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Let me give you an example regarding my drum kit that I travel with:

I have 8 drums, two back-up snare drums, 12 cymbals, 3 sets of hi-hat cymbals, a custom drum rack, three bass drum pedals, two drum thrones, two stands, all of the hardware that attaches to the rack that holds my drums and cymbals, Roland TD-10 & TD-20 sound modules, 14 microphones for my entire kit, cords and cables, extra drum heads, sticks and cymbals, and a laptop computer with wireless mouse & keyboard.

All of this fits in five trunk-style road cases that would actually fit in a passenger van if you removed the seats. Stacked in a garage they don’t take up anymore floor space than a lawnmower and a trash can. If I were to buy fiber, molded, or bag-style cases, I would probably need approximately 16-22 individual cases or bags that would be lying all over the place and taking up three times as much space.

FAQ

Not at all. The type of cases that may be built with our product line can be used for ANYTHING that you want to protect in transit.

Road cases made to fit an item really don't take up anymore room than standard fiber or molded cases and bags. Additionally, one larger road case can take the place of multiple fiber or molded cases and bags. Two or three road cases will hold as much gear as ten to fifteen miscellaneous fiber or molded cases and bags. Therefore, they actually take up less floor space. They will also fit more efficiently in a van or truck used to transport your gear. It also makes for fewer trips when moving your gear to and from a vehicle. Multiple cases can be stacked in a garage, basement, or any room, for storage. Plus you can also stack a lot of other items on top of them, which also saves space in a vehicle or a room.

Nope. I have moved my trunk-style cases around by myself numerous times over the years, even stacking them and navigating stairs. It’s all about using leverage to do the work. Plus, all of my road cases have casters. I’d much rather push around four or five road cases with casters than carry fifteen to twenty individual cases and bags. Smaller cases are even easier.

Depending on what brand or style of fiber or molded cases and bags you buy, you will most likely spend less for parts and materials to build your own road cases, or possibly a small amount more. You spend a lot of money on the equipment that you want to protect, so even if the parts and materials to build your own road cases cost a little more than individual cases and bags, it is certainly worth the investment to protect your gear. Plus they look so cool!

During the filming of for Do-It-Yourself Road Cases® I actually built four cases. It took me about two weeks, but let’s not forget that I WAS filming a video that included many re-takes to get things looking perfect, positioning for still photos, eating, sleeping, etc. Two weeks is actually pretty quick considering all of these factors involved in the filming for a DVD, but let’s not forget that I have been doing this on and off for many years whenever I needed new cases. A fair estimate for someone doing this for the first time would probably be to plan on a weekend for a case like the one in the DVD.

Q. I have used power tools before, but I am not a carpenter by any means. Can I still build my own cases?

Q. I know that ordering custom cases from a manufacturer is very expensive, but isn't it still much more expensive to build road cases than buy fiber or plastic cases and bags?

Yes. If you can follow detailed, step-by-step, direction, then you can do this! If you have set up a home entertainment system, assembled put-together furniture, built a dog house, installed shelving in your home, tried a new recipe in the kitchen, installed a new faucet, or any other number of countless tasks that you perform for the first time in your life — then you can absolutely do this!

Q.What if I don't have all of the power tools that I see used in the video?

First, I want to mention that even purchasing some of the required power tools will still save you a considerable amount of money regarding your intended project if the project is large enough. However, you don’t have to have all of the power tools shown. Some may be replaced by manual hand tools, or smaller portable power tools if you are on a strict budget. For example, a manual hand riveter is a lot harder, and will take a lot longer, than a pneumatic riveter, but will still work. A hacksaw will work in place of a chop saw. A saber (Jig) saw will work in place of a table saw. A power hand drill will work in place of a drill press. If you choose to use manual hand tools, expect to be tired and sore at the end of the day. I started my case building years ago with nothing but manual hand tools and I can tell you that it worked just fine other than taking a bit longer. Regardless, i f you don't have any power tools, or your financial situation prevents you from buying any, then you can always rent power equipment fairly inexpensively, or better yet, BORROW the tools that you need from friends or family. I am sure that you know some folks that have the power tools, or other equipment, that you will need to complete the job — and that option won’t cost you anything!

Q.What if I don't have a work shop, or a permanent area with work benches and such?

You can build your cases in a garage, basement, or even a spare room in your home. I built my first set of cases many years ago in a spare bedroom in an apartment, because I had no garage or basement. Just make sure that your case will fit through any doors in your home before you start building! Temporary work stations and work benches can be easily made out of saw horses and a piece of ¾” plywood at very little expense. They can also be easily and quickly set up and taken down if you do not have a designated shop area where you can leave everything set up during the course of your project.

You can get everything you need at the DIY Road Cases® online store, or by clicking the link at the top of each page entitled "Shop Online" at any time. We have partnered with the world’s largest, and most popular, manufacturer of parts and materials for cases. Because of this, we can offer the best prices available for everything that you need. If you find a better overall price on parts & materials for a project somewhere else, just prove it and we'll match it!

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BELOW ARE THE 10 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Answered by Larry Cox

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Q. I found a case online like the one I want to build. After I priced all of the parts I'd need at your online store to build it myself, it looks like I can actually buy it for about the same cost, without having to do the work, or maybe even a little cheaper. Am I missing something?

Unfortunately, this is not a short answer, but it is a very important one to a very legitimate question. From a professional standpoint let me say this . . . if a ready-made case is less expensive than what you can build your own for, then my advice is STAY AWAY from such cases! In the long run you'll be glad you did. We have had countless customers who came back to us after buying such cases who told us they either sent the case back, or were terribly disappointed with the quality and strength and wished they had spent a little more and built with us. From a personal standpoint let me say this . . . I certainly understand the fact that it might actually come down to the fact that you just don't have enough money to build, and rather than not have a case at all, you might choose to buy the cheaper case. However, I will follow that up with: if you can wait a few more weeks, and save up the extra money you'd need to build a far superior case, that's what I'd recommend. Having said all that, lets move on to the details.

There are MANY factors that come into play regarding price and you being able to "buy one cheaper" than building one. We are fully aware of what's out there on the market. From us you are getting the industry's best parts and materials used by reputable case manufacturers worldwide. We don’t like to mention names regarding crappy cases, or slam anyone, but we can tell you that the some of the well-known U.S. companies that we completely endorse as bona fide, top-of-the-line, case manufacturers are companies like Anvil, Star, Humes & Berg, Calzone, Gator, A & S, etc. There are also other comparable case manufacturers as well. For folks who have the money to spend, and do not want to be bothered with building their own, then such companies are the ones you should buy from if you want a great road case.

This is not to say that there are not other companies, or builders, that make quality cases, but if you are going to compare building yourself verses buying a case, then such manufacturer’s prices should be the standard for comparison. Stay away from other “manufacturers” who boast much cheaper prices than well-known quality case manufacturers. You DO get what you pay for. There are a lot of road & flight case “manufacturers” that are nothing more than either of the following:
1. Re-sellers of pre-made crap cases coming from wholesale outlets in other countries.
2. Assemblers of pre-packed, put-together, crap cases coming from wholesale outlets in other countries.

These are NOT case manufacturers, and cases that you may see out there that seem to be less expensive than building yourself are: built with inferior-grade parts and materials, poorly designed for intended purposes, and made with corner-cutting building practices. Their stuff looks good in photos, and even sitting there in front of you, but will not hold up once you start using them. Or, even worse, will not protect what is inside like you had hoped.

Also, remember that most outlets will charge you an additional $20 -$60 for shipping depending on how they work that overhead into their pricing. They may say free shipping, but by the time you are in the checkout process you almost always see some sort of “oversized item” cost added for shipping. If they DON'T add ANY shipping, and free shipping is actually included in the cheap price of the case, then you definitely DO NOT want such cases.

Bona fide cases from manufacturers mentioned above can cost from $50 - $150 for shipping depending on the size of the case. Shipping is NOT cheap, especially these days. If someone tells you that you can buy a case, AND get it shipped to you, cheaper than building yourself . . . then trust me when I tell you that you will be getting crap. The only exception might be if you are buying something used or blemished.

The bottom line is that if you don’t have the money to buy cases from a reputable manufacturer, or simply want to save money for yourself or your business, you CAN get the same quality, by building yourself with us, for usually less than half the cost. Even with the so-called manufacturers whose prices are close to, or a little less, than what you could build for, you are still getting a MUCH better value for your money with us, INCLUDING the shipping costs.

Everything we sell is top-of-the line, industry-standard, parts and hardware, at very affordable prices for such quality. Our prices for top-quality parts are the same, and in most instances cheaper, than any competitors lesser quality parts. Our manufacturer didn't become the global leader for case companies worldwide by manufacturing mediocre parts and materials.

When comparing parts prices in your quest to save money, be sure that you are comparing similar parts. Is the material the same gauge? Are there the same amount of mounting holes? Are there offsets? Are there any other special features that set one item apart from another?

For example, there is a reason that one Large Ball Corner has a different cost than another. Large Ball Corners with offsets for extrusions cost more, but they serve a valuable purpose. If you see a Large Ball Corner somewhere for $0.90 - $1.25, but it does not have offsets for extrusions, or is a lighter gauge material, then you can not compare it to one with with offsets, that is made of thicker steel, and costs $1.50. So, be informed and choose wisely.