Customer Projects: The Rock Hauler in Action

Every Rhino Tool Systems cart ends up in the hands of someone tackling a serious project. The Rock Hauler has been used to move giant boulders, install wood stoves, build retaining walls, shape landscape stones, clear property, and more.

This page highlights real projects from real Rhino owners, showing exactly how the Rock Hauler performs in the field.

If you’ve completed a project with your Rhino, you can submit your photos and story at the bottom of this page.

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PROJECT: MOVING A 900 LB GLACIAL STONE FOR A WOOD STOVE HEARTH (WASHINGTON STATE)

“Your ingenuity with this cart system is really where I started. None of the rental equipment could manage the door and lift requirements, but with the Rhino, a piano dolly, and a scissor jack, it was safe and easy.”
Matt C.

Summary

Matt C., located in Washington State, set out to install a custom wood stove hearth using a single glacial erratic boulder made of green serpentine, an extremely hard stone he estimates at 8 out of 10 on the hardness scale. After shaping the stone, he reduced its weight from roughly 1,200 lb to about 900 lb, but the real challenge was not the weight — it was figuring out how to move it safely through a standard doorway and into position inside the home.

Matt spent considerable time researching equipment rentals, including engine hoists, appliance lifts, floor jacks, and machine-shop solutions. None could safely handle both the doorway clearance and the controlled lowering required inside the house. The Rhino Rock Hauler became the foundation of the plan. Using the cart as a skidder with a truck-mounted winch, he moved the stone across a gravel driveway solo.

To maneuver the stone indoors, Matt and his crew welded a removable angle bracket to create a piano-dolly pin system, allowing the stone to rotate with zero-turn control. Once inside, he removed the handles, used a scissor jack to lift the load, pulled the dolly free, and gently lowered the Rhino to the floor. Final positioning was done with short 12-inch rebar rollers and pry bars.

The stone now sits on a 3/8-inch hot-rolled steel plate to meet code requirements for spark protection and weight distribution. What began as a problem with no clear solution turned into a safe, methodical process and saved Matt from a six-figure stone fireplace installation quote. Since completing the project, he has also used the Rhino to skid logs and tackle other heavy jobs around the property, crediting the third wheel attachment for making the difference.

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Project: Moving Standing Stones for a Zen Garden Feature (Connecticut)

Summary

In rural Connecticut, Michael E. used the Rhino Rock Hauler to move heavy stone slabs and upright standing stones for a Zen-inspired landscape project on his wooded property.

Working alone on sloped, uneven forest trails, he used the Rock Hauler to pry and carry large, flat stones out of the woods and haul them back to his clearing. From there, he repositioned the slabs and set selected stones upright as focal points in his garden.

The cart’s ability to clamp onto irregular rock shapes and roll them over roots, leaves, and soft soil let Michael place stones exactly where he wanted—without machinery and without tearing up the surrounding landscape.

Having completed his Zen garden feature, Michael now plans to use the Rock Hauler again to move rock for a small dam that will help hold water longer in his spring-fed vernal pool.

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Project: Building a Japanese-Style Rock Garden with 400–500 lb Boulders (Indiana)

Summary

On his one-acre property, sculptor Scott Westphal is rebuilding a dry Japanese-style rock garden, using the Rhino Rock Hauler to move and position 400–500 lb boulders and awkward stone slabs that were scattered throughout his yard.

Instead of renting a Dingo or skid steer—and dealing with time pressure and torn-up turf—Scott uses the Rock Hauler to work at his own pace, carefully placing each stone in a traditional Japanese arrangement. He can move one boulder at a time, step back to evaluate the composition, and make adjustments without feeling rushed.

In these photos, he’s using the Rock Hauler to lift and hold a large boulder in place while he stacks leveling bricks underneath. The stone is strapped securely to the frame, and the cart acts like a mobile lifting jack, keeping the weight controlled while he fine-tunes the height and angle.

On steeper parts of the yard and in soft ground, Scott tows the loaded cart with his Exmark mower using the Rhino tow-bar accessory, and even adds a winch tied to the mower when extra pulling power is needed. As a metal sculptor who fabricates large pieces, he appreciates the engineering and leverage built into the Rock Hauler and considers it a long-term tool for both his landscape work and sculpture projects.

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PROJECT: BUILDING A MOUNTAINSIDE STONE TERRACE (VERMONT)

“Absolutely worth the money. It is great for not only carrying but leveraging rocks around as it has a built-in fulcrum. Highly recommend.” — David B.

Summary

David B. from Vermont used the Rhino Rock Hauler to build about a 22' diameter circular stone terrace overlooking the Green Mountains. Working alone on sloped, uneven terrain, David relied on the Hauler’s leverage system, third wheel, and tow-bar accessory to move dozens of large flat-faced fieldstones. These stones appear to range between 80–250 lbs each, with several larger capstones approaching 300+ lbs.

The project involved transporting stones across open pasture, staging them, and then setting each layer with careful height adjustment. Thanks to the Rhino’s built-in fulcrum and ability to “walk” stones into precise position, David was able to construct a stable, level, dry-laid wall forming a raised terrace with panoramic views.

His finished space is a beautifully crafted circular seating area—built entirely by hand, made possible by the mechanical advantage and towing capability of the Rock Hauler.

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PROJECT: MOVING 10 TONS OF BOULDERS FOR LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE RESTORATION (MICHIGAN)

“Rhino’s personalized service and advice as well as a great, solid tool, made it possible. Thank you Rhino Tool Systems!” — Bill H.

Summary

Bill H. used the Rhino Rock Hauler to relocate roughly 10 tons of mixed-size stones (30–300 lb each) from a beachfront on Lake Michigan up a steep, unstable shoreline slope. The terrain included deep sand, shifting mud, and embedded rocks — conditions that make moving heavy boulders by hand nearly impossible.

With the Hauler outfitted with the optional third wheel and a plywood base, Bill and a helper were able to roll 300-lb stones with ease over sand, and even manage **~600 lb loads** when working together carefully. The cart’s built-in fulcrum and balanced axle design allowed them to leverage boulders — not just carry them — making the project realistically achievable without heavy equipment.

Over multiple load-and-move sessions, they stacked dozens of large fieldstones into a retaining wall that now protects the hillside from wave action, rain runoff, and seasonal erosion. Several neighbors who witnessed the work were amazed the entire stone wall was built manually, with the Rhino and not a machine.

Bill says the combination of Rhino’s tool design and personalized support was the difference between “an impossible job” and a finished, solid structure that secures his property for years to come.

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Share Your Project

Rhino customers all over the country are using the Rock Hauler to move boulders, build landscaping features, and complete projects that would normally require machinery. If you’ve completed a project and want to be featured, we’d love to see it!

Email your photos or videos to:
support@rhinotoolsystems.com

Please include:

• Approximate stone weight or dimensions
• A short description of your project
• Your state or region
• A few photos of your project in progress and/or the results

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