Is there a cheap way to move 3 states away?

[thenodnarb]

mIf I was doing what you are considering, I would buy a shipping container, fill it with only the essentials you mentioned, have it trucked out there, and use the container as my living space while I was building my house. Later, the container can be a workshop, shed, secure storage, or whatever. Containers in good shape are about 2k-3k depending on size but deals abound(I've seen 1k for a 20ft). Shipping could cost 1500 or more. However the way I see it, the container doesn't factor in to the cost since it is a long term investment that you will be using on the other end. The truck will need a tilt bed trailer though, and those may not ship quite as cheap. If you stick to a 20ft trailer, you might be able to buy a low deck trailer and haul it yourself. Get one with a winch or buy a $350 engo and mount it to the tongue so you can load the container. To get it off, chain it to a tree and slowly drive away. Sell the trailer for what you bought it for(which is very likely with a used trailer).

If you don't need the container, consider just the trailer then, and then start asking around here on calguns for guys who are going that way with one ton pickups. I imagine if I was driving to wyoming(or where ever) with my 1 ton truck, I might tow someones trailer with me if they paid for my gas. You follow them and voila, doesn't get any cheaper.

[shooterfpga]

Plan on $3/mile to haul it. This is about typical rate for a commercial haul. You might be able to find something closer to $1.25/mile if they have a load already.

[gunsrfun]

http://www.upack.com/

Cheapest place I know of. This is who we plan on using when we move next summer.

[KevinB]

Have you checked with Enterprise truck rentals ?

U haul says 1700 dollars one way 1400 miles. Where are you getting 3000 bucks. That is for their 26 ft big truck

[Norcalkid]

Might help if you told us how much stuff your planning on taking and where too. Big difference in taking some boxes vs. a bunch of household items.

[speedrrracer]

A Ford Escape SUV one-way rental is 122 bucks a day from Avis down on Kettner, dropping off at the aiport in Idaho Falls a week later. I searched Kayak.com and had it compare rental rates. You might easily find a better rate.

You can bomb back and forth twice in a week without too much insanity. I don't know if you have extreme towing requirements, but it should be able to handle a small trailer without too much difficulty.

I don't think it's going to be a "cheap" undertaking.

[wheels]

A Ford Escape SUV one-way rental is 122 bucks a day from Avis down on Kettner, dropping off at the aiport in Idaho Falls a week later. I searched Kayak.com and had it compare rental rates. You might easily find a better rate.

You can bomb back and forth twice in a week without too much insanity. I don't know if you have extreme towing requirements, but it should be able to handle a small trailer without too much difficulty.

I don't think it's going to be a "cheap" undertaking.

Pretty sure PC is heading up further than Idaho falls based on his history here and the 1400 miles estimate. Long Beach to Idaho falls is somewhere around the 950 mile mark, give or take depending on where in SoCal you start.

Cheapest and least likely to blow up en route is to buy an enclosed trailer down here, get a pro checkup done on it, tow it up north and sell it when done. If you don't rush the sale you may get all the money back, secondarily it's some lockable storage while you settle into the area.

[kentactic]

I rented a uhail enclosed trailer. 1100 miles one direction. It was like $350 for 5 days.

[zfields]

Penske 26ish foot truck, tow trailer, gas + gas for girlfriends suv, 3 hotel stays for 3 and food and booze, under 3k

This was to central Texas from northern ca.

sent from my damn tappy device...

[Sanderhawk]

When I moved cross country I sold everything that didn`t fit in the car and then bought new stuff when I got there. Way cheaper. If I ever move again i`ll be doing the same thing. JMO

[marsdreamer]

I have moved between states a couple of times. What I did and will probably do again is sell or dump most everything I own. I rented the smallest 1-ton van U-Haul rents and load my tools, some spare auto parts, clothes, computers, and a few household items. no furniture or bulky items. I also rent a car hauler for my vehicle which gets loaded also. my ex drove her car also loaded. This time around I plan to get rid of just about everything. I'll just load up my CJ and my little Jeep trailer. Probably just clothes, guns and ammo, camping and survival gear, my tools and what ever spare parts I feel I will need. ........Hummmm I guess it sounds a lot like bugging out.

[damon1272]

Another alternative is call North American Van Lines or Upack/ABF frieght lines. They drop off a trailer and you load it. ABF trailers are not air ride so they ride rougher. Or sell your stuff for the most part, give your Kalifornia guns to me (don't want to taint a free state), and start fresh

[SmallShark]

Buy a used cargo van from Craigslist, and drive it gentlely.

Then sell it or keep it. So useful

[Ripon83]

1400 miles / 14 miles to the gallon if you are lucky is $340 no matter what. Get a bad fuel mileage truck and it's double. Those suggesting buying an older PU and reselling after the ride aren't imagining taxes, sales taxes, and of course selling when you need too is hard. I wish I still had my Honda Element. 23-24 Mpg, and hauled a lot and towed a trailer well.

[Steve_In_29]

Rental trucks are a ripoff (aprox $3,000 with gas, miles and 1 way rental)
No one rents a 1 ton PU truck one way (to pull a trailer)
Pods are a ripoff and cost over $2k

I wanted to just pull a trailer and sell most my stuff and only keep what I will need to survive and build my house. I sold my diesel PU a while ago when diesel hit 4/gal so I have no truck now.

Suggestions? Ideas?

Got a little ahead of yourself there didn't you.

Was that $3K quote from a single dealer? If so use it to negotiate a better deal with his competition.

A friend of mine used to run the local U-Haul Center and while he was authorized to beat ANY rate from his competitors he WASN'T allowed to offer that low rate up front to his customers.