The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Hauling a 3100 frame home.

In about a week I've got to haul a 3100 frame(not a roller) home some 300+ miles from Roanoke,VA. Any suggestions on a good way to do this. I'd really like to do it in a rental pick up truck but the 6 feet left over from the 8 ft. bed hanging out is a concern.I've thought of renting a box truck or a car trailer too. Anybody ever carry a frame in a pickup safely?As you can tell I'm trying to do this on the cheap.And the hauling board hasn't been helpful so far.

renting a trailer sounds like a safe plan.hire someone you know with a flatbead truck that way you have help to load and unload the frame.

The frame wouldn't fit inside the pickup bed...it would have to sit on top of it. Unless you could remove the two front running board brackets from the frame, the front of the frame may fit inside the bed because the 3100 frame is tapered to the front. If you were able to do this you would only have about 4 feet or less hanging out the back with the tailgate down. If the truck has a trailer hitch receiver, you could get one of those long load support things made out of 2" tubing that goes into the receiver to help support it if you need to. Know what I'm talking about? I think it's definitely possible, though it would certainly be easier to rent a box truck.
Just make sure it's safe and secure before you hit the highway.

I've hauled bare frames on a trailer. A truck with at least a 12 foot bed might be a good answer.

Or maybe a pickup with an over head rack designed for carrying heavy loads over the cab? Getting it that high might be a challenge.

DrewP,
I've hauled my frame down to the sandblaster in my shortbed (6ft.) Toyota. You can use ropes in such a way as to partially suspend the frame in the bed.
If you give me you email address, i'll send a few pics.

Ghostrider,That's a resonable idea.Yes, I know about the bed extenders.Never thought of that.Thanks everyone.

I've hauled a stripped pickup frame on a lumber rack on a 8'bed no problem.

Does your car have a roof rack?
I have had a Dana 60 rear axle with drums on my VW roof rack. A 1/2 ton frame should weigh about the same. And if you had a car with the roof racks spread out a good bit, like a station wagon or a suburban it should be sturdy enough.
Don't rent something if you don't need to.
Even if your car had a trailer hitch and a roof rack you could make a simple prop to go up from the hitch and support the rear end of the frame?

Wow!

I don't envy you the task you've set for yourself!

Over the years my brothers and myself have towed, pushed, or dragged dozens (probably hundreds) of vehicles. Almost all were short haul (under 30 miles). I've chained 'em, used towbars and car dolly's, and finally bought a used 18' dual axle trailer. It was in need of repair - the decking was shot, the wiring was ripped to shreds, and the tires were iffy, but over the last couple of seasons I've put it back into serviceable condition. I welded on a new receiver, replaced the spotting wheel, added a cable hoist (from a boat trailer) and covered the front deck with Diamond Plate so that I had a safe place to step.

There is NO WAY I would undertake moving a vehicle more that a few miles without having it on a trailer! Especially this time of year.

Good luck and let us know how you fared!

I vote for the car trailer. If you have a car capeable of towing the trailer, I would rent it before a box truck. The box truck would work fine, but will probably be way more expensive, especially considering the gas cost.

If you lived a little closer to God's country, I would let you borrow mine.

You can haul it in a pickup easily. Put a blanket, several layers, on the back of the cab, then put the frame in the bed with one end at the bottom of the tailgate and the other on the blanket on the cab. Tie it down real good and go home with it securely placed and you will not have a problem. I have done similar things many times, as a carpenter I have hauled 20' lumber this way.

If you have a reciever hitch, weld a bracket up to hold up the frame as it hangs out the back of the pickup. Use a long bed pickup. Tie red flags from Menards to the end of the frame protruding.

You could put 2x6 boards across the width of the bed and screww 2x4's the length of the bedsides (underneath the 2x6's) to keep them from sliding sideways.

Put the frame on top of the boards and tie it down to the bed. Make sure you support it so it can't slide forward into the cab if you need to hit the brakes.

Put it on a trailer...hauling lumber and hauling a heavy metal frame are two different things. The trailer is low, managable, and will save whatever truck from the punishment of having a frame in its bed.

Harbor freight sells truck bed extenders.See the link,if not heavy enough,you could beef one up.

truck bed extender

Oh come on mfrazier01. Its a pickup made to haul loads. Punish the truck? If the truck can't handle a bare frame it's just a grocery hauler.

Haul loads, I agree. Hauling material that spans the length of a truck is best suited for a flatbed trailer. I just believe in using a tool properly. Saves everyone the headache in the end.

We have to remember that this fella is going 300+ miles with this thing.

If that's punishing the truck, I should probably be arrested for what I've done over the years!

you will have to keep the heavest part of the frame towards the front of the bed. put eye hooks in the floor of the bed and pull it down with some good ratchet straps. i use four two on the front and two on the back. put a red flag or light on the tail.

i had a '94 lightning frame in the back of my 6' chevy with the tail gate down for a 100 mile ride.