I Just Bought One! Need Some Help!

[mattNY]

Hi everyone!

Just bought a used Hot Springs tub. It's in really good shape for its age (8 yrs) from an older couple that's moved to Fla. and only lives here in the summer. Saw it running, no visible problems.

Anyway, more details later, I have a burning question: What's the best way to move this thing? I'm going to go by on Saturday to move it, I can get a few guys no problem, but I would hate to damage the tub through ignorance.

I have a guy with a full size pickup, was wondering if we can just tip it up, put it in the bed of the truck, cinch it down and drive it here. (It's about a 4.5 mile drive on nonbusy roads.)

Or do I need to transport it sitting flat to keep it from being damaged?

Any help is most appreciated, I'm trying to coordinate this, people, and electricians all at the same time, it came a bit out of the blue.

[Jack L]

Hi everyone!

Just bought a used Hot Springs tub. It's in really good shape for its age (8 yrs) from an older couple that's moved to Fla. and only lives here in the summer. Saw it running, no visible problems.

Anyway, more details later, I have a burning question: What's the best way to move this thing? I'm going to go by on Saturday to move it, I can get a few guys no problem, but I would hate to damage the tub through ignorance.

I have a guy with a full size pickup, was wondering if we can just tip it up, put it in the bed of the truck, cinch it down and drive it here. (It's about a 4.5 mile drive on nonbusy roads.)

Or do I need to transport it sitting flat to keep it from being damaged?

Any help is most appreciated, I'm trying to coordinate this, people, and electricians all at the same time, it came a bit out of the blue.

You can call a hot tub moving company that can do the move for you. I found that there are many around and the cost is very reasonable (under $200 if not far). FYI....

THe movers that brought our hot tub in Tuesday use a big dolly to carry the tub on its side from a trailer to our backyard. The thing is, it was surrounded by lots of styrofoam. I don't know how far you have to go, but if its not too far, and not too bumpy it should ride ok on its side. If its bumpy and/or a long distance I'd consider getting a trailer and hauling it flat.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Hi everyone!

Just bought a used Hot Springs tub. It's in really good shape for its age (8 yrs) from an older couple that's moved to Fla. and only lives here in the summer. Saw it running, no visible problems.

Anyway, more details later, I have a burning question: What's the best way to move this thing? I'm going to go by on Saturday to move it, I can get a few guys no problem, but I would hate to damage the tub through ignorance.

I have a guy with a full size pickup, was wondering if we can just tip it up, put it in the bed of the truck, cinch it down and drive it here. (It's about a 4.5 mile drive on nonbusy roads.)

Or do I need to transport it sitting flat to keep it from being damaged?

Any help is most appreciated, I'm trying to coordinate this, people, and electricians all at the same time, it came a bit out of the blue.

Assuming you decide to tackle this yourself, you'll obviously need to remove the cover and lifter if you have one but you must NEVER expose the shell to direct sunlight when the spa is empty so you'll need to cover it during transport and you really should wrap the sides and bartop as well to avoid scratches. It's always better to move them sitting flat but those spas are typically pretty sturdy and you should be able to stand it on it's side and move it that way providing you secure it properly with the equpiment side up (and be sure to remove the filter lid and filters for the trip).

[mattNY]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I called a few spa moving companies earlier, they are all charging in the $400 neighborhood, which seems silly to me for what is a 4.7 mile move down back roads.

I have a friend lined up with a full-size pickup and 4-5 guys on board so far. I'm hoping we can lift it and carry it to the truck, tip it up on the ground, set it in the bed, cinch it, and transport it here, then remove it and carry it into my backyard.

Thanks for the advice about covering the shell, I didn't know that. I will look into getting some moving blankets or such.

Spatech, about equipment side down, the guy from the spa store that I called told me to make sure it was pump/equipment side up when I transported it, that it shouldn't be resting on the equipment side. Is he wrong about that?

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Spatech, about equipment side down, the guy from the spa store that I called told me to make sure it was pump/equipment side up when I transported it, that it shouldn't be resting on the equipment side. Is he wrong about that?

Some some say down to keep the weight at the lowest point and some say up becase that's the weakest side but of teh two I think up is better. It wouldn't be a bad idea to open the door and make sure everything is secure before moving it.

You can ship it on the side if you're careful but another idea is to see if Home Depot has a sufficiently wide flatbed they'll rent out for an hour. Sure it's added cost but it also makes life easier and you only have to do this once.

[poollady]

Some some say down to keep the weight at the lowest point and some say up becase that's the weakest side but of teh two I think up is better. It wouldn't be a bad idea to open the door and make sure everything is secure before moving it.

You can ship it on the side if you're careful but another idea is to see if Home Depot has a sufficiently wide flatbed they'll rent out for an hour. Sure it's added cost but it also makes life easier and you only have to do this once.

We recommend keeping it flat, also and strapping it down. If you go slow and don't hit any bumps (like RR tracks) you should be OK for less than 5 miles. Have fun tubbing!

[sharkman009]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I called a few spa moving companies earlier, they are all charging in the $400 neighborhood, which seems silly to me for what is a 4.7 mile move down back roads.

I have a friend lined up with a full-size pickup and 4-5 guys on board so far. I'm hoping we can lift it and carry it to the truck, tip it up on the ground, set it in the bed, cinch it, and transport it here, then remove it and carry it into my backyard.

Thanks for the advice about covering the shell, I didn't know that. I will look into getting some moving blankets or such.

Spatech, about equipment side down, the guy from the spa store that I called told me to make sure it was pump/equipment side up when I transported it, that it shouldn't be resting on the equipment side. Is he wrong about that?

matt,

Which model is your spa? If it is a classic your going to have a harder time moving it on its side. Spatech was right keep the spa off of the equipment side. If you can get a flat trailer like a snowmobile trailer they work great. Get a couple of guys and a piano dolly to roll it around on. If you need to go across grass or dirt with it make sure you take some sheets of 1/2" plywood to roll the spa across to get it to your trailer. If you find out which model it is I can tell you how much it weighs.

[turbottt1]

Why not call uhaul or another rental company reserve a car trailer and bring it home flat??? We just rented one to move a car and the cost was only 35.00 for a half of day. good luck. steve

[poollady]

Why not call uhaul or another rental company reserve a car trailer and bring it home flat??? We just rented one to move a car and the cost was only 35.00 for a half of day. good luck. steve

We are actually a U Haul dealer. We rent car trailers (auto transport) and piano dollies. We also have what's called a two-part cart. There are two sections to it. You strap one section around each side of the tub, step on the lever, and it lifts the tub off the floor about 4". It also works well for moving freezers or any other big bulky item. This works OK if you are moving across a flat surface, but if you are moving over a lawn or other rough surface, we usee a flat dolly with large wheels (2 of the wheels turn in all directions).

[mattNY]

Well - made a ton of calls in my local area today.

-Home Depot does not rent trailers in my area, unfortunately.

-UHaul does not rent open trailers with sufficient width between the wheel wells (even the car trailers are under 7'). Neither did United.

-Snowmobile trailers are *remarkably* hard to find for rental. I know a few people who own them, but they are quite a distance away.

-I called on the large-wheel dollies, but getting one by tomorrow would be a problem.

I have 6 or 7 guys coming, plus a full-size pickup, so we are going to give the side transport a careful try along with good old fashioned human-power to carry the tub. If we decide it's not going to work, I have a snowmobile trailer on backup a little over an hour away.

[sharkman009]

Well - made a ton of calls in my local area today.

-Home Depot does not rent trailers in my area, unfortunately.

-UHaul does not rent open trailers with sufficient width between the wheel wells (even the car trailers are under 7'). Neither did United.

-Snowmobile trailers are *remarkably* hard to find for rental. I know a few people who own them, but they are quite a distance away.

-I called on the large-wheel dollies, but getting one by tomorrow would be a problem.

I have 6 or 7 guys coming, plus a full-size pickup, so we are going to give the side transport a careful try along with good old fashioned human-power to carry the tub. If we decide it's not going to work, I have a snowmobile trailer on backup a little over an hour away.

Good Luck.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

I have 6 or 7 guys coming, plus a full-size pickup, so we are going to give the side transport a careful try along with good old fashioned human-power to carry the tub. If we decide it's not going to work, I have a snowmobile trailer on backup a little over an hour away.

If you take your time and don't buy the beer until AFTER they help you move it I think you'll be ok. Remember, that should be a sturdy spa but teh older a spa gets the more it really doesn't like to be moved so treat it like you're moving a crystal statue.

[mattNY]

Well - the move is generally complete. It took an hour from start to finish including travel time there and back, but it was a hard hour, heh. The hot tub wasn't difficult to lift flat, but we had to tip it up on its side to get it off the deck which sucked big-time, and of course lifting it into the bed wasn't easy.

The tub is now sitting in my garage, this week I'll be calling some contractors to get estimates on getting a slab poured. I already spoke to my electrician and he's ready to go, he's actually one of the local installers for the Hot Springs dealer, which I didn't know.

My last hassle will be getting the breaker box, my electrician advised me it'd be about $150-175, then when I called the dealer they told me $400 over the phone, which seems totally insane to me for a 30-amp and a 20-amp breaker. I have a specific name from my electrician to call back with, I don't want to spend more than $150 if I can possibly help it.

The tub is a Hot Springs, model is the one just below the Grandee (Highline I think it is? I don't have the book here at work) from that year. It's in quite nice shape for its age, I'll be using the time while getting the site prepared to wash it down and restain and poly the cedar cabinet.

Thanks a lot for all the help, it's much appreciated. I've learned a lot on these boards (and the old ones) in the past year or so.

I know it's quite a controversial subject, but any recommendations on chemicals? The old owners were using a bromine floater I believe, but I haven't decided which way to go yet. Kind of leaning towards Nature2 and Chlorine, as I hear good things about it.

I will be posting pictures up when the installation is complete.

[flibotte]

I had to move my spa from my front yard to the back yard. I has 6 guys but it was very heavy and difficult to move so I used 3 round stockade fence posts to roll it on the ground (the same way the Egyptians moved the blocks into place on the pyramids. . I had six guys but once the posts were under it it could be easily moved with just 2 people. I was surprised how easy it was to move.

[Brulan1]

Well - the move is generally complete. It took an hour from start to finish including travel time there and back, but it was a hard hour, heh. The hot tub wasn't difficult to lift flat, but we had to tip it up on its side to get it off the deck which sucked big-time, and of course lifting it into the bed wasn't easy.

The tub is now sitting in my garage, this week I'll be calling some contractors to get estimates on getting a slab poured. I already spoke to my electrician and he's ready to go, he's actually one of the local installers for the Hot Springs dealer, which I didn't know.

My last hassle will be getting the breaker box, my electrician advised me it'd be about $150-175, then when I called the dealer they told me $400 over the phone, which seems totally insane to me for a 30-amp and a 20-amp breaker. I have a specific name from my electrician to call back with, I don't want to spend more than $150 if I can possibly help it.

The tub is a Hot Springs, model is the one just below the Grandee (Highline I think it is? I don't have the book here at work) from that year. It's in quite nice shape for its age, I'll be using the time while getting the site prepared to wash it down and restain and poly the cedar cabinet.

Thanks a lot for all the help, it's much appreciated. I've learned a lot on these boards (and the old ones) in the past year or so.

I know it's quite a controversial subject, but any recommendations on chemicals? The old owners were using a bromine floater I believe, but I haven't decided which way to go yet. Kind of leaning towards Nature2 and Chlorine, as I hear good things about it.

I will be posting pictures up when the installation is complete.

Congratulations on your HS spa and I hope you get many years of enjoyment.

[sharkman009]

Well - the move is generally complete. It took an hour from start to finish including travel time there and back, but it was a hard hour, heh. The hot tub wasn't difficult to lift flat, but we had to tip it up on its side to get it off the deck which sucked big-time, and of course lifting it into the bed wasn't easy.

The tub is now sitting in my garage, this week I'll be calling some contractors to get estimates on getting a slab poured. I already spoke to my electrician and he's ready to go, he's actually one of the local installers for the Hot Springs dealer, which I didn't know.

My last hassle will be getting the breaker box, my electrician advised me it'd be about $150-175, then when I called the dealer they told me $400 over the phone, which seems totally insane to me for a 30-amp and a 20-amp breaker. I have a specific name from my electrician to call back with, I don't want to spend more than $150 if I can possibly help it.

The tub is a Hot Springs, model is the one just below the Grandee (Highline I think it is? I don't have the book here at work) from that year. It's in quite nice shape for its age, I'll be using the time while getting the site prepared to wash it down and restain and poly the cedar cabinet.

Thanks a lot for all the help, it's much appreciated. I've learned a lot on these boards (and the old ones) in the past year or so.

I know it's quite a controversial subject, but any recommendations on chemicals? The old owners were using a bromine floater I believe, but I haven't decided which way to go yet. Kind of leaning towards Nature2 and Chlorine, as I hear good things about it.

I will be posting pictures up when the installation is complete.

Hey Matt hows it going with the spa?

The chlorine with nature 2 is a good system. Another thing you could use is bromine and an ozonator or if you want to get away from the chemical smell all together check into softsoak or baquaspa. They are peroxide based sanitizers. JUst make sur that your spa is compatable with that product as some of the older spas pumps and light lenses can become brittle from the peroxide. I use Softsoak in my spa and I love it. No chemical smell or feel.

Try to find a dealer in your area that does water testing its great to have that kind of support for any questions that you might have .

[mattNY]

It's going! I got some shell cleaner to get it all sparkly, some protectant for the cover, and I'm going to wash it down and stain the cabinet this weekend. Still waiting on some patio estimates for the slab, and still gotta call on the breaker box, work has been crazy this week.

There is a Jacuzzi dealer about a mile down the street that I think I will use for most of my supplies, the Hot Springs dealer is about 20 miles so not quite as convenient. I'll have to ask them about water testing and Softsoak, thanks for the suggestions!

[poollady]

It's going! I got some shell cleaner to get it all sparkly, some protectant for the cover, and I'm going to wash it down and stain the cabinet this weekend. Still waiting on some patio estimates for the slab, and still gotta call on the breaker box, work has been crazy this week.

There is a Jacuzzi dealer about a mile down the street that I think I will use for most of my supplies, the Hot Springs dealer is about 20 miles so not quite as convenient. I'll have to ask them about water testing and Softsoak, thanks for the suggestions!

Glad everything is going good for you Matt, I would just caution you about using Softsoak. Try bromine or another method of sanitizing.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Glad everything is going good for you Matt, I would just caution you about using Softsoak. Try bromine or another method of sanitizing.

Bromine = yuck IMO. Stick to a simple chlorine routine or a chlroine based Nature 2 system (especially if you have a good CD ozone unit) to care for your water.

[windsurfdog]

...or if you want to get away from the chemical smell all together check into...

...dichlor. I don't understand why some people think that a dichlor routine produces a chemical smell. If one's tub reeks of a chlorine smell, it's long past needing a good shock. And contrary to popular belief (in some circles anyway), a dichlor routine is definitely one of the easiest, if not the easiest, routines to use. Combine dichlor with minerals (i.e., N2 or other mineral filters) and ozone and one's tub will not only look clean and be easy to keep clean, it will also allow one to soak in very little, if any, chemicals.

[sharkman009]

Glad everything is going good for you Matt, I would just caution you about using Softsoak. Try bromine or another method of sanitizing.

What is your caution about using softsoak?

...dichlor. I don't understand why some people think that a dichlor routine produces a chemical smell. If one's tub reeks of a chlorine smell, it's long past needing a good shock. And contrary to popular belief (in some circles anyway), a dichlor routine is definitely one of the easiest, if not the easiest, routines to use. Combine dichlor with minerals (i.e., N2 or other mineral filters) and ozone and one's tub will not only look clean and be easy to keep clean, it will also allow one to soak in very little, if any, chemicals.

Any chlorine or bromine chemical routine will have a chemical smell even if you use a mineral cartridge or ozone because you need to maintain a residual of whatever sanitizer you are using. You will always be soaking in chemicals.

Both the cartridge and ozone allow you to run the sanitizer levels lower so the smell will not be as strong.

[mattNY]

Well - I always like how East TX Spa does his photo excursions, and I thought I'd throw up just a few pics in like fashion.

The tub is a Hot Springs Highline, owner said around 8 years old so I'm guessing it's a 1998 or thereabouts. I got it quite cheap and its in nice shape considering, though the cabinet is quite weathered.

Here's the inside after I cleaned it this weekend with some shell cleaner:

Not a lot of fancy jets, but I just wanted a starter tub anyway. (Hot swirly water is good enough for me!)

As I said, the cabinet is quite weathered at the moment:

So I'm going to refinish it to help the looks and protect the wood.

Here's the side I started on:

Half done:

Aaand here's what the cabinet looks like now:

Two of the sides were ok, two were pretty beat up with water stains so I washed those with House Wash (helps to remove stains and mildew). I'll finish the cabinet up this week. Still getting concrete estimates on the patio, and found another Hot Springs dealer out of town that has the breaker for a reasonable price. ($350 seems insane to me.)

Will update as things progress.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Well - I always like how East TX Spa does his photo excursions, and I thought I'd throw up just a few pics in like fashion.

The tub is a Hot Springs Highline, owner said around 8 years old so I'm guessing it's a 1998 or thereabouts. I got it quite cheap and its in nice shape considering, though the cabinet is quite weathered.

I love it when people take older spas and breath new life into them. Too many cheapo spas end up as landfill after 8 or so years but the good ones keep going and going and if you freshen them up a bit they can look pretty darn good for their age.

[Rika]

Great job Matt. It's really looking nice.

Hope you are in the "Hot swirly water" soon.

[Brulan1]

Great job Matt. It's really looking nice.

Hope you are in the "Hot swirly water" soon.

That is wonderfull and I hope it has many years of pleasure. I like that one motomessage.