Best/safest way to move a cabinet?

[javeryh]

I'm having some work done on my house and I'll have to relocate 2 of my arcade cabinets to my parents' house for several months.  What is the best way to wrap them up for moving?  I imagine I'll make 2 separate trips to their house (one for each cabinet) using my Rav4 with the seats down.  So the cabinets will be resting on their backs.  I was thinking about covering them with blankets and then wrapping them with plastic wrap.  Man, this sucks.

[Le Chuck]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,121605.0/all.html

Good moving advice thread.  My take way is to tape up any cords you can't remove from the back and to wrap with blankets and saran wrap.  It's pretty easy. 

[CheffoJeffo]

Most important thing is to make sure that there is nothing loose inside.

[ChadTower]

Most important thing is to make sure that there is nothing loose inside.

+10

Unless we're talking high end games here, or games you've restored lovingly, there really isn't a need to be all protective about them.  They're plywood boxes with paint.  Just make sure nothing is loose inside and that the monitor is secure and you're good.

[paigeoliver]

The blanket and plastic wrap thing just makes them harder to deal with if they are going into something like a Rav-4.

As the others have said, just make sure you don't have anything loose inside of them.

[Le Chuck]

The blanket and plastic wrap thing just makes them harder to deal with if they are going into something like a Rav-4.

As the others have said, just make sure you don't have anything loose inside of them.

Yep that blanket that turns a 300lb cabinet into a 303lb cabinet really puts things over the top. 

[Vigo]

Shovel them up on hand trucks, Wrap a tie down strap around it, and cart it away. If you can get a couple hand trucks, just leave them on the hand trucks permanently until they are moved back.

I wouldn't do any complete wrapping in blankets, just put something down where two surfaces can meet. Toss a towel in between the metal of the hand truck and the cabinet, a towel around the ratchet of the tie down. a blanket down on the truck bed when moving. You can use cardboard in there as well, but I don't know if bubble wrap would be any good. It seems to me it wouldn't hold up to the weight of a cabinet if hit on edge.

[CheffoJeffo]

The blanket and plastic wrap thing just makes them harder to deal with if they are going into something like a Rav-4.

As the others have said, just make sure you don't have anything loose inside of them.

Yep that blanket that turns a 300lb cabinet into a 303lb cabinet really puts things over the top. 

I never move a cab wrapped up -- I will wrap it in a blanket once in the vehicle and will use some flavour of padding on the dolly, but never put a wrapped cab on a dolly -- if things go south (and that can happen very quickly), it can be tough to get a grip if the cab is wrapped up.

[ChadTower]

Yep that blanket that turns a 300lb cabinet into a 303lb cabinet really puts things over the top. 

A 303lb cabinet that will not slide into the Rav4 without the blanket getting caught on every sticky outy bit on the bumper, door, or floor of the vehicle.  Even if it's not caught it will still get pulled down as you try to push the game over the carpet.  It makes it difficult to get any real handhold on most of the cabinet and if you DO get a handhold, and the blanket slides, your grip is lost and you drop the game.  The blanket really can be a super pain in the ass here.

BTW, the best thing I found to put under the cab to safely side it into a vehicle is cardboard.  Same reasons dudes used to breakdance on cardboard boxes.   

[Le Chuck]

Yep that blanket that turns a 300lb cabinet into a 303lb cabinet really puts things over the top. 

A 303lb cabinet that will not slide into the Rav4 without the blanket getting caught on every sticky outy bit on the bumper, door, or floor of the vehicle.  Even if it's not caught it will still get pulled down as you try to push the game over the carpet.  It makes it difficult to get any real handhold on most of the cabinet and if you DO get a handhold, and the blanket slides, your grip is lost and you drop the game.  The blanket really can be a super pain in the ass here.

BTW, the best thing I found to put under the cab to safely side it into a vehicle is cardboard.  Same reasons dudes used to breakdance on cardboard boxes. 

Any reason not to put the wrapped cab on cardboard? 

I'm not saying I'm a cab moving master and I have certainly not moved as many cabs as Paige or Chad but I have watched professional movers destroy my pride and joy because they "knew what they were doing".  I've since wrapped my cabs and pins when I've moved and have had no issues.  Cardboard is always part of my moving arsenal tho as it does take care of those niggling sliding issues.   

[ChadTower]

You could put the wrapped cab on cardboard and it would help with the sliding.  It might make it slide so easily that you have to strap it down more inside the vehicle.

I have seen guys wrap a game in cardboard held on by shrinkwrap.  That's usually for shipping, though.  I don't see why, if he's moving it himself, he has to go to that much effort.  That would only be necessary for something in super nice shape or super expensive. 

[Well Fed Games]

Agree with the above posts. Removing delicate pieces and overkill on shrinkwrap and cardboard may take an extra half hour but makes moving them far less stressful.

[ChadTower]

The one thing about shrinkwrap and this particular situation is the vehicle.  He's going to have to tip that game and slide it into the vehicle.  Shrinkwrap will have heavy friction on everything.

[Well Fed Games]

The one thing about shrinkwrap and this particular situation is the vehicle.  He's going to have to tip that game and slide it into the vehicle.  Shrinkwrap will have heavy friction on everything.

Yeah, just put a blanket half in the bed, so once you tip it, the blanket slides along with it. Something like a fleece works well.

[nemo1966]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,121605.0/all.html

Good moving advice thread.  My take way is to tape up any cords you can't remove from the back and to wrap with blankets and saran wrap.  It's pretty easy.

Always lift with your legs 

[DeLuSioNal29]

Here's what I do.  (I try not to over complicate things and I've moved several)

A)  Wrap it up in plastic wrap (they go for about $20 or so at Home Depot).  This will keep the dust out as well.  It's great, because it provides a thin layer of protection from scratching the paint if you bump it up on a doorway.  But it still retains it's small shape (no bulky blankets).
B)  Place a moving blanket in your RAV4, with on 1/4 of it in the car (the rest will be on the floor hanging outside).  Have someone go in the car from the inside and pull the blanket while someone on the outside pushes it in.  It should slide right in (blanket will slide on carpeting and arcade machine should not move on the blanket).

Note:  In a RAV 4 you should be able to close the back door if you lay the arcade machine on it's side with the ANGLE OF THE TOP facing the driver's side.  Those will give you a few more inches before the top of the machine hits the center console.  (Move the passenger seat up).

I've fit an Area51 machine in a Suzuki Grand Vitara-XL-7 with the door closed using this method.  Good Luck!

DeLuSioNaL29

[claremont]

Talke a broom handle or wooden dowel and lay it crosswise on on the floor of the vehicle. Tip the game into the vehicle and roll it right in on the broom handle. Any arcade collector worth his salt keeps a broom handle just in case!