# Dragging a metal carport ?



## riverbank

A guy wants me to help him move a 20x20 metal carport, no walls, just metal square framing and a roof. I've got a few ideas in my head of how I want to do it , but I wanted to see what y'all thought. It only needs to be moved 500 feet.


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## Big7

What will you be dragging it on?
Concrete, dirt, grass??
I don't think I would drag it at all.

A floor jack, some wood shoring bucks and a few straps would do it
for that short distance.

Put jack centered in the bed of a truck.
Put up some wood shoring bucks almost to the roof.

Center a longer piece of wood long ways at the apex of roof.

Jack it up so the legs are about a foot off the ground
and strap it down.

Drive SLOW and have a few folks on each end to
help keep it balanced.

Sound like a plan?


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## ribber

If it's the country carport type, they're not very heavy. I'd tie a separate piece of rope/strap to each leg on front of carport very close to bottom. Then connect the 2 pieces of rope to a single rope centered with truck. Tie the rope to a higher point than the trailer hitch, though (toolbox, 5th wheel, etc.), and keep the rope as short as possible. Or put some sort of rollers under carport legs (logs, pipes). That way as you drive the carport won't dig. 
I have 3 of the Carolina carports and they can be maneuvered around short distances with 3-4 guys, so you just need to get close.

Or use a rollback.


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## ribber

BTW, I assume you're moving on dirt/field/private land and not a public road?
Because, that would bring on new challenges.


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## riverbank

Yes it's just on grass/dirt from one side of a yard to the other


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## riverbank

It is just a small carport. Not heavy at all (because I'm a bad son of a gun) I  can pick up one side of it. ..just kidding on the bad son of a gun part. It's really not that heavy. I just don't want it to shift back and fourth while I'm moving it and risk breaking it or making the screws rip the tin.


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## GA native

Go to the depot and get a dozen 2x4's. 

Detach the legs of the shed from the foundation.
Lift the legs up, and slide 2x4's under them. Screw the legs to the 2x4's. They will act as sleds.

Once you have your shed on sleds, cross brace everything to keep it rigid. Burn up those 2x's and lateral brace and angle brace it.


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## NOYDB

Can parts of it be dismantled? Can you post any pics?


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## riverbank

It can be dismantled , but it's a pain to get all the screw holes lined up again. This picture is from the internet, but it's very similar. Same framing and all.


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## NOYDB

Dragging something like that begs for it to be warped. 

Once it's bent, it's impossible to get straight.

Prep final location first. Dismantle, move, reassemble. Spend the effort to do it right.


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## JustUs4All

Five buddies and a case of beer.

Move first.  Beer second.


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## riverbank

That's what I'm thinking. I won't do it and mess his stuff up. But if I could come up with a sure fire way to drag it without messing it up I'd do it. The thing that keeps me from taking it apart is the price we agreed on. It wouldn't be worth it for me to tear it down and put it all back together, the company he bought it from gave him a price for that and I really don't think I'd do it for what they priced him. Of course they probably would send 2 or 3 guys and it'd be done pretty quick. Where as with just me the money wouldn't be right.


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## riverbank

Haha. Justus  , if it was sitting at my house you can bet the farm that would be the plan. And maybe not in that order. Haha.


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## riverbank

I did warn him though about dragging it , and I told him that if I couldn't rig up something to keep it solid that I won't be the one doing it. He said he's not real concerned about it. But I don't like to work like that. He's not in any rush and right now I'm just staring at a pile of oak lumber in my yard and chasing ideas. We could sure use the money but I want it done right.


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## Hooked On Quack

I fastened a 2x4 across the front and across the back, one man per corner picked up and moved.


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## riverbank

Quack how big was it? I'm really just considering putting it on a couple of make shift skids and hooking it to the owners tractor. Getting him to pull it real slow and I'll keep it from twisting And binding by hand. It's going across level ground the hole time.


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## turkeykirk

Just a suggestion. You could get some long sections of pipe ( maybe heavy duty PVC ) and roll it moving the pipe as you go. Would also depend on what the terrain looked like. Recently moved a 8000 lb. piece of equipment across a shop this way. But that was on concrete using metal pipe.


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## Hooked On Quack

riverbank said:


> Quack how big was it? I'm really just considering putting it on a couple of make shift skids and hooking it to the owners tractor. Getting him to pull it real slow and I'll keep it from twisting And binding by hand. It's going across level ground the hole time.





20x20, no problem, well it woulda been a lil easier, but a coupla of the guys had got thigh high into some beer and were stumbling a lil bit . .


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## SarahFair

I dont know how heavy it is, but since its on grass would lifting and sliding some thick cardboard under it not make it easy enough to slide, much like a sled.


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## jimbo4116

Big7 said:


> What will you be dragging it on?
> Concrete, dirt, grass??
> I don't think I would drag it at all.
> 
> A floor jack, some wood shoring bucks and a few straps would do it
> for that short distance.
> 
> Put jack centered in the bed of a truck.
> Put up some wood shoring bucks almost to the roof.
> 
> Center a longer piece of wood long ways at the apex of roof.
> 
> Jack it up so the legs are about a foot off the ground
> and strap it down.
> 
> Drive SLOW and have a few folks on each end to
> help keep it balanced.
> 
> Sound like a plan?



Works better with a 16' trailer.  Strap down three or four 8' 4x4s to the trailer lengthening it to the width of the Carport.  Back up to the side of the carport, lift and let someone back under that runner.  Drag the CP toward the front of trailer, then lift other runner over the end of the 4x4s.  Strap her down.  Or you can do it the other way by having the 4x4s hang over the side of trailer and screwing them to the bed.


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## NOYDB

Moving 500 ft by hand is a chore, no matter how stout the crew is.

Spend the effort to do it right. Cheaper than back injuries and buying new carport. 

The weight of 20' by 20' frame boards to brace up the structure is as much or more than the whole carport.


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## Dr. Strangelove

NOYDB said:


> Dragging something like that begs for it to be warped.
> 
> Once it's bent, it's impossible to get straight.
> 
> Prep final location first. Dismantle, move, reassemble. Spend the effort to do it right.



Yep. Do it right, I've seen too many things ruined by trying to cut corners. 

The only other way I would even consider doing it would be to figure out a set-up similar to a furniture dolly, but with larger wheels suitable for use on the ground.


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## GA native

JustUs4All said:


> Five buddies and a case of beer.
> 
> Move first.  Beer second.



^^This. Just pick it up and walk it.


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## Big7

jimbo4116 said:


> Works better with a 16' trailer.  Strap down three or four 8' 4x4s to the trailer lengthening it to the width of the Carport.  Back up to the side of the carport, lift and let someone back under that runner.  Drag the CP toward the front of trailer, then lift other runner over the end of the 4x4s.  Strap her down.  Or you can do it the other way by having the 4x4s hang over the side of trailer and screwing them to the bed.



Agreed, just thought a truck might be on hand.

No more than it weighs, it's not rocket science.

The 5 Buds with a few Budweiser's would work.
500 ft. is farther than you think in this heat.


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## ribber

I like Hooked on Quack's 2x4 idea. You could walk it (with buddies and beer) or drag it with 2x4s attached keeping it braced from warping.


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## RossVegas

jimbo4116 said:


> Works better with a 16' trailer.  Strap down three or four 8' 4x4s to the trailer lengthening it to the width of the Carport.  Back up to the side of the carport, lift and let someone back under that runner.  Drag the CP toward the front of trailer, then lift other runner over the end of the 4x4s.  Strap her down.  Or you can do it the other way by having the 4x4s hang over the side of trailer and screwing them to the bed.



Unless you can jack up all 4 corners equally, you'll put to much stress on the frame.  Tilting is not a good idea.  

Your best bet is to get some L channel the width of the building.  Either bolt to the bottom frame or weld it to it and grind off when done.  jack up (Equally) put some wheels under it, your good to go.

I've got a double carpot (bus height) at my church I need to move.  from one side of the property to the other, but there's woods and a house between the spots.  to move it, we'll have to go out to the road and down 200 yards.  Still trying to figure this one out.


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## OmenHonkey

Get a long enough trailer, have a few guys pick it up and set it on the trailer cross ways with the trailer wheels between the bottom beams. Strap it to the trailer and go. I have done several this way. Worse case you pick it up 2 times about waist high.


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