a 28' bed.

 

[reader2580]

Will a rollback work for a 40 footer? I know that rollbacks are common for 20 footers. That is how a 20 footer I rented was moved around.

 

[TurnipTruck]

Due to area constraints, I had to hire an excavator to relocate both of my connexes. At work they would use a large loader with forks, but I didn’t have the room.
The little one was delivered by a rollback, the 40’ was by a semi winch truck and a 40’ trailer with a rear roller.
That is my “19 foot” connex, bashed in by a wave a long time ago.

 

[mike93lx]

Will a rollback work for a 40 footer? I know that rollbacks are common for 20 footers. That is how a 20 footer I rented was moved around.

For just sliding it around, I don't think the size matters all that much

 

[tinmanwpk]

The box was originally brought here by a wrecker, so it can obviously be moved the same way. Once off the concrete slab we are on firm soil, but it undulates and is not super smooth. Dragging it with a pickup and pipe will probably not work well. That is where we started to think about renting an all terrain fork lift to pull the leading end around the corner of the building, which is cleanly possible, and having the rear of the box lifted by our regular hard tire forklift.

We will probably place the box on 3" x 3" or larger steel square tube. A bottle jack will probably suffice for that lift. We will level the ground before moving, of course. I believe the ground will provide adequate support for the steel square tube cross members. I'm thinking about 4 ea. cross members evenly spaced.

 

[yatg]

We will probably place the box on 3" x 3" or larger steel square tube. A bottle jack will probably suffice for that lift. We will level the ground before moving, of course. I believe the ground will provide adequate support for the steel square tube cross members. I'm thinking about 4 ea. cross members evenly spaced.

That seems overkill, and expensive. My 20ft sits on two railroad ties, one at each end.

 

[MOS3522]

As posted above, the log roller technique -- aka a "pipe trolley" -- works well but requires multiple people. As the box is moved, the back log must be taken and moved in front of the Conex, and repeated time and time again until at the new location. Once there jack up and crib the box, remove rollers, done.

 

[tinmanwpk]

We own a Custom Metal Fabrication shop. I'm not concerned about the cost of materials for the base.

 

[Lassen Forge]

A flatbed tow truck can pick it up, reposition it, and drop it, as long as it can get to where it needs to go.

 

[tinmanwpk]

A flatbed tow truck can pick it up, reposition it, and drop it, as long as it can get to where it needs to go.

This is what I am leaning towards. Let them do the "heavy lifting", both figuratively and literally. If we need to tweak it later we can.

 

[Zeke]

A flatbed can do it for sure but the 30' and over long bed ones are not common. You'll find them in larger cites near Interstates more easily than way out somewhere. Jacksonville is probably gonna work out. If you can find an owner/operator and go for a stand by appt. for cash, I think this will not break the bank.

Relatives of mine used to run a wrecker operation in AL near the 20 and they had Big Bertha to handle tractor-trailer rigs. It wasn't cheap to roll that sucker. Largest roll back they had was 26-28', IIRC. And that's a 10 wheeler.

It does seem a bit excessive to move a 40 footer over a few feet. If you have a metal fabrication business and access to things like the 3 x 3 steel tube you mentioned, I would think put the container, one end at a time one steel tubular skids, grease them up and just pull it on over.

You still didn't say which way it was moving other than to say you could pivot it.

 

[Pluribus]

"shed mule" Do you have any companies in your area that sell large storage sheds? I'd try calling them to see if they have a heavy duty shed mule, or if they use a delivery/hauling company that does. Here's a video of a lighter duty one, but they make them with 10k lbs. capability.

 

[tinmanwpk]

The existing container location is on a 60' x 35' concrete slab. Say, for discussion purposes the 60' runs north/south and the 35' runs east/west. The existing building runs parallel to the 60' edge on the east side. The container is on the far west edge of the slab away from the building and sits north/south, so we have room to maneuver it ninety degrees around the building so the container will end up facing east/west and be parallel to the other outside edge of the building that sits to the south of the slab.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Our state is shut down today thanks to Nicole who has come roaring through causing flooding everywhere except my personal property (thank you!). I will start making calls either tomorrow or next week (more likely).

 

[zkdiesel]

 

[tinmanwpk]

That's sending a man to do a man's job!

 

[zkdiesel]

That's sending a man to do a man's job!

That was free due to all the location problems of getting it out of that site

 

[jack stand]

Will a rollback work for a 40 footer? I know that rollbacks are common for 20 footers. That is how a 20 footer I rented was moved around.

For jockeying it across the yard it will, a 28' bed will be needed unless you find a very "adventurous" guy with a 20'.
It's the downward (teeter totter) forces to pick up the back with approximately 4000 pounds WELL behind the rear axle. Just be up front with the guy and tell him what you have. He either has the equipment and can direct you to someone that does.
A drop tail "landoll" type (tractor) trailer is the proper rig but maneuverability is not nearly the same as a single unit truck.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Agree that I have to be upfront about what I'm trying to do. Thanks.

 

[nadogail]

I think that you could sell tickets to watch you attempt a DIY relocation of a 40’ Conex Box

 

[Renegade1LI]

Depending on space constraints just get a Bob cat with forks and move it one end at a time. Moved plenty of boxes like that, maybe with your fork lift on the pad you can slide each end, get it close and push with some blocking.

 

[tinmanwpk]

I'm going to get our "team" together on Monday and come up with a plan of attack. I will be using all of your great suggestions! Many thanks!

 

[rockinacummins]

If it were me, I’d see if I could rent a skid steer and shift one side at a time until I got it where I wanted it. The wrecker may be cheaper though, no idea.

 

[zkdiesel]

If it were me, I’d see if I could rent a skid steer and shift one side at a time until I got it where I wanted it. The wrecker may be cheaper though, no idea.

I’d say easily.... me and wife carried one off-road 1500’. Her skidsteer in back and mine in front and did it effortlessly

 

[rockinacummins]

I’d say easily.... me and wife carried one off-road 1500’. Her skidsteer in back and mine in front and did it effortlessly

I know I moved a 40 footer out of a driveway and onto a pad with an old propane John Deere 4020 by scooting one end at a time. And my Kubota 95 has way more low end grunt and hydraulic ability than that old thing had lol.