Moving kid's swingset - redneck style

RickS · Jul 12, 2006

A couple of years ago my parents purchased a large swing/monkey bar/play fort set for my kids. The rugrats have really enjoyed playing on it. Well, we've sold our house and are in the process of starting on our new place, and I did not want to leave the swing set behind. So, it needed to be moved. Now, it is not commercial size, but it is large and heavy. After several days of pondering I decided to put a couple of wheels on one end and use my JD three point hitch to lift and pull it down the road. The distance is almost exactly three miles. In retrospect, it would have been easier to put it on a trailer, but this worked pretty well. It was slow, but everything went ok. Wifey-Poo followed with flashers for a degree of safety. She also laughed most of the way. Pics follow.....

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NoMo · Jul 13, 2006

Whatever it takes to Git-R-Done!

EddieWalker · Jul 13, 2006

You made me smile with those pictures. It almost looks like some kind of parade float!!!

I bet the neighbors were all standing on their porches watching you as you drove by. hahahaha

Thanks,
Eddie

mchasal · Jul 13, 2006

I recently performed a similar task, but we hoisted it onto a trailer. It took some creative rope work to get the main part of it balanced on the FEL since the trailer wouldn't fit through the gate. I wish I had thought of just attaching wheels to the structure like you did. I'll have to remember that if I ever have to do it again.

Mike

RickS · Jul 13, 2006

Eddie, yeah, I got a lot of smiles, waves and even a few "whazat"s. I just waved back like I did this every day.

Mike, if I ever have to do it again I will use a straight axel instead of two individually attached wheels. By the time I got it to the new spot both wheels were really leaning in. One bearing assembly was totally shot (of course they were only $9 at TSC to begin with) and the other one has a bit of a wobble. A straight, rigid axel would have helped keep them level. I suppose an ideal solution would be to scavenge an axel off of a small trailer. Still, this worked, and the whole "moving package" only cost $22.

slaveToHorses · Jul 13, 2006

Cool house trailer you got there!

hilld · Jul 13, 2006

I guess this is what is called a kiddie mobile home, just like they are saying that Mike's hard lemonade is kiddie alcohol. When kids grow up, they want a "big" single wide.

Iowachild · Jul 13, 2006

That's what I call moving one plaything with another plaything!

hiflyer · Jul 13, 2006

With the matching GREEN of the Play set could easily be a JD Advertisement .......John Deere at Home, Work Or Play..........

OKnewguy · Jul 13, 2006

A couple of years ago we moved 4 miles down the road. I had made a playhouse/storage shed for my doughter. It has a 5' or so lower area for storage and a playhouse with slide on the upper level. My wife thought I was nut, but I had put alot of blood sweat and tears into the project. It has electric, windows, bunks, even air. We have sleep outs in it all the time. I moved too, just slowly tipped it onto a 16' trailer. It was a good thing it was made out of plywood, I do not know if other building materials would have made the move well.
Dave