I've just purchased a 20-yr-old Leclerc Fanny floor loom and it's located about 160 km away from my home... at this point my only option is to transport it on the roof of a sedan-style car. Is it possible to safely do this? Structural integrity of the loom on its side? Will it support its own weight or be damaged?? If it IS possible, is there anything I should pay special attention to while securing it?? Any suggestions from anyone with experience would be SO appreciated! (At this point no other options are available, so please don't suggest them. I know this is not the ideal transport method, but it's what I've got...)

Thanks for any help!! :-)

 

 

Comments

Thu, 07/17/2014 - 10:17

NancyHassel

Disassemble the loom (take a lot of pictures first) - then put as many pieces as possible in the trunk & back seats.  Any long members might need to be secured to the roof of the car.  Pad everything.  Take multiple trips.  LeClerc has drawings to help with re-assembly.  This is how I would move it.  Perhaps others have thoughts.

Thu, 07/17/2014 - 13:02

jander14indoor (not verified)

Got to agree, take it apart.  Those things are heavy and unless you have a proper rack, I'd be worried about denting your roof.

Beside, the LeClerc Fanny is easy to disassemble and will probably fit in your trunk.  I brought my Daughter's 45 inch Fanny home in the trunk of a Mustang, admittedly with the rear seats folded down.

Go to the LeClerc website and look on the documentation page for assembly/disassembly instructions.  http://www.leclerclooms.com/draw_inst/Draw_inst.htm

There is a parts diagram and two different assembly instructions depending on how old the loom is.  But the differences are pretty minor.  I'd print all three and take them with you.

You'll need an adjustable wrench for some of the bolts and nuts and a Robertson (square drive #2  from memory, maybe a #1 for some fasteners) screwdriver for the screws.  Don't try to take apart anything without obvious fasteners.  The side frames are the biggest pieces, about 4-5 ft tall by 2 1/2 ft wide by 2-3 inches thick.  They can be taken apart, but probably shouldn't as LeClerc even ships them assembled.  Their stiffness is critical to the loom weaving well.  Also not worth taking apart the treadle assembly.  Everything else is just a longish beam.


Jeff Anderson

Livonia, MI

Thu, 07/17/2014 - 15:41

mneligh

You might be able to rent an appropriate rack that transfers the weight to the frame of the car.  I own one that I no longer need since my car has a built-in rack.  I know these things exist, but don't know where to rent them. It would still be necessary to take the loom apart, of course.

Thu, 07/17/2014 - 15:51

laurafry

As mentioned, the loom comes apart easily. Take pics, especially of the brake assembly and use the diagrams from the Leclerc website. One of my students recently said she had taken apart a 27" Fanny and packed it into a golf bag for transport. :) Cheers Laura
Thu, 07/17/2014 - 23:23

Vennui (not verified)

I would suggest keeping the sides of the loom intact. You would have less issues with stability in reassembling. The harness ,beams and peddles should fit in your back seat or trunk. If your car has a towing ball there is uhaul or rent a truck Enterprise has them for about 50 to 60 dollars a day.
Fri, 07/18/2014 - 02:01

sandra.eberhar…

A trailor rental place will rent roof racks.  You really need to use a rack to attach the whole side pieces to the roof.  If might be easier and cheaper to rent a minivan.  A 1 day rental for a minivan or an SUV should be about $60-80.

Fri, 07/18/2014 - 02:19

sandra.eberhar…

A trailor rental place will rent roof racks.  You really need to use a rack to attach the whole side pieces to the roof.  If might be easier and cheaper to rent a minivan.  A 1 day rental for a minivan or an SUV should be about $60-80.

Fri, 07/18/2014 - 02:23

sandra.eberhar…

I just looked at Leclerc's pics of the Fanny, and the side parts are bolted together, at least in this series.  That means you could take it down to sticks and put it back together very well.  My Kebec has the side frames doweled together, not easily taken down.  If that is true of this loom, you could fit all the stick in your car.  I would contact the seller and ask if the side frames are bolted or doweled.

Fri, 07/18/2014 - 02:56

jander14indoor (not verified)

You can take the side frames apart, but probably really don't want to unless your woodworking skills are good enough to get them back together tight.

 Leclerc doesn't to ship the side frames in pieces and like Vennui said, they are the key to the stability of the loom.

To those recommending trailers and stuff, probably overkill.  Like I said, they really aren't that big when disassembled.  If they fit in the trunk of a Mustang, they'll fit in almost any mid-size sedan and most small ones with no problem.  

Regards,

Jeff

Fri, 07/18/2014 - 05:25

SarahBatAmi

Thank you all so much for the advice! I will plan to take it apart as much as necessary. We do have one of those supportive roof frame things that was mentioned above (being lent by a neighbor) so I think that will be enough. I looked into renting an SUV or trailer, but as we aren't located in the US (we're in Israel) the rates are wildly different and it would cost about $350 to rent an SUV or van for 1 day, bc of the travel distance (tiny cars are the norm here and so those large vehicles are kind of considered extravagent rental options) and factoring in gas it would be more worth it to hire a mover. But we have to drive over there ourselves anyway to examine the loom and to pay the current owner, so it seems more frugal to find a way to transport it on that trip! This is a 45 inch loom (as I should have mentioned above), but I feel a lot more confident now that it can be done! Thanks also for the links above! Will consult those as well!!

-Sarah 

Fri, 07/18/2014 - 11:52

jlread (not verified)

Then take it apart....this is an easy do...save your money and your sanity...good luck!

Fri, 07/18/2014 - 15:05

debmcclintock

And look around for shrink wrap plastic on rolls. It is very useful to bind /wind together your loom parts and secure with masking tape. It will help protect your wood from bug road kill.
Fri, 07/18/2014 - 17:44

pammersw

Or a blanket wrapped around it, secured with sturdy tape (duct tape, shipping tape, packing tape, or similar) wrapped all the way around so the tape sticks to itself!