Moving A Sunray Costco Swingset

[Jerome Hanby]

I setup and assembled one of those big wooden swingsets from Costco a few years ago. Now we'd like to move it to a different part of the yard. Any suggestions? I can easily remove the monkey bar/swing rail and it's right hand support piece for the move across the yard, but the "tower" portion (picnic table and sandbox underneath, fort with roof and access to the slide on top) looks like it's going to be a pain. I'd sure like to avoid dissembling it. I think I could probably lift up one side at a time to slip something under it (then repeat on the other side) but I'm not sure what would roll across the yard (grass).

[Chris Padilla]

How about some pictures?

[Eddie Watkins]

I helped my nephew and brother move one last year. We took the swing arm off and layed it over on its side moved it using a couple of two wheel dollies with probably 8 or 10 inch tires with air in them. Once we got it where we wanted it we set it back up. There was great grunting and straining so I don't want to imply it was easy but 2 of us get senior discounts.:rolleyes: The groound will make a difference, too. Our ground was dry and fairly hard.
Just a warning, my family wants to sell tickets every time my brother and I start on a project because they don't think we use good judgement all the time so use this approach at your own risk.

Eddie

[Jerome Hanby]

Sounds like I'm qualified to use this technique!

I'll look for dollys like that, I had considered trying to build something like that, but it seemed like a lot of effort for (hopefully) a one time project. Sounds like a better option that rotating three poles back to front while trying to roll it.

Here is the picture per request. This is this year's model, but it's pr5etty close...





Just a warning, my family wants to sell tickets every time my brother and I start on a project because they don't think we use good judgement all the time so use this approach at your own risk.

Eddie

[Greg Cole]

If possible, can you put some 2 or 3" diameter pipe or something under it? Kinda like rolling stuff on logs 'way back when....
I've moved some cumbersome heavy loads that a'way.

Just my $0.02

Greg

[Greg Muller]

We have almost this exact model, and we moved ours about 45 feet just with 6 guys and some of those "forearm dollies". It wasn't easy and we had to take it about 5 feet at a time. Had to go slowly to avoid stressing the joints (on the playset and on us).

By the way, at 6'4" and 255 lbs, I was one of the smaller guys doing the lifting...:eek:

Greg

[Calvin Hobbs]

Jerome,

We moved one of these swingsets a few years ago. I put it on smooth 2x4's and slid it over the wood. Just use another two boards when you are at the end of the first pair. It was surprisingly easy. The 2x's could be waxed with a quick swipe of an old candle to make it even slicker. Cal

[Matt Meiser]

Sticks of PVC pipe would be cheap and have a pretty high crush strength for use as rollers. I would think even 4" S&D pipe would work if you yard is pretty smooth, or you could use a few sheets of OSB as a roadway and leap frog them as you go.

[John Schreiber]

It doesn't look like it is set into the ground, but that it just lays on top. (But I'll bet it's settled in to some degree.) If that's true, I'd try to lift it up at each corner and if necessary from other points one at a time with a jack to free it from the ground (lift enough to break the suction, then poor some sand underneath). Then start lifting it in sequence from one side to the other and slide plywood underneath. With a garden tractor or even an SUV, you might be able to tow it very carefully by the plywood. Or, you could put down 2x2 "rails" and use pvc pipe as rollers to move it.

[Lee Schierer]

I can't tell from the photos if the legs go into the ground or not. In any event, I would tie the legs together as it sits now with some 2 x 4's and put in diagonal braces. Then lift the unit one side at a time or both sides at the same time with a hydraulic jack or two until the bottom of the legs clear the ground. Then attach more 2 x 4's to the legs right at the bottom, in the direction closest to the direction I want to roll it and then use 2" pvc under the 2 x 4's for rollers. Roll it to the new location and reverse the lifting process to set it back down. A come along run to a stake in the ground will move it slowly, but with far less strain on your back.