Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Transporting a Visible

If I find a really nice survivor or a restored visible pump ..What are the concerns transporting it ?
Trailer would ride too rough. So lay it on an old mattress in back of my pickup with plenty of movers blankets and avoid all the potholes?
I can't see any way to move it upright ?
Needs to survive 4 hours

They are tougher than you think. I've hauled many laying on old tires and even just strapped down to a skid. Never broke a cylinder.

Mark, Do exactly what you said, with the old mattress in the trailer, or you can get an old tire (no rim) and place the lower cylinder base on the ‘top’ sidewall of the tire, then stack blankets under the cylinder for added support.

Don’t stack the blankets so tight that they are taking the weight though. You want the tire to take the weight. The blankets are just there for added support so it doesn’t flex downward over big bumps. (Like a firm pillow)

Restored visibles are a challenge to transport. I usually make a skid of some kind. I've been using rubber hose on the mounting holes to avoid damaging the paint. Also usually take the hose off and use that junction to support pump there. Sometimes I put firm rubber under the skid while transporting, but my truck bed already has a foam liner, figure that helps.

Pretty easy to do this if its leaving your shop for delivery, I guess if you are picking up a pump, having a bunch of moving blankets, foam, pillows, and tie down straps will work in a pinch too. I buy $4 pillows from local dollar store all the time.