Re: KE6BER/1's query about how to remove a crankup from a truck:
My U.S. Towers 89' crankup arrived in a covered truck. I had arranged for a
heavy-duty tow truck (the kind they use to pull trucks out of trouble) to meet
the delivery vehicle at my place. The tow truck driver put his padded straps
around the middle of the tower (which was well inside the delivery truck),
lifted the tower up, and the delivery truck drove away, leaving the tower
suspended. As I recall he lifted the tower once just a bit and then set it
down and moved the straps slightly to exactly locate the balance point.
The tow truck then backed up into my driveway and lowered the tower onto two
furniture dollies that we had positioned for each end of the tower. Four of
us, assisted by a pair of furniture moving "J-bars", were able to maneuver the
tower around to the back yard (cement all the way), and into position for
tilt-up. The J-bars were used to lever the tower up when the furniture dolly
wheels dropped into some gaps. A J-bar is an 8 foot long hunk of wood with a
3" pair of wheels and a very sturdy metal lever shaped like a J on the bottom
end. One person can exert a great deal of lifting force for a relatively small
upward distance with a J-bar.
We had ropes tied to each end of the tower and one guy on each rope was enough
to swing the tower around.
It took all of half an hour of the tow truck operator's time. He even helped
to push the tower around to the back yard. I think he got caught up in it all.
It was much easier than I thought it would be. The tow truck operator was very
good.
73 de Dick, AA6MC
|