Hi everyone! I have the oppertunity to make desserts for a prom next year and have no means to deliver Does anyone know where I can rent a cargo van with the shelving units.

Thanks,
Kat

I can't help as I don't live in the US but I'm giving you a bump. Good luck!

Thanks Cakewhizz!

Another bump! Good luck

Have you checked with the usual car/truck rental places? They may have something like that already, or have a means of adjusting their vans to do what you are needing it to...

If you can't find this, I imagine whatever you are making can be transported over in multiple trips with what fits in your vehicle, and friends you can wrangle to help you!

Good luck to you....

I have called a couple rental places and have a few more calls out but no luck yet. I wanted to avoid the more than one trip if possible. 2000 desserts plus I'm figuring so far is a lot of trips. I just did 190 in my car and had cupcakes that had to be redone because they toppled over. I could always frost them there but would have to get there real early. Not sure how all this is going to work but wanted to get my ducks in a row and come up with a few plans beforehand.

Thanks,
Kat

I had to rent a regular van one time because the cake was too big to fit into my SUV. (It's a smaller model.) And because of the size, well, really the weight, had to be assembled onsite.

The key to a van without shelves is being able to box and stack. For small desserts, think about using the little plastic cups that Indydebi uses for mousses. In a half sheet box (easier to handle) place a cake board for stability of the bottom. Then run some double stick tape in rows on the board and set the little cups onto the tape. Put on the cover. Place a piece of nonskid on that and place the second box. I've carried boxes stacked about four high that way and never a problem. Cookies and brownies in boxes will stack just fine.

Thanks leahs, great idea's! What plastic cups does Indydeb use for mousses? The double tape is a great idea to tape down cupcakes and tortes too.

Thanks a bunch!
Kat

re: boxing up...

premade solution (free shipping!)

inserts: http://www.brpboxshop.com/bakery_boxes/1499.html
you'll use 84 of the 100 in the set

boxes: http://www.brpboxshop.com/bakery_boxes/2104x2102.html
again, you'll use 84 of the 100.
(cheapest box this size they sell; they also have boxes in white and white boxes with windows -- but for this kind of order those would be overkill)

so that's $107.01 + 34.89 = $141.90 / 2000 = 7cents/cupcake (of course you WILL add this amount rounded up to 10cents to the bill! -- so that's $200 for packaging they have to pay -- and with that you still have 16 inserts and boxes already paid for to use on future orders and $58 extra for future purchases )



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question: where is the prom being held???
is it going to be one of those transform the gym affairs?
if so, might you be able to secure use of the school's cafeteria kitchen or even the "family and nutrition sciences" (aka the previous home ec) classroom?

Thanks Doug!! I've seen those before but didn't remember the sight.

The prom will be held at a hall.

I was thinking of looking into one of the kitchens you mentioned below. I'm trying to figure it all out while I have some free time. HAHA I figure I will need at least a week to prepare and somewhere to store the food. i e., storage room plus refrigeration. I was also going to check with the church. The one thing that I'm worried about is the storage part.

Kat

well, i can't help with the shelving part but i can put in my 2 cents on the sliding: when i deliver i use my van but i lay a mat of drawer liner on the carpet... you know the foamy bumpy kind with holes in it that cushions the stuff in your drawers or on your shelves? If you still are going "HUH?" have a look at the organizing your cake tools thread i posted as all my tool box drawers are lined with it too so when i open a drawer the stuff doesn't slide.

Thanks kakesbykitty, yes I use this all the time, buy it by the roll at Costco. Wouldn't deliver without it.

Kat

that's the stuff we all call "non-skid"

cool, good to know the name of it! "that puffy stuff with the holes in it" didn't quite cut it LOL

What's a bump?

'bump' is just to give a post a bump up the listings. so even if u dont know the answer, u can bump a post to the top, so its more likely that someone will spot it.
xx

Cool - how does one push a 'bump'?

I would go for the cargo van if you must. Weigh out the cost of that versus the gas and multiple trips. I had to make 3 trips in my mini van for an event once. I was going to rent a cargo van, but the $60, plus the gas for something that eats more than my van... I just started the day a little earlier and kept my overall cost down. Good luck! Sounds like a nice project.

........how does one push a 'bump'?.........

All you have to do is type something in the box and send it as you would any other reply. As you have seen some just type the word ;'bump' others say a few words

Try some place like a moving company, like Ryder. They have work vehicles that they rent.

Yes that's what I'm going to do, rent a cargo van. Thanks everyone