Moving a catering van - help?

By the power of FOG, I bow down in respect for your mighty assistance...

A close neighbour of mine runs a highly successful catering business (I hate saying burger van as she does so much more than just burgers!) on an industrial unit in my town, known by lots of lorry drivers all over the country and a few overseas drivers too. Essentially, the unit she's located in front of suffered a major fire last month which requires completely demolishing and new foundations putting in, which means she needs to relocate during these works. It's possible that one of the neighbouring units may be able to accomodate her - which would be about 600ft away - or if no alternative found, it'd need relocating about 3miles away for safe storage.

Here's the vehicle itself, a Mk1 Ford Transit (I believe!)...

Basically, I've got the challenge of trying to get it moved. It doesn't drive itself sadly, with both windscreen & driver's door covered and locked, but it does steer. It's been sat for 12yrs and the last time it was moved it was rolled by fork lift truck a similar distance to where it is now. I have looked into flatbed trailers to hire but the local companies I know of don't have a trailer big enough - the rear twin wheels are 2.1m wide, measured from outside edge of wheels, which is too wide for 'normal' car transporters (so I've been told

). So my next best bet is a towing A-frame which would negate having to have someone inside the van to steer.

Therefore my questions to you, dear FOG members, are:

- Does anyone have a towing A-frame that would be capable of pulling this that I could borrow? Or maybe a trailer that would be big enough - the engine is still in there, so weight is likely to be at least 2tonnes. Dimensions are 2.1m wide from outside of rear tyres, 5m overall length with 3.2m from front to rear axles. I'd be able to collect/return from a reasonable distance if needs be.
- Would anyone be able and willing to help, possibly the weekend of 1st/2nd Sept? Location is St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Tea & coffee would be provided!

We're still awaiting details on when she needs to move, and if it's only going 600ft or 3mile, but when I find out I'll post an update.
Please, feel free to ask questions or make suggestions on different ways this could be done as I don't want to let my friend down as she's helped the local community so much over the years and I want to do my best to help her.

Thanks in advance! :thumbup:

Ishe is there legally ( council designated pitch ) then I would have thought the insurance of the building that's being demolished should pay your friend for lost business and expenses to move the van why work is carried out ???

If a had the kit to lend you would be more than welcome but sadly Iv not :-(

Hope all goes well

Surely someone who uses the catering van has a recovery truck or something similar???

Hi Pete,
If it rolls, I have one of these:

Its Rated @ 3.5 tonne so more than capable providing you don't exceed the towing limits of the truck you use :think:

Got that from e-Bay.. used it many times..

Maybe a local farmer may have low loader that he can tow behind a tractor that he uses for his equipment.

Forklift from one of the local companies that use the van and a low loader artic to move it 600 yards down the road. If all the local places go there for food then I am sure if she puts an appeal out and flashes impressionable truck drivers a loverly smile some people will help.

Half a dozen men and a push ! 600yards !

on a industrial estate they must be some one that has a low loader or a 7.5 rcovery truck or a spec lift recovery truck even a teleporter/forktruck with long tynes for 600 yds if i was closer id have done it with our 7.5 beavertail with pleasure but sorry im not

First off, thanks for all the responses everyone - pretty much same ideas as I'd had, just written down.

No lowloaders available, or recovery truck, sadly. Also having asked around a bit on the estate itself, you'd be surprised how many people don't want to help you even when you've helped them in the past, so a forklift is out too. Will keep looking around at what's possible as we found out this afternoon that they're starting demolision work on Tuesday 28th - eeep! :shock:

By the arrangements/agreements in place, the company premises that the van is permitted to be sited on can't relocate it for my neighbour as it's not covered under their insurance as it's not part of their business, if that makes sense? Hence why she needs to relocate herself.

So anyone who's available to help probably Monday afternoon/early evening, let me know and I'll pass on info to get here, my number, etc. Any other ideas anyone has or if you have a towing dolly, please let me know too!

And justdan, in theory a few men and a push would do it, but it's been sat in the same position for over 12 years! Think of that initial trying to get it to roll

Hehe! Anyway, cheers again!

demolition you say right do you know the company that is doing it they will be bringing machines in on low-loaders so if you know would they be a chance of talking to them for a few butties once your friends set back up they might be able to help would it be worth a try?

so it wont drive it self but will steer
just drag it with suitable vehicle

I was just thinking the same as gaz, most fronties will drag it 600ft

....or part of it 600yds! :shock:

Always let the owner of the towed vehicle attach the tow to where he/she wants it attaching.

If you have manual hubs on your truck, unlock them and use low box 2wd for draggin without wind up

A quiet word with the project manager/site manager and shove the thing to a point where it can form or be very close to their site fence and rest area... she can then sell brews/burgers/butties to the demolition crew and later on to the builders. Nowt like using a situation to your benefit and all

jack it up, put some pallet rollers under it, lower it down on them and give it a shove' the slope behind will do the rest..... :lol:

Set up and sell burgers from where it stops...

Motor that old sat that long i would give it a very good check over to see uf the chassi is strong enough to move check tyre aswell

Hi all, thanks once again for all the suggestions and ideas - greatfully received! Just a quick update to say the task has been completed successfully

In the end we were able to get a local garage to move the van, albeit with dragging heels (they were very slow in doing it, including 45mins away from the site to 'work things out' :think:

). It was a bit alarming to see the old van being dragged onto the road with a recovery truck's winch, as they used the hydraulic towing attachment (that lifts the wheels off the deck) bending the cable for added pulling power.. but it worked, getting the van onto the road. Once on the road and a quick pull to try and winch it onto the towing attachment, all the wheels started rolling so it didn't need to be literally dragged down the road!

So all's well that ends well.. for now! My neighbour's back up in business at the end of the estate and my next job is to take the front wheels off, dismantle the brakes and check the bearings out ready for when she moves back in a few months. Put it this way, although given a bit of TLC and a fair few hours of work to get it running under it's own steam again, it'd still cost too much to do so with all the mods done on it over the years - no windscreen/boarded over, driver's door locked & boarded, etc.

Thanks once again for everyone's help and offers of assistance :wave:

Well done glad its sorted....

Just as well you didnt tow it mate...

or you would never here the end of....but you spoilt it for the pith takers on ere, like me...

so here we go anyway

MrPete tugged off a tranny
or
MrPete pulled a tranny...
or
MrPete done a tranny from behind...

you want more??? :lol: