Does anybody have any ingenious rack system for storing framed art in a 5x8 trailer. I'd like to be able to arrange the trailer so I don't need to go crazy carefully packing each piece after a show. Most of my pieces are 30x40, with a few 40x60 pieces, a couple long horizontals 20x60 and then a couple boxes of smaller prints.
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and look what I found in my archives from about 3 years ago, the boxes in use in a single booth:
Good suggestions from Jim. I have seen many artists with rollon crates in various sizes, with dividers for their artwork. When loading your trailer, or designing how to load it, remember to balance it well. Too much tongue weight, or not enough, will make handling issues. It can also cause you to lose control under heavy braking. The same with side to side balance.
In a former life I raced sports cars, and I know from experience the importance of getting the car in exactly the right spot on the trailer! Same with loading my truck (both for racing and now for art shows).
Yeah, Jim! When I saw this question I was hoping you would show up to help John out. Love to see photos of this. Maybe I have to show up at Birmingham or somewhere with a camera and take shots of your trailer loaded and unloaded.
I don't have racks for framed work, so my setup is a bit different. Everything rolls. The panels have a rack, the double Trimline has a rolling cart. There are some pictures on my website. This is the setup inside the new trailer, where we carry mats, frames, glass to replace work on the road. This trailer is built to stay away from home a while, so it doesn't get loaded top to bottom, but rather front to back. By unloading a couple of the bins out the side door, I can access the materials and have a bit of a table to work on.
New trailer setup
The old trailer was similar, minus the drawers and shelving up front. It had a pointier nose, so built-ins were problematic.
Old trailer setup
I carry a lot of work in the bins. I have two main bins, one that hold about 25 20x26 framed pieces, and functions as a 11x14 and 16x20 browse bin at shows. Another bin holds larger matted prints (20x26). These were designed for a double tent, and can make it a bit tight in a single.
Here's a link to the evolution of those designs.
2x2's will work for lightweight stuff, as will 1/2" plywood. But it needs to be glued and fastened well, or the shaking of the trailer will destroy it. I used 2x4' for the heavy stuff on the left. It's a big trailer, and has a lot of wind resistance. For your situation, I'd try to keep it as lightweight as possible, as the gross weight capacity of a 5x8 is only about 2000#, including the 700-800# of the trailer.
That's a pretty open-ended question, really. Obviously you don't want to stack them like cordwood. Do you need to walk from front to back in the trailer? Does it have a side door so you can access inventory from front and rear?
I'd start with a basic framework of 2x2's, biscuited and glued together. Slots to handle your various sizes vertically, or horizontally. Carpet to pad. 3/8" plywood slats to keep the pieces from falling on one another. Eyebolts and bungie cords to keep them from sliding out one end or the other. It all needs to be fastened securely to the floor and sidewalls of the trailer. Lag bolts will do the job, as will #8 or #10 square head screws. Countersink them into the structure so they don't mar your pieces.
But without knowing how many pieces, and what your trailer configuration is, it's mostly guesswork. There isn't really anything available commercially. You could try wire shelving and standards I suppose, but it will shake itself apart before too long. If you don't have the ability to build something yourself, you might talk to a cabinet maker.
Google Sketchup is quite useful in pre-visualizing what you are going to build. It doesn't have to be exact, but it helps to know your measurements going in. Without any idea of your skill level, it's hard to recommend a course of action that you'll be able to execute.