From: Mark J. Blair (ke6myk_mvlist@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Tue Jan 14 2003 - 11:08:29 PST
Ryan M Gill wrote:
> What I've seen more than a few folks do is get a large Semi-type wrecker
> to actually lift the truck onto the bed of the flatbed. No dock needed.
> Works great for non-runners.
Yes, that's how I had my M543A2 wrecker unloaded from the flatbed trailer that
carried it from Wisconsin to southern CA. Here are some pictures of the process:
http://www.qsl.net/ke6myk/greentruck/truck3/pics.html
The commercial wrecker used its axle lift to lift the rear end of my truck up,
the semi driver pulled forward until my truck's front axle was at the end of
the trailer, the wrecker set down my truck's rear end and pulled around to the
side of the trailer, and then it lifted up my truck's front end with its crane
so that the semi driver could pull out from under my truck.
I later unloaded my M561 Gama Goat in a similar manner, using my wrecker to do
the lifting with a proper chain sling, and with the Goat's lockout truss
installed to keep it from bending or twisting in the middle. It would have
cost less to hire a towing company than to build the chain sling, but that
would have been a lot less fun! :-)
Another technique that can be used for some truck and trailer combinations
(depending on the weight and length of the truck, and the height of the
trailer it's on) is to back a roll-back flatbed wrecker, Landoll trailer, or
other similar tilting flatbed up to the trailer carrying the truck, drive or
winch the truck onto the tilting bed, then pull away and tilt the bed to drive
or winch the truck to ground level. I've used that technique to unload a
scissor lift from a flatbed trailer. The lift was small and light enough to
fit on a regular car-sized tilt-bed wrecker for unloading.
Either procedure can be reversed for loading. In my opinion, the best method
is to use a loading ramp, but that's not always an option.
I've heard stories of DRMO trucks being loaded and unloaded with a heavy-duty
forklift... and getting damaged in the process, as the forklift operator
skewered the steering gear box (for instance) in the same place on a series of
trucks. :-(
-- Mark J. Blair, KE6MYK <ke6myk@sbcglobal.net> PGP 2.6.2 public key available from http://www.keyserver.net/ Web page: http://www.qsl.net/ke6myk/
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