I have this old military garwood crane mounted on an fwd chassis. It is my dads and i need to move it from denver colorado to springfield mo. I know its to old to put on a job site but it invaluable in the yard and for help building dump trucks. Plus im gona need it to put up a new shop building. My problem on moving this thing is it has tires from 1982 and the original engine was replaced with a 280 cummins. It tops out at about 35 mph. Plus i think all the sme laws have changed in colorado and kansas so a 35mph 4 day road trip might be a trip from hell laden with paperwork issues in 3 different states. Hauling it whole is an even bigger issue and huge expense as i cannot haul myself and puts it out of the range of do able. Its over high on a lowboy as its 13' 6" setting on the ground and my dad tells me you gotta remove the counterweight to get it down to 54k lbs on single vehicle. So im pretty sure there would be overweight issues. So after long and hard thought on this i got to thinking maybe im trying to do to much at one time! If i were to seperate the top end from the carrier chassis and reduce everything to two seperate loads i may be able to get it done with mt 20ton tag along. Sure need to get a detachable someday! I have considered everything from flat towing to driving it and now think this may be my best option. What are your guys thoughts and ideas?
I shipped this machine up from Seattle. I cant say for sure if the dimensions are similar but most of them were close. With the boom shortened to the heel and gantry down it fit nicely on a tri axle stepdeck. They had a loading ramp where i bought it and i used a tandem tilt deck wrecker backed to the step deck to get it off. Backhauls can be found a lot easier with stepdecks. Thats a great looking little yard crane worth the move for sure.
I dont know man its sure hard to tell from the pictures but I really do think my crane is much bigger and heavier. Its rated 20 ton. I also have a linkbelt speeder rated at 20 ton but this garwood dwarfs the link belt of the same rating. Military underates everything. They take a 20 ton truck and make it a 5 ton rating. You would just have to see it in person to understand how beefier everything on this machine is compared to a 20 ton civilian model.
It's a " Truck Crane " . Built & designed to move itself . Understand the distance and thinking a " beam trailer " if you hire a hauler ? Sell the crane in place in Colorado and forget about it ? Or drive it home ?
Driving it I think is to big of a legal issue across 3 different jurisdictions. Colorado and kansas both require smm registration and plates but missouri does not. And at 35 mph your a dead target to get stopped. Trust me if i thought i could get away with it id give it a shot.
Would any of you guys think it to be a totally crazy idea to fabricate a huge fith wheel mount tow bar and flat tow this thing behind a truck I already have leagal for long haul? The crane has glad hands on the front by the radiator so I think it was already designed in to do that by the military. Since it would be being towed I think that takes care of all the legal issues as the pulling vehicle is legally registered and its basically just a load at that point. Am I wrong on this?
Truck cranes bigger than that are hauled all the time on detachable goosenecks. If you have to, jack it up on the out riggers and pull all the tires. In any case you are looking at probably $8K plus for the move?
Yes you are correct as I had already priced that. Heck anything can be done if you throw buckets of money at it! Now if I had a big job for this nachine and there was a large return of investment on that cost it would be a no brainer and it would already be here. Unfortunately old antique latice boom cranes are now just kind of a hobby thing and a labor of love. At best this crane might bring 3500 on the open market. So a 8k haul bill would be just insanity and the numbers when crunched tell me that id be better off to just sell or scap this unit and go buy something local for the same money. Now that being said i spend a good part of my youth on this thing balling concrete and would like to save it. Again a labor of love. To me the magic number is about 2k. If I can figure a way to get it transported by myself in the 2k range then the numbers work in my favor enough to want to do it. 8k its gona be torch iron at the local scrap yard and thats just an unfortunate truth!
If you register with antique plates isn't it exempt
Any kind of plates i get would have the same issue of not being able to get it because of not having a title. How do you get a title for something that never ever had a title even from the manufacturer? Dealing with bureaucracy is so much fun! Wheeee! They can make the simplest thing a total nightmare!
Not being able to register a vehicle you don't have title to hardly makes you victim
Maybee you belive that the government owns your rights and then doles them out to you as privileges but I however do not! I never claimed to be a victum of anything. If I did I would probably be a welfare whore and not even messing with this stuff.
You wwere the one crying about not having a title. If that's a problem go talk to the original buyer. The government didn't make them stupid.
Do you even think about what you write? And you call me stupid? Wow!!!!
Number one the original buyer WAS THE GOVERNMENT STUIPID! I would think that would be pretty obvious as to what a dead end that would be but guess not! Secondly it wasent a problem till they changed the law in 2015 and did not issue title to everything that never ever had a title even from the original manufacturer. How many pieces of heavy equipment did you see in 1957 sold with a title? Yea that right a big fat zero!
There are ways to title older things that don’t have a title or MSO. Technically even being towed it would need a title as it’s on the road. Trailers have titles and they’re towed. Having done some stuff like this unfortunately there’s no easy or cheap way to move it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near that thing being flat towed like that. If you made it a 100 miles before half the tires blew I’d be surprised. Sorry we don’t have a magical solution that fits your budget.
Buy machinery plate for it. You do not need a title for that. Here in Texas, and probably most states, you can buy them. It lets you road a machine, like a loader, grader, or scraper, without a problem. I think we still had to get an over weight permit for the scrapers, but no permits were needed for the grader or loaders. We did not even need an escort vehicle for any of them, but we did have a vehicle in the rear with flashing lights as a precaution.
Well bless your heart!
Yes in colorado its an SMM plate. I have stated many times that colorado or californirado if you will you noe must have a title to get a plate. That plate is only good for thr jurisdiction of colorado and has no effect in kansas that requires the same thing now. Missouri i am good as special mobile equipment is still exempt from regular licencing requirements. I dont know how clearer I could be on this and have stated it many times but for some reason everyone wants to think thier state law apllies in colorado and kansas. The question at heart was about the theoretical possibility of flat towing it. I understand i can get hauled for a small phenomenal amount of money or i can get plates and drive it if i only had a title. I swear if i hear that broken record one more time im gona puke! Sorry I just hate to be an ******* but i really wonder how much of this stuff you guys read before you keep regurgitating the same useless information! So with that does anyone have an opinion or experience flat towing something like this. We already know one member is opposed to it mainly because he thinks the tires will blow in the first 100 miles. Not sure why everyone thinks it would not be an issue to just drive it but for some reason flat towing it the tires are more apt to blow. Maybee he thinks i would use a greater roadspeed which i would not. Dont know. All in all its probably the way im gona lean towards researching to get it done. I understand some of you dont have a magic solution for an affordable way to do this. That dosent mean im gona give up and quit trying to find a way. The only garunteed way to lose is to not try at all and thats just not in my nature!
A " Truck Crane" won't have a Title like a motor vehicle . At best a Certificate of Origin ….
Thank You!!! Finally some sanity!!
All self propelled cranes are considered "special mobile equipment" in missouri. No titles, no plates. Buy a one way oversize/overweight permit to drive it. You will have to have insurance to drive it. (sorry, I just read your last post and you already covered your knowledge of that, I type too slow I guess) My permits will simply list the make model and year of crane, and it will be listed as self propelled. I have flat towed a crane, both my 70 ton(93,000lbs) and a smaller crane, behind a wrecker, you would want to have the crane running for air for the brakes, or have a air line from tow truck to "trailered" crane. A towing company would be able to tow it, because then it would fall under their insurance. We only flat towed both a few miles when needing repair. I only flat towed because I couldn't get the front picked up because of weight and the hydraulic boom in the way. Its not fun, but I never built a tow bar either. Looks like military 20" rubber , on budd's(?) if they aren't 1400r20's (its hard to tell the tire size from the picture), you should be able to slap a set of 22 or 24.5 rims and rubber on there, if you aren't worried about the tires, run em. If you knew someone with one of those 5th wheel hydraulic tow bars (I think the commercial name for one brand is "pro tote"), you might be able to get the front end off the ground with one of those, and then pull the axles and driveline. Send the counterweight and boom and clam with the second load, and with the house swung to the front, it probably isn't that heavy on the steer. To keep it real low, you could pull the steer tires. With it swung to the front, the house counterweight would all be on the rears. I have never pulled anything with one of those 5th wheel tow bars, but I see salvage guys with garbage trucks on them. I do see the 5th wheel totes for sale quite often used for around 3k or so. If I was trying to get it home on the cheap, I would lean towards a 5th wheel tow bar, eliminate the second driver, and check/ grease the wheel bearings before I left. With the weight off, you say you're under 54, so plus a 20,000lb truck and a 2k tow bar, I think you are legal. I'm wondering if a "temporary" "intransit" tag would be the way to go, pulled by a truck. You know the salvage and towing outfits don't mess with titles on everything they haul all over. Just like when they piggy back trucks from place to place. I don't know if you have the 5th wheel truck? Its hard to list the possible ways that you could get it home, I don't know what you have available for equipment, sorry.
Coloado always had smm plates. Before they changed the law and wanted a title they just wanted to know a value. Back in the 80s they told my dad to call a crane manufacturer and get a statement of what it cost new. He said they told him it cold 12k new. In 1957 that was a serious chunk of money!
I was also going to say, I drive my cranes into arkansas all the time, and their rules are different than ours, but I don't have plates on them when going into other states either.
I think i have some military budd rims around, if you would like to take a spare with you, let me know what you have. I had some 11.0020 rims, but I think I scrapped them, I know I've got 4 12.00r 24.5 mounted up, and I think I've got 4 military 11.00r20's with tires on them too.
Crane operator its good to hear from you and that is some great insites! This unit has glad hands on the front of the carrier truck so i kinda think the military had designed a way to flat tow but thats just a guess. I do have a over the road fifth wheel truck that is licenced for over the road and has all the proper credentials to do so as well as i have interstate authority with the proper insuance to haul motorized vehicles. Now im not sure if flat towing falls into my insurance but thats just a call to my insurance company. The tires are some wierd 11.00-24 or something like that. They are much bigger than a standars 24.5 tall tire. Still if being flat towed like you say putting 24.5s on it wouldnt be an issue as losing road speed wouldnt be an issue. I think id pull all the driveshafts for sure. Bearings should be wet but if not like you say check grease. Technically flat towing i know can be done and i really think i could acomplish the feat in a safe manner with equipment i already have and a minor fabrication. The big unknown is the logistics of legality of doing this across 3 different jurisdictions! I dont think id have issue in missouri. Colorado and kansas however lol!!!
They may be 11.00 20s id just have to look again. I may take you up on that as id plan on a chase vehicle with air compressor and tools to folow me!
Crane operator i think your right on hauling everythng like counter weight stick and the three clamshell on another load. I have an end dump trailer out there that i also need to get and that stuff can all go in the end dump. Fact is you can see the front of the end dump in the first picture.
Those 5th wheel wreckers like holmes and pro tote, are all hydraulic lift. You could build one that was just fixed, and lift the front of the crane with the outriggers to hook it on, then get it back off of it the same way when its home. I don't know if you've been around them before, but pro tote has you tube ads, and heres some simpler designs also.
Workshoprat92 , Your thread reminds me of when we moved from Indiana to Nebraska for a spell back in 1971 ….. Little caravan , Mom & I was in the 67 Chevelle SS 396 pulling a tandem U- haul trailer and the Old Man was driving a Ford F-600 U-Haul truck . We got stuck at a Missouri scale house …. Fuzz Nuts comes out & wants to see to see the Old Mans " Chauffeurs License " …… Aint got one ? " We cant let you pass until you have one " Old Man commended " Fuzz Nuts " for the security detail and said " We sure could have used your help where I just got back from " Where's that ? " Cambodia ….. It's a little place south east of Missouri . " And we rode on without the license .
Thing that gave me the idea is when i worked as a mechanic for a transit company in denver. We would flat tow busses all the time. We were restricted to 45 mph and had to have a mechanic behind the wheel of the buss to run the air brakes. We had an air line hooked from tow cehicle to tje buss system to keep air charged. All that being said we were a government transit property and i dont know if we were not held to tje same dot law as far as flat tow as private industy. I just know we did it and it worked out great!
Crane operator that fifth wheel wrecker may be a better option as it gets some weight on the rear drives so you have some pulling and stopping traction! Still a tow bar would be super easy to fabricate and if the crane has a way already to actuate the crane brakes from the tow vehicle stopping traction might not be an issue. If it dosent youd want someone in the crane to operate the brakes. Id think trying to stop 54 k with a 20k vehicle with no traction weight would be dangerous as all hell!!!
Its hard to tandem drive with another guy running the brakes and steer in the back vehicle. I think I'd want it up on the back end of the tow vehicle, and just pull it like a trailer. If you found one for 2-3,k, it would be cheaper than buying new steel to make one, but if you've got the iron around, it wouldn't be hard to make one, probably no harder than the tow bar. Just use a fixed point where they have the upright cylinders on the walker's, I think theirs are the simplest. Just google 5th wheel wrecker.
Being as this crane is ex-military, the gladhands on the front should actuate the brakes as if it was a trailer (if it's all operational) and it should have standard military towing lugs on the front for a tow bar. If you flat tow with that setup, at least have a weight coffin on the tow tractor for traction.
My old pull tractor
Thats what i was hoping to hear on the front gladhands. I cant think of any other reason why they would be there. I agree about weight on the tow tractor and have considere putting the counterweight on the toung of the towbar over the fiftwheel!
Crane operator I may have to look for a setup like that. I can see it being super handy being able to retrieve my own broken dump trucks and could possibly be another avenune of revenue! I kinda lime the one with air bags! So simple!
They usually bring 2-3k when I see them used, none of the over the road trucks like them, cause they are all plastic up front, nothing to get ahold of. But for your dumptrucks, you can pull bumper, or even rear, if you have a rear end issue. You wouldn't have to save very many towing bills to pay for one.
Drive the crane & don't ask permission from anyone !
For the fire dept, I ended up towing one deuce that broke down with a M50A3 potable water tanker, We borrowed a tow bar from the army base, that thing weighed over a hundred pounds easy, clevises that met up with the military tow eyes and then a big pintle. The truck being towed followed along like a good little puppy. We only went 30 miles but it was very well behaved.
Do you think being a smartass is helpful? Having run through CO plenty I assure you they won’t be very understanding or accommodating. They have their own set of rules for anything with an engine whether it’s self propelled or trailer mounted. Seems they like to collect their tax revenue. I could tell you what route to take to avoid the scales and the DOT’s favorite places to setup...
Thats damn funny. Your southern enough to know what that means. And i could ask you the very same question. Being a colorado native im pretty damn sure I know far more about it than you could possibly know. Figured id be the bigger man and just step off with bless your heart. But you wanna continue so ok here we go.
Yes sir I know what it’s supposed to mean and how often it’s used in an entirely different manner. We’re trying to help you. There are a lot of potential issues with your endeavor and the last thing any of us want to see is somebody hurt or you spending a pile of money. I meant nothing by my original post. No sarcasm or offense intended. You know nothing about my level of experience, I offered you help and not once have I questioned or insulted your experience. I’m not here to fight or argue with anybody. I prefer not to. That being said, I also don’t like somebody asking for help getting short with the people trying to help them. Good luck with whatever you choose to do with this. I know you’d like to get the crane home and I understand the sentimental attachment to it.
Junkyard the statement that just burnt my ass was "Sorry we don’t have a magical solution that fits your budget." If you dont understand how insulting that was then you truelly deserved the bless you heart!
It’s been a long time since I accidentally insulted somebody. To be clear, if I insulted anything it’s the concept and not you personally but either way you’re insulted and for that I apologize. The guys on here will bend over backward to help but getting short with any of us doesn’t do the forum any good and has run off some top notch guys. I’ve lost count of the times that a difference of opinion was met with disrespect. Back to the topic.... The wrecker option is the second best to hauling it. Having towed cranes and other machines with similar front ends to yours I think flat tow would be like pulling a hay wagon 750 miles not to mention it’s two more old tires to keep tabs on. At one time I believe you could rent those 5th wheel wrecker attachments but I don’t recall where I saw that. Maybe a little searching will find one. Worst case buy one, make your trip, then sell. Another thought is if towed you’ll have to pull the drive lines and/or axles plus make sure the hubs stay lubed. If there’s any documentation at all regarding the purchase of the crane I’d take it along so that you can prove it belongs to you otherwise they may try to say you’re acting as a wrecker service. I’d say anything at all helps because we all know the man assumes you’re up to no good even if you aren’t. Anything we can collectively think of to prevent a delay or fine is time and effort well spent.
Here is a military towbar. It weighs well over 100 pounds. I have pulled many different trucks from 20 to 100 miles with it. It is nice for your pulling truck to have a dump bed or some other weight on the drives. HeavyEquipmentForums
Military tow bars are OK are no fun with much weight for very far where as noted not going to break any speed records. Tires will be the big problem as it is getting warmer and yes I can validate CO DOT will be having a field day with you then Kansas will take their turn JY made his points as has CR Op you seemingly blew much of the suggestions off as if already knew what needed be done then why ask for support measures/suggestion? Being smart in responses is not gonna get a great deal of aid in getting it moved with such as ‘Bless your heart’ which 99% of us DO understand and do not appreciate.
towbar and borrow and old military wrecker to pull it, have a M1008 running chase with a single amber blinky light on the roof. I've seen them run tanks down the highway, not sure how you'd check axle ratings on those.
If you truely did not mean to insult then i accept your appology and in return I also apologize! Dont really want to hash it anymore and just want to move forward. I do share the same concerns on the tires. They would be such a gamble. Part of me says even though they wee made in 82 that they are 24 ply old school bias ply. How could you kill it? I have run some tires that old on my end dump in a jam once and they lasted better than new tires that were ten years old. New tires seem to be such junk. Plus if i keep speeds to 35 to 40 mph range and do this in late fall when its cool it might just work. Then another part of me says no way its just not worth it. If a 24.5 fits over the brake drum i can take a good set off of one of my dump trucks and swap em on for the road trip. Still i dont think that garuntes me a trouble free trip. Like i say new tires seem to be such junk and ive had em blow out setting in the driveway lol. Anyway I go i think a chase vehicle with air compressor and tools would be mandatory. As far as flat towing if it has the glad hands up front then the military pretty well desinged it in to be flat towed and im betting the caster angle on the front end is set for that. I ask on here because i need to get all possible ideas and see if there is any line of thought that i missed. I garuntee i have hashed all these thoughts out long and hard. As a colorado native i am intimately familiar with colorado dot and what a pain they can be. I have hauled several items back already but this crane presents the biggest challenge within my budget. I do have a good route that works well through colorado and kansas to be the least visible to dot and hiway patrol. The technical aspect of flat towing i am very certian at this point i can do, do it safe and get it done within my budget. Now its just figuring out the legal aspects of that znd thats gona take some time and research. I wouldnt put all this together and strike out without knowing where i stand according to the law. From what i hear it is done so there has to be some peramiters of legality to work within and i just need to find what that is!
Could you please show me where i blew off cr op? I pretty much agred with everything he said. As far as JY as i stated the comment that reslly burned my ass was " sorry we dont have a magical solution that fits in your budget" you cannot see how insulting that statement could be? It insults me on many levels. How is that statement any kind of help?
Also NOT getting into a argument, you went a tad too far right off and from there I am done.
Dmiller "CO DOT will be having a field day with you then Kansas will take their turn" . For the life of me I cannot figure out why you guys keep telling me this when i think I have made it pretty abundantly clear that this is a huge concern to me! Why do you guys keep treating me like I hadent even considered this part of it? Do you honestly think from anything that i have said that i want any part of fighting with the state authorities?
Yea right i went to far but nobody else wants to accept how far they went. At least JY was man enough to apologize and i do believe he did not understand how insulting his statement was. I do honor him for keeping it civil and working it out. I though i kept it very civil as i know i could have gone a whole nother direction in this!
Not here you wouldn't have, fights, slinging remarks, spewing angry language get you nowhere fast and even less assistance in future if not completely ignored.
Wow thanks so much for that link! That is a wealth of information! Interesting the oart sbout bumper pull only being legal to 10k and after that has to be fifth wheel. Sounds like my idea of a fifth wheel tow bar may be a good one. Just need to make some phone calls and ask some questions. Still would preffer to find the written answer as i can stand on that in a court of law lol!
Does it have standard size inner and outer lugs or the larger ones? That could be one issue with wheels. I’ve seen some military and heavy rears with the larger size. I accept and appreciate the apology. We’re all here for the same reason.
Honestly I do not know the answer to that. I think im gona have to take a recon trip and look it all over and get that information and see if a standard 24.5 will fit before i can make a for real plan. This is all just theoretical ideas at this point but im feeling better and better about it if i can just figure if it all fits in legal!
And here is all the correct info. If its in the fedral dot cfr's then all the states pretty much follow the fed rules on it or that has been my experience. Some states may vary a little bit but should also be checked. State revised statues should follow same numbering system. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/393.71
You may actually fall out of that category as it is NOT a Driveaway operation as the machine is considered an off road device not a new or used on highway vehicle. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/part/383 You are picking and choosing rules that a State DOT person may Not allow to be applied. Some machines REQUIRE to be hauled not towed. It is time to stop guessing and actually contact a registered hauler for HE and ask the pertinent questions. Special permits, special hauling limitations, requirements to fulfill DOT regulations, etc.
That could be. It does bear more research but its the closest thing I have come to a written answer. There is also a section for non drivaway vehicle and I wonder if it applies better. Pretty sure its not in a category that requires hauling only. But again just a guess. I think from what I have read so far im leaning more twords it is legal rather than it not being legal. Im not sure what you mean about contacting a registered hauler. Im a registered hauler with interstate authority and ifta tags and do not know the answer. I dont know that id be real thrilled if someone called me wanting to waste my time digging for information on how to not use me and do a job themselves with no return to me so I dont think id do that to someone else. I think the proper call would be to the hiway patrol in that state. I have a call into them but you know how it is nowadays with voice mail. They may or may not call you back. Its a long drawn out process that just takes time.
That almost forces the job to be DIY
Which part of 383 are you trying to link me to? That link just goes to a faq section. I dont know if its cause im on a mobile site or what. ? Section 383 deals with driver licensing and im not sure how that applies to illegality of flat towing other than yes i have a current cdl
QA section, will need to access a full PC to read it all, this is ONE excerpt. Question 6: Does off-road motorized construction equipment meet the definitions of "motor vehicle" and "commercial motor vehicle" as used in § §383.5 and 390.5 ? Guidance: No. Off-road motorized construction equipment is outside the scope of these definitions: (1) When operated at construction sites; and (2) when operated on a public road open to unrestricted public travel, provided the equipment is not used in furtherance of a transportation purpose. Occasionally driving such equipment on a public road to reach or leave a construction site does not amount to furtherance of a transportation purpose. Since construction equipment is not designed to operate in traffic, it should be accompanied by escort vehicles or in some other way separated from the public traffic. This equipment may also be subject to State or local permit requirements with regard to escort vehicles, special markings, time of day, day of the week, and/or the specific route. Next aspect, regardless is On or Off Highway rated as soon as connect that machine to another as a towed device all the lighting, brakes, safety equipment for transport become a necessity, fully inspection compliant as well can set you down for whatever period of time it takes to bring to DOT provision requirements. As soon as wheels are on pavement you become liable to write up a inspection and sign as to Good or Bad as well it has to fit the signature requirements or you become fine libel under CDL requirements. Towing by a Tow Service is not the same as Driveaway neither is a personal transport of a towed machine. You are Not a Dealer nor a Manufacturer or wrecker service so Driveaway or Towing is not part of your range of carrier or personal transport license with commercial sized machines. If the machine cannot pass muster as a On Highway DOT certifiable machine, cannot be determined as a Business device being moved it then has a requirement for Commercial Vehicle Transport or haulage. Basically transporting it thru because you want to is not justifiable. Proper permitting, proper escort vehicles if is not considered On Highway become a necessity if not the norm. We are well past those days when we towed a buddies car/truck or dragged with a simple chain across state lines and no one cared.
#1 I dont think a faq page in the fmcsa website is hardly a place to find grounds for points of law. #2 the excript you referenced refferes to the need for a cdl while driving an off road vehicle on public hiways or not so i dont see its relavance in a towing application. #3 in the same faq page is Question 8: Do operators of motorized cranes and vehicles used to pump cement at construction sites have to meet the testing and licensing requirements of the CDL program? Guidance: Yes, because such vehicles are designed to be operated on the public highways and therefore do not qualify as off-road construction equipment. The fact that these vehicles are only driven for limited distances, at less than normal highway speeds and/or incidental to their primary function, does not exempt the operators from the CDL requirements. And I think this would be even greater evidence that a towed crane is just as legal as if i was towing a dump truck. Again its just a faq page and has no basis in actual law. Still i think it provides a pretty good definition of how my type of equipment is viewed in the eyes of the law.
Go for it Just do not be surprised
What be suprised that some one bullet barney or over zealous hiway patrol man might give me a ticket because they misinterpret and do not fully understand the law they think they are trying to enforce? I guess thats why we also have laws that say i can face my accusers and make them prove themselves under the cannons of a judge or jury! Im not gona not do this out of fear from my countries government. I will have all the correct points on my side before I go. Not my first rodeo. That being said I do appreciate your devils advocacy as it forces me to think and research and thats pretty much the point of this exercise right?
Good point . With an escort & some flashing light gismos you will probably be fine . An " Ace in the hole "move would be if you have an illegal alien drive the crane … Police would give you a full escort to the destination . LOL All this aside ….. I'm borrowing CM's post … What would these fellers think about this bs conversation 75 years later ? HeavyEquipmentForums Drive the crane like you own it !
Man I completely agree with all of that!
Have a little faith ….. My mentors & employers made Damn sure to instill confidence & " Can Do Attitude " . Not interested in losing .
My dads famous quote was the only garunteed way to lose is to not try at all. And he was fond of behold the turtle. It only makes progress when it sticks its neck out. I like one that i think is a marine corps saying "sometimes fortune favors the bold"
Go do it Bro !
I would be concerned with flat towing. It probably has a heavy front end. I would be concerned that any little side move with a less than perfect asphalt surface may cause the tail to wag the dog resulting in a uncertain outcome. I have been scared **** less one time towing a slasher on a tow bar at 20 MPH on a flat rural road using our truck tractor and by luck barely saved it. If you can show you are using it for agricultural only you may have an out driving it. Maybe only use it to clam the lagoon or whatever. Ag equipment is excempt in most states. What ever method you use, Good Luck and keep us posted.
I know a guy that was roading his truck crane a short distance on flat ground and somehow broke down. I don't remember those details. A friend came by with a one ton pickup and offered a tow. For whatever reason he ran out a little line from the boom and hooked up and off they went. He said that old thing had never rode better with it pulling down a little on the front axle!
You have not really experienced how the world works until you hit the Sikeston, MO scalehouse in anything bigger than a Crosley station wagon...The stories that can be told. My salute to your dads service.
Spotted another example of the 20 ton Garwood / FWD truck crane on purple wave . https://www.purplewave.com/auction/140506/item/H2222/FWD-MUC6X6-Cranes-Truck_Crane-Kansas Feller could loose a lot of weight before a long haul buy removing counterweight , outrigger extending beams and boom assembly . Those removed items could be hauled with Cabover Freightliner & tag trailer . Crane would run a little faster down the road .
Sounds like they need a visit from the Old Man .