*
Jon C;
Skids and electrical conduit for wheels will work great across pasture, attach your hook up points to tow from on both ends and run them all of the way under the building so you will be pushing the building with your tow rope instead of pulling an end
off of it.
Listeners write in about ventilation and radon control and ask questions about tightening basement garages, ventilation solutions, and safer paint stripper.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
*
Jon C;
Skids and electrical conduit for wheels will work great across pasture, attach your hook up points to tow from on both ends and run them all of the way under the building so you will be pushing the building with your tow rope instead of pulling an end
off of it.
*
Jon - if you know you're gonna move it several times, have you considered a low, dedicated trailer? Maybe made from a couple old mobile home axles and a couple 4 x 12s U bolted to them or something? (sorry about the inclusion of wood beams, but I am a carpenter, and that's the first thing I always think of using)
*Brisket and JimBob,Thanks for your quick responses.Brisket, Not sure I understand the electrical conduit for wheels but would be interested in hearing more about it.JimBob, never built anything on wheels but have built on skids. One of my Mennonite neighbors has a trucking company now and I have considered setting it up to be jacked up on to a flatbed. Location at the garden center could change on a regular basis so permanent jacking points wouldnt be available there.JonC
*
Jon C;
use 2 inch ridgid conduit, under the skids, leapfrog a couple of joints as you move the building, just like the egyptians would have if they would of had conduit.
*
I've used that method on hard surfaces but how would you compensate for cow patties, large grass clumps and soft ground. I would think that the rolling pipe would at some point bog down and bury itself under the weight of the building and then you would end up sliding the skids right off the top of the pipes. Of course, it also might not.
I think I would use some 4x or wider stock as skids and chamfer the lower leading and trailing ends so you can pull it either way and they don't dig in and just drag the thing over the ground. Also, set the skids in from the building edges at least 8 inches (the width of a 2x8) attach that 2x8 perpendicular to the bottom of the sheds floor joist system and when you get to your destination jack up the shed enough to put a cement block foundation wall (one course high, no mortar) along each edge under the 2x8. Or just leave it on the skids until you decide on a permanent place and then build the footer and foundation wall. I would also tow, close coupled, so that there is a slight upward pull on the skids which will help keep the skids from digging in.
*Depending on size and weight a couple 8X's with mitred ends and tow hooks work fine. If it is too heavy or big for that then a wheeled foundation (trailer) is best. If you are going to move it on a public road don't forget to check the size limits for your area. It would be a shame to build something you couldn't legally move.That said, bet when you get done doing all the pricing and giving consideration to convenience buying a used travel trailer/5th wheel turns out to be the best way to go. Everything is built and designed to move and gives a reasonable amount of comfort with very little effort.
*I'd go with the skids like Ralph has suggested, but would run them long by four feet, attach some turnbuckles to the leading edge and pull them up six inches or so. Sort of like a hayri... I mean sleigh ride, you know?Just think of what those Egyptians could have built if they would of had electrical conduit....
*400 yards is a long way to move anything on skids..i'd do just as bb said.. two inch steel conduit or steel pipe... another great roller is the cut-offs from cement filled lally columns..you need about (6) 6x6 , the longer the better..you line them up so they are overlapping and roll along on the pipes .. two foot sections are good..you can move it any direction you want just by changing the angle of the rollers and the 6x6..you can push it by hand with this set-up..leapfrogging the 6x6 and the rollersHOWEVER.. in your case i'd rig up the trailer as mentioned.. 400 yards is a long way..set up some type of entry ramp/deck so you can leave it parked on the trailer and still afford easy access to your wife's customers..
*Ofi coursethe Egyptians had electrical conduit! That was part of the help they got from the aliens! Don't you guys keep up? Naturally, once the civilization diminished, the aliens "beamed out" all of the conduit so we couldn't find it.Rich Beckman
*Jon,you could build the structure with the following idea in mind--Old Semi trailer tandems aren't too tough to come by, even for free. If you set up timbers at the right places, you could jack up the building each time you want to move it, and slip a couple tandems under there, bolt them on and pull it away. Then, have a "foundation" of sorts to set it on where you next want it, lower onto foundation after jacking it up slightly to remove the tandems. Then all you have to do is store the wheels, maybe you could dig down a little and keep them under the building.I know you don't want to use a fifth wheel or any other trailer. Not your style, and it defeats the purpose of "building".
*On My father's nursery, we built a 10x15 shed with a heater and a small work station for a couple of guys to make cuttings and get them in flats ready for the greenhouse. This thing gets dragged around from place to place all winter by truck or tractor.It's on tow skids of 5" square steel tubing. A cap is welded onto each end at 45º. If We were to do it again, I'd probably see how much more an abrasive resistant alloy would cost because soon these skids will be worn through (of course it's been 15 years).
*Ryan, Worn through?!?! What's this unit being dragged around on? Skip the abrasive alloy, you'd have a tough time finding that in structural shapes (tubes). You'd be better off tacking on some sacrificial steel to the bottom of the skids or having them hardfaced. S.
*Dragged mostly on gravel and stone.My dad's kind of gotten away from the nursery business although he still owns it, now he spemds most of his time making custom machinery and repairing machinery for local farmers. He uses alot of abrasive resistant steel because plow blades, cultivator blades, digging buckets, and anything that drags on or below the ground or that has to shear dirty dusty stuff will wear away in days if it's not.hard surfacing something that big would take forever and cost more than just buying the stuff, It might be cheaper though to just buy enough to protect just the bottom edge. Or cheaper yet to just replace the thing every 15 years.
*Jon, I'd build it on the skids. Keeps it low to the ground, for easy access. Makes it more aesthetically pleasing than if it's sitting on a trailer. You've gotten good skid advise here. The only thing I would add, is to use a (I don't know what they call it!) "evener" when towing the shed, a simple divice to keep towing tension on both the skids. If you live on a farm you know what I mean. If you use wood skids, I would try to attach some kind of steel to the bottom to prolong the life of the skids. Oh, forget the conduit thing, I think some missed the 400 yard field/pastu
*
I am contemplating building a little cabin on skids. I have built a couple fair sized little buildings on skids in the past, the difference this time is that I actually intend to move this one about 400 yds, twice a year. ( not just avoiding zoning shit again I swear) Anybody out there have any experience with skidding little cabins around? This one would serve as a sales office for my wifes garden center in the summer, and as a guest house for farm help in the early spring. It would be moved across flat level pasture and its not impossible that this little guy wouldnt end up on a foundation someday being incorporated into a larger house. Kind of in the brainstorming phase at this point so any input on size, moving procedures and equipment, design and construction techniques would be apreciated.
TIA JonC