I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not sure how
to transport them. I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has a rack on top.
Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of posts. Is it possible
to transport two at a time with my stationwagon? How would this be done?

Thanks,
harry

In "Harry Brown"
wrote:

I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not
sure how to transport them. I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has
a rack on top. Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of
posts. Is it possible to transport two at a time with my
stationwagon? How would this be done?

I'm guessing that the roof rack of your Taurus consists of rails which
run front to back on each side of the roof. If so, your best bet is to
fasten two cross members running from side to side at the front- and
rear-most part of the rails. Then you can lash the lumber to the
crosswise members.

That all assumes that the lumber is rigid enough so that it doesn't flap
around under its own weight and that your Taurus is long enough that the
lumber doesn't protrude too far front and rear. You might want to tie
the front and rear ends of the lumber to the front and rear bumpers
somehow, and might be required to attach warning flags to one or both
ends.

--
Bert Hyman W0RSB St. Paul, MN

On Jan 15, 11:45*am, "Harry Brown" wrote:
I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not sure how
to transport them. *I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has a rack on top.
Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of posts. *Is it possible
to transport two at a time with my stationwagon? *How would this be done?

Thanks,
harry

Not familiar with the Taurus but my friend had a similar issue. He
bought a strap on luggage rack but when he tried to mount it he
discovered it was supposed to strap on to the rain gutter but his car
light a lot of new ones didnt have them. He was able to fasten the
rack in place using bungee cord that he stretched all the way down to
the bottom of his car.

Jimmie

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:07:02 +0000, Bert rearranged some electrons to say:

In "Harry Brown"
wrote:

I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not
sure how to transport them. I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has
a rack on top. Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of
posts. Is it possible to transport two at a time with my stationwagon?
How would this be done?

I'm guessing that the roof rack of your Taurus consists of rails which
run front to back on each side of the roof. If so, your best bet is to
fasten two cross members running from side to side at the front- and
rear-most part of the rails. Then you can lash the lumber to the
crosswise members.

That all assumes that the lumber is rigid enough so that it doesn't flap
around under its own weight and that your Taurus is long enough that the
lumber doesn't protrude too far front and rear. You might want to tie
the front and rear ends of the lumber to the front and rear bumpers
somehow, and might be required to attach warning flags to one or both
ends.

Also, a 16-ft 4x4 is likely to weigh over 50 pounds, depending on
moisture content.

On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:45:24 -0500, "Harry Brown"
wrote:

I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not sure how
to transport them. I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has a rack on top.
Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of posts. Is it possible
to transport two at a time with my stationwagon? How would this be done?

Thanks,
harry


Do with the 4X4's what Mitt RMoney did with his dog: Tie 'em on the
top of the car.

Lay all three 4X4's on the rack with equal lengths sticking off each
end. Tie each one individually to the roof rack, then, tie the bundle
of three to the rack.

Drive normally, but stay a bit below the speed limit and don't take
corners and curves on two wheels.

I don't know where you live, but there is always a lumber company some where that will deliver small loads for next to nothing or free.

Or if you knew of someone who was a contractor that had a ladder rack on the truck, that could haul them for you, you would be in luck.
I have not done construction work in about 2 years, but I would guess the weight of each 4 x 4 wet would be around 45 lbs.
Most luggage roof racks will not support 180 lbs of this type of weight.
There is no front or back bumper to tie off of and no way to support the weight - because the body of the car is unibody - hence there is no frame, the roof is a part of the frame and you can cause damage to the glass when you put a lot of weight on the roof if the roof buckles.

4 x 4 treated does not make very good mast material.
Use Aluminum or steel pipe.

If you look in Lowes or most electrical supply stores, you can find 1 1/2 semi rigid conduit for about $15.00 a section. They are threaded on both ends and has one coupler supplied with each joint of pipe.
I live in a high wind zone - winds in excess of 65 miles per a hour during storms and my Solorcon 99 antenna has sat at the top of 3 sections of pipe for 9 months now without any bending and it has no guy wires.
There is only 8 feet supported by brackets - so there is 22' of unsupported antenna mast holding up a big long antenna.
Find someone with a arc welder and have them design and build you some wall brackets, preferably out of used steel, ( 3/16" x 2.5" x 2.5" would hold up a lot of weight with guy wires) and purchase some muffler clamps and attach the conduit to the brackets and the brackets to the garage or shed or side of house and you will have a cheap mast for less then $150.00 if you do it right.

I don't think it is a good idea and would find another material.

First off, long timbers like that will spin and twist after a few months of
drying, they would need strapping or something to prevent them from twisting
and spinning on you. You should use aluminum or something better.

Second, by transporting those long pieces you are probably breaking some
laws in your state, you may get a nice fine unless they are flagged or use
lights or proper transporting procedure.

Also, what if the guy behind you doesn't see the flag or logs on your roof
extending back 4 feet or more behind your vehicle, then wamo right through
his/her windshield and that could be deadly. Very risky to transport like
this, get someone with a pick up truck and tie them to the side, front
bumper and back bumper and side mirror. Not a good idea but if you had to as
it will scratch the side of the vehicle, we used to deliver pipe this way.

Pressure the lumber yard, ask them to be more resonsible and tell them your
issues, you only have a short vehicle and their delivery fees are
unreasonable, talk to them, I am sure they would agree that the way you want
to deliver them is unsafe and unpractical, I am sure they would help out in
some way.

But I wouldn't put them on the top of a little car and attempt a very unsafe
deliverly like that. You might be on the front page of your local newspaper.






"Harry Brown" wrote in message
...
I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not sure
how to transport them. I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has a rack
on top. Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of posts. Is it
possible to transport two at a time with my stationwagon? How would this
be done?

Thanks,
harry

On Jan 15, 8:45*am, "Harry Brown" wrote:
I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not sure how
to transport them. *I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has a rack on top.
Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of posts. *Is it possible
to transport two at a time with my stationwagon? *How would this be done?

Thanks,
harry


Your taurus wagon is how long? About 15 ft?

Tie them on the rack, not hanging over the back too far. Tie a rope
from the front of the logs down to the tow lug under the front bumper
to avoid side to side swings and too much up/down bounce.

The more you can center it fore and aft on the rack, the better, but
you don't want to hang too far off the back, or you'll need to flag
it. Check your local vehicle code, in California, more than 4 feet
past the taillamps (not the bumper!) needs a flag (or light at night)

Whether you tie them together or spread them out is sort of up to you,
and the construction of your roof rack. I'd probably put them both on
the passenger side, or which ever side has the tow lug in the front.

Obviously, you don't want to be doing your SCCA solo 1 racing in this
configuration.


The other strategy (I've used it with pipes and masts) that's a bit
more dicey is to sling them along the passenger side of the car, using
webbing around the door posts/windows. Wrap lots of towels or padding
so you don't scuff the paint. Flags almost certainly necessary, etc.

A not very good strategy is to stick them all the way through the car
onto the dashboard and hanging out the back window, but I think that
will wind up with 6 ft or more hanging out, and it's hard to secure
them. if you stop fast, they slide forward a few inches, and you just
bought a new windshield. (been there, done that, with 2x12s in a Honda
Civic hatch back.

And finally, the most bizarre, but sometimes works.. tie it UNDER the
car or truck. There's usually structural members, etc. But make sure
you have enough ground clearance. In California, nothing on the car
or attached to it can hang below the bottom of the wheel rim.


Don't overload the rack. Typical ratings are 50-150 lb.

On Jan 15, 8:45*am, "Harry Brown" wrote:
I'm hoping to use these 16 footers for an antenna mast, but I'm not sure how
to transport them. *I own a Ford Taurus stationwagon that has a rack on top.
Delivery fees are way too high for just a couple of posts. *Is it possible
to transport two at a time with my stationwagon? *How would this be done?

Thanks,
harry

I had to move a big (disassembled) HF beam antenna with a mini-van. I
used wooden grape stakes(1 x 2) to make an expanded version of the
existing roof rack, such that the cross-members were about eight feet
front-to-back and provided adequate support for the 30-minute trip.
(The stock cross-members can be separated only about four feet.)

I would say the antenna weighed more than one of your posts, but less
than two. Two trips?