Hot tub moving - is this idea good bad or ugly?

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GCS said:
Well my kids are actually college age 22, 19
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That definitely changes the picture in my head. (Whew!) I thought for a moment that you were a little off your rocker, if you know what I mean. Those "kids" will do just fine, but you will still want an extra set of hands or 2 to be safe. You are talking about some dangerous spa acrobatics here without a spa dolly.
Unloading from the trailer is easy if the spa is not on it's side. Just slide it, or put a roller under it, and push it just over halfway off and let gravity do it's thing. Then stand it up and move the trailer. Moving it across the yard flat is easy too, but gets dangerous on it's side. It's the steps up through a doorway and onto the covered deck that's the real issue. If a section of wall could come out and you could lay it down onto the deck flat, as I described, I would have no qualms about it. But the steps/doorway issue makes it a tough delivery without a spa dolly. Actually, it makes it a tough delivery WITH a spa dolly, and a nightmare without one.
Sorry to be so discouraging, but I have moderate to severe pain EVERYDAY as a result of a spa moving accident. Actually, we weren't even moving it, just standing it up for a repair. So safety is the most important thing in my mind. If I could go back, I would change careers to avoid my back/neck/shoulder injury. Not a day goes by that I don't regret my decision that day. If I can save someone else the pain and suffering, I will.
 
RDspaguy said:
That definitely changes the picture in my head. (Whew!) I thought for a moment that you were a little off your rocker, if you know what I mean. Those "kids" will do just fine, but you will still want an extra set of hands or 2 to be safe. You are talking about some dangerous spa acrobatics here without a spa dolly.
Unloading from the trailer is easy if the spa is not on it's side. Just slide it, or put a roller under it, and push it just over halfway off and let gravity do it's thing. Then stand it up and move the trailer. Moving it across the yard flat is easy too, but gets dangerous on it's side. It's the steps up through a doorway and onto the covered deck that's the real issue. If a section of wall could come out and you could lay it down onto the deck flat, as I described, I would have no qualms about it. But the steps/doorway issue makes it a tough delivery without a spa dolly. Actually, it makes it a tough delivery WITH a spa dolly, and a nightmare without one.
Sorry to be so discouraging, but I have moderate to severe pain EVERYDAY as a result of a spa moving accident. Actually, we weren't even moving it, just standing it up for a repair. So safety is the most important thing in my mind. If I could go back, I would change careers to avoid my back/neck/shoulder injury. Not a day goes by that I don't regret my decision that day. If I can save someone else the pain and suffering, I will.
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No I fully understand I really do and yeah my #1 thing is clearly no one gets hurt. At this point we are looking around for moving companies or anyone that can handle the "placement" part of the job. We have reached out to friends and family and you would be surprised (well probably not since it seems you have seen and done a lot) at some of their replies. Basically to sum it up ... uh sorry can't help (and that is the nice version haha).

I'll find some people for sure. We had planned to just offload it Saturday night from the trailer so my friend could go home. I mean afterall he volunteered to do the trip with me I didn't even ask. We will endeavor to get a bunch of folks to try and place it on Sunday at least.

Unfortunately all of the openings are just shy of the tub fitting (well all of the opens that would make sense, one opening on the opposite side is wide enough but there is an HVAC unit there and handrailing attached and the power meter ... essentially everything you could think of is in the way and its a tight fit through there as well). Not thrilled about the turn on its side up the steps deal but figured it was doable and not too terrible since its a pretty short height - guess I was wrong.

In truth - the whole project I kinda messed up on in general too much to explain but suffice to say one or 2 minor changes before we did the work (heck if I had thought about things a little deeper I would have caught my glaring design errors) things would be a lot easier/better and we would have a nicer porch area and would have placed the tub in a different spot. Unfortunately before I realized this stuff it was framed and roofed and it would cost a ton to change it. Live and learn from mistakes they say. Don't get me wrong everything is still going to be nice but we could have done even better if I had realized my error in the design. We are still looking forward to it and happy with the product so far, just wish he would finish!! Showing up at 10 and working til 1 isn't going to get the job done.

Please trust me on this whatever we do we will be careful and if at anytime during any part of "the move" we feel like its not going right or if anyone feels like they are hurt or about to get hurt we stop and walk away and wait til a pro can be found no matter what. This I can guarantee.

As I have said before I am very thankful for this forum and all the advice I have been given and get out of everyone here. I hope that everyone can just view my blowup as nothing more than venting as that is what it was.

FYI electrician decided to tell me today he wants another $150 to run the wire I got in a conduit so that caught me out of left field. Me being me I got ticked and said f'it I will do it myself. Well I spent 3 hours outside in the heat trying to get this done and only got the wire about 1/3 of the way, talk about feeling defeated lol. And yes I was using fish tape and lube and got the kinks out of the wire and the conduit etc. Not sure if I will be trying again tomorrow or not either that or I have to pay the money and let him do it. Can you tell I don't like losing ;)
 
RDspaguy said:
That definitely changes the picture in my head. (Whew!) I thought for a moment that you were a little off your rocker, if you know what I mean. Those "kids" will do just fine,
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+1. You forgot to mention you kids were possible linebackers and not 9 year old girls. This is 2021 and *they* could be future linebackers and all, but still. Your odds increased dramatically there.
 
Newdude said:
+1. You forgot to mention you kids were possible linebackers and not 9 year old girls. This is 2021 and *they* could be future linebackers and all, but still. Your odds increased dramatically there.
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wish they were as they would know 30 + guys the same size and and they could move this with their pinkies haha.

I thought I had mentioned it but looking back it appears I didn't. Apologies for the confusion.

Plan for now is to simply go get it tomorrow and bring it home. At that location it is me, my friend, wife, husband and she said she has 3 neighbors lined up to assist. Tub was drained this AM and cover removed. Electric will be disconnected once I arrive since the tub needs to be lifted to get it out (wire comes from underneath on Nordics). Once done I will cover the tub with a moving blanket and tied that down (going around the tub) with a bungie rope. Then cover it with a 9x9 tarp that has a drawstring on it but will also tie it down with a bungee rope (going around the tub). Then we will wrap the tub in shrink wrap strap down with multiple straps and hit the road.

Unload plans are tentatively to just back the trailer up to the edge of my front yard and use the PVC rail system to slide it off the trailer and right on the ground. I doubt we will bother with moving it to the back yard at that point since it will be pretty late. The rest I will just have to figure out once I find some help or find pro movers who can do it. Not sure what else I can do at this point.
 
GCS said:
Plan for now is to simply go get it tomorrow and bring it home. At that location it is me, my friend, wife, husband and she said she has 3 neighbors lined up to assist.
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Awesome !! If you get it home ok, and it doesn’t work out well with the steps and the getting it too them, it can sit for some time while you regroup for more troops.
 
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Well, the tub guys DID have a special dolly, and it helped a bit. I agree the two concerns are the strength of your deck (however you can easily keep an eye on it when filling, and just add $50 of wood just in case to shore it up), and the amount of manpower. You might have enough manpower there to do it but I'd have at least one more to spot (ask a neighbor?). When doing something like that you are too close to it to notice issues.

Since that is about the weight of a car, I'd look at wooden floors constructed to hold up a car. Typically what I've see in 2x10's or bigger on 12" centers instead of the 16" ones... but adding ones to make it 8" on center is even better and (relatively -- with the crazy wood market now) cheap. Car Sheds 101: A Complete Guide is an example. I'd personally use something bigger than 2x6's and I think lag bolts instead of screws and nails.

You can do it... just be careful and think it through. If we are "wrong" and talk you into "overkill", tell me how that is bad?

As for the water in the tub.. depending on the tub, you could get a little more out if you can get to the innards, or by sucking it out with a wet or dry (in wet mode) shop vac. But I suspect you are talking at most a couple of gallons of water.. say at most 25 lbs worth. Take pictures. We will bring the popcorn. This is still gong to be an interesting thread to follow...
 
GCS said:
Once done I will cover the tub with a moving blanket and tied that down (going around the tub) with a bungie rope. Then cover it with a 9x9 tarp that has a drawstring on it but will also tie it down with a bungee rope (going around the tub). Then we will wrap the tub in shrink wrap strap down with multiple straps and hit the road.
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Wow. I remove anything that will blow away and throw a 2" ratchet strap on it and go. A little cardboard under the straps at the shell avoids strap burn.

GCS said:
use the PVC rail system to slide it off the trailer and right on the ground.
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Boy, are you in for a shock when your pvc shatters and the spa falls against your trailer. Do it like I recommended. Trust me, a ramp is not going to work. Slide it, teeter it to ground, stand it up.
 
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RDspaguy said:
Wow. I remove anything that will blow away and throw a 2" ratchet strap on it and go. A little cardboard under the straps at the shell avoids strap burn.


Boy, are you in for a shock when your pvc shatters and the spa falls against your trailer. Do it like I recommended. Trust me, a ramp is not going to work. Slide it, teeter it to ground, stand it up.
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You mean slide it on the trailer?

The PVC was going to lay on the trailer the whole time I wasn't going to just have that dangling with nothing underneath I know it will snap. Was just going to use the PVC on the trailer as an easier slide method is all same as if it was laying on the ground/yard. The trailer will be able to back all the way up to the front yard and touch it before we need to slide it off so the tub and PVC if we use it will have a hard surface under it at all times.

I probably didn't explain things very well and I know w/o pics of yard etc it doesn't make as much sense, my fault.
 
Newdude said:
Yeah man !! GCS if we overplan it for you and 75% of it goes to plan, you are still well in the clear. :)
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You laugh, but before the days of "just in time" and "computer optimization" about 10-15% overkill was built into engineered items.. and it's amazing how much better those things were.... if you were 5% off? Meh.. now.. -1% kills people occasionally....
 
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Rattus Suffocatus said:
You laugh, but before the days of "just in time" and "computer optimization" about 10-15% overkill was built into engineered items.. and it's amazing how much better those things were.... if you were 5% off? Meh.. now.. -1% kills people occasionally....
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I typically overdo/build most of the time yes. I will most likely have my contractor add additional support so we feel even better about it. Support is already there with 2x12s for joists (could be 2x10s but I don't think so) if memory serves correctly and then the 11 or so 4x4s on piers. There are also at least 4 6x6 posts cemented 36" down into the ground that anchor the 4 corners of the area and 4x4 posts (also cemented) at midpoint on 2 sides as well. These are the supports that go all the way up to support the roof. A few additional joists are attached to these posts underneath too (I believe some joists were doubled but would need to crawl under to verify). There are also some perpendicular supports added between the joists to provide additional stability. These were recommended by the contractor since we redid the deck with composite and he prefers to provide the boards with more support since they flex more than regular wood decking (this was done across the hole deck)/ The downside is I believe the original joists were 16" on center and 12" unfortunately.

Moving wise yes I am trying to find more people. The good news is I just chatted with my friend (the experienced trailer guy) and he feels pretty confident we can drive the truck and trailer over the curb and right up my front lawn next to the fence where we can bring the tub into the backyard and be literally right next to the deck (unfortunately not on the step side but hey it will be in the backyard at least without much work). I only need to remove one fence section for this to work. 10 mins a drill and some screws and we should be in business. He should be able to back down the yard with the trailer and into the street ok as well. Only thing that will screw this up is if it rains tomorrow afternoon like they are saying which will make everything a soft muddy mess over there.

So things are kind of looking up tbh. Steps will need to be solved probably by a pro team. Did get one call back today he is 45 mins away from me but will do the job of move from street to deck, just $1100.
 
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Newdude said:
^^^^* ‘Like’ to everything but the $1100 part
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yeah I know this ain't easy work in general but this is not a difficult task for a pro team and he would be in and out of there in less than 30 mins. $1100 is a I don't want to do it price but if you want to pay it I make really good money cause you know the guys he would bring with him would only get like $50 each. He said he could do it with 4 guys him being one of them.
 
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Is there any way to get the trailer up to the steps? If you can, even at the expense of a couple of ruts in the lawn, that would help tremendously.

When my tub was delivered, we parked the spa dolly parallel to the sliding door I removed. The opening is 3' off the ground. 2 guys and a spa sled were able to put the tub on end and slide it across a 2-3' opening, through the door opening and into the porch. Then the 2 installers, myself and a friend were able to tip it back normal (I had previously made sure we could do this maneuver successfully). So 2 guys can do it, 4 or more are better.
 
cranbiz said:
Is there any way to get the trailer up to the steps? If you can, even at the expense of a couple of ruts in the lawn, that would help tremendously.

When my tub was delivered, we parked the spa dolly parallel to the sliding door I removed. The opening is 3' off the ground. 2 guys and a spa sled were able to put the tub on end and slide it across a 2-3' opening, through the door opening and into the porch. Then the 2 installers, myself and a friend were able to tip it back normal (I had previously made sure we could do this maneuver successfully). So 2 guys can do it, 4 or more are better.
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nope steps on the other side of where this could be brought up. You can get a truck through the gate on the other side of the house but not a big Rear trailer (this is a 16 foot trailer we are using (its what my friend owns) so doing the trailer part is only to this one side.
 
@RDspaguy

Yahtzee!!!!!

Got a team coming over 9am Sunday morning. Local guy that does hot tub moves and deliveries for the local dealer on weekends. He is bringing his crew over to handle the job. He has been sent description and full pics of the path and deck etc.

We will bring the trailer up as far as we can for them per his request but the trailer with the tub may get dropped at the curb as I am not 100% certain it can get up the driveway (too low) but we will see what we can do.

It will be $350 well spent.
 
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