Trampoline – 1 man job?

So we’ve bought a trampoline for the kids, 10ft version. Seeing as I have some time on my hands I was going to get it built this afternoon. Is this a one man effort or does it require extra hands with spring stretching etc? Rather wait if I’m likely to need help!

No,get on with it 😉

Get stuck in. If I can do a 14′ one on my own anyone can.

as they say “easy job” – mate up the road has a sloping garden so he cut his frame down and welded it back level – a point well made 😀

just don’t rush it, and get your fingers trapped in the springs.

Ouch.

yes, one man job, the base will stand up (and then fall apart with no tension), springs are the nightmare, I usually do every fourth one to get the shape..

If the trampoline comes with a tool (little T bar shape) to stretch the springs for you, use it!!

Its probably a 2 man ambulance crew job to get your kids to hospital when they break a bone or two.

Mrs FD deals with loads of injuries to kids from trampolines and thinks they should be banned.

Its probably a 2 man ambulance crew job to get your kids drunk friends to hospital when they break a bone or two

Yep, little T-bar hooky thingy is essential – or will certainly make it a lot easier!

Hook one spring at 12 & 6 o’clock first, then 3 & 9 then fill in the gaps

Yes, one man job. Assuming you started after the first reply you should be finishing in a few minutes

Christmas Eve 11pm 2 and a bit years ago. Sideways rain, 12ft frame up super quick. Getting on with the mat. First spring in, at 12 o’clock position, then 3,6,9 right lets go intermediary with the springs now, another say 20 odd go in still working symmetrically, whilst being pounded with the rain. Ill have this done soon I’m thinking. Mmm, not sure of the position, ill just drag it across a couple of feet. Heave ho and….
Boing!!!!!! The **** bastard **** thing flexes up and the bastarding frame turns into a huge Pringle shape that won’t go back, so in reverse with the springs we go…..

Arse…guess I’m not riding this afternoon. Will report back from A&E

Right 11 pages into the ‘instruction manual’ and I’m still on the hazard warnings…

If its been a while since you were last on a trampoline you’ll be in for a treat! We have loads of fun on ours! From games of sweeper to popcorn! These names will have no meaning to you but you’ll get the gist! Had plenty of tears but not one proper injury. Only rules we have is no shoes and the net door must be closed.
Enjoy!

Make sure that when you do the 12 o’clock – 6 o’clock thing, count around the number of hoops on the mat and the holes in the frame correctly… And don’t forget that some tramps have holes under the frame edge as well as on the top.

Done it wrong myself, and it’s an annoying buggerance.

We didn’t bother with the net enclosure thing for ours.

Instead I dug a hole for each of the legs so the metal rim was about level with the lawn so the height of any falls would be reduced from 3 to 4 feet down to around 2 inches 😉

Dead easy to do yourself and as some incidental evidence I’ve not had a single trampoline incident and think they should be more of them as they get kids playing outside.

as they say “easy job” – mate up the road has a sloping garden so he cut his frame down and welded it back level – a point well made

I found it much easier just to dig the legs in a bit but each to their own!

Instead I dug a hole for each of the legs so the metal rim was about level with the lawn so the height of any falls would be reduced from 3 to 4 feet down to around 2 inches

<smartarse>Doesn’t that just make it a bit of netting stretched across the grass, or did you dig a pit for them to bounce into also?</smartarse>

Due to my knackered (operation 8 weeks ago) back, I can’t lever enough to pull the springs across. Bit of rope and simple pulley system with a loop to stick my foot in though, and it was very easy.

Instead I dug a hole for each of the legs so the metal rim was about level with the lawn so the height of any falls would be reduced from 3 to 4 feet down to around 2 inches

Did that mean you couldn’t bounce much – without smacking the ground below? Enquiring minds need to know!

Edit: ..Or was it because it was now a 2inch high fabric table, which could not be bounced upon -so no danger of falling/bouncing off?

So what trampolines did you lot get? (I really don’t want to start a what trampolinetrackworld thread!)

John Lewis — TP Toys — 14′

Right, structure up and springs were a doddle (which in itself is a worry). Pad next. I need to DIY a solution to the slope in our garden, its not severe but very noticeable now that the bouncing mat is in place! 12 footer would have been nice but garden ain’t overly big.

did you dig a pit for them to bounce into also?

If you did then think about drainage!

We went on a family outing to one of these farm/heritage/adventure centre places and they had ground level trampolines with pits under them.

Looked great but if an adult bounced on them they stretched enough to discover the hidden pool of bogging rainwater underneath! (Quite funny to watch though 🙂 )

He he, we have netting around ours, so hopefully safe enough, threading the top bar through the net I got assistance, other than that 1 man job. Took it down end Sep, probably put it up next month. Kids have asked a few times already.

1 jumper, 4 spotters Never jump off to the ground.

My cousin hates B&Q and the like for increasing her spine injury workload when she was training in A and E.

In answer to Tonyd and Bonchance the addition of the 😉 was intended to indicate the intended humourous content (as you both well know 😉 )….although I did suggest it at the time and Wombat jr who was 6 at the time only took a moment to point out the minor flaw in my otherwise perfect plan

BTW when I said netting should be safe I mean for kids, they bounce well so aslong as they don’t hit the deck should be fine, adults as I’ve found don’t bounce so well even on the trampoline.

ours was, as above, 14′ from John Lewis, TP.

Many years use, finally gave it to next door neighbours so we could dig up some of the garden for veg plot 🙂 Did get another set of pads in that time, otherwise put it away in autumn re-erected in spring, always kept the cover on when not in use..

Its probably a 2 man ambulance crew job to get your kids to hospital when they break a bone or two.

So true – we have a friend who works in kids A&E and the two most common causes of broken bones are trampolines and roller skates/blades!

Our daughter broke her elbow on a trampoline. And just because you have a net don’t think you are safe – kids tend to jump onto each others limbs!

Ruddy death traps! 😉

The net if left unclosed can prove a major safety flaw after our pissy mate shot out backwards on New Year’s Eve that first year. She ended up lay flat on the grass. Good times I tell you good times!!

tis done, I’m soaked so the little bleeders better play with it!