A few questions about Trailer Haunts

[terrormasue]

I have been told that Rich Strelak is back from Canada and may, amoung others, be able to answer a few questions I have about trailers. I have mine ready to go and would love to get started but first thing first is SAFETY so here it goes:

1. Do you remove the tires and lower the trailer

2. Or do you jack up the trailer a bit so the tires are off the ground

3. Do you sercure the trailer to the ground and if so how

4. What do you suppport the trailer with if you do jack it up

5. What is the best method to connect the trailers together

I know I may be missing a few questions that I have not thought of so please don't hesitate to add your suggestions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Again thanks loads everyone!

Again I am not opening until 2010. Thanks ahead of time for all suggestions!!

[SomeThingInTheIce]

If you are talking about semi trailers they have legs (not sure of the right name for them) that drop down and then the semi truck pulls out. That is if you are making it so that it can be moved every year. Good luck, I have always want to make a haunt in trailers.

[terrormasue]

Yes, these are semi trailers 45 feet long. They rest on 8 tires on the back and landing gear on the front that can be "cranked" to any height. I really do know how to spell "among" just not a great typist. lol

[drfrightner]

Let me get the pro Rich Strelak to come to your rescue... he knows all about this subject. I'm calling him right now and letting him know about this thread!

If you come to Transworld 2010 we'll open up our trailer haunt for some kind of tour so people can really get a look at them. We have really been trying to renovate them but remember this is what the crooks broke into.

Oh well. Calling Rich now.

Larry

[shawnc]

I've been seriously looking into this myself and would like to hear what the experts say. From what I have found so far (in my area, and I think where you are and who you have to deal with are the most impoertant things) you want to leave the wheels on so that it is considered temporary. Once you start making it permanent, building codes come into play.

[Mad Wax Sculptor]

you know ive been told that once they are in place you can block them like mobil homes. You want to use only the i beams as supports. I wouldnt raise the tires off the ground or remove them its extra support. level them and block them with cinder blocks

[The Doctor]

I don't think here in AL they will let us use anything that obstructs escape and it not be sprinkled. They came down real hard here in AL on all haunted houses for building and fire codes.

[Slain]

Trailer Haunting

Let me ask a question that boggles at least my mind...
How can you pass and inspection with a Trailer Haunt? Fire protection or electrical?
Is is ADA (American Disability Approved) accessable?
Just curious... Thinking of opening a traveling haunt type circus that I can pull behind and place at any given mall or supermarket lot...

[hsmag]

When I worked with my parents in the early 90's setting up and working at a couple charity haunts that's all we had was trailers. We had 3 trailers in a "U" shape. The trailers were pulled from a semi-trailer storage lot by a local trucking company to the site where we would setup. The trailers were backed into place as tight as possible by the trucking company. The trailers were left with their wheels on the ground and we cranked the legs down to the ground for additional support. This kept them solid and in place. We built ramps and stairs that would lead up to the entrance and exit (the exit always had a ramp because it was safer if guests ran out).

IF the trailers needed a bit of tweaking to get them closer/tighter together we did something I wouldn't recommend as it's not the safest thing to do, but we used two different jacks (one a 10 ton and the other an 8 ton) and used the biggest timbers we would get and jacked them up and into the trailer at an angle (depending on which direction the trailer needed to go in) then kept cranking the jack until it pushed it as close as we needed. This was done before the legs were cranked down and if at all possible you'll want to get the company you hire to get them as tight together as possible. The jack method is dangerous.

In order to connect the trailers we built small ramps and walkways in between each trailer that started in one trailer and ended in the nest then built around the ramp sides and a roof. We tried to make that as tight as we could to keep out water when it rained. The trailers were wired so that we would hook each trailer together using male and female generator plugs. (Our plugs were located in the ceiling and the plug was locked in place so it wouldn't fall down. Getting locking plugs is important so that one doesn't accidentally come unplugged and put a pause on your show). The type of plugs you'd need would depend on what type of generator you'd be using. We used both Homelite and Honda generators and the Homelite was easier to start, more reliable and easier & cheaper to fix when it needed work done on it. You may be able to get the city to help you hook up electricity directly to the trailers and wouldn't need a generator though. Wiring the trailers is something that would depend on your needs and city electrical codes.

As for the questions about meeting safety guidelines, we always met ours. Of course codes vary from region to region so you'd need to find out what requirements you'll have to meet first. But ours we had sand paint on any ramps or steps to provide traction, we also had glow in the dark paint on the floors showing the way to emergency exits (we had one emergency exit located at the back of every trailer with a staircase leading to the ground. These emergency exits were located right next to where people would cross over into the next trailer and in our last trailer the exit served as the emergency exit.), battery-powered emergency lights that would turn on as soon as power failed and our last year we even added a sprinkler system that ran along the roof of all our trailers. Our walls had to be cut down about 2 feet from the ceiling (this may vary on your safety code) to allow the sprinkler heads enough room to spray in the event of a fire and the local fire department loaned us the wrenches and hoses to connect them together and to the hydrant. We had to have our own regulator custom made for the hose to connect to and feed the sprinkler lines so that's something you'll need to talk to your fire marshal about. To pass fire inspection all of our walls were painted with latex paint that had fire retardant mixed in with it. Our fabrics, foliage and props all had to be sprayed with the same retardant that was approved by the fire marshal. Our haunt was not wheelchair accessible. I'm sure there are some haunts that allow room for a wheelchair but at the time that was not a big deal. Making it wheelchair accessible will cut quite a bit of your space out but if you're creative you can come up with ways to get around that obstacle. This would also eliminate and stairs in favor of ramps.

The nice thing about our trailers was that the back trailer had walls that were on heavy duty hinges so that at the end of the season we would pull these walls back against the trailer wall and lock them in place and it allowed a generous amount of room for storing ramp pieces and other big items. Everything we had was stored inside 3 trailers.

This is just my experience with trailer haunts. I hope this helps answer some of your questions and be sure to talk to anybody you can who has experience with these haunts as well as talk to your city inspectors and find out just what requirements need to be met. You want to be well-prepared before opening night, even if it is a year away.

[terrormasue]

Thank you all so much for your help with this. The trailers are on solid ground (soil) and are fairly level. I was concerned with the tires holding air for several years. They will be shielded from the sun but I would hate for one to lose air after years of just sitting. My haunt will not be accessible to any wheelchairs. My haunt is on 4 acres in a pasture with uneven pasture ground. I will have emergency exits at both ends of each trailer and everything will be sprayed with flame retardant. I will also have a ramp at the exit. I was told if I follow all safety "rules" I will not have to put in a sprinkler system. I guess my main concern was do I jack up the trailers to get the tires off the ground or do I leave the tires touching the ground. Also do I need to tie-down the trailers like a mobile home. As you probably guessed I am out in the country and I only have to worry about the fire marshall. Please if there are anymore suggestions out there post them. I want to start build the deck this weekend. Thanks again.

[hsmag]

Ours were on pavement in a parking lot. We didn't anchor our trailers down like you would a mobile home. I'm not sure if you can even do that with semi trailers but if you can and your area is prone to high winds then that might be an option.

Who "told you" that you wouldn't need a sprinkler system? You need to get this information directly from the fire marshal or you could end up with a huge last-minute sprinkler job just to get your doors open. Some trailer haunts don't need them but others do. It all depends on where you're located and what your codes say.

[brad]

SUE!!!!!

I havent seen you on here, or heard from you lately. How have you been?

And how's everthing coming along for you?

[shawnc]

I had a thought/question in regards to fire safety and this could apply to some building haunts as well as trailer haunts. Has anyone ever dealt with the fire problem by making almost everything out of stuff that doesn't burn?

We all know about the trailer haunt that was apparently constructed out of only stuff that would burn, or at least smolder. There are some trailers (and buildings) that are basically just metal, with no wood or insulation. If you made your wall panels out of steel/aluminum and fireproofed all of your props you might have a persuasive argument for the fire marshal to give you some leeway. Any thoughts?

[terrormasue]

Well, you are right. The sides are all metal the only thing that is wood is the floor. The fire Marshall told me if I fire retard everything and have exits at each end which would be every 22.5 feet and limit the number of people in each trailer at one time I would not have to put in a sprinkler system. All of my electrical conduit will be brought in from underneath the trailers so no wires will actually be inside the trailers. thanks for your suggestions.

[RJ Productions]

Hey Guys,
Rich here, just got back from Canada!!

Looking over the thread (Larry called, so I guess it's either response or continue to get calls!!!)
I'm running out right now but will respond later tonight when I can have more time!
Just wanted to make an acknowledgement so no one thinks I'm just avoiding it!!

Love the subject! (working on my haunt now!!)

Later,
Rich