Transporting games

[Rocky]

I'm going to an auction this weekend (State College, PA). I was wondering what precautions any of you take before moving pinball or video games.  (Remove glass?, secure anything inside?)  Also, do you just lay them down in your truck? keep them upright?

Any tips will be appreciated  


Rocky

[PacManFan]

Do you have a link about more info for this auction? I hadn't heard about it.


Make sure everything inside the cab is secure, You don't have to remove the glass unless you are going over some REALLY bumpy roads / like to drive reckless, etc..

-PMF

[Ken Layton]

For video games make sure the video monitor is securely bolted in the cabinet and that the back door is locked. For pinballs most modern ones have a hinged headbox and you should lay the headbox down on a thick piece of foam rubber.

When I worked for a major game operator we had two pickup trucks with TOMMYLIFT lift gates which made it easy to get the games onto the truck. For those without that luxury get a 4' by 8' sheet of plywood that's 1" thick to use as a ramp. That way you can wheel the games right onto your truck.

Bring a good heavy duty hand truck with you (some able-bodied helpers would be a good idea, too), ropes, and tarps.

[bluGill]

If you use ramps, make sure they are secured.  Just read an column by a guy driving his ATV onto his truck when the ramp sliped, he got out of the way without harm, but the potential was there, and his ATV was dented.

[paigeoliver]

I also like to wrap my games in plastic wrap before I move them. This does several things. It minimizes scrapes and other minor moving damage. It keeps the wind from catching a loose monitor bezel or marquee and ripping it out of the cabinet, it keeps you from getting a heavy coating of dead bugs on the game if it is a long trip, and it keeps your game relatively safe in case of snow or light rain. Heavy rain is still a no no though.

If moving one cabinet in a pickup truck, then I lay it down. If moving two, I lay them down if possible. If moving 3 (or 2 that won't lay down), I stand them all up and strap them firmly to each other, and then down to the truckbed from there. When standing them up make sure that the fronts of the machines are not facing forward, as you don't want your glass or plastic parts to catch any stray flying rocks.

If you DON'T have a big roll of the warehouse/shipping style plastic wrap, then you can use the kitchen kind. Figure a roll of the kitchen kind will cover 2 games. You have to go around the games many more times with the thinner kitchen plastic wrap though.

[Sephroth57]

or you could rent a U-Haul for like 20$ and have a nice enclosed space and they provide hand trucks and tie downs. thats what im doing when i pick up my SF3 cabinet next week

[Rocky]

Thanks for all the tips.  I'm headed there now. I'll let you know if I get any good deals.

Sorry, no link that I know of.  An arcade in town that has been open since the 70's if finally closing down.  


Rocky

[Rocky]

Well, the games at the auction were a little too steep for me     I didn't even bid on any games.

There was even a stripped Rampart cabinet (no monitor or boards), just the 3 player trackball CP that went for $200

However, it was a great auction for parts  

I should have picked up a lot more junk.  One box of junk had trigger handle parts, so I bid $10.  No one else wanted it.  It has 2 NOS pairs of trigger stick sides.  Plus I got 3 JAMMA boards that all work.  Plus some other junk.  Not bad for $10.

Ok, I'm rambling.

Rocky

[Daniel270]

Sorry for dredging up an older thread, but I need the info...

Gonna be moving in November and am going to use a UHaul to move my stuff....

With the Gyruss I'm getting, I want to be absolutely sure of everything I need to know to move it.....

So far, I've got this much:

1) make sure monitor is securely bolted down
2) wrap in several layers of plastic to avoid damaging artwork
3) secure with tie downs to avoid tipover


anything else??

[paigeoliver]

If you are using a Uhaul truck then you can skip the plastic. Plastic is for the back of the truck, or an open trailer.

In a Uhaul just make sure the monitor is bolted down (every once in a while a game will have a monitor that is just sitting in there, or held by one bolt), and then strap it to the wall inside the truck.

[Daniel270]

I might do the plastic anyway, just incase boxes slip... don't want the sideart scratched up....

Thanks for the tip tho 

[ChadTower]

Actually, make sure there are NO loose parts.  It's not always the monitor that moves.  a loose coinbox or metal L piece or something can ruin your monitor/pcb just as easily.

[sodapopinski]

use a cube van. works great, thats my company work truck