"Paul Buglass" wrote in
message ...
Hi All,

This may be a very long shot, but if we don't ask . . . . . . . :-).

The York AS needs to move a portacabin and a 40" steel shipping
container (empty), over about 100m of soft grass to what will become our
new YAS observatory site.

We can hire a hi-hab equipped wagon easily enough, but the problem is
the grassy ground is too soft to simply drive over.
We have looked into hiring "bog mats", also called "turf mats", but
they cost upwards of £800 to £1000 to hire, which we simply can't
afford..
Shop around the hiab suppliers. There are a _lot_ of different varieties
of these machines. I needed one to move a container and portacabin at a
local airfield. They had been delivered some time ago, in mid summer with
the ground hard, by a normal hiab. However the ground now was a quagmire.
Talked to the company, and they pointed me to another nearby contractor.
They had a hiab, which had double wheels on both axles on the tractor
unit, and drive to both axles here, and to three more axles on the trailer
assembly, each with double wheels as well!. A total of 20 wheel drive!.
The wheels are so wide, that they reckon they can drive across a farm
field wthout problems. Happily did the move. Cost me about 50% more than
the standard hiab, but apparently these are well known machines used to
get the cabins into some building sites.
Mine was in the very SE of the country, so the costs would be prohibitive
to get it up to York, but one of the local suppliers may be able to help.
Some smaller units are apparently done on the 1650T UniMog chassis.

We were wondering if anyone out there in UK Astronomy land can either
lend us some for a few days, or knows a man who can?

We would obviously take care of the costs and arrangements of collecting
and returning them, and distance is not too much of an issue, and we
would be eternally grateful if anyone can help in any way.

Any ideas or offers gratefully received.

Very best wishes and clear, dark skies.

Best Wishes