Frank, the best way to move a piano in my opinion is an open trailer not a closed one. Most have side rails about 2-1/2' tall which is perfect for strapping down both uprights and grands on skids. Also it is much safer because the most dangerous part of the move is when you are rocking the piano either off the bed on to the ramp or the same place going the other way. If a piano is going to be dropped anywhere, it's there. If that sound like the voice of experience, you got it. 600lb upright darn near landed on my foot! Fortunately I owned it. Loaded it back up and pushed it off at the nearest dump! The reason it is safer with an open trailer is that you don't have to crouch over if you are the one on the back of the piano and the people on the ground can reach over the side of the trailer to steady it. Another thing I like about trailers in general is that if you back it up to the driveway so that the wheels stay in the gutter rather than running up on the driveway you get a situation where the tailgate of the trailer is about 4" off the concrete which makes it a snap to get off whether you have a ramp or not. Talking about ramps. Get one! A seven foot ramp costs about $140 and is worth its weight in gold! Many people will let you back right up to their door. You just stick the ramp between the tailgate and their porch or front door and roll it right in on a piano dolly. Down in our area, many old houses have 10 to 15 steps to the main floor (which is really the second floor)! Many people won't consider an open trailer because of the chance of rain. We made a series of hoops of electrical conduit that fit into u-brackets on the side of the trailer. We rented the conduit bender from a rent-all place. A specially made tarp fits over everything and I've never gotten a drop on anything! The piano has its own moving cover that is padded and waterproof. I had hand openings sewed into strategic areas so you can reach the lift points on each end. I've rented several closed trailers from U-Haul and various other the places and you have to get a really big trailer to have a tailgate opening tall enough to accommodate a grand on a skid, particularly if there is very much angle between the ramp and the trailer bed. You'll catch the upper cheek on the top every time! So when you get a trailer tall enough to use, it's like towing a vertical barn door behind you on the highway. Mileage goes down the tubes! Not the least of which is the crosswind hazard in which a quick strong gust can literally blow you off the highway if you don't have 60% of the weight in front of the trailer center line! With an open trailer you won't even know it's back there unless you happen to look in your mirror occasionally! A recommended procedure! With a piano in an open trailer, you know instantly if your straps come loose rather than finding out when you get to your destination. Finally, with an open trailer, you can haul your ATV and all your hunting gear up into the woods to chase Bambi! Merry Christmas everyone! Warren Frank Weston wrote: > > List, > > 2. I am not generally in the piano moving business, but on reviewing my > records for the past two years, I have discovered that in the course of > repairs/restorations etc. I have done over 30 moves, each one in a rented > truck. The cost adds up, and I am considering alternatives. One > alternative is a large enclosed trailer. Can anyone recommend a > particular type of trailer? What are the pros and cons of using a trailer > for piano moves? -- Home of the Humor List Warren D. Fisher fish@communique.net Registered Piano Technician Piano Technicians Guild New Orleans Chapter 701
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