Smaller harpmobile

[katieoshaughnessy]

Hey guys! As my last car got totalled from a fallen tree, I’m in the market for a new car. I feel more comfortable driving a smaller vehicle so I’m looking for the smallest possible car that can fit a L/H CG85. I’ve read about some harpists fitting their harp into a Prius, can anyone tell me their experience with this? Does it need to be base loaded first? Or if anyone could recommend me some smallish harpmobiles it would be greatly appreciated! My budget is around 5-7k.

[balfour-knight]

Katie,

Just read your post and I can definitely recommend the Subaru Forester. I know that at least as far back as 2015, the Forester has been large enough to accept a full-size concert grand. My harp requires about 75″ at the column plus the transport cover, and it will fit straight back behind the driver’s seat, leaving plenty of room for the bench, dolly and amplification equipment. My height is 5′ 6″ so I have the driver’s seat pretty close to the front. A taller person would need the seat further back and would not have that much room in the back.

There used to be a video on YouTube about loading a concert grand in a Prius, so check it out. It looked like a lot of trouble to me, compared to loading it in a Forester. Hope this helps.

Harp Hugs,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)

[tinacourtenay]

Hello Katie,
I bought a Subaru Forester and I love it. it easily fits either my Gothic Erard or my Camac Schola. I haven’t tried both at the same time yet. The great thing is that loading the harp is so much easier when the car is higher. You can just tip and slide the harp in which is much easier on your back than a station wagon which is lower. The Forester is lovely to drive around, mine is a 2000 model.

[billooms]

I have an 85CG and it fits nicely in the back of my Subaru Outback. I’m a tall guy (6’1″) and I can adjust the driver’s seat to a comfortable position with no problem. I put the column at an angle from the back of the driver’s seat to the opposite corner and there is still some clearance to the back window and room for the harp trolley, music stand, etc.

[melissa-lurio]

Hello,
I have a L & H 85E. This fits easily in the back of a 2017 Prius. This is the standard Prius: not the more-compact Prius C, and not the larger Prius V or Prime,(which would work even better). The 85 CG is two inches longer than the E, but I think it would work. I can fit a stand in the back, but I’ve never tried to put the bench in the back. I’m sure I needn’t point out that there is no room for a passenger in the back with the harp, only the driver and passenger in front. . . although we fit a passenger in back once, it’s not something I’d repeat.
The flat, low hatch opening of the Prius is a big reason it works.

[Tacye]

Harps can go into surprisingly small cars – my quest for a small harpmobile ended with a B-max at 4.08 m long. But this works so well because of being a right hand drive so possibly not what you are looking for. I found this website with boot measurements really useful https://www.ridc.org.uk/content/car-search

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[balfour-knight]

Hello friends!

Be sure to read all about new harpmobiles in the Sept/Oct current edition of Harp Column! They did a wonderful job reviewing some two dozen new cars. Thanks, Alison and Gabrielle, for all your hard work.

Happy Harping!
Balfour

[balfour-knight]

Hi friends,

We will soon be getting a Subaru Outback to replace our Forester. We were glad to see Bill’s post about his Outback, so we are sure that our Atlantide Prestige will fit in the new Outback. Does anyone else have an Outback to move a concert grand in?

Best to all of you,
Balfour and Carol Lynn

[Philippa mcauliffe]

Hi Balfour,

After the write off of a very old Mazda 6 wagon which someone drove into the back of (luckily no harp on board) my Atlantide is now travelling in a 3 year old Subaru Outback. Not quite as easy a load as the Mazda – you have to wriggle it a bit to go around the wheel arches as you slide it up. But its fine. The new Mazdas have a huge lump to do with automatic boot opening that stops it going in one at all. But in Australia it doesn’t fit in a Forester. All the best, Philippa

[balfour-knight]

Thanks, Philippa! This will be our first Outback, a 2022 model. I believe they have re-designed the back to give it a larger opening, like they did on the Forester. We can’t wait to get our new car! That is second only to getting a new harp, ha, ha!

So glad to see your post. Hope all is going great with you!

Harp Hugs,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)

[jaydg]

We have a 2016 Outback, which is what my Pilgrim Malvern came home in yesterday.
The Malvern is 70″ high. A bigger harp would have needed us to move the passenger seat forward, or to angle the harp a bit more diagonally, but that could happen. It was easy to load.

I need to read the manual and see if the boot lid can be persuaded to open higher (I think it can).

[balfour-knight]

It’s great to hear from another Outback owner, Jaydg! I have to get used to the fact that you folks who are in the UK drive on the other side of the car and road. We are in western North Carolina, USA. When we load the Atlantide Prestige in our car, the column goes behind the “driver’s seat,” on the left side of the car when looking in from the rear “boot.” I bet you can set the boot lid to open higher. Our Foresters have all had manually operated boots, except for our very first one, and it could be set to open at different heights. Happy harp carting in your Outback!

Harp Hugs,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)

[cecioboe]

I’m so glad to find this thread. I just bought an 85CG and drive a 2019 Outback. I’m glad it will fit since I didn’t want to have to buy a new car as well 😀

[balfour-knight]

Update–we just got our new 2022 Subaru Outback! With the front seats positioned comfortably for us, the Camac Atlantide Prestige concert grand at 74.25″ tall even has 5 inches to spare, with the column positioned behind the driver’s seat and the harp laid straight into the cargo area, no angling required. The large boot (rear gate) opening makes loading the harp a breeze. We are thrilled with all this extra room, since the harp was rather crowded in our former Forester. We now know why folks love the Outback so much–it is wonderful in every way. We heartily recommend it as a harp-cart!

Harp loading hugs,
Balfour and Carol Lynn

[jaydg]

Glad you like it – I have an older one, which I think is great. Yes, easy to load the pedal harp.

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