ErikW Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Any great ideas on moving a heavy gun safe? I helped move it in with an industrial-size dolly/hand-truck, but that was after it came down from the truck with a lift gate. My truck has got no hydraulic lift. And it has a tall bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 A hand cart should be fine. Just get some cardboard, wheel it up to the bed of the truck (tailgate off) put the cardboard on the side of the safe, tilt it up and have a few guys there to slide it in. 800lbs isn't that bad if you dont have to lift it too far and your truck isn't that tall. If you have a really tall truck, just rent a U-haul and run it up the ramp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer-lock Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Use a couple of pieces of heavy walled PVC pipe 2" in diameter cut to the width of the safe. Put one piece of pipe near the edge of the bed and the other about two feet back. Tilt the safe and PUSH it over onto the first pipe. As the top settles onto the second pipe the safe will roll easily to the front of the bed. Everybody needs to watch out for feet and fingers during this operation! You can use the pipe in place of a hand truck to roll the safe along on just about any floor. Just tilt the safe enought to get the first pipe under it then roll it up on the second. Push the safe until it is about to fall off of one pipe then carry that around to front. the You can drive the thing around corners just by angeling the pipe as you go. You will be amazed how easily this works for any really heavy stuff. geezer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 moving is it easy...tilt it up and put 4 or 5 golf balls under the botton, stand it up and have about another dozen and a friend to keep putting them in front of the safe as you roll it...easy...putting it on your truck is another thing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Hire someone else. When I bought my safe, the retailer had the name of a guy who did deliveries for them. Cost $75. Some of your "two men and a truck" companies may do it even cheaper. They brought it in, unloaded it and put it where I wanted it. Best money I ever spent. You can get donations from the friends you are going to ask to move it. They will probably be glad to donate. On the other hand, several folks can move the safe around on rollers or the golf balls (good idea!!) as mentioned above. If you don't have any qualms about laying it down, you can tip it over on the tailgate of your truck and use the same rollers to roll it into your truck. The really hard part is getting started. dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 I have a small truck too, but not as high as yours. You might need a couple 2x12's for ramps? - I built a small wooden dolley - Put down a moving mat into the back of my truck - wheeled it next to the tail gate - tilted the safe until it touched the gate (in the 45' angle position) and 3 people pushed from the other side. it just flowed right in. - then coming out, reverse (use the mat to pull it) tilt to the bottom (using same 3 guys, although coming out we only used 2), but land it on the flat cart.. - wheel away.. A friend had his moved by a company in Oakland. His was expensive, going from ground floor, to 3rd floor about 40 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Remove license tag from truck Open the safe = select proper instrument of persuasion, commandeer help as needed. After safe is placed in truck by "helpers" - drive away quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Remove license tag from truckOpen the safe = select proper instrument of persuasion, commandeer help as needed. After safe is placed in truck by "helpers" - drive away quickly. BAHAHAHAHA!!! Funniest thing was that I was thinking exactly the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Erik, I've moved my 700lb safe three times and my buddy's twice. The only time I needed help was getting it out of the UHaul. The secret is to get a non-4x4 (read p/u truck with a low bed) to put the safe into. You may be able to rent one. Scoot the safe behind the tailgate, then tilt the safe onto the gate. The more you tilt the safe, the easier it is to lift. Then just push on the upper edge of the bottom of the safe and you can shove it right into the pickup. It's pretty easy to do. Getting a safe safely down the inclined ramp of a U Haul is an entirely different matter. You'll need extra hands for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Sell it to the new owner and buy a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 A motorcycle trailer works good too, even if you have to put down some plywood. Low center of gravity is the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Does the door come off? Mine does when it's open. About half the weight is in the door. Still no fun to haul around, but easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 <thread drift> "Life is all about ass; you're either covering it, laughing it off, kicking it, kissing it, busting it, trying to get a piece of it, or behaving like one." (MerlinD's signature) I keeping this one!!!</thread drift> BTW, is that 800-lbs with the 'defense portfolio' still INSIDE, or EMPTIED...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Run n Gun Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Go rent one of these Material Lift. I checked, there's several United Rentals in your area. Good luck (you're going to need it!) Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDH Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Hire someone else. This absolutely IS the answer. I have two safes. One weighs 850# and the other weighs 1300#. The dealer gave me the name of a local guy (Dayton actually) that would go to the store, pick up the safe, deliver to my house, and put it where I wanted it. Total cost... $150. Unfortunately, I got a hernia from watching them try to move the big safe in, and it still cost me a few thousand dollars. Seriously, I won't touch these safes. If I move, someone else will move the safe, otherwise they go to the new homeowner (afterall, you can never keep your soccer balls too safe)..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Cazes Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 I agree....Hire a reliable mover to do it. We had someone deliver ours (1100#) when we bought it and the $120.00 was well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hey QuicksDraw! Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 I am definatly in the "Hire Someone Else' camp. Get some guys who do it on a regular basis, with the correct equipment and muscle.They can make short work of what would be a chore for you. I helped move mine in and it wasn't pretty. Had to remove the doors to my reloading room and I seem to remember squished fingers and cursing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 25, 2004 Author Share Posted August 25, 2004 Wow, there is actually a Safe Movers section in the yellow pages. At this point I don't know whether I'm moving around the corner or out of state. I really want the new owner to be a gun nut who's eager to purchase my safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeahyeah Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Eric, I have the perfect trailer you can use to move it. Jesse and I will help too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkbrd Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Till you have a safe rip the tailgate off of your pickup truck you don't realize just how cheep it is to pay someone $100-$200 to move it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Hiring someone else is the best idea, especially if it's a big one. If it's only 700-900 lbs., it's not too bad, but once you have to deal with a heavier safe, it's just not worth it to you or your former friendships to do it yourself. Proper equipment and (more importantly) experience really help, and that means hire professionals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Ya bunch of sissies...quit telling E to hire the job out...how are we going to hear any good stories if we can't talk him into doing it on his own??? (Maybe those Myth Buster guys will come over and do something with it?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Wow, there is actually a Safe Movers section in the yellow pages. At this point I don't know whether I'm moving around the corner or out of state. I really want the new owner to be a gun nut who's eager to purchase my safe. It could be a silver safe..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Post Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 I have safe moving story.... My Son came home on leave from the Marine corps one Memorial Day weekend and brought a buddy with him. I thought it would be a good day to move the safe from the garage to the "Gun Room." The Memorial Day parade passes just a block away and the guys didn't want to miss it... I told them we had plenty of time. Well it took longer then expected and we had it half way through the door, teetering on the door jam. We heard the parade starting, but the guys hung in and continued to help..... Right up until the high school band started to play the Marine Corp Hymn. Those two guys both yelled over their shoulders as they ran towards the parade, "gota go!" They were half way down the block before I could even open my mouth. Leaving me alone trying to balance the safe. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Flex is totally correct. You can't hire someone to move your 800 lb. block of steel, you must master the block of steel. This is a test of strength, ingenuity, and resourcefullness. In a word, manliness. You've got your crew already. In the tradition of Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, YeahYeah has already volunteered. And he's also thrown down the gauntlet to his bud, Jesse. YY, you da man! Yes, I'm aware that volunteerism got both Crocket and Bowie killed a the Alamo. But, that is why they remain heros (to some of us) to this day. Erik, if you survive, you must come back to relate the tale around this "electronic campfire" to embolden the next generation of warriors, as George has done. If your efforts fail and the safe claims your life, YY or Jesse will return to speak the deeds of your heroism. And I will cerimoniously decorate the walls of my gun room with crude charcoal sketches of the safe smashing your guts out. Yes, you may die! But your legend will live! Now, Cowboy Up, Dammit! The sun's risin' and you're burnin' daylight! Where are we goin'? I don't know! When will we get there? I ain't certain! All that I know is, I am on my way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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