TubeNet

Afternoon! I've recently started working for the Cleveland Pops Orchestra as their equipment manager, and I'm looking for a cost-effective way to lessen my dependence on renting a U-haul for every concert. Some concerts absolutely require renting a truck when choir risers are involved, but the run-outs should be manageable. Everything can fit inside my Ford Fiesta except for the music stands.

I had a hitch installed on my car a few months ago and I bought a 4' X 7' utility trailer to use. I ended up returning it recently under warranty because of paint defects, but the hitch works great! Now that I have all my money back, I want to take another look at possible options. Should I:

Buy another trailer? If I get another, aluminum might be a safer option when looking at longevity. Do you all have any words of advice? I'm familiar with large landscape and dump trailers, but small utility trailers are out of my realm of experience. Using a small car, I know I don't want to go past 4' in width or 8' in length.

Modify one of those bike racks or scooter ramps that fits into a hitch to hold music stands? This is a rough idea, but it doesn't seem hard to weld an apparatus onto one of these that can hold 3 rows of stands.

The CPO has 35ish stands that need brought to concerts. Everything else can fit inside my car. Before I throw down money again, I'd love to get some other ideas.

Honestly, Foldable stands are the best for bands that travel a lot. No, not the cheap wire stands, Something like this:
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accesso ... usic-stand" target="_blank

If you have the fixed stands I even doubt that you could have a rack welded that would make it easy and safe to carry all the stands.

Check your local jurisdiction, but here you can't have anything sticking out more than 40 inches in the back of the car. So a homemade music stand rack may end up being illegal.

PMeuph wrote: So a homemade music stand rack may end up being illegal.

No music stand rack should be "illegal!!"

My only thought was an open trailer is going to result in wet stands which will not work well for the users. Used, of course, and who cares what it looks like as long as it is legal?

All good things to consider, especially legality! I'll do some more looking and thinking.

The OP is from Ohio, NOT Arkansas!!

While tempting, it seems a tad roundabout

I would personally look for a 4 ft. X 6 Ft. Enclosed Utility trailer. Functionality is more important than looks, and paint is relatively cheap. In Ohio you won't want to be pulling stands around in an open trailer with all the slush, snow, and salt splashing on them, unless you don't mind cleaning them when you get to your destination before you hand them to your musicians. See if U-haul or one of the other similar rental places are selling old ones, buy it and paint it.