A specially developed Maxi-CUBE Classic Dry Freight van has joined Melbourne Polytechnic as a mobile classroom.
Developed in partnership with MaxiTRANS, the self-sufficient, off-grid trailer serves as a classroom and model for practical, hands-on training.
The classroom can travel throughout Victoria, offering flexibility and accessibility for Melbourne Polytechnic’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses.
Coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown in Victoria, Melbourne Polytechnic identified a regional gap – the absence of a beekeeping course in Victoria, with the nearest option located in New South Wales.
To fill this need, James Farmer, a member of Melbourne Polytechnic’s facilities and assets team, led the design and construction of a mobile classroom designed for teaching the craft of beekeeping.
The trailer had to be large enough to serve as a classroom while also adhering to road safety and transportation guidelines, so Farmer reached out to MaxiTRANS who then directed the concept to Maxi-CUBE.
Maxi-CUBE engineers then designed a dry freight model tailored to the classroom’s specifications.
The company provided 3D models through the development process to ensure the trailer met all of Melbourne Polytechnic’s needs, and to make the trailer more functional and user-friendly, several features were added including a fibreglass slip-free zircon floor, a side-access door and underbody storage suitable for ladders and steps.
When the trailer came off the MaxiTRANS production line in Ballarat, the next phase involved customising it for its specific educational purpose which was done in collaboration with a local fit-out company.
Nine solar panels were installed on the roof, lying flat to comply with height and wind resistance restrictions.
These panels power batteries built into the trailer, generating enough electricity to run the equivalent of two households.
Beneath the batteries is a water storage unit, providing hot water essential for honey extraction and other tasks.
The interior layout includes workbenches for hands-on training and sinks for preparation, making the space highly functional.
“There’s two extractors in there, a warming cabinet, equipment to do repairs to boxes or create new boxes,” Farmer said.
“They learn to rob hives, take the wax off them and run them through the extractors.
“There can be up to 20 students and they don’t all need to be in the trailer at the same time. They learn the whole process as they go through.”
Since its completion in April 2023, the mobile beekeeping classroom has hit the road for Melbourne Polytechnic’s beekeeping course in August, offering students a one-of-a-kind, practical learning experience.
The post MaxiTRANS develops custom classroom trailer for Melbourne Polytechnic appeared first on Trailer Magazine.