Andrea
The transportation of a drum set from one gig to the other is a significant issue for drummers. Most beginners face difficulties because they haven’t been transporting the kit. Therefore, once a person starts performing away from his/her location, movement becomes an issue.
When I was an amateur in the drumming industry, I was faced with the same situation. My main fear was that my drum set could break down during transportation. However, I discovered the best method that I could use to transport the instruments without any challenges.
Most people always ask if a drum set can fit into a small car. The size of your kit and the type of car seats will determine the possibility. However, we need to discuss this in detail to know the right car to use. Drum sets are expensive, and we cannot afford to lose them quickly. Therefore, can a drum set fit in a car? Stay with me and learn the best ways to transport your kit.
Can I fit a drum set in a car?
Is it possible to fit a drum set in a car? This is the question that most people have been asking, and I have been eager to answer them. An entire 5-piece drum set can fit into a car, but this requires patience and a well-organized person.
We cannot all afford a big SUV or a touring van to use in transporting our kits. Most people can afford a small car for moving around town, and that includes me. However, because renting an SUV can be quite expensive, I decided to test my luggage packing ability.
I decided to transport my entire drum set in my 2005 Toyota Corolla. The instruments that I needed to transport are Tom 10×8, Tom 2 12×9, Floor Tom 14×12, Bass Drum 22×18, and Snare Drum 14×5.5. All these drums had their protection racket drum cases.
The hardware components include; a Tom Stand x2, Hi-hat stand, Snare stand, Floor tom legs, Cymbal boom arms x2, Multi-Clamp, DW Dogbone with arm, and drum throne. The hardware components were all packed in a Gibraltar hardware case.
The cymbals included a Double pedal w/ Case, 13″ hi-hats, 17″ crash, 18″ crash, and 18″ china, all packed in SKB soft cymbal case. It also included a Drum rug and Rock n Roller multi-car (R2 model).
As you know, a 2005 Toyota Corolla has interior dimensions are 90 cubic feet and a trunk space of 13.6 cubic feet. This is a small space considering the items that we are transporting. However, you can arrange all these items in an incredible order.
Place the snare and one tom on the ground of the back seat. Remember that back seats cannot be folded in this type of car. The front seats should be pushed forward to the normal driving position. Fit all the remaining drums except the backup snare on top of the back seat. They fit nicely, and you can still see out of the back window.
The hardware bag goes into the trunk first, followed by the all cymbals, double pedal, extra snare, rug cart, and the throne. They all fit, leaving the passenger seat on the rear seats. You must ensure there is room to spare and all drums fit well. Isn’t that awesome?
How do you transport drums?
Do you own a Toyota Corolla or a Subaru Impreza, and are you thinking of using it for moving your entire drum set? That is a good idea, but you must be keen when using such types of small cars. A new car with a large carrying capacity can work wonders for you.
You need a car or van with enough room for all your instruments. You need a vehicle with room for spare kits as well that can accommodate instruments with seats folded. Another major thing that you need a vehicle for transporting your drum sets is safety.
You can transport your drums in an SUV or a van if you own one. These types of vehicles have enough space for all your instruments or even for the entire band. The good thing about vans and SUVs is that they are safe, and you can easily arrange the drums. You can also manage your drums easily without getting any headaches.
You can also use a Honda Fit with a capacity of 16.6 cubic feet of cargo space and 52.7 when all seats are folded down. Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen can also perform wonders for you. It has a cargo capacity of about 30 cubic feet behind the seats.
Also, you can use a Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza Hatchback, and Toyota Prius V. All the drums could fit in this car leaving space in the front passenger seat. With seats folded, you will always have room to spare and an individual.
Is it OK to stack drums?
There are two significant parts to this question – talking about the drums during transportation and stalking drums for storage. While transporting drums, it can be risky to stack more than two drums, especially when traveling on the road with potholes.
However, if you intend to transport drums for a short distance on a good road, you can stack them from the largest to the smallest. You need to ensure that they are stable enough not to topple and fall on the way. The bass drums should be at the bottom and the rest could fit on its diameter.
Stalking drums for transportation also depends on the type of vehicle that you are using. If you are using small cars, then it can be tricky to have high stacks. However, if you are using a van or SUV, it can be easy to stack them, especially if you are transporting so many drums.
You need to adhere to safety requirements because you know that drums are expensive. No one can afford to replace a damaged drum that easily. Always ensure that your vehicle has the required safety equipment, especially the fire extinguishers. With all seats folded, the entire gear can fit into a Toyota Corolla leaving room to spare.
On the other hand, if you are stacking drums for storage, you can do that without any problem. All music shops and warehouse stores stack their drums during storage. They try as much as possible to maximize the available space. Therefore, you can do the same at home if you have limited space in your garage.
What is a full-size drum set?
There is no conventional standard size for drum kits, but most drum kits are five-piece. These include a floor tom, a bass drum, a snare drum, and two tom-toms. Floor toms are types of tom-toms with a stand or legs on the floor.
The configuration of drums in a standard set is 22 inches bass drum, 16 inches floor tom, 14 inches snare, and 13 inches mounted toms. The bass drums are responsible for the low sound, and it is played with a foot by stepping on the bass pedal.
On the other hand, the snare is the shallow used by drummers to express their drumming style. A full-size drum kit also includes cymbals, stands, hi-hats, hardware bags, and other hardware components. All these accessories work collectively to aid the drummer in making the best tones.
The arrangement of a full-size drum kit varies from one drummer to the other. The arrangement of a right-handed player can be different from the one used by a left-handed player. However, most drummers arrange them from left to right, starting with the highest tone to the lowest.
