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Safe Moving?

danny

Silver $$ Contributor
Has anyone bought a safe as big as this, and moved it themself, with a decent appliance dolly? I think I would pick one up in a rental van, then carefully push it to the edge of the back door opening (with my wife), just getting it at the balance point, letting it pivot to the ground into the garage. After that, I only have to get it on the dolly, then into my entrance door in the garage which has about a 4-6" step up. From there it is about a 10-15 ft journey on that basement floor to where it will remain.

Danny

https://www.gunsafes.com/liberty-gu...tigTKidn4jK3cIRBngIow8d0F-Iiuk8BoCKNoQAvD_BwE
 
Ive got one nearly identical. I used rugs underneath to slide it on hard surface or at home depot you can get sliders for carpet, Up stairs is going to either need some strong buddies, a come along or some good thinking/imagination.
Good Luck
 
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I’m sure it would be doable. Please take your wife out of the equation, you would never forgive yourself if she got hurt.
I bought a Liberty Big Boy that size and unloaded it off of a pickup with a skid steer and set it in the garage. Cut 6 or so piece’s of schedule 80 pvc pipe a little wider than the width of the safe to roll it to where I wanted it. Just sliding the safe off the pallet to the pipe got kind of interesting. Things could go wrong fast with that much weight. It’s risky.
 
I would probably pay someone (that's insured) to move it. Nearly 900 lbs is a lot to move. I would leave the wife out of it. A divorce costs a lot more than the safe if something goes wrong.
 
Yeah, use an insured pro. They will have a walking dolly for the vertical moves. Will probably cost a few hundred, but moving it yourself could end up costing a lot more.

I once helped my brother move a safe up some stairs. Took much longer than you would think. Probably why I have problems with that one disc.
 
McGraw said:
I’m sure it would be doable. Please take your wife out of the equation, you would never forgive yourself if she got hurt.
I bought a Liberty Big Boy that size and unloaded it off of a pickup with a skid steer and set it in the garage. Cut 6 or so piece’s of schedule 80 pvc pipe a little wider than the width of the safe to roll it to where I wanted it. Just sliding the safe off the pallet to the pipe got kind of interesting. Things could go wrong fast with that much weight. It’s risky.
Click to expand...

All my wife will have to do is to tip it when it is just short of the balance point, if even that. Once it is near the balance point, not much strength is needed.

Danny
 
Take the door off. Move it in 2 pieces. 880 lb safe. Door probably weighs almost 1/2. With a real dolly, you’ll have no problem
 
I've done it several times and it's really no big deal if you just think it through first. If you have access to a small dump truck or dump trailer that would be better. if you do, slide it out the back about 2 feet, then make slings out of ratchet straps to keep it from sliding out as you put the dump up. Put the dump up and the safe will be resting on the ground, then you just have to stand it up. If you have to use a van.... First, unless you have a few strong friends don't let it pivot to the ground. If it weighs 1000 lbs, when it hits the pivot point you will not hold it back and it will hit WAY harder than you think! Use some heavy ratchet straps to let it down slow!!! Set the straps up so that 1 or 2 hold it and the next 2 are loose. When you release the first set the second set will catch it. Repeat until it is resting on the ground. Once you have it setting on the ground and leaning on the back of the truck, cut some pipe as others suggested and put it under the safe. Stand the safe up on the pipe and just push it where you want it. 1" or 1 1/2" pipe is best. It's tall enough to clear door thresholds, if you have to, and low enough that it is easier to get the safe off of it. Use 4 or 5 pcs and when one comes out the back put it back under the front. The heaviest safe I've done was 3850 lbs and I did it with my ex-girlfriends help. From dump truck to it's final resting place in the basement took about an hour. Easy peasy if you plan it out.
Good luck!!
 
Really cannot emphasize enough how bad an idea it is to try to move that with just you and your wife. Tipping it off a truck is INCREDIBLY dangerous. Are you prepared to deal with it falling off the truck and landing on its face or side?

A lift gate or a fork lift to get it to the ground is ideal. After that the 6" step is the next challenge. Building a very low slope ramp and using a pallet jack with 3 physically fit men would be a good way to go. No one should be behind the safe while it's on the ramp; everyone should be uphill from it.
 
danny said:
All my wife will have to do is to tip it when it is just short of the balance point, if even that. Once it is near the balance point, not much strength is needed.

Danny
Click to expand...

easier said than done (tip just short of the balance point, not much strength needed). Hve to agree with other posters - don't involve the wife. Get some buds to help.

Having moved my 800# safe now three times, I know it is not for the faint of heart, or those ill-prepared or without the right equipment. Professional movers (moving company) moved mine the first two times, and I moved it the 3rd - it was already on a pallet, so I used a pallet jack and took it up a low ramp into a PODS. Son-in-law and grandson providing side to side stability while rolling it to the PODS and up the ramp with an agreement that if any one of us felt something was awry to yell and run. Fortunately nothing came even close to happening. But it is a lot of weight that can shift or become unbalanced in a hurry, and I will err on the side of an over-abundance of caution if/when I ever move it. It may stay with the house...a good excuse to buy a bigger safe!
 
Evan said:
Really cannot emphasize enough how bad an idea it is to try to move that with just you and your wife. Tipping it off a truck is INCREDIBLY dangerous. Are you prepared to deal with it falling off the truck and landing on its face or side?

A lift gate or a fork lift to get it to the ground is ideal. After that the 6" step is the next challenge. Building a very low slope ramp and using a pallet jack with 3 physically fit men would be a good way to go. No one should be behind the safe while it's on the ramp; everyone should be uphill from it.
Click to expand...

I won't tip it without having something to catch it, and with very little movement having been done by the safe.

Danny
 
4 guys and safe jacks to load into a pickup drove it around front, 3 guys to unload and put it in a garage.

The safe will likely slide instead of stoping when you tilt it down out of the van. If not, then getting it upright is more than a 1 person job, then up the stair is more than a 1 person job.. unless you a big, big 'ol boy.

Then.. the safe is likely super slick. Getting a grip on it to tip it is tricky.

20200207_110419.jpg
 
I almost bought that safe. I bought two Revere 30’s instead. Just me for the move. I rented safe jacks. I’m not built like Schwartzeneger. 800 lbs can get away from you pretty fast.
 
danny said:
Has anyone bought a safe as big as this, and moved it themself, with a decent appliance dolly? I think I would pick one up in a rental van, then carefully push it to the edge of the back door opening (with my wife), just getting it at the balance point, letting it pivot to the ground into the garage. After that, I only have to get it on the dolly, then into my entrance door in the garage which has about a 4-6" step up. From there it is about a 10-15 ft journey on that basement floor to where it will remain.

Danny

https://www.gunsafes.com/liberty-gu...tigTKidn4jK3cIRBngIow8d0F-Iiuk8BoCKNoQAvD_BwE
Click to expand...

Many times, friend owned a safe company. Minimum of a 4 wheel hand truck strapped and three people that know what they are doing. Shit goes sideways fast when you experiment. Also had an electric creeper if it was questionable.
Done it with two but better with three.
 
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