eswartz

Long story short:
Some friends moved to Texas and their new house has a pool & hot tub, they don't want the hot tub and offered it to me free, just come & get it.

I'm looking at getting a 16' x 7' tandem axle utility trailer with 12" side rails, not just for the hot tub but for other duties around the house as well. The hot tub is 92" x 88" x 38", i figure it'll weigh about 1000-1200#'s.

My question is, do you think I'd be alright building some type of framework that will go between and be the same height as the side rails and set the hot tub on this framework. I'll be hauling it about 600-650 miles, from south of Tyler, TX to Kansas City, MO.

Thanks

SHARPMACHINE

eswartz,

Yes, that is a good plan I have hauled a few hot tubs myself and have done it very simular. You might consider using some blocks for height (may be easier), or a wooden structure will work fine. The funnest part will be loading and unloading it from the trailer. I've always used many beer hungry friends to do that part.

good-luck

apache

NO that wont work. better give me the directions and Ill go get it for you

chipset

We just did the same thing this week. Get lots of help, you'll need it!

drb-600

When I bought my hot tub the guy who delivered it was by himself - had a flat bed truck but used a piece of plywood (3/4 in) about 3 ft X 5 ft - carpeted and had big 4 inch (one at each corner) casters on the bottom. He slid the tub off the truck, onto the 'dolly' with the tub up on one side (heavy side with pump, etc.). The hot tub was long enough that he could lift one set of wheels off the ground by shifting the weight so he could 'steer' it. He used two full sheets of 3/4 in plywood to scoot it around the house into the back yard - putting one sheet in front of the other as he made progress. I have moved it twice since then (by myself) - just have to get in close enough to my 8ft X 16ft utility trailer to lay it over onto the trailer. Once I hauled it on top of the rails (about 18in high, 2 in. angle iron) and once I let one side rest on the floor of the trailer and the bottom was resting on the rail on the other side - put a piece of carpet between the side and the rail on the side that was on the bottom of the trailer. You could use turning casters on one end of the 'dolly' so it would steer easier. My is a Jacuzzi 4 passenger - probably weighs 800 lbs or so. If you always keep the heavy side down - piece of cake. Plus no "beer hungry friends" to share with!

db

Just got through transporting one on a flat snowmobile trailor. I used 1 1/2" pipe to roll it on - left them under it while transporting when there just backed up and rolled it off right into place. I couldn't beleive how easy it was-(neither could the other 5 guys I brought with me that did hardly anything)

good luck
db

herb

i hauled a 19" hot tub/ wave pool comb from big bear ca to Michigan last summer on a 22 foot utility trailer with 3500 pound axles.
did fine (took 12 men to take it off trailer)

welder27

I helped haul one a few years ago...just me and a friend. We were contemplating how the heck we were gonna move that 800 lb monster when we look out on the street and see 2 Jehovah's Witness looking guys strolling along looking for somebody to talk to. We put them to work! Needless to say, they didn't wanna stick around for fear that we'd work them some more!

Oh yeah...we stood it up on edge in the back of a pickup and tied it w/ rope. We should have had some lumber to fix it up the right way, but we didn't think of that.

Dieseldude4x4

I hauled a tub for a friend here at work. This was the complete tub with framework and all. My GN is 102 wide so we just winched the whole thing right up on the rear of the trailer, strapped is down real well, and went down the road no problems. Just make sure the little access doors and anything loose that can blow away gets taped down or put inside the truck.

eswartz

Thanks for all the tips guys. Now I'm just looking for a trailer, I've been able to find a 16' X 77", 2-3500# axles, no brakes(?) for around $1200-1300. Does this sound like good pricing?

I'm not that famaliar with these trailers, and I don't know that I'll ever put anything really heavy on it, but why are people building and selling this big of a trailer that can haul this much weight (5000#) without any brakes. That just doesn't seem right to me.

Dieseldude, thanks the reminder about the doors, that'd be an easy one to miss.

Thanks

RAFTEN

You can add disk brakes for around $600 as long as the axle has the flange for brakes.

herb

i sell dozens of these trailers yearly and they are a good all around utility trailer. biggest problem with them is if you want to haul a car you can't open the doors because they hit the fender wells.
you can add brakes for 140.00 per axle. we sell ours with new tires for 1275.00, so price sounds in the ball park.
i pulled my 69 road runner to a lot of shows on these but had to crawl in and out the window to get it off and on.

zulusafari

Sure...You just wanted to be like Bo and Luke Duke!!!!!

herb

wanted to make freinds with daisy mae !!

Mechanos

eswartz, sent you a PM...