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Follansbee, Wv

From the start of the season, I had no worries about how to get the pumpkin out of the patch and into the truck. A friend of mine has a boom truck capable of lifting 3600 pounds even with the boom extended 30 feet. Since my pick-up decided to crap out on me I was going to use my brother in laws...no problem. I found out over the weekend that his pick-up won't be available because he has to perform his annual active duty PT test on Saturday and has to take his truck to Pittsburgh. Then, this morning I met my friend with the boom truck and he told me it blew an engine on the job site Friday.
So now, I have no way to lift it, and nothing to put it in if I could.
At this point I am planning to build a tri-pod of 16' 4x6's in the hopes that it will get it high enough to set into a truck that I may have to rent. So the question is this...if anyone has used 16' lumber to lift a pumpkin, how high could you get the bottom of the fruit? Would a full sized pick-up fit under it?

9/26/2005 12:13:10 PM

Western NY

16' worked for me, and i have one of the taller trucks out there. (F-250 w/ lift kit & big tires).

9/26/2005 12:23:02 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Thanks Andy. I just took some measurements and made some calculations. Looks like 16' should be ok. That will even allow me to set a few pallets in the truck bed, since the pumpkin measures 4'-8" wide and won't fit between the wheel wells.

9/26/2005 1:09:44 PM

Newcastle England

try growing a pumpkin the same size as mine and then you really have something to worry about (as in which of your coat pockets your going to transport it in).cheers peter

9/26/2005 1:18:57 PM

memphis ny

Works great for me. I load two friut by myself with a one ton chain hoist

9/26/2005 1:24:43 PM

Rhode Island

montyj

we built a wooden set up last year and it proved to be quite labor intense to put up and break down
it was not a tri-pod however

this year a great friend of the club john snyder build one for me and its now the pilot pod for a second one thats been made for our weigh offs

john made it out of one and three quarter inch steel pipe, top of the three legs were welded each to a heavy duty hindge, then the hindge was welded to a triangular piece of thick steel at the top approximately 10 inches from corner to corner ( when we built the second one our club member and welder scottie "to hottie " palmer used a bigger piece at the top and this allowed us to keep the hoist attached even during transport )

the triangular steel piece also has a rugged eyelet bolted in the center of top triangle

john and i tested it at 1400 + lbs and we have already used it to pull a couple from the patches

9/26/2005 1:26:30 PM

Utah

Monty ... you should know by now that you should never ask what else could go wrong.
I hope you figure some thing out.

9/26/2005 2:23:07 PM

Follansbee, Wv

HAHA Gordon, how right you are...Rita has decided to dump on us for a day or so now.

Pap, that sounds like just the ticket, but I won't have time to get something like that put together. I am going to build the wooden tripod for this year. When I'm done with it, I'll hang a small tire swing from it...my youngest will get a kick out of it.

9/26/2005 3:00:07 PM

Long Island,New York

Keep in mind that the size of your lifting ring may come into play.If its a wide one then it may hit the tripod legs as they narrow at the top.

9/26/2005 3:33:18 PM

Puyallup, WA

Monty,
Anytime you are in need of a sympathetic ear, just call me! My "famous" Chinese tractor breaks every year! Just when I need it...either for the Spring ground work or in the Fall when it is time to load pumpkins, I can count on something breaking!

9/26/2005 3:51:21 PM

Carrollton, Ga.

Hey Monty,
if you don't want to go to the trouble of building one this year you might could borrow or rent some scaffolding. Look at these post: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=28830

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=28773

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/DisplayPhoto.asp?pid=1543

Doug
Jn 3:16

9/26/2005 5:34:48 PM

Ohio

Use 4x4 landscaping timbers,alot cheaper Monty. come get my lifting ring,its kinda bulky but it should work good for you, look at my diary of it.

9/26/2005 6:30:33 PM

Ohio

Or if you want to come get my trailor, needs plates but should make it. just make temp plates for it. ;-)

9/26/2005 6:32:55 PM

Sequim, WA

You could drop it.........

9/26/2005 6:50:11 PM

Wallingford,CT

I made mine this year with 16 ft 4x4's following the instructions i got from Andy W. The truck was F250 4wd diesel. The tripod needs to be 78" wide at a height of 58" I think we had the pumpkin up 45" to clear the pallet on the truck. Made mine in the morning and loaded the pkn in the afternoon same day. Works great, (thanks Andy)

9/26/2005 7:50:51 PM

canal winchester ohio

Don't ever ask what else could go wrong because it will. Look for the positives, you've had a lot this season.....

9/26/2005 7:57:38 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Tiller...LOL I think I'll pass on dropping it.

Brooks, I may need the lifting ring. I'll have to measure it though.

9/26/2005 8:00:52 PM

Western NY

yeah, chris reminded me - don't use a crappy dog chain to wrap the top!

crappy dog chains break,sending your most beautiful pumpkin smashing to the ground just before you get it high enough.

9/26/2005 8:26:34 PM

Midwest

Heh? The Smashing Pumpkins! I've heard about them.

9/27/2005 1:26:40 PM