Mid sized harpmobiles?

[Sylvia]

So you are all column loading?

[Sherj DeSantis]

I have never column loaded.

[patricia-jaeger]

I have never needed to column load, but rather have a 5″ thick foam mattress, from a foam shop. This I covered in heavy black shiny vinyl yardage taped over it with duct tape. The harp, in its travel cover, slides into the rear easily, in flat mode. With car keys in your pocket, there is no lifting going in: pull the mattress about a foot out from the open tailgate, Let the column and the whole harmonic curve of the harp fall gently onto that safe flat surface, once you have judged that the distance of the harp standing from the back of the car is just right. Then take hold of the base of the harp and leverage the instrument carefully into the car, flat and probably at an angle, leaving room for your harp trolley. To get the harp out again, once you pull the harp out again with a portion of the mattress, far enough to settle the harp base on the ground, make a judgment about when it would be safe to raise the column and top half of the harp to a vertical position without striking the top edge of the tailgate as it leaves the car. That will take some muscle, but not so much with medium-sized harps. Strong hand-holds of webbing material sewn onto your harp cover, are essential for safety. Once it is vertical, try never to let it out of your hands as you reach for the hand trolley and ease the harp safely onto it, then strapping it on so it is stable enough to push it to a destination, after closing and locking the tailgate..

[Sylvia]

I put a tarp around my foam mattress …sides sewn together…rather than taping it. I still have to lift the bottom to slide it in. Taking it back out, it’s a matter of hernias (joke) standing it back up again. I know the harp is far enough out to stand up if I can stand in unloading position and put my right foot on the bumper.

I let it stand while I put the dolly in place, and I never strap it on. I think it’s whatever each of us feels comfortable with that works for us. It might still fall over strapped on the dolly if the street slopes and you don’t notice it in the dark….just as a for instance. Harp moving is treacherous.

I wondered about the column loading because I don’t see how more than one harp could be loaded flat….and others seemed to be talking about flat loading, which is quite different.

[Andrea]

My daughter and I load our two harps flat in a Honda Odyssey with no problem. My gold 23 goes in first, flat, all the way over to the right, as far in as possible. Her 30 goes in next, all the way to the left with the knee block resting on the column of my 23 (with a thick blanket between). Plenty of room left for 2 dollies, stools and gig bags. It’s worked well for years now.

[Author]

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