MEP-802a load with pallet jack

[hammick]

I'm bidding on an 802a that closes in a few hours. I have a Kendon dual motorcycle trailer that has a flat surface when the cycle rails are removed. I have a buddy I can borrow a pallet jack from. Photo of trailer below. Pickup place has no loading assistance.

Anyone load an 802a with a pallet jack? Thanks.

 

[hammick]

Researching this it looks like most if not all pallet jacks will not lift the 13" I need to get the 802 onto my trailer. I'll look to other options.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Are you picking it up from GL or trying to move it around? If moving it around, you could winch it up on the trailer on top of plywood to keep from tearing up the floor. That genset is heavy to say the least! If picking it up from GL, take some straps with you & let them pick it up & place it in your trailer with zero damage using the straps. Been there, done that, but they were out of Tshirts!

 

[hammick]

Are you picking it up from GL or trying to move it around?

I just won the auction and will picking up from GL hopefully Thursday. It's at Whiteman AFB and they don't provide load assistance. I have a friend with a flat bed with a Tommy Lift and a couple of pallet jacks. I would prefer to find a way to get it on my trailer so I don't have to bother him.

The generator will be sitting on asphalt.

I'm assuming a standard pallet jack will fit in the skids? The plan is to have two pallet jacks so we don't have to worry about lifting one on and off the truck. I'm assuming his Tommy Lift is deep enough for the genset.

FloridaAKM I see you have acquired an item or two

 

[tbearatkin]

I unloaded my MEP 03 engines with a pallet jack using this method in reverse. Yes the engines only weighed about 600 lbs each. but it worked metal pipes helped roll it and make it easier.

You could try what I call cribbing. Use the pallet jack to lift as high as you can. Put 4x4's (pallets) under it to hold it at that height lower it down and now put a pallet or 4x4 on top of the pallet jack and jack it up again. Use more 4x4 or pallets to add to the height. Repeat as needed. Once it is high enough back the trailer under it. If you have some pipe you can use them to roll it onto the trailer. With pipes on the front of it on the trailer and the pallet jack on the ground at that back you should be able to push it onto the trailer. Have extra pipe to put under it as it rolls forward. Once it is where you need it I would take a small floor jack to lift the generator up and remove the pipes.
I think a MEP-802 weighs almost 900 lbs so keep all body parts out from under it.

I once lifted a small building up with just one floor jack, lifted it in the middle but a concrete block under it, move to the other side lifted and put a block under it. Continued with cribbing until it was high enough to back a trailer under is and then reversed it to lower it onto the trailer.

 

[jamawieb]

Hammick, you got a great deal on that 802a. I was going to bid on it but after reading no load assistance I backed out. One time, I bought a 002a at a base without load assistance and it was a nightmare. Luckily I brought a 4 wheeler and was able to drag the generator out to get it on the trailer. It was packed at the backed of the base where you couldn't get the truck to, without the 4 wheeler I would have never got the thing out. So prepare for anything and everything. Good luck!

 

[hammick]

Hammick, you got a great deal on that 802a.

Thanks. I had bid to $600 and got lucky. I was able to speak with the GL rep and get info that inside all appeared to be intact. It was strange that there weren't any photos of the inside. Before bidding I spoke a GL rep in Phoenix and they told me to not accept the generator if parts are missing. I am a little concerned that some of the lower bolts on the side panel (petrol fill side) appear to be missing.

Assuming I can get this running I will flip it to offset the premium I paid for my low hour trailer mounted 802a that I plan to keep for many years if not a lifetime.

If I buy more of these in the future I need to figure out a way to get them on my motorcycle trailer.

 

[tbearatkin]

A low cost come-along, $20 or so, would hook to the front and then use it to pull the generator forward on the pipes. If you back your vehicle up onto some wood blocks this would raise the front of the trailer some and lower the back.

 

[hammick]

A low cost come-along, $20 or so, would hook to the front and then use it to pull the generator forward on the pipes. If you back your vehicle up onto some wood blocks this would raise the front of the trailer some and lower the back.

This gives me an idea that with the adjustable pintle/ball hitch I just bought that I could raise the front of the trailer quite a bit to get the rear down.

All of this will be even more difficult if I ever buy an 803a.

 

[tbearatkin]

Long 4x4 that are longer than the trailer is wide enough to clear the wheels. Just keep jacking it up put concrete block on each side and when high enough back the trailer under it and lower it down until you can rest on the concrete blocks on the trailer remove the long 4x4. I think raise it just high enough to back the trailer under a little put a pipe under and then use the jack from the end is the safest way without a forklift. 5 hours is too long away or I would be there to help sounds like a easy load might take a little time but prob would not even break a sweat. Slow and easy wins the race

 

[hammick]

Thanks for all the advice. This one will be easy with the Tommy Lift on the flat bed truck.

For future loads at no load places I am thinking it might be just as easy to remove the wheels from the trailer, load with a pallet jack and then jack trailer up with a jack and reinstall wheels. Pallet jacks are cheap on CL. Guy that sells them in KC says Walmart in Bentonville sells them cheap rather than fixing seals.

 

[JRM]

most 803's come mounted on the trailer, so its hookup and go.

 

[hammick]

most 803's come mounted on the trailer, so its hookup and go.

None of the GL generators, including 803s, come on trailers. All of the GP gensets are on trailers.

 

[Guyfang]

90% of the 802 and 803 generators supplied to the military were skid mounted, meaning no trailer.

 

[tbearatkin]

Thanks for all the advice. This one will be easy with the Tommy Lift on the flat bed truck.

For future loads at no load places I am thinking it might be just as easy to remove the wheels from the trailer, load with a pallet jack and then jack trailer up with a jack and reinstall wheels. Pallet jacks are cheap on CL. Guy that sells them in KC says Walmart in Bentonville sells them cheap rather than fixing seals.

That is thinking outside the box. 3 ea 2x8 as a ramp would work as well, pull it up the ramp with the come-along. They would have to be long enough to prevent the generator dragging at the back side and most likely need some support under the 2X8 to help support the load when it is pulled up.

 

[hammick]

Well I can confirm that a standard pallet jack is too narrow for the skids. We had a bunch of wood with us and were able to use the ends of the pallet forks to jack it up and get blocks of wood under it and put the pallet forks under the skids. We got it on the Tommy Lift of an F350 flatbed. We could probably do an 803 the same way but it would be a little more dangerous. Getting a pallet jack on a Tommy Lift and turning it sideways with a big heavy generator has a pucker factor.

Moving them around with a forklift is super easy but who has a portable forklift.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Guyfang]

Then European pallet jacks must be larger. I always used one to move the gen sets in the shop here.

 

[TNriverjet]

Hammock,
Nice score! I too was looking, but have invested dollars elsewhere that need to be freed up. I used a uhaul motorcycle trailer for my recovery. GL loaded with a forklift, but I had no such equipment at home. We slid the 802A down the metal mesh ramp onto a 1200 lb rated flat wood cart with casters. Me and my 14 yr old son... Oh, a high lift jack provided some assistance. Slow and easy, think through the steps is what we did.

After that experience, I'm pretty sure I could recover one without a forklift. I would take the HL Jack, some misc lumber and a come-along.

 

[tbearatkin]

Hammock,
Nice score! I too was looking, but have invested dollars elsewhere that need to be freed up. I used a uhaul motorcycle trailer for my recovery. GL loaded with a forklift, but I had no such equipment at home. We slid the 802A down the metal mesh ramp onto a 1200 lb rated flat wood cart with casters. Me and my 14 yr old son... Oh, a high lift jack provided some assistance. Slow and easy, think through the steps is what we did.

After that experience, I'm pretty sure I could recover one without a forklift. I would take the HL Jack, some misc lumber and a come-along.

Some pipes to roll it along will help as well.