My Brother-In-Law Russell owns a small Welding Fabrication / Construction company and bought some equiptment from a company going out of business, forklifts, sheet metal, ect. The price was definitely right, paying about 10% of what the stuff was worth. The big item in the deal was an old "Cherrypicker" crane that weighs minimum 25,000 lbs. Russell calls me to help him move the crane, about a 100 mile trip. He shows up at my house with his Chevy 1-ton truck and a dual axle heavy trailer. "You're kidding, right?" He is in love with his Chevy and always braggs on what he can move, outrun, ect.I own a Ford and always give him a good counter opinion.
We get to the place and this old crane is HUGE, no way is that crane going anywhere on that truck I tell him. Well he sets out to prove me wrong and we load the crane onto the trailer (tires hanging dangerously over the edges) which immediately bottoms out on the suspension and sets onto the tires. I struggle to keep from telling him "I told you so" and help guide him back off the buckling trailer. About 1/2 way off the trailer the real axle of the Chevy raises up in the air and the trailer starts to roll out from underneath him, then the ramps break loose from the trailer and wedge between the cranes real wheel and fuel tank. Nothing is going anywhere now. After an hour of jacking, blocking and cutting we get the ramps out from under the crane but it is still 1/2 way on the trailer with the Chevy hanging in the air. The only thing to do was back the crane off the rest of the way and let it and the truck slam down. It's a minor miracle nobody was hurt or killed.
He is forced to call a trucking company and have the crane shipped. An hour later the 18 wheeler arrives...it's a Ford!
