Jump to content

What trailer to use when moving a hot tub?


6010fd12

Recommended Posts

Found someone giving away a 7x7 hot tub with a small leaking pipe. Figure I have nothing to loose in trying to fix it so I want to pick it up in a uhaul trailer. Only problem is unless I get one of those specialized spa trailers, there isn't a big enough trailer that can move the hot tub horizontally. The only chance I have of moving this is to move it while it's on it's side. I found out the 4x7 uhaul trailer (Inside dimensions: 7'8" x 3'4") is just enough room to fit this hot tub plus it has higher walls to help keep the tub secure. Is this a good idea or should I go with a larger 5x8 utility trailer but have to deal with the shorter walls and having to pack stuff on each side of the tub to keep it in the middle (a long with ratchet straps obviously)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

My advice is to hire Hot Tub Movers. Cost $2-400 and will save you time and headache getting it out of the backyard and into yours. FYI... Free hot tubs are never free and there is no such thing as a small leak in my experience. BUYER BEWARE!

Very true but I don't want to put too much money into this if it turns out to be a flop which is why I am taking the cheaper route and moving it with a trailer instead of hiring a company. I absolutely agree that there's probably a bigger underlying issue than a leaking pipe but my intentions are to try to fix it for cheap and if it works out then great if not I can easily part it and scrap the rest into pieces; at least I got some knowledge out of the experience. One of the big reasons why I want to move it myself is because the tub is located really close to my house. Somewhere around the ballpark of ~4 miles just in the next town over. I would only have to go over 1, maybe 2 overpasses.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I echo the advice of one of our prestigious resident experts, There are ways of making this work.

You have to build a base to set the tub on, on top of the side rails if they are strong enough. If they are not strong enough, you need to find a trailer without sides and still build up a sturdy base because you need to elevate the tub over the tires and support the tub fully during transport. Transporting on end any distance is really not recommended.

With the current cost of lumber, hiring professional spa movers will be close to the cost of building the base and renting the trailer, not to mention the cost of beer and pizza for the 3 other guys you need to have help you move the tub.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Think you need to expand your trailer search and find a flat deck trailer. Good luck with the move and let us know if you have questions during the repair. If you have to tip the spa on it's side to get it in/out I have seen some folks use an old truck bed and tip the spa into the bed and push/slide it around to the front of the house/driveway. Let us know about your experience and maybe help the next person. Regards CST

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, cranbiz said:

While I echo the advice of one of our prestigious resident experts, There are ways of making this work.

You have to build a base to set the tub on, on top of the side rails if they are strong enough. If they are not strong enough, you need to find a trailer without sides and still build up a sturdy base because you need to elevate the tub over the tires and support the tub fully during transport. Transporting on end any distance is really not recommended.

With the current cost of lumber, hiring professional spa movers will be close to the cost of building the base and renting the trailer, not to mention the cost of beer and pizza for the 3 other guys you need to have help you move the tub.

 

Thank you for the input. This is definitely something to consider. There is another scenario I would like to ask about. Maybe this one would be safer and not as expensive since it's such a short distance. I was thinking of maybe renting out a uhaul 15' moving truck. It says on the website that the length is 7'2" which would either be a very tight squeeze or just enough to not fit but my concern is how I would lift it into the truck. As low as the truck sits and even with the added step that they give you I still feel like it would be a challenge to push it up there, even with an extra person or 2.

 

Edit: I think I just got a great idea. I can probably use a car jack to help with loading and unloading it into the truck

 

29 minutes ago, CanadianSpaTech said:


Think you need to expand your trailer search and find a flat deck trailer. Good luck with the move and let us know if you have questions during the repair. If you have to tip the spa on it's side to get it in/out I have seen some folks use an old truck bed and tip the spa into the bed and push/slide it around to the front of the house/driveway. Let us know about your experience and maybe help the next person. Regards CST

Thank you for the help and will do. I'll do my best to document the situation and reply back with my findings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A spa sled would make pushing the spa in the truck much easier. Not sure if you can rent one anywhere and they are not cheap to buy. A Polypropylene sheet is basically what a spa sled is. Sturdy plastic like sheet with a handle and it's got low friction.

Then there is always the pipe roller system. Schedule 80 1" grey PVC pipe would easily do the job and is usually in stock at Lowes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Home Depot here in Canada rent long bed pick up trucks by the hour/day for pretty cheap. I have seen 7x7 spas tipped on their sides into pick ups and strapped down. Do I advise this...not publicly...lol. If you do please use 2" straps. Had one guy load an 8x8 and tied it down with skinny yellow rope. Asked him where he was taking it...North Bay...4 hours away. I gave him a 30/30 Warranty... 30 seconds or thirty feet which ever comes first and I started counting 29 seconds ago. 

Then there's this guy...

Shame! Porsche driver busted towing hot tub on slapdash wooden cart |  Driving

Woodstock, Ont., police intervene as Porsche driver attempts to haul hot  tub using homemade cart | Globalnews.ca

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, cranbiz said:

A spa sled would make pushing the spa in the truck much easier. Not sure if you can rent one anywhere and they are not cheap to buy. A Polypropylene sheet is basically what a spa sled is. Sturdy plastic like sheet with a handle and it's got low friction.

Then there is always the pipe roller system. Schedule 80 1" grey PVC pipe would easily do the job and is usually in stock at Lowes.

I already looked and sadly there isn't any place within a couple states away from me that sells them. Otherwise I would have rented one out in a heartbeat. I think using a car jack would assist in loading it into the truck. 

 

Also are there any guides to building a diy sled? Or do you know any places that sell large sheets of Polypropylene? I was originally going to use those harbor freight furniture dollys but figured it wasn't a good idea on grass. Then I discovered the rolling and cartwheel method from a video on YouTube so if anything I will probably go that route.

8 minutes ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

Home Depot here in Canada rent long bed pick up trucks by the hour/day for pretty cheap. I have seen 7x7 spas tipped on their sides into pick ups and strapped down. Do I advise this...not publicly...lol. If you do please use 2" straps. Had one guy load an 8x8 and tied it down with skinny yellow rope. Asked him where he was taking it...North Bay...4 hours away. I gave him a 30/30 Warranty... 30 seconds or thirty feet which ever comes first and I started counting 29 seconds ago. 

Then there's this guy...

Shame! Porsche driver busted towing hot tub on slapdash wooden cart |  Driving

Woodstock, Ont., police intervene as Porsche driver attempts to haul hot  tub using homemade cart | Globalnews.ca

Believe me, safety is my number one concern. I'm already concerned about driving with it on its side but I feel like if I go slow and tie it down with enough straps, I think it will work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Ok so I wanted to give you guys an update. I went with a different tub since the person giving it away was not responding to any messages. Found someone selling a 2013 Hot Springs Jetsetter with a small leak for $80 (7'x 5.5'). Grabbed a friend and rented a uhaul trailer to pick it up. I ended up making a sled with 4x8 sheet of coroplast from HD. It ended up being a one time use sled since I couldn't remove mounting points for the spa cover lifter since someone used Robertson screws and I didn't have the bit with me. This created a pressure point and caused a small hole in one part of the sled but the tub was not damaged. In this instance I think using the sled instead of pvc was a better method since part of the terrain was on a slope, however even though the manual says that the spa weighs 450lb empty, that fucker must have weighed at least 800lb because even with 2 people (myself included) we were not able to lift the spa with a dolly and switch over to lifting it by hand on to its side. We actually had to ask the homeowners for help with moving it and moving it with the sled, having to constantly take breaks every couple of pushes. Did it save money moving it myself? Without a doubt, ABSOLUTELY! Would I do that again? **** no, unless I had the same equipment that pros use. 

 

On a side note, if anyone has a Jetsetter; can someone tell me what the hose at the bottom corner of the siding does?

20211030_162821.jpg

20211030_161114.jpg

20211031_151509.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, 6010fd12 said:

Found someone selling a 2013 Hot Springs Jetsetter with a small leak for $80

Great price for one of the best 3 Seaters in the industry.   Although good luck digging out and fixing the leak! These suckers are full-foam insulated (awesome from an energy efficiency standpoint, sucks to dig out the plumbing when something leaks)

 

44 minutes ago, 6010fd12 said:

On a side note, if anyone has a Jetsetter; can someone tell me what the hose at the bottom corner of the siding does?

Hose?  Do you mean the hose connection at the bottom of the spa?  That's the drain line for draining the spa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too late to be helpful to you but ... I made a "sled" by making a snug frame out of 2x4's that fit the tub, then rolling that frame (w/ the tub in it) over large diameter PVC pipes. But then it turned out it was easier just to skid it over 4x4's... I don't think the bottom of the tub is damaged (a used Aquaterra, a Costco acrylic tub).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, ratchett said:

Great price for one of the best 3 Seaters in the industry.   Although good luck digging out and fixing the leak! These suckers are full-foam insulated (awesome from an energy efficiency standpoint, sucks to dig out the plumbing when something leaks)

 

Hose?  Do you mean the hose connection at the bottom of the spa?  That's the drain line for draining the spa

I'm going to get the picture for you when I get home but in the meantime could you link me to a video or guide on how to winterize my specific tub? This my first time owning a hot tub and I have no clue how to proceed. I have a shop vac and 25 gal air compressor if that helps any.

 

Edit: here is the picture.

http://imgur.com/a/OoUFRR3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, 6010fd12 said:

Edit: here is the picture.

http://imgur.com/a/OoUFRR3

Ohh that's likely an overflow runoff drain line for the speakers or something (so if water splashes into the speakers, water would flow out the bottom through that drain line and out of the tub).

 

15 hours ago, 6010fd12 said:

I'm going to get the picture for you when I get home but in the meantime could you link me to a video or guide on how to winterize my specific tub? This my first time owning a hot tub and I have no clue how to proceed. I have a shop vac and 25 gal air compressor if that helps any.

Are you sure you want to winterize? Winter is the best time to use a hottub, and Hotspring Highlife spas are some of the most energy efficient fully-insulated spas in the industry.  Unless you are not able to be there to maintain the spa I do not recommend winterizing.

One of the worst things you can do to a spa is to remove the water for an extended period of time. When you remove the water the air can get to anything metal (heater element) and the seals around the jets will deteriorate and shrink. Hot Tubs like to be hot and running.  They have the longest lifespan when left filled with balanced/sanitized water. It keeps everything warm and supple. Look at it this way - the cost of one repair will override any electric savings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, ratchett said:

Ohh that's likely an overflow runoff drain line for the speakers or something (so if water splashes into the speakers, water would flow out the bottom through that drain line and out of the tub).

Gotcha, thank you. I doubt this is the case but it would be really funny if the original owner sold it because what they thought was a leak was just the overflow.

 

50 minutes ago, ratchett said:

Are you sure you want to winterize?

Sadly at this point I don't have any choice. Currently it's sitting in the garage of a relatives house since I don't have room for it not to mention that there no 220v outlet (I know it can be wired to 110) and I don't have the permits needed to run it. I will be moving next year to a new house so it's only temporary and regardless I would like to fix the leak before I use it for good. We just had below freezing temps last night in Illinois which isn't the the most optimal weather to find water leaks in which is why I sadly have to winterize it. Not to mention I found 3 dead mice in the maintenance panel and some "strange padding"? In a corner of the tub which I have to go throught and clean up(see pic).

 

I followed the jetsetter manual on how to winterize: sucked up the residual water, blew out the return line, vacuumed all the jets and main and auxiliary drains and finally poured 1 gal of Prestone AF222(which I believe to be Propylene Glycol) in all jets and return lines just in case. Let me know if I missed anything.

20211101_173025.jpg

20211101_173038.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you remove the pump return suction covers in the foot well and suck it out there? Not sure about your model but some spas have one way check valves in the plumbing. I see it often where the customer swears up and down they got all the water out but neglected to suck the water out from the pump returns. They got all the water on one side of the check valve but not the other. I have turned down min 10 calls for winterizing in the past 3 weeks. I won't do it anymore. To much liability. I don't know what happens to a spa during the 6 mths it sits there. Did the cover blow open half way through winter and fill with snow and thaw and refreeze and thaw and refreeze or despite removing as much water as possible it is impossible to get it all. Then in spring when they restart and plumbing is cracked they call me saying well you winterized it you fix it. For a couple hundred bucks...No thanks. You take water out of a spa you are asking for trouble... rusted heaters shrunken seals. Cheaper to keep it running. 1 service call with a repair and the cost of winterizing you are already over what it costs to keep it running through winter. Use it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, 6010fd12 said:

Wouldn't the antifreeze cover all the other spots that were missed?

How would you know and that's kinda my point. I understand some spas have to be winterized for various reason and you do the best you can and it sounds like you did the job right. My comment is also for a wider audience considering the pros and cons of winterizing. I make most of my service sales in the spring right through summer and into fall on spas that have freeze damage. Some spas are simple and have basic plumbing but A LOT of spas have complicated plumbing with one way check valves, dead ends, loops, Y fittings, hanging manifolds, waterfalls get missed a lot. Less than a 1/4 cup of water will freeze a pump impeller in place. 1/2 a cup at the bottom of a hanging manifold can freeze and crack rigid plumbing. Ice expands with force. Even if you don't intend to use the spa in winter but have the option to keep it running set a lower temp or Sleep Mode and check on it every couple of days at most and water test/balance every couple of weeks or when needed. If you have to you have to but if you can keep a spa maintained and running it will live a longer life. If you do winterize be sure to use a plumbing line cleaner on start up to remove and disinfect the mold and funky stuff that can grow during shut down. Try Ahh-Some. JMO

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, you made me second guess myself so I went back disconnected all the lines and blew them ALL out. I can confidently look you in the eyes right now and tell you straight up there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO CHANCE anything is getting frozen in that tub. However while disconnecting all those lines the fragile plastic broke on 2 parts (pics included). I know that 90 degree elbo shouldn't be too expensive/hard to find and replace but the barb fitting on the Freshwater III ozone system has me really concerned. I'm worried I might have to replace the whole unit in order to replace that barb fitting. Any ideas?

aX35kfI.jpg

OUA0vAG.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I recently had to move my hot tub, and I ended up buying a second-hand Big Tex 14OA-20 from https://www.boomandbucket.com/equipment/trailers, which cost me around $6000. It was a budget-friendly choice considering I didn't want to splurge too much, especially since I was just starting a plumbing installation service.

It's sturdy enough to handle heavy loads like my hot tub without any promblem. Just make sure to secure everything; I use heavy-duty ratchet straps and sometimes additional cushioning for extra safety. As for the hot tub's electrical and technical parts, I made sure to disconnect everything and securely wrap the components to avoid any damage during the move. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...