Loading/unloading a 450 lbs safe from truck bed

[thudnblunder]

Hey all,

I'm picking up a safe and planning to bring it home in my F150 Platinum - how much weight can the powered tailgate take in the open position? Can I safely slide the 450 lbs safe and tip it out over the opened tailgate onto a dolly without damaging the tailgate? I plan to use 3/4" plywood and some carboard to spread the load and protect the edges.

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[sbi]

Following

 

[Probity]

Questions questions.....
1) How you getting the safe INTO the bed - loading dock, forklift, ?
2) How you getting it OUT of the bed - crane/engine hoist, other?

 

[thudnblunder]

Questions questions.....
1) How you getting the safe INTO the bed - loading dock, forklift, ?
2) How you getting it OUT of the bed - crane/engine hoist, other?

I'm assuming the store I'm buying it from is using a forklift to load it in.

I'm getting it out by rolling it on PVC pipes to the edge of the bed off the tailgate, and then lowering it to the floor with two people with cargo straps.

My question is if the tailgate can take 450 lbs on the tailgate edge in the open position as the weight is slid off.

 

[UncleFester]

I have broke many mounting ears off the tailgate along with cables overloading the tailgate with construction materials. The specs say 600 lbs so you will have to test the numbers.

 

[JohngaltinOC]

I'm not enough of a scientist to calculate the kinetic energy about to be unleashed. You might want to be concerned about the dolly, as much as you are the tailgate. 450lbs falling 3 feet has got to be a meaningful number. Like you, I would also be concerned about what happens to my tailgate after the point of no return. I think I'd come up with a better plan A personally. ?

 

[bcb97]

I don't think it would be a problem. I did this in my old truck and me and a buddy slid it out, let it slowly come down off the tailgate onto the ground. However, I did not do it on my powered tailgate.

 

[powerboatr]

450 seems like alot
when i got my safe i used the car hauler trailer and had them lay it on a side
when we go home we used the Egyptian method you are using round things and rolled it to the end and tipped it up onto a furniture dolly.

no hands were harmed

you could brace the tailgate with a few 2x4s double stacked on the tailgate hard points and then a center support

i am 226 and i hold ok
guess you could stand 3 guys on tailgate and see what breaks

my guess is the gate will hold, but no funny stuff
get it across and off

 

[Probity]

From your '22 OM, removing a power tailgate isn't near as easy as a manual one, but does appear do-able with a couple people (didn't realize the tailgate itself weighs ~100 lbs). Getting the safe IN w/a forklift should be drama-free and minimal/no load onto the tailgate. Getting it OUT - I sure would think about removing the tailgate.

 

[amschind]

I did this back when I got my safe. My advice: hire people. The limiting factor isn't your tailgate, it's your discs and your ligaments. Paying a Ford tech to replace a tailgate is expensive, but it's dirt cheap compared to what spine surgeons charge.

 

[JohngaltinOC]

I'm assuming the store I'm buying it from is using a forklift to load it in.

I'm getting it out by rolling it on PVC pipes to the edge of the bed off the tailgate, and then lowering it to the floor with two people with cargo straps.

My question is if the tailgate can take 450 lbs on the tailgate edge in the open position as the weight is slid off.

Remind me not to mess with you and your friend. Someone here put a 600lb limit out there, but I might consider just removing the tailgate altogether and using multiple 4x4's to make a ramp and slide it down that way... Just spitballing.

 

[HammaMan]

I did this back when I got my safe. My advice: hire people. The limiting factor isn't your tailgate, it's your discs and your ligaments. Paying a Ford tech to replace a tailgate is expensive, but it's dirt cheap compared to what spine surgeons charge.

Yup
x1000
Rent a back is sooo much easier and cheaper in the long run.

 

[Rinn69]

A wrecker or any truck with a boom would make it an easy and safe unload.

 

[ryanc111]

Depending on the safe you may be able to remove the door thus reducing the weight being moved at a time.

 

[thudnblunder]

Some great ideas and insights here, thank you all.

To be clear I’m not planning to lift it out of the bed nor drop it three feet on to the floor.
My plan was to bring it to the edge of the tailgate and then use cargo straps to control sliding it down. And then a dolly after that.

I'm 250 lbs, I guess me and my friend can sit on the tailgate to load test first lol

This video shows the process I had in mind but I think that safe was lighter.

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