Transporting Large Items

I am scouring government liquidations for scrap material and I came across awesome steals. My main business is e-waste and I do not have the facility space to scrap large items like these. That being said, I am still extremely interested in buying these items and taking them directly to the yard for scrapping. My problem is that I have no clue how to go about hauling them to the scrap yard. My main scrap vehicle is a GMC Savana panel van lacking a tow hitch.


5800 pound Diesal Generator. Easy $300 or so and less than 5 minute drive from location to yard.


7000 pound powerplant trailer. Another stack of hundreds for a 5 minute drive. But no way to transport.


10,000 pounds of mixed scrap. I'll bring alone a circular saw to mutilate anything that needs mutilation (and the tanks may need to be cut to smaller bits) but that's a small price to pay for over $600 worth of scrap (again, 5 minute drive making the necessary multiple trips worth it).

Basically, does anyone have any idea how I could go about transporting these items? I would like to be able to simply drive up to the scale, weigh in, dump it, and be on my way to other jobs. Even if my van had a hitch, the trailers exceed its towing ability.

I would get a hitch and trailer but if that's not an option maybe rent a truck for the day. If you plan on just driving those generators to the yard and drop them make sure you have a plan to drain all the fuel, oil and coolant out of them. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Tincankeith

If you plan on just driving those generators to the yard and drop them make sure you have a plan to drain all the fuel, oil and coolant out of them.

Check with your yard
I don't have to drain anything with mine

Originally Posted by KzScrapper

Oh I don't know...get a trailer hitch and a trailer.

Of course that's the obvious answer but hitching a 7000 pound trailer to a GMC Savana is just asking for trouble. I've been looking into renting heavy duty pickups to do the job. What has been anyone's experience having the yard come and haul it?

And if you were to buy those Generators on trailers just to bring to the scrap yard >> PLEASE << Unbolt the generator and scrap that, but take the trailer home and Craig will help you sell it for far more then scrap value

I will definitely see what I can do to make more cash. I'm more worried about just getting it off the base xP I suppose I can always slap on a pintle hitch to my personal Ford Explorer SporTrac.

This yard, for all intents and purposes, is the only one on the island. And metal prices being what they are (and especially in Hawaii when the isolation is considered) I assume they are too busy just trying to keep up between their 4 locations. And I have a 2010 3500 (old Penske).

I agree like mike. Wouldn't you want to break down those generators if your just going to scrap it? Why do I remember a thread saying nice things of copper in one. If the copper is there, why would you give it to your yard for free? crazy.

If your worried about your personal vehicle, I'd just rent something for the day. Being local surely you don't have to pay the tourist prices for such things? I know on my sandbar us locals get a decent discount. Course, our high season only runs from april till around middle of Sept.

Sirscrapalot - Would break the hell out of those gennys if they were beyond repair.

Once the auction "event" opens I'll definitely be looking at them in person. My main concern is space. Unless I have a buyer lined up beforehand, I literally have nowhere to store it. My "warehouse" (if it can be called that) is already full of e-waste loads, totes, etc.

Break down in your driveway/parking lot/storage place. ain't trying to be a jerk here bud, but your being foolish to just scrap it whole. if they work resell, your in HI surely there are construction companies that could use them, hotels looking for a back up, Private folks looking for one, etc. Worse case...you break it down, get the copper, sell both to your yard, an profit like crazy. I'd dig around for threads on scrapping generators. I recall someone saying they were a good thing, I could be thinking of the thread on breaking down a welding machine..I dunno. I've read lots of threads. lol.

Find a place even it means dropping 30 bucks for a tiny storage bin, an doing it outside your bin. I just can't see giving a yard that many goodies for the price of shred. I'd have to punch myself in the face for doing that. I hate letting them have anything extra. lol. Ah, you gotta do whats best for you, I reckon. as I like to say..there is no wrong way to scrap things, as long as your maximizing your profit an time.

Either way, good luck with it, an let us know how it turns out for you.



Sirscrapalot - Dear Brasscatcher, you now owe me several beverages. Just saying.