Here’s some pix of what I’ve been using for over 10 years. It has handled everything I’ve ever wanted to move including a 9 footer. The cargo floor is bit over 5 by 10 with the Vee nose being another 2 feet hence the legal description of 6 by 12. I special ordered this puppy and at the time it cost me about $6500. 2 and 5 eighths ball ........ nothing smaller. Octal socket for power, manufactured by Interstate Trailer. I had to add some three quarter plywood to beef up the cargo floor. I’ve had an issue with the rubber door seal seizing up or “gluing” itself to the opening. This causes extra effort needed on the locking bar seen in the locked position in the middle of the back door. The extra effort caused the lever to break so I had to weld it back on and I reinforced it while I was at it by adding some more iron right at the break area. That was 5 years ago. Marker lights are serviced every fall as the days get shorter and wetter. The trailer is rented out to other piano movers from time to time to augment what they’ve got or need.
The trailer suffices as a storage unit for my skids and pads. When it’s full of cargo, the extra gear goes in the bed of the truck. When the pic was taken my two skids, a 5 footer and at 6 footer were in the shop. I have other skids but those are the two I take with me everywhere.
Extras ..... dual axle equals smoother ride, less cargo drift during transit
extra tall door so I can load grands with skid and a dolly under it ....... I think it’s a 6 foot 6 inch ceiling.
the lip has a piano hinge so that it folds over to make the trip up and down the door/ramp a bit easier. It’s shown in the folded position. The main hinge point can be filled in with a piece of wood cut to fit to eliminate that extra lift needed to clear as the piano makes it’s way up the ramp.
no spare needed when you’re running four tires on the ground, I traded the spare with the dealer for 6 straps to fit the E strips when I ordered it
the two E strip elevations were copied off of a piano delivery truck belonging to a local dealer. I wouldn’t mind having an additional strip below the lowest one for spinets and consoles. That way I could route the strap under the keybed “behind” the legs.
electric brakes on one axle with controller
there are stands that fold down to support the back of the trailer when it’s not hooked up to the truck so that I can use the truck to fetch the piano from a mobile home (no porch) or in one case I 4x4’d my way down into a ravine to the home’s back door to avoid a series of brand new connecting decks consisting of a total of about 18 steps. I then moved the piano from the back of the truck directly into the trailer using the ramp you see stored inside the trailer.
I have hauled four consoles at once loading them front to back with the keyboards at right angle to the direction of travel
I have also hauled a grand and a huge Gulbransen Theatre organ, it’s pedals and their benches all in one load.
The truck is a three quarter ton 4X4. I used a half ton 4X4 for years but really prefer the control I have with the three quarter ton. It also gets better mileage than the old one (318 vs. 5.7 HEMI) ........ but not by much.
The HEMI sounds awesome pulling the trailer up an on ramp with it’s pipes echoing off a retaining wall ........... at full throttle!!! It makes me smile every time.
I’ve lost an inch and three quarters of height in my lifetime. My hands ache unless I take my vitamins. Moving pianos at my age is a blessing but I can see my days are numbered. In the meantime, I move the easy ones and leave the staircases for the big friendly Samoans.
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