Loquitur Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 I'm expecting my KK to arrive at the end of July. I live in a village on a corner lot and will have to negotiate a fair distance of sidewalk, fencing, brick pathways, 2 gates and the length of my brick patio to get the KK to its final resting place. Freight deliveries in my area usually come in a big van with a lift gate so I expect they will unload the crate on the sidewalk. If I uncrate it on the sidewalk, do I use the wood from the crate to make a ramp so the KK can be wheeled off the pallet onto the sidewalk? The brick for the pathways and patio was laid in cement with the bricks butted up against each other so there are no grout joints. Its pretty smooth as brick landscape goes but it is brick nevertheless. Should I expect to be able to push or pull the KK over a surface such as this? If so, should I expect that the castors on the KK will wheel it in a straight line? My pathway is only 31†wide at some points and I don’t have much more than that going through one of the gates so I won’t have much room to maneuver if it wants to go sideways. Lastly, I’m wondering if the final resting place for the KK has to be exactly level. The corner of my patio where it will be located is in front of a gate (which has been permanently closed) leading out to the sidewalk. There is a slight slope there due to the change in elevation between the patio and the sidewalk – I would say the front wheels might be ½ inch higher than one of the rear wheels and ¼ inch higher than the other rear wheel. Is there a way I could “shim†the rear legs to make up this difference or does it not matter? Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Re: Wheeling and Leveling a KK First, welcome aboard and warm up that digital camera Freight deliveries in my area usually come in a big van with a lift gate so I expect they will unload the crate on the sidewalk. If I uncrate it on the sidewalk' date=' do I use the wood from the crate to make a ramp so the KK can be wheeled off the pallet onto the sidewalk?[/quote'] The driver's willingness to help varies greatly by the luck of the draw. You may end up being able to coax more service out of them with a cold beverage and/or a generous tip. However it's probably a good idea to assume the worst. If they put it at your sidewalk, you can use the wood to create a small ramp for the KK, but if you've got a friend you can also just lift it off. With just two people, I'd recommend removing the lid and contents of the cooker; also having some 2x4s and moving blankets on hand helps. The brick for the pathways and patio was laid in cement with the bricks butted up against each other so there are no grout joints. Its pretty smooth as brick landscape goes but it is brick nevertheless. Should I expect to be able to push or pull the KK over a surface such as this? Especially if you have the larger 23" model I doubt there will be an issue. The casters on the 23" are pretty big and glide easily over most surfaces. The 19.5" casters are a little smaller so you may have to use more effort or go slower but again there probably won't be an issue. If so' date=' should I expect that the castors on the KK will wheel it in a straight line?[/quote'] The casters swivel so you can guide it in whatever direction you want. The slower you go the more control you'll have, but if there are uneven bricks or slopes it's best to anticipate these ahead of time so you can compensate. Like rolling any heavy object, you'll probably get the hang of it quickly. Lastly' date=' I’m wondering if the final resting place for the KK has to be exactly level.[/quote'] I doubt it'll be an issue but since there are four wheels the more level it is the less likely it is to rock. If the slope is too great you can do a quick temporary fix with the crate material, but your favorite local home improvement store should sell furniture leveling shims designed to fit under casters. If you can find a plastic or rubber one without felt underneath that may be your best bet since it'll be outdoors, but if felt is all that's available you can consider removing it first. Good luck and it sounds like a very interesting tile color choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Puurfect answers.. Puurfect answers.. Thanks Jeff You could always hire a crane like this guy did in Holland to get it up to his 5th floor garden.. Need it in your back yard? just lift it up and over the house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Re: Wheeling and Leveling a KK [ The casters on the 23" are pretty big and glide easily over most surfaces.....The casters swivel so you can guide it in whatever direction you want. Great - I don't think I will have any problem. My brother with his two strapping teenage sons will be here to help as well as my husband. .... If the slope is too great you can do a quick temporary fix with the crate material, but your favorite local home improvement store should sell furniture leveling shims designed to fit under casters. That's exactly what I need. I didn't know they made such a thing. Good luck and it sounds like a very interesting tile color choice! I don't have a picture of mine yet but its the same as Cozy's. There is a picture of his in the current inventory topic about 3/4's of the way down. It's beautiful!!! Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 With at least four able-bodied people to help I wouldn't worry about the ramp, just some 2x4s with a little padding (just in case) and they should be able to lift the cooker off the shipping base enough for someone else to kick the base out from underneath - this'll be a piece of cake! And here's that picture of Cozy's for those who are too lazy to search for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U2PLT Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Cozy's New One I decided to let my son Warren have my existing KK almost 4 years old. I decided to award myself with a new KK for my 80th birthday at my wife's urging. What a great wife, after putting up with my 23.5 years as USAF pilot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanwiley Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Looks like I have the exact same pattern. It looks fabulous when the sun gleaming off it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linuxwrangler Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 "Forearm Forklifts" (available at lots of truck-rental and hardware stores) or "Teamstraps" allow you to lift and move an amazing amount of weight. My friend and I lifted a 600 pound Kooker off the pallet with the Forearm Forklifts. I recommend keeping a set around the house just to avoid the temptation to wreck you back when moving furniture and the like. I was wondering how our old fridge would be wrestled out and the new one in but the guys just threw on some teamstraps and carried the old one out and new one in quick as you please. I wouldn't try to carry the whole thing much of a distance with the forklifts unless you had two pair and four people but for moving up over edges where it won't roll, they are great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Poppa Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Linux Nice handle...Im waiting for my 2 kk's that landed on the 20th Do you work in open source? My company Ernie Ball made quite a little stir when we threw MS out of our company about 7 years ago in favor of 100% OS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 You have outed yourself Poppa...the Sterling Ball who the BSA tried to make an example of, and who proudly responded with a very large, single erect finger. And for that, you have my respect. I think your experiences will also give you a special appreciation of the craftsmanship represented in your grills when they arrive, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Dennis - the original question in this thread reminds me of a suggestion I made a couple years back...adjustable casters. viewtopic.php?t=1939 I still havent gotten down under it to see how the wheels attach, but the adjustment could be as easy as a nut/bolt at the attachment of the existing casters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Poppa Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Yeah thats me...are you are guitar player or a computer guy? I still do the occasional interview for that. I never did it for the press I took the stand because it was handled so wrong. Hijack over sorry! Im waiting to start with my KK's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Yeah thats me...are you are guitar player or a computer guy? HaHa - Has to be one of the two, right! Im a computer guy, who used to have a job buying/selling used musical gear. I have friends and neighbors that are talented guitarists, but I cant play a single note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Wheeling the KK- suggestion Thought I'd provide my 2cents..... My experience in moving our KK's has been quite successful. I had to move each from the driveway around to the back porch, only a distance of approximately 250 feet, but far enough to know the method is one that you can use to move them an unlimited distance. Leaving the KK in the crate, I used a regular old hand truck (not an appliance dolly) I bought at harbor freight, slid it under the pallet from behind the KK, so when tipped back the KK was resting on the spine. I strapped the KK to the hand truck, in essence making one unit out of the hand truck and crate. For the large one, I had two guys on the hand truck and one to help tip it back, with the small one, my wife helped me tip it and I was on the hand truck. It rolled quite easily over grass, up a 2-3 inch rise around my patio. Once near where I wanted it, let it down easy with assistance, uncrate and roll into final position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linuxwrangler Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Linux Do you work in open source? Yup. All my personal machines have run Linux for over a decade. At work, we are not 100% OS but the only proprietary stuff is some desktops running Windows. We're a small company, but I'm currently managing about 30 Linux servers and growing. I'm fairly active on the PostgreSQL lists and have had some documentation accepted into the project. Now you are reminding me, I've gotta get registered for OSCON.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Adjustable Casters. Dennis - the original question in this thread reminds me of a suggestion I made a couple years back...adjustable casters. viewtopic.php?t=1939 I still havent gotten down under it to see how the wheels attach, but the adjustment could be as easy as a nut/bolt at the attachment of the existing casters. It's do-able.. but as most customers have a level location, it does not make sense to have the adjustable feature standard. The castors use the standard four bolt pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z327 Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Re: Cozy's New One I decided to let my son Warren have my existing KK almost 4 years old. I decided to award myself with a new KK for my 80th birthday at my wife's urging. What a great wife' date=' after putting up with my 23.5 years as USAF pilot.[/quote'] I went to Home Depot and got a sheet of 19/32 plywood. They cut it into three pieces 30 inches wide. The plywood was thick enough to handle the weight of the KK as I wheeled it up the one brick height step to the front door. I then used all three sheets moving one in front of the other as I pulled the KK through the house (while the wife was out). The plywood protected the ceramic tile floors and the wood floors. The only big challenge was getting it up the incline from the back concrete to the redwood deck. I had to put two of the plywood pieces on top of each other to hold the weight at a steep incline. With some really good tennis shoes I was able to pull it up and onto the deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted August 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 KK Castors The KK castors are great. I have overgrown pachysandra and euonymous encroaching on my brick walkway, pretty heavily in some areas. I had intended to trim it back before the KK was delivered for a clear path but that didn't happen. Plan B was plywood. But it wasn't even necessary. With one guy pushing and one guy pulling, the KK plowed through it like a bulldozer. Uncrating was no problem. We removed the grills from the body but did not remove the lid. Then 4 guys with two pieces of 2x4's gave it a power lift for just enough time for me to pull the pallet out. I don't think it took 5 minutes to get the KK from my front gate where the driver left it to its final resting place after it was uncrated. Really a piece of cake. I'll post some pics. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted August 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 Some Pix Thanks, Hitman, hope this works. These pictures show the crate on my front walkway where the driver left it, the overgrown part of my walkway which the KK plowed through with no problem and its final resting place, for now anyway. I'm undergoing a patio renovation and am planning to have some cabinetry built along the fence to the left since that gate is now permanently closed. Thanks heavens for my disconnected gasser - its great for storing all the accessories. The angle isn't very good on the last picture but my cat stalking the KK was too funny!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted August 10, 2009 Report Share Posted August 10, 2009 Great looking cooker and you picked a great place to set it! So, how did the cat taste??!?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
