Trailer or Truck?

[Edwin A. Hilbert]

Hello David and List,
	I have no problem with David's use of the trailor.  Indeed I have
often thought of getting a horse trailor for many of the reasons he gives.
However, I would have to disagree with Dave on the viability of using a
pickup truck.  I have successfully moved over 500 pianos on Toyota pickup
trucks, using the corner tie down points on the truck bed.  With only two
straps I tie the piano in so firmly that the piano, dolly, and truck bed
move solidly as one.  If the piano ever rolls over on a corner, it will be
during the roll over of the entire truck!
	The tie down approach we use with both uprights and grands is
essentially the same.  We use two 2500 pound test straps with ratchets
which I bought from Harbor Frieght Salvage about 15 years ago.  (Are they
still in business?)
	Upright: With the piano on the bed of the truck, sitting long
way front to back, approximatly in the center of the truck, with the
keyboard facing to the right (passenger) side, we take the
first strap and go from the front left corner of the truck around the
front end of the piano and over the front of the piano above the keyboard
area across the front of the piano (music rack area) to the back end of
the truck where we then connect the strap to the left rear corner tie
down. We then take the second strap, connect it to the front right corner
tie down, go over the first strap across the front end of the piano and
across the back side of the piano to the back of the truck.  Then again
going over the first strap we cross at the back of the truck to the right
corner tie down.  Ratchet them both tight and the piano won't move.
	The straps do not slide down the piano because the strap passing
in front of the piano is held up by the music desk area above the cheek
blocks.  The back strap is then held up by the front strap.  Thus the
piano is very firmly sandwhiched between the straps.
	Grand: The grand is done similarly, except as follows.  The tail
is put on the truck first and pushed up to the front of the bed with
padding.  The straps are again connected from the front corners but
instead of goinf in front of the piano they are taken directly up over the
curved side area of the tail and there they criscross on their ways to the
opposite sides of the piano. Then they continue on around the back side
(keyboard edge)  of the piano and on to the tie downs again on the same
side from which the straps originated.
	On both the upright and the grand, we place our ramp against the
backside of the piano and up over the tailgate if it will close.  (Some
long pianos will not allow the tailgate to close.)  The straps then also
go over the ramp which does two things.  First it holds the ramp firmly in
place. And secondly, it helps to hole the straps up a bit higher.
	This may not be real clear, but the system works amazingly well
and is very simple. Of course this system will also work in a full sized
truck if one wishes.
Ed Hilbert, RPT
Vermont


 On Sun, 20 Oct 1996 PIANOBIZ@aol.com wrote:

> Hello Everyone,
>
> We debate in our shop the virtues of the piano moving truck vs the virtues of
> the piano moving trailer.  The truck has some advantages in 'professional'
> appearance and greater size but our crew, myself included, has always
> preferred the trailer.  I especially like the very low (18")height off the
> ground for safety reasons.  The heavier the piano the less I want to be
> pushing it up a ten foot bouncy aluminum ramp to the bed of a truck 36" high
> (usually more) off the ground.  That really scares me as the bagholder of any
> liability suit.
>
> The trailer also is very inexpensive to own, to register, to insure and to
> operate.  The maintenance is so low.  When I don't want the trailer,  I
> simply unhook it and drive my vehicle away.  I'm not tying up or paying for,
> a separate whole vehicle for only that use.  Customers often will allow you
> to go on their lawn with a trailer when they wouldn't allow the truck driving
> across it.  I opted for the single axle also, because of my concern for the
> lawn.  Double axles do scuff up the turf quite badly.  I do concede that the
> smoother ride and added safety are nice factors though. We've been happily
> moving pianos in a fully enclosed 4x8 trailer since '84.  This year we've
> ordered and we're moving up to a new 5x10 trailer.
>
> If you can think of some advantages in using the truck, please let me know.
>  Ramping to loading docks is one.  Not having to back up (go in reverse) a
> trailer is another.  I guess I'd caution against the pick up truck as a
> moving vehicle.  With pianos being so tall and so top heavy and the walls of
> the pickup being way too short, I've heard too many flip-out-the-side on the
> corner stories.   In New England we even can't think of doing one person
> piano moves, not with our sloped lawns and multiple steps.
> Sincerely,
>
> David Sanderson
> Littleton, MA
> Pianobiz@aol.com
>
> David Sanderson
> Littleton, MA
> Pianobiz@aol.com
>
>
>