Re: [MV] Dumb Question

From: Richard (metal@fullwave.com)
Date: Tue Jul 08 2003 - 13:49:42 PDT


I too have a very big move coming up in the
next 2 months; from Minnesota to Oregon.

I have about 1,000 sq-ft packed with machine
shop, fab shop (shear, punch press, welders, etc)
and electronics lab; as well as library, stock,
etc. etc.; plus a pair of 28' semis already full to
the doors; plus misc. stuff sitting around outside.
Also have a lot of property cleanup and junk to
dispose of.

Needless to say, I am NOT looking forward
to this one at all ! <g>

The best plan I've been able to come up with
is this:

- Purchase a 45' semi-trailer in MN; preferably
a moving-van style. These have lowered floors
and nice side doors. I recently saw one set up
as both storage and shop; and it was an entirely
usable shop, with a little setup work.

- Pay the usual $1.50 to $2.00 per mile to have the
trailer driven to Oregon....and use it as storage/shop here,
instead of building a new building. Cheaper, and vastly
easier in terms of no building permits required etc..

- Have a large roll-off dumpster delivered to site I'm
moving from. This beats making infinite dump-runs
with a truck! It saves tons of time, and is actually no
more expensive; compared to truck fuel and dump fees.

- Be totally vicious in decision-making and toss that
junk into the dumpster. In other words, the only way
I can make possibly make this whole move work is
to weed out enough junk so that I'm only buying and
moving ONE 45' trailer. Skim the cream, and put the
rest in the dumpster.

- Definitely put as much as possible on pallets. I've
always done this.

- INVENTORY your stuff as you pack. i.e., number
each pallet and each box; and keep track of what goes
in each box. Believe me, this will be a godsend later.

- Buy a cheap bander; or at the least, one of those
plastic-wrappers. Otherwise, your boxes WILL fall
off the pallets during the trip. Ask me how I know...

- I already own a pallet jack; and a small wheel-loader
with a set of homemade forks good for a half-ton or so.
These will handle almost all the loading.

- Most all my machinery is 1,500 lbs or less, each piece;
but I have one 5,500 lb milling machine; and if I can't
safely rig it to the loader bucket; I'll probably rent a
knuckleboom crane truck for a few days to have on-site.

A rough terrain forklift would also be a good choice; but
requires expensive low-boy transport both ways; which a
crane-truck doesn't. My nearest city to rent from is over
an hour. And a knuckleboom is a VERY versatile tool.

The only unknown left at this point is in regards to what
permits/licenses are required for a one-time pull of this
trailer from MN to OR. Hoping it will be simple and cheap...<g>

Hope these thoughts help ya some....it's gonna be a pain
no matter how ya do it; but renting the right loading equip is
worth it; having a big dumpster ON-SITE and having the
fortitude to fill it <g> helps tremendously.

Richard

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