moving across the country... best way to do it?

[JaysZ]

best = cheapest

 

Hello, I'm looking to move a few things from Houston to D.C. but everything seems to cost an arm and a leg. would anyone happen to know of cheaper alternatives? i looked into everything from renting a P.O.D. at Home Depot, freight moving companies and renting my own UHaul. I heard a boxcar on a train can be rented as well. Any other ideas?

[Some-Guy]

I think the cheapest is Uhaul. by far atleast up here

[JaysZ]

i was thinking that too, but i have to figure in hotels, food and gas for 3 people. the gas is whats going to kill me, i had to rent a medium Uhaul once and I had to fill it up every hour it seemed... time is also a factor (not for me, but the other 2 people helping me)

[olie05]

I'd say u-haul also. That way you could get all your stuff up there, all your buddies stuff, and maybe even your car, in one rental, and you would save on a plane ticket up there.

[Some-Guy]

true uhaul is the best way..abd ya you can tow your car

[innerware]

I'm doing an Oakland, CA to Falmouth, MA drive in a month or so. Pensky 22 foot deisel truck with full car trailer is around 1650.00 for unlimited miles and 11 days. Gas will be another 800 or so just guestimating. I fugure it will take me 4 days to do with a friend. So far that is the cheapest way to go. Never rent a Uhaul for anything other than in town. Their trucks simply suck!!! Look at truck prices in remote towns around an hour outside of a big city for big moves. They are cheaper. The same Pensky if I picked it up in Oakland and dropped it off in Hyannis would have been almost 5 grand. Instead I am picking it up in Modesto and dropping it off in Plymouth, MA. Nice trick to save a bundle.

[Sumo]

I've help my brother move twice long distance from L.A. to Dallas and Dallas to San Francisco. We used Hertz Penske and U-Haul. U-Haul really has the worst equiptment on the road, the Penske truck was better and safer by far. We had to duct tape the passenger door on the U-Haul because it was buffeting at 60 m.p.h. and the radiator had a pinhole leak all the way to S.F. Just don't use U-Haul unless they can show you the truck your using and make sure it's "newish".

[SHO-Z]

The next time I move I want to use Pods. I will load them and they will deliver them to my new place.

[johnc]

Option A

 

1. Sell everything except for what can fit in one suitcase.

2. Take a bus to the new home.

3. Go shopping.

 

Option B

 

1. Buy a used commerical truck.

2. Load it with your stuff.

3. Move.

4. Unload your stuff.

5. Sell the truck.

 

Option C

 

1. Insure everything to the max.

2. Burn the old house down with everything in it.

3. Collect the insurance money.

4. Drive to the new home.

5. Go shopping.

[randy 77zt]

if you rent a truck avoid uhaul-i would hitchhick before renting anything uhaul.last truck i rented was a 24'box diesel from ryder.had auto trans ,a/c,hydraulic lift gate.it ran well and didnt seem to burn a lot of fuel.another member on here just moved.do a search-you will find his post.

[JMortensen]

As previously stated, I will no longer consider U-haul unless they were the ONLY game in town. In fact, I'd drive to another town to avoid using U-haul. They screwed me over enough times that I now know better. Used Ryder last time I had to rent a truck and that thing was BRAND NEW. It was a big 24' turbo diesel, and it ran fantastic. Compare that to the last 24' U haul I rented that was a 60's vintage POS that got 5 mpg and the diff was about to fall out of it, not to mention the complimentary gay porn they provided (seriously). I was friggin pissed. Never again with the U-haul bastards!!!

[Some-Guy]

oh wow i have only used uhaul twice and they work alright each time cheaper than the others anyway worked alright for me, I like all of johns options though!

[JaysZ]

Option A

 

1. Sell everything except for what can fit in one suitcase.

2. Take a bus to the new home.

3. Go shopping.

 

Option B

 

1. Buy a used commerical truck.

2. Load it with your stuff.

3. Move.

4. Unload your stuff.

5. Sell the truck.

 

Option C

 

1. Insure everything to the max.

2. Burn the old house down with everything in it.

3. Collect the insurance money.

4. Drive to the new home.

5. Go shopping.

 

 

hahaha i like option c the best! but since i would like to avoid going to jail for insurance fraud i might go the Penske truck route =) thanks for the tips! time to pull out the trucker hat

[Guest iskone]

U-Hual sucks!!! I almost got into a saerious wreck in one coming off a freeway ramp when the whole thing just died, lost brakes and was headed for a semi.

 

Isk

[BrandonsZ]

You can drive from Houston to DC without stopping (except for gas) Leave at 4am and you'll be there 2am the next day just in time to sleep. San Diego , CA to Dallas, TX took 21 hours, a box of Golden Ghrams and about a 6 pack of coke.

 

I stopped every 350 miles. 1357 miles. you have 1406 miles, so expect 22 hours. If you traded off with one person driving and slept in the driver's seat you'd have no problem. I didn't have a passenger so I had to drive the whole way. I left at 2pm and got there at 11am the next day. It was the winter that the hailbop commet was easily seen, I didn't take it as a bad omen.

 

BTW, driving at night is dangerous, so maybe split it between two days, one hotel.

 

Heck I went from D.C. to San Diego in 3 days. And I was taking my time.

[JaysZ]

You can drive from Houston to DC without stopping (except for gas) Leave at 4am and you'll be there 2am the next day just in time to sleep. San Diego ' date=' CA to Dallas, TX took 21 hours, a box of Golden Ghrams and about a 6 pack of coke.

 

I stopped every 350 miles. 1357 miles. you have 1406 miles, so expect 22 hours. If you traded off with one person driving and slept in the driver's seat you'd have no problem. I didn't have a passenger so I had to drive the whole way. I left at 2pm and got there at 11am the next day. It was the winter that the hailbop commet was easily seen, I didn't take it as a bad omen.

 

BTW, driving at night is dangerous, so maybe split it between two days, one hotel.

 

Heck I went from D.C. to San Diego in 3 days. And I was taking my time. [/quote']

 

geez man you are nuts! haha! one box of golden grahams?! i would have needed 10 for sure. i might have to do that though....

[Doug71zt]

I used a U-Haul to move from Prince George, BC to near Toronto, ON. 2700 miles pulling a car trailer with the Z on it. Four 17-hour days. My wife was the copilot and it nearly ended our marriage. It was a mid-80's Ford non-turbo diesel - max speed 55 mph and about 6-7 mpg. What a POS. Between the massive exhaust leak and the screaming diff, it was so loud that we were both wearing ear defenders full time and yelling at each other. I had looked at the truck at the UHaul lot and tried to find some other method, but they were the only game in town. But it was cheap. And we survived and still laugh about it occasionally.

 

Happy Trails

 

Doug