What size car would be needed to transport a pair of Model 5's?

[Ross B.]

I'm looking at a pair on the used market out of state. I would fly out, rent a car, drive them back. I'm trying to work out how large of a car I would need. Will they fit in a "standard" SUV? Would I need a Tahoe?

[Stringreen]

I wouldn't suggest doing this yourself.   If you lay down the speakers you very well might ruin them....there are 2 woofers that are joined at the cones.  They are very heavy and should be attached to their wooden skids for transportation.  To sound as they were intended you need a high pass filter with a special disc to even come near the goal.  They are best bewired running from a proper amp.  There is a lot to do even if you get them home safely.

[Ross B.]

1 hour ago, Stringreen said:

 If you lay down the speakers you very well might ruin them....there are 2 woofers that are joined at the cones.

 

Can you elaborate on this? Are they not supposed to be placed on their side at all, or is it more a concern about impacts/jarring in that area?

[Richard Vandersteen]

2 hours ago, Ross B. said:

I'm looking at a pair on the used market out of state. I would fly out, rent a car, drive them back. I'm trying to work out how large of a car I would need. Will they fit in a "standard" SUV? Would I need a Tahoe?

Ross, they need to be transported vertically!  You would need a small moving van and secure them well to the front where the ride is better.  RV

[stratocaster]

2 hours ago, Ross B. said:

I'm looking at a pair on the used market out of state. I would fly out, rent a car, drive them back. I'm trying to work out how large of a car I would need. Will they fit in a "standard" SUV? Would I need a Tahoe?

@Ross B. please make a video recording while you are in the process of loading and unloading.. either way it would be educational on what to do (or not to do) 😃.. Where are you picking them up and where are you driving them? Maybe someone from the forum can help...

[Ross B.]

1 hour ago, Richard Vandersteen said:

Ross, they need to be transported vertically!  You would need a small moving van and secure them well to the front where the ride is better.  RV

Thank you! That will alter my plans. But, I'm glad you told me, before I screwed something up!

 

Quote

@Ross B. please make a video recording while you are in the process of loading and unloading.. either way it would be educational on what to do (or not to do) 😃.. Where are you picking them up and where are you driving them? Maybe someone from the forum can help...

Hah! Well, it seems I'll have to figure out something more involved. I will try to remember to video their journey if I can! There are two pairs I'm considering, one in Seattle and one in Los Angeles at a dealer (not a Vandy dealer). Maybe the  LA store can ship them. Still, I worry. Might have to rent a U-Haul.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Ross B.

[Ross B.]

3 hours ago, Stringreen said:

To sound as they were intended you need a high pass filter with a special disc to even come near the goal. 

I thought the high pass filter was only needed for use with subwoofers?

Is the special disc the Vandertones for calibrating the bass module?

[Stringreen]

The way I understand it, the highs and some of mids are passed unaffected, but the lows/midbass are boosted.  The proper roll off/boost, is established with adjustments in the box.....the proper way is to adjust the resistance to accommodate the amp that you use. (amp requirements are very different) The procedure is specified in the Vandersteen owners manual.....then you use their cd disc with an analogue sound pressure meter ( Radio Shack) to further adjust the overall bass. Dealers usually do this setup when one buys from a dealer, but you will need to read the instructions carefully and do this yourself.  These speakers are not plug and play,,,,   Richard Vandersteen is excellent for suggestions, but in the end, to get these beautiful speakers to work as intended, its up to you.,   The lower section of the speaker is actually a subwoofer with its own amplifier,

Edited July 5, 2023 by Stringreen

[Steve Edwards]

15 hours ago, Ross B. said:

Thank you! That will alter my plans. But, I'm glad you told me, before I screwed something up!

Ross,

FWIW, I purchased my Quatro Cloths from a customer of John Rutan.  He didn't have the boxes, but John, being one the best & most accommodating retailers in the land, offered to handle the transport from New Jersey to my home in So Cal.  He packed them up just as thoroughly as the factory does and shipped them UPS.  But, when the truck arrived, there was no pallet; they were simply tied to the side of the trailer.  

It took some time to raise its ugly head, but two of the drivers in one of the speakers were damaged.  Fortunately, I live only about 3.5 hours from Hanford, so I boxed them up, put them in the back of my pickup and drove them up for repair.  When the repair was completed (Ray is great!), I drove back up to retrieve them. 

The moral of the story:  be wary of the big name shippers.  RV may share who he ships with.

Play on

[Richard Vandersteen]

6 hours ago, Steve Edwards said:

Ross,

FWIW, I purchased my Quatro Cloths from a customer of John Rutan.  He didn't have the boxes, but John, being one the best & most accommodating retailers in the land, offered to handle the transport from New Jersey to my home in So Cal.  He packed them up just as thoroughly as the factory does and shipped them UPS.  But, when the truck arrived, there was no pallet; they were simply tied to the side of the trailer.  

It took some time to raise its ugly head, but two of the drivers in one of the speakers were damaged.  Fortunately, I live only about 3.5 hours from Hanford, so I boxed them up, put them in the back of my pickup and drove them up for repair.  When the repair was completed (Ray is great!), I drove back up to retrieve them. 

The moral of the story:  be wary of the big name shippers.  RV may share who he ships with.

Play on

Never UPS freight!  XPO or FedEx Ground on a pallet.   RV

[GdnrBob]

You could try making a search on U Ship. I used them for my 3a sigs to @dsisssup, but you could add some caveats regarding shipping upright. Most of these shippers are small self owned companies that might only comprise of a guy with a van/box truck. 

As they want to keep people happy, I think they would be amenable to certain delivery requirements. And, if they can't they would tell you.

 

The other recourse is to rent a van or box truck and do it yourself.

B

[JonM]

I've wondered if some of the current crop of minivans with fold-flat seats could get you enough room to move Vandersteens upright.  The ride would be better than a truck.  My nearest dealer is now ~5 hours away so I will be in same boat when I upgrade my Quatros.

[ctsooner]

Honestly the best way is to get pallets and wrap them they way that Vandersteen does from the get go. Pallets should be easy to find for free I would think.   Don’t think I’m missing  anything. Maybe 

[stratocaster]

On 7/4/2023 at 7:27 PM, Ross B. said:

 

 

3 hours ago, JonM said:

I've wondered if some of the current crop of minivans with fold-flat seats could get you enough room to move Vandersteens upright.  The ride would be better than a truck.  My nearest dealer is now ~5 hours away so I will be in same boat when I upgrade my Quatros.

The ride would certainly be better than a truck but you would have to pad all the empty space with stuff to prevent the speakers from moving around. At the end of the day it's as good as transporting two heavy passengers and the first exit ramp with a hairpin bend will start making the speakers sway. @ctsooner is right about the pallet. Not to mention it will be easy to load the pallet in the van than attempt to lift and place 200+ lb speakers with your own hands.

[ctsooner]

7 hours ago, stratocaster said:

 

 @ctsooner is right about the pallet. Not to mention it will be easy to load the pallet in the van than attempt to lift and place 200+ lb speakers with your own hands.

Wow, I'm finally right about something in life...Thanks..>My wife and kids won't believe it though.

[GdnrBob]

If the speakers are boxed, then using bungee cords to keep them in place would be easy, as most vans have places to grab onto.

B

[JonM]

13 hours ago, GdnrBob said:

If the speakers are boxed, then using bungee cords to keep them in place would be easy, as most vans have places to grab onto.

B

I was assuming you would have the boxes, and Ross would do just that.  If you don’t have the original boxes that makes life a whole lot more difficult. 

[Holmz]

On 7/5/2023 at 11:57 AM, Ross B. said:

Might have to rent a U-Haul.

With a  lift gate.
And you want proper straps, not bungee cords..

Here is an airstrip on a major east-west highway, so that the Royal Flying Doctor Service can land.
(Every few hundred miles or so.)

I heard of a fellow that landed a small plane, and then camped for a few days as the winds were against him.
Truckies move stuff… 😎

[GdnrBob]

3 hours ago, Holmz said:

With a  lift gate.

Or,  a couple of extra pair of hands and a handtruck or dolly...

B

[Holmz]

@GdnrBob I usually bust into a Louis Armstrong rendition of “Hello Dolly” when moving things.
 

Quote

Hello Dolly 
This is Louis, Dolly 
It's so nice to have you back where you belong 
You're lookin' swell, Dolly 
I can tell, Dolly 
You're still glowin', you're still crowin', you're still goin' strong

I feel that room swayin' while the band's playin' 
One of your old favourite songs from way back when 
So take her wrap, fellas find her an empty lap, fellas 
Dolly'll, never go away again

I feel the room swayin' while the band's playin' 
One of your old favourite songs from way back when 
So golly, gee, fellas have a little faith in me, fellas 
Dolly'll, never go away, promise you never go away 
Dolly'll, never go away again

It doesn’t help a lot, but it makes the moving somewhat easier and a bit more fun.

Edited July 9, 2023 by Holmz

[DC-93]

I once moved some McIntosh ML-4M speakers.

225 pounds each. Took 4 of us to get them down the stairs from a 2nd floor condo.

They both fit in my Dodge Grand Caravan. One sideways behind the front seats, the other in from the back.

 

Where there's a will there's a way.

 

Good Luck.

[Stringreen]

Just a reminder. Don’t lay the speakers on their sides…or bring your trumpet and play Taps

[GdnrBob]

3 hours ago, Stringreen said:

Just a reminder. Don’t lay the speakers on their sides…or bring your trumpet and play Taps

Really, 

What happens if they are on their side?-(the sides without drivers, aka the side with wood).

Bob

[jeffreybehr]

On 7/14/2023 at 11:09 AM, Stringreen said:

Just a reminder. Don’t lay the speakers on their sides…or bring your trumpet and play Taps

Bah HUMBUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I've transported a pair of 5As from Santa Fe, NM to Phoenix, lying on their sides in my jeep SUV; they sounded and operated perfectly until I sold them years later.  Last week, I bought and then transported a pair of Seven Mk.IIs on their sides, wrapped in two furniture pads, 2500 miles from NJ to Phoenix.  They, too, didn't break and sound fabulous.

Am I just lucky?  I doubt it.

OP, I recommend you wrap those 5As (WITHOUT hoods) in two furniture pads, ducttape each speaker and pads into one bundle, load them on their sides into an SUV and NOT a rough-riding truck, anchor them with a couple straps, and bring them home. 

[GdnrBob]

Considering how rough freight shipping can be.  I can't help but wonder why laying them sideways when transporting them in a van could cause them to be damaged. But, then I don't know how fragile the components in these speakers are.

And, if they are so fragile, why aren't impact detectors placed on them when they are shipped from Hanford.

B