# Moving patio door in pickup truck



## joecaption

The reason glass trucks have the glass on the sides of the truck is accessabilty.
The door can be laid down againt the side wall in the bed of the truck laying on top of an old blanket with any that sticks out on the passenger side.


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## Windows on Wash

If you can lay it down flat, do that. Tempered glass is very sensitive to edge shocks and shouldn't be an issue as it is in the frame but laying it down flat over a blanket or some cardboard should be a very safe bet as well.


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## oh'mike

Remove the glass door and fixed panel from the jamb set---do not attempt to transport the thing as a giant unit unless you have a big truck----


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## wkearney99

Or rent a trailer. Stand it upright on the trailer and attach some wood supports diagonally to help hold it in place. Otherwise it'd probably be too tall to stand up that way in the bed of your pickup. You'd be passing under too many stoplights and underpasses to be "sure" about having enough clearance.

Otherwise, what Joe said. Just be sure to properly pad underneath of it and to tie it down securely. You don't want it bouncing. You'd want it securely tied down so it doesn't slap against the bed or sides and break the glass. Have plenty of mover's blankets on hand (rent 'em cheap from a truck rental place, or buy them at Harbor Freight)

I don't know that I'd remove the doors from the frame. At least not without making sure the frame wouldn't get twisted or otherwise bent out of shape. The doors staying in it would help maintain it's rigidity.


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## oh'mike

I've had track and wheels damaged when moving a slider fully assembled-

That's why I suggested disassembling it before transporting it in a pickup.

To transport it assembled--the unit must remain upright at all times --

Just my person experience----Mike----


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## wkearney99

oh'mike said:


> To transport it assembled--the unit must remain upright at all times


Agreed, thus my suggestion of using a trailer and supports.

Or perhaps by renting a box truck with an interior wall tall & wide enough to contain it. Strap it securely to the inside wall and keep it upright all the way home.


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## Windows on Wash

wkearney99 said:


> Agreed, thus my suggestion of using a trailer and supports.
> 
> Or perhaps by renting a box truck with an interior wall tall & wide enough to contain it. Strap it securely to the inside wall and keep it upright all the way home.


+1

I missed the part about the SGD part.

Take the panels out and lay them down. At that point, the frame is under much less stress.


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## sublime2

Rent a u haul for the day. 
Maybe 50 bucks.


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## jjrbus

Thanks for the responses! Always appreciated. 

Maybe I am wrong, I thought that a French door would be one or both doors swing open, differentiating it from a sliding glass door?

Trailer is an option, but rental trucks here are cheap by the day, but have a high milage rate. Minimum 59 cents a mile.
JIm


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## wkearney99

Yes, a french door is generally one that has hinges, and where at least one of them pivots open. Sliding glass doors sometimes look like french doors, but they don't have the hinges; just the tracks. To me if someone tells me it's a patio door I'm inclined to think they're talking about the sliding variety.

With either kind, if it's coming pre-hung (as in, a whole unit with doors, frame and all) then you'd want to avoid twisting or otherwise distorting the frame when you transport it. If the doors are in it you'd have them acting to help maintain some rigidity. But then you also put those door tracks at risk of being bent by the weight of the doors laying on them if it's not kept vertical. But when you take them out then the frame isn't going to be as stable. 

Ah, college days, when I can remember having to reconnect those pesky speedometer cables that kept coming loose on those rental trucks with high mileage rates...


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## jjrbus

Again thanks for the responses.

But I am a day late and a dollar short, the doors sold before I could get to them.

Reading the replies I am thinking the best way for me would be to disassemble the the door and frame then reassemble once home.

JIm


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## Fix'n it

i just did this. standard 6' slider. i layed it flat on 2 2x4's, then strapped it down. S-10 pickup. some highway speeds. and about 25 miles. i had no problems, but i was worried the whole way.


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## gregzoll

Fix'n it, this a 13 month old thread. Who knows if they ever got it done. jjrbus has not been on the board, since the 29th of this month.


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## jjrbus

I think people who ask how to do something and not reporting the outcome are annoying and rude.

When people take the time to help me I feel that I owe them a reply to report what happens. This also helps people doing searches and coming up with old threads. As it has sometimes helped me.

Unless of course I forget.

I did reply on this that I missed buying that door. 6 months later when I did buy a door and had forgotten about this thread. I did as Fix'n it did except I did a couple dedicated 2X4 with 2X2 stakes and some padding to keep from scratching the bed.

I only had a short distance to go and was very concerned about the door. Then I had to line up helpers to get it off the truck. In hindsight next time I will pay the delivery fee.

JIm


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## Fix'n it

gregzoll said:


> Fix'n it, this a 13 month old thread. Who knows if they ever got it done. jjrbus has not been on the board, since the 29th of this month.


yes, i know. i added my .02 for those doing their research. as i was doing research that found me this thread. 

if i were to do it again. i would strap 2 2x4's tto the bed. then place the door on them. then put 2 more 2x4's over the door, and strap tthose 2x4's to the bottom 2x4's. 

i saved the $90 delivery fee, - my gas. and i would have had to line up help, which i couldn't do, to unload the door. no, the driver would not help unload it.


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## samster007

:thumbup:


jjrbus said:


> I may have the opportunity to get a new 6X6'8" aluminum frame patio door cheap. It is about 150 miles away and I will need to bring it home in my Ford Ranger with a 6 foot bed. I have 8 tie downs. 1 in each corner on the top rail and one in each corner about 6 inch down from the top rail. Plus I have a bed liner.
> 
> I believe glass should not be transported flat? Look at glass trucks. I can not think of a way to support this door in the back of my truck for transport, except for possibly dis-assembly?
> 
> I would want to move this without being a hazard on the highway and get it home in one piece. Buying locally I would have it delivered. This is a $1700 door for $600!
> 
> Any thoughts or suggestions? JIm


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