Is PVC pipe support overkill in a 3 tier (6",8",10") cake that will be traveling assembled for 40 minutes?

Why not just use the sps system?

I've looked into that but I don't really understand it... if I slam on the brakes (heaven forbid!) what is keeping the cake from toppling over??

sounds like overkill. i sturdy cake drum on the bottom, well supported tiers, and a wooden dowel skewered through it all should be good.

the notches on the SPS boards prevent the tiers from sliding. if you're stopping hard enough to make something topple, you probably have worse problems then a smooshed cake!

sry, "notches" isn't the right word. um ... stick pricky thingie. sry, i can't find the right word to describe it or a picture.

I travelled for about the same time with a 3 tier cake which was 12", 9" and 6". I used thick firm straws which I think would be like the bubble tea straws I see everyone talking about. I put a dowel through the centre of the cake and had absolutely no problem. I put the cake in a box which I placed on the floor of the car which had rubber mats. I did this because I wanted to keep an eye on the cake. Had no problems whatsoever. Its the green 70th birthday cake in my pics.