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Ohio

This never really crossed my mind up untill now but How am I going to get my pumpkins to weigh off or even get them to a scale for that matter! I have a truck but thats not the problem,its getting it into the truck is what worries me, Last year I didnt enter my pumpkins at barnesville so I didnt have to worry about it.

How many of you guys use just a regular tarp with about 5,6,7,or even 8 guys to lift it into your truck or trailor? Did you load it onto a crate first then lift it in the truck or just lift it into the truck onto the crate? Need some advice on how you do it cause I dont have a frontend loader LOL. I can use my neighbors tractor but I dont think the hitch on the back is strong enough to lift a pumpkin, even if the sway arms on the hitch will even be high enough to lift it, it would be kinda awkward doing it this way,although the hitch will lift a heavy brush hog or even a large square bailer. Like to know your tactics on how you load your monsters pumpkins.

I do have a small trailor that i use to haul my 4 wheeler around with,Its not a heavy duty job but it hauls my 500 lbs 4 wheeler around with ease. The trailor is a self tilt trailor(pull a pin and it comes down) that is approx 10ft x 5ft.

Thanks,
Brooks

8/17/2005 1:41:27 PM

Dillsburg, PA

Just ask Bohica. He's a big dude and might do it himself. He might even bring along his back supporter. Actually, I would invite some people over for a beer or three. Manpower + beer can move mountains.

8/17/2005 1:53:22 PM

Montoursville, PA

My 2003 diary shows a a scaffle set up to do the job. You can borrow the two sets you need, four braces, a 4 X 4 beam and a chain hoist. That assumes someone in your neck of the woods has a pumpkin lifter rig.

Put good snowshoes on the set. It must be plum and level then haul it up, back under it and drive out of the patch.
Be best if you left it down and unhooked the lifting rig before pulling out of the patch. :))))

8/17/2005 2:09:39 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

What I did last year, is we used a tarp to lift the pumpkin onto a pallat(I'd recommend more than the 3 guys for 615 lb. pumpkin, that we used).
Then our neighbor came over with his skid loader(with fork lift attachment) and lifted it into a pick-up. I think the trickiest part to loading, using only manpower, would be getting it into a pickup.

Doug

8/17/2005 2:09:56 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

a couple cases of beer 10 pizzas a good tarp and 12 strong backs!

8/17/2005 3:59:16 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

brooks, I got a tarp, and a lifting ring, I should have pics of a tripod soon, I'll forward em to ya.
LOL@JEFFL!

8/17/2005 4:22:47 PM

last year we got my fruit onto a tarp or cargo net, then transferred onto a pallet. then we put two long 2 x 4's through the pallet (so there were 4 ends sticking out) then got a person or two to lift each end of the 2 x 4's, and lifted into truck.

8/17/2005 5:38:32 PM

Ohio

Thanks guys, I wont have trouble getting my truck to the pumpkins,a slight hill to get to em but i should make it pretty easy in 4 wheel drive.Is there anything eles similar to a lifting ring that people usE that they dont have to make? Tom, thanks, Ill check my email,I can maybe get the inmates in maintence to make me one off your picture, of course with the Wardens permission.lol

8/17/2005 6:07:43 PM

Abbotsford, B.C

I have thought of an innovative way to move giant pumpkins that I have used before on previous pumpkins. What you do it get a flat furniture dolley that rolls around on four wheels about four inches off the ground, and place it beside the pumpkin. Then roll the pumpkin onto it's side and slip the dolley underneath it so that the flat board is pressed up against the pumpkin with two of the wheels in the air. Then slowly roll the pumpkin and have someone else keep the dolley from moving, and ease the pumpkin onto the dolley. Then drive your truck, or better yet, a flatbed trailer attached to the truck, and back it up until it's fairly close to the pumpkin on the dolley. Then get several long, strong boards and lean them against the back of the open truck bed to act as a ramp. The gentler the slope, the better (best of all, use a ramp that is actually a ramp). Wheel the pumpkin up onto the truck and bring it up besides the pallet. Then, using the pumpkins weight as a lever, left up one end of the dolley and roll the pumpkin so that it is standing on it's side on the dolley, and pull the dolley away. This last part is the trickiest part, which requires careful attention and no slip-ups. You have to have several people slowly ease the pumpkin so that it is sitting properly on the pallet without letting it crash down. The larger the pumpkin the more people you should use to ease it down, but for the rest of the operation, it should only require two or three people at the most. Using a ramp and dolley totally elimates the arduous lifting of the pumpkin and requires fewer people to operate. I'm surprised no one else has thought of it before.

Cameron

8/17/2005 6:19:32 PM

Key West, FL

used a small tripod to get the pumpkin onto a pallet. Have a big sheet of metal underneath the pallet with a chain hooked to it. Winched it into the trailer.

8/17/2005 7:06:19 PM

[email protected]

Pumpkin lifting party just like Tom said. This is the highlight of the season Brooks. Jeez.

8/17/2005 7:50:26 PM

Penngrove, CA

instead of bringing the pumpkin to the truck, bring the truck to the pumpkin. a truck's bed is about 3 feet high, so dig a 3 foot by 20 foot hole, with a slight incline next to the pumpkin, back the truck into the hole, and tie some rope around the pumpkin, providing cushion where needed, and hall it in the bed. then call AAA to have them tow the truck out of the hole - no problem.

8/18/2005 11:09:34 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Landscape Timbers inserted threw the pallet are the ticket. As Briggite said we did this last year and it worked excellent. Everybody was able to actually lift, then we were able to put the timbers on the bed of the truck and slide the pallet to the bed. We found out in 2003 the bed of a full size truck is about 2 inches above the point a person can lift. Some brave sole actually went under the pallet and pushed. He must have had his beer goggles on, and was determined this was the only way.

8/18/2005 11:35:24 AM

Marshfield, Ma, USA

A slight advantage to the lifting party can be had by digging holes for the rear tires of a four wheel drive truck. This lowers the bed to the ground distance by six inches or so and helps some.

8/18/2005 8:31:19 PM

Midwest

If you grow'em like I do all you do is pick it up with one hand and put it in the truck.
Greg

8/19/2005 1:10:00 PM

Springfield, VT

I have posted to the photo gallery a picture of my last years test run on lifting up a pumpkin for loading into a pickup truck. Once lifted up the truck was backed under it and lowered onto a pallet in the back of the truck. Once all the weight was on the truck the strap lifter was removed and the truck was driven away. I can not say that it was the best or safest of methods but it got the job done.

8/19/2005 5:46:56 PM

Livermore, CA

Camera, we used the furniture dolley idea last year with our 700 pound pumpkin and I do not recommend it. The pumpkin is unstable and we had small cracks, 1/8th inch deep, from the weight on the skin. I shudder to think what would happen if the pumpkin shell was week. This year if it gets that big or larger I am going to a crane or forklift system. 700-800 pounds is about the limit for a tarp lifting party.

8/19/2005 7:54:44 PM

Abbotsford, B.C

Hmmm, never had that problem. So if the pumpkin bottom is not very flat, like my giant is, then it's a no-go? With the other pumpkin it has very thick sounding walls and a very flat bottom, but my biggie... I'll keep that in mind. If I run into problems, I'll be sure to post a warning on this board to make sure no one else tries it.

Cameron

8/20/2005 12:00:41 AM