Lorry Body Move

[indy4x]

I've been planning the purchase of a lorry body to use for storage, something about 16' long. This will be going behind my lockup

Have browsed the usual places over the past few months, just to get a feel for how much people are asking vs their condition

The time has come to buy one and get it moved to my lockup

As per normal, local ones seem to have dried up or are more than I want to pay, one has cropped up but it's in Winchester and I'm in South Wales so not particularly local. The lorry body in question is 18' long, 7.5' wide and 8' tall

I have the use if a 16' twin axle trailer so I was planning on getting the container loaded onto this and tow it back. I have a load of 25l containers that I was going to fill will water and strap them along the inside walls to add some ballast, ratchet straps over the top of the lorry body to attach it to the trailer

My biggest concern is cross winds and buffeting from other vehicles

It just feels a little sketchy, if it was local it has the same risks but picking one up that's 2hrs away just makes me feel very nervous

Am I being stupid?

 

[indy4x]

Just remembered, I did a similar job with a 10' luton body 10 years ago, that was from Pontypool to Brecon and can't remember any particular dramas but Brecon is all A roads and only 30m away

 

[8ob]

There are plenty of folk looking to move gear, shame you couldn't tie up with the likes of @sako243 and use their treasures as ballast.
Personally dont think this is going to be an issue, trolley along with the trucks without holding them up and you will be ok.

Bob

 

[Bullet2012]

Width , length and height wise should be no problem ,
as for securing , I would think it would depend on the actual body and it’s construction, That will determine how to tie it down

 

[knighty]

I wouldn't bother with the ballast, I think the extra weight will make it much harder to tow

check with a few local hiab laces, see if they have a truck coming back that way empty?

I've has a few 40ft containers collected for me and they're always less expensive than I expected


advantage is they drop it right where you want it :-)

 

[James1979]

Don’t bother with ballast it’ll be heavy enough I’d think (I’d hope if it was decent one!)

Try and strap in diagonals so the straps are working against each other as well as over the top.

Tow it with something decent and keep up with the trucks and you’ll be grand.

You’re over length but under 1m so you can use something bright to mark the end.

Don’t forget extended mirrors if you need them. You can get ‘done’ for that and not having them draws attention to you.

Rule of thumb - make it look safe and compliant and you’ll get left alone by the law 9/10

You’ll be fine

 

[Beanwood]

If you're sticking to the trailer idea, how will the straps attach? (i.e. how wide is the body compared to the trailer)
I've never liked it when the straps go down then underneath rather than straight down (If you see what I mean) as I think things shift on the bed easier when strapped like that.

How much does a lorry body actually weigh ? I've never thought about that.

 

[8ob]

Doubt if this weighs much more than 1.5 tons. Just had a cup of tea and my brain has started to work , thinking of the eighteen foot body on a sixteen foot trailer is going to have a foot of lorry body forward of the bed and a foot of overhang at the rear. That will want putting on the trailer with the heavy (door/roller shutter) end forward or you are going to end up with a negative weighted tank slapper drawbar, dont want one of those.

Bob

 

[Agrismith]

Take a drill with a holesaw with you the correct size to fit a ratchet strap hook onto. The side raves of the body usually extend below the floor so you can put holes in these or the cross members to hook a ratchet strap to allowing you to pull in different directions and stop it sliding around. Failing that get very Long straps so you can go diagonally up one side diagonally across the roof then another diagonal down the front/back. Do 4 like this so each corner is strapped and it won't be able to move. This is how dvsa expect lorry loads to be secured front and back.

 

[indy4x]

Thanks for all the replies

@Bullet2012 it's aluminium framed and skinned with Ali and fiberglass, think with all the ali bracing inside it should be OK

@knighty. Not sure if slinging it off a HIAB might crush the body

@James1979 got extended mirrors and marker boards lined up, as it's 18' the ballast would be useful to give the trailer some nose weight

@Beanwood @8ob It's an old one so going to have some weight in it, 20' shipping containers are 2.4T so this should be well below that.

@8ob Was thinking about how to load it, weight distribution and the position of the doors, was going to use the ballast to give the trailer some nose weight.

Thinking about it's final destination, would be easier with the doors at the front of the trailer, saves me having to turn it around when I get it back

Place its coming from has loading facilities, when it gets back to my place its many hands, jacks, rollers and stuff, I will have use of a BIG tractor with front forks and someone who knows how to use it though

 

[indy4x]

@Agrismith thanks for the advice, hadn't thought about drilling holes

I'm taking my mate with me, he drives HGV's for a living and is well used to strapping big awkward loads so he's bringing all his gear to supplimemt mine and make sure I don't do anything stupid

He'll be bringing his Hilux as well, just in case

 

[sako243]

A little further afield but CLH have a 20ft flatbed trailer available for hire which might be better suited. I can't remember but they do make some wide body trailers as well so that may also be an option.

I wouldn't bother with any counterweight you'll have to worry about securing that down as well inside. Plenty of long straps and you'd be grand.

Be wary of tractors and loaders it may be big but it's surprising how little they will lift. When my baby JCB was down due to a failed starter the neighbour popped around in his tractor to help me offload a mill I'd picked up from @8ob. He's tractor struggled lifting that (about 1.5t think). When I got my JCB working she picked it up as if it was nothing.
I know that little JCB would outlift a quicke loader on a 200hp Valtra.

 

[James1979]

A little further afield but CLH have a 20ft flatbed trailer available for hire which might be better suited. I can't remember but they do make some wide body trailers as well so that may also be an option.

I wouldn't bother with any counterweight you'll have to worry about securing that down as well inside. Plenty of long straps and you'd be grand.

Be wary of tractors and loaders it may be big but it's surprising how little they will lift. When my baby JCB was down due to a failed starter the neighbour popped around in his tractor to help me offload a mill I'd picked up from @8ob. He's tractor struggled lifting that (about 1.5t think). When I got my JCB working she picked it up as if it was nothing.
I know that little JCB would outlift a quicke loader on a 200hp Valtra.

They’re only designed for a silage bale or a scoop of feed etc.

Anything with any reach or weight is loadall territory. Reckon most farmers use the loadall round the yard more than a loader tractor from what I’ve seen / done.

 

[indy4x]

@sako243 St Clears isn't out of the question, will try a few of the other local trailer hire places see if I can find one closer but thanks for the heads up

 

[indy4x]

This is what the inside looks like



There's not much in the way of support up to the roof so maybe hole drilling is the way to go

 

[James1979]

There's not much in the way of support up to the roof so maybe hole drilling is the way to go

What for?

Or have I missed something?

Edit. Ignore me. Found the post it refers to now.

He’s spot on with the strapping diagonally etc.

 

[James1979]

I wouldn't bother with the ballast, I think the extra weight will make it much harder to tow

check with a few local hiab laces, see if they have a truck coming back that way empty?

I've has a few 40ft containers collected for me and they're always less expensive than I expected


advantage is they drop it right where you want it :-)

A hiab-ist worth his salt won’t break that.

I made this for a customer so he could do a lift last week. 6t caravan.

 

[8ob]

If you are going to hire a trailer you may as well get a tilt bed, it would make unloading a breeze.

 

[James1979]

If you’re going to use ballast, grab a handful of these.

Lashing Extension for 1806 Load Track - 1200kg | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Lashing Extension for 1806 Load Track - 1200kg at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

You can find cheaper. They’ll probably come in handy for securing things once it’s in situ anyway.

 

[Smallfry]

I would get some quotes for a truck with a crane. Might be less than you think (or it might not) and saves a lot of hassle and possibly a starring role in the Six o Clock news.

They will also place it, if you have the space and height.