How about long distance moving advice?

[surrealchereal]

Maybe some things to avoid from you guys that have done it?
I'm only going 400 miles but still (uh i'd roll my eyes here but got a java script error.. I haven't done it before and taken everything. Oh and I am going cheap!

[Bovon]

Depends a lot on how much you have to move. If you have a small apartment with just a few things, I would get a U-haul, a case of beer for my buddies, load that sucker up and be a speck on the horizon in a few hours. If you have lotsa furniture, like maybe a two bedroom home full...get a moving company. I have been both ways, and I'll tell you one thing, moving a lot of stuff by your self is one hellova headache. One flat tire can cause more grief going the cheapo route than its worth.

[jad1097]

Get a U-haul or whatever, I used Penskee because they were a $100 cheaper. My wife and I packed a 24’ truck top to bottom front to back and it took all day. Keep in mind these trucks only do 60mph and then the governor kicks in, put it in neutral going down hill to build up speed over 60. Leave in the middle of the night (11PM-2AM). Keep in mind 400miles is a FULL days drive in a truck like that. Do not drive in rush hour traffic unless you want idiots to cut you off. You will realize that truck drivers are not the jerks everyone thinks they are once you get on the road.

[surrealchereal]

If you have a small apartment with just a few things, I would get a U-haul, a case of beer for my buddies :D Sorry no buddies:D But if your coming to help I will buy the beer!;)(even give you one:D)

Hmm, Maybe more detail is needed, I have a 2 br apt, it's small but full of furniture. The good news? :D:D It is ALL from Ikea!!! Yea ha! yep even my huge dresser is KD. So that means it will flatten for moving! The only bulky thing is my fridge, hmm maybe I should sell it? but geez I got it really cheap and it's only 3 yrs old.. Oh, and my couch. Even my other chair, (looks like krustys on his boat and the ottoman) is a KD.
I was thinking of just trying to rent a van, and making a few trips. Not that I can't drive a truck,, I drove a big dump truck with a manual transmission at one of my jobs back in the olden days :). I can't pull a U-haul, cause of my car, can't put a hitch on it. :(.. When I moved to Florida, the big truck rental was way too expensive! (5,000 no thanks) but that was a lot farther.

hmm I need to rent a pick up!:)

[korgul]

I have an older brother that moved from the UP of Michigan to Ohio. Stayed there for 3 years then moved back here. He rented a U-haul and did it all himself. Well his wife helped. He said that it took him one day to pack then one day to drive then one day to unpack. He saved a bundle on the moving charges.

The good thing is you can rent the van in one state then drive to another and drop it off there.

korgul

[jad1097]

It cost me $700-800 to rent the truck w/tow dolly for my car to move almost 1000 miles back in 95', Miami, Fl to Murfreesboro, Tn. It is cheaper to rent one truck and make one trip.


U-haul does not rent vans other than for local usage, at least they don't here. That would mean you would have to pay out the nose for millage since you would have to return the van at the place you rented it from.

[jad1097]

$5000? From who. a mover? U-haul just quoted me $1750 from Miami TO LA 24' truck w/tow dolly for a caddy.

From www.uhaul.com going from Los Angeles, CA to Reno, NV 518.21 miles according to http://maps.excite.com/

17' truck (includes 3 days of use and 579 miles free; additional miles $.40) $517.00

Auto transport (includes 3 days of use and unlimited mileage) $55.00

2 dozen furniture pads $20.00

1 appliance dollies $10.00

Total (Balance due at pickup - does not include tax): $602.00




You have to agree that is a fair price.

[Bovon]

Well, thanks for the offer for a cool beer, but just can't quite take you up on that one. :D

One small piece of advice. If you do move yourself, be extra carefull with the refridgerator. The compressor/motor is mounted sealed in a unit filled with oil for cooling. This assembly is mounted on a spring set up inside the sealed unit. If the fridge is dropped, layed on its side and bumped down the hiway, the motor/compressor can get knocked out of this spring mount, and its history then. I had this happen to me when I moved my stuff about three miles once in a pickup truck over several days.

[surrealchereal]

wow bovon, too bad, gee I guess I'm lucky, the one I took from Tx to Fl hit a tree :Dtee hee! Had a huge dent in the freezer door, hmm thats maybe what you get when 2 engineers are moving a fridge, :D Jad#'s, thanks for the help, :o I went to the Ryder site and when they wanted personal info to give me a quote, I left. Ok confirmed anger management not gourmet cooking is my next class. :)

[jad1097]

Give them bogus info other than the cities you are moving to and from. My name is Nono Notme, my addy is 1234 no st, etc..



Hmmm "gourmet cooking". I happen to be looking into a few of those classes myself (possible career change). ;)

[surrealchereal]

Doh!!! ROLF :D:D:D
tanks!

(I know I like the looks of ROLF better than ROFL,, ROLF almost looks like a laugh noise!:D)

[sharder8]

Don't take any Wooden Nickels!! :D

If you initially think you can load your truck (taking for granted everything is packed and ready to load) in one day -- Plan on it taking two!

If you think you can drive it in one day -- Plan on it taking two!

If it should fit on the truck, in this particular spot -- Bet it won't!

If you are expecting help to load or unload -- They proabably won't show! If they do, it will make things worse!

Which direction are you moving? North, South, or East? (Or if you team up with Krusty, West! ;) )

Harder

[Warthog]

U-haul's are (please pardon my french) mostly POS. Ryder is much better, dunno how the rates compare. Moved a lot in my lifetime.

Warthog

[Richard_Cranium72]

I'm in a rush so I hope I'm not repeating anyone.

Get a "Tow-Dolly" a do-hickey that your front wheels(drive wheels) pull up on.
It has two wheels and pulls behind the Moving truck.

Sounds to me like you need a 26' or so to get your stuff into.

Attempt to figure how much room you need and add 30% for error.

Get boxes from the liquior store to pack semi-small stuff into.

A 2" roll of Fiberglass "Strapping" tape will hold anything, much stronger than Duct tape, it's the standard to hold important boxes together.

Agree with the plans to avoid metro areas during rush hours.

Don't RUSH , very important to pack well and feel good about the move.

Gluck
DrVette

[madfish]

Bovon
the compressor motor out of it's mount is an easy fix, laying a fridge on it's side willn't hurt nothing, I'm a certifired applaince tech. and have layed them down all the time. I namley farm, applaince work is my winter work
Madfish