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Blog 1: Band Dad Breakdown – Ramps
Band Dad Breakdown: Ramps
There are many features that go into truly making any variety of moving container a transportation solution, but the most critically important feature is a great set of ramps. How do you get all that valuable, awkward and heavy equipment onto a truck or trailer safely and efficiently?
Maybe your program has a box truck with a lift gate on it. That is good for getting equipment from the ground up into the truck, but it is very time-consuming to repeatedly send the lift up and down. It’s also not designed for band equipment: The lift gate isn’t big enough to hold a 4 1/3rd octave marimba without one of the wheels hanging off the lift, which risks damaging that valuable instrument. Speaking of safety, with so many people involved in the process, we also worry about pinched fingers.
At a recent contest, we witnessed a program with a trailer that had no ramp or lift system at all, and students and parents were expected to hoist EVERY piece of equipment (speaker carts, sound cart, marimbas, etc.) several feet off the ground into the back of the trailer. We have seen that horror story of the freshman percussionist accidentally rolling a timpani off the back of a box truck, and heard the awful, gut-wrenching, ruin-your-day sound of the crash. The potential for injury as well as potential for damage to the equipment hardly seems worth the risk when there are reasonably-priced options available.
Ramps come in a variety of configurations, but there are three important considerations: Weight, capacity and ease of use. Ramps that are too heavy or awkward are a strain on your students and parents. Ramps that are too steep create their own set of challenges: They are too hard to push equipment up them or they drag the foot pedals and resonators. Ramps that cannot accommodate the capacity flex like crazy when something heavy is speeding downhill. Undersized or inappropriately-sized ramps have to be spread apart to accommodate a marimba or pieces of a prop frame, creating a step hazard between two side-by-side ramps, leading to skinned shins and twisted ankles.
The Clubhouse recommends a set of 3 lightweight aluminum ramps from Roll-A-Ramp that are easy to store, set in place and pack away quickly. Just three ramps provide 67.5 inches of coverage across the back of a trailer or box truck, allowing for a smooth, strong, high-grip surface for moving your equipment safely and efficiently. Our Clubhouse-exclusive mid-support stands increase the capacity of each ramp to 1,000 pounds, and the 14 foot length of each ramp gives a gradual slope into your trailer. For box trucks, the ramps are a bit longer to keep the slope to a comfortable angle. The best feature of all: We can have this solution to you within 2 weeks of receiving your payment!
We also offer a full-width aluminum ramp powered by a set of automated electric actuators. Spanning the entire width of the trailer your load space is safe and efficient for both people and equipment. Operation of the ramp is now simplified by the use of software to be the simple push of a button for safe and efficient deployment in just 90 seconds. When stored, the ramp folds in half and takes up less than a foot of space inside the back doors.
Our full-width powered ramp can be part of a custom Clubhouse Trailer community showpiece that we know is on your wishlist. If you already have a trailer, why not make it a Clubhouse Trailer? Let’s talk about adding a powered ramp as an upgrade to your current rig.
On Saturday, March 3, 2018 Clubhouse Trailers had the opportunity to celebrate the delivery of 3 brand new trailers for the McKinney Independent School District. These 2017 Kentucky Trailers arrived to the Clubhouse and were built out identically. The three trailers were all outfitted with our typical Clubhouse Features, such as carpeted 2nd floor, full LED interior and exterior lighting, full-width hydraulic ramp, custom-built instrument storage, color guard belly box drawers and an array of retracting staircases.
McKinney High School
McKinney Boyd High School
McKinney North High School
All three trailers are outfitted with two of our 8 foot guard drawers, a great place to store flags, sabres, rifles, or any other long items!
The nose of the trailers are outfitted with custom instrument storage, as well as 12 case-less sousaphone holders
Looking from the nose towards the back of the trailer, the bottom floor is for rolling pit equipment, and walking up the retracting staircase leads to more custom instrument storage.
The carpeted instrument storage layout was designed by a MISD band dad, and built out by Clubhouse Trailers.
The electrical cabinet houses the power distribution panel for all the lighting throughout the trailer, as well as a solar charge controller for the roof-mounted solar panel. The Hydraulic power unit is also enclosed in the cabinet.
Our side entry staircase is an easy to use, space-saving design, as they retract into the doorway for transit.
On Monday, August 14, 2017 Clubhouse Trailers delivered their largest single order to date- 5 trailers for the Mesquite Independent School District. These trailers were all outfitted with full paint and graphics, as well as a suite of Clubhouse Features. Each Band’s group of directors had the opportunity to decide what features best fit their bands’ needs.
Three Bands (West Mesquite, Poteet, and North Mesquite) chose full width Hydraulic Ramps for rear entry to the trailer. The other trailers are outfitted with a set of aluminum Roll-Up Ramps.
The exterior graphics were designed by a Poteet Alumni, and matches each band’s unique personality. Our partner sandblasts and paints the trailers, and applies a high quality vinyl graphic across the trailer.
Four Bands (John Horn, Mesquite, West Mesquite, South Mesquite) chose to have Director’s Platform option, which allows easy addressing of a band before or after a performance. 
Check out the beautiful rear doors and bumpers of these trailers!
Watch this great video about Mesquite taking delivery of their new trailers!
Watch out for these 5 trailers at a contest near you! If you have any questions, head on over to our Facebook page or contact us.
A brief look at the graphic installations we have done. All of these trailers received sanding or sandblasting and new paint before vinyl graphic wraps were applied.
While some simply apply a full vehicle wrap– we professionally prep and paint our trailers, and then apply the printed or colored vinyl to the graphics areas.
Here, we have 3 freshly painted BEAUTIFUL trailers, shuffling around outside our shop as we begin the interior buildout. Our trailers are retrofitted inside our shop.
Here is a refurbished Kentucky Trailer coming into our shop for Graphics and Full Interior Buildout
Memorial’s Two-Tone Trailer came back from paint and the White “E” was hand-cut and applied.
The barn door fence is a great addition to increase safety for members walking and hanging out inside your trailer. The right portion can swing outward to allow loading of instruments by hand, or using our Tubavator™
Our Tubavator™ is a hydraulic lift that can move Euphoniums or Tubas from the ground to 2nd floor for storage. The barn door gate swings out of the way to allow easy loading and unloading.
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Electrical Cabinet
The Electrical Cabinet houses the deep cycle heavy-duty battery, the charge controller for our solar charging system, fuse panel, and switches for lighting zones.
For our new Rack & Roll Trailer Layout, (and all hydraulic ramp equipped trailers) the electrical cabinet + power distribution system is moved to the rear of the 2nd floor.
Solar Charging Systems
Along with our lighting system, we provide a simple solution for charging, involving no stinky generators! 100W solar panel with a charge controller in conjunction with the deep cycle heavy-duty battery provides ample power to keep all the lights and ramps powered through a long contest weekend.
The retracting stairs behave just like our Side Entry stairs, which makes deployment a breeze!
In McKinney ISD trailers, a unique floor plan allowed a set of retracting staircase towards the front of the trailer as well.
