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Moving advice
bowen
Sup?Registered User regular
Sup?Registered User regular
So, I will probably be moving to Colorado in a few months. I currently live in upstate NY (near Syracuse). I'll be moving in with my brother in the interim (he's got a house in Colorado and is letting me store stuff too).
I've done some preliminary research and I'm trying to figure out the best way to accomplish this goal. At the very least I'm going to drive and bring some of my more important stuff (laptop/computer/tv/clothes). But, I've got some furniture and other stuff I'd like to keep.
I looked up my options, it looks like I could get a tow-bar installed on my 2008 escape for ~$500, and rent a uhaul trailer (6x12) for another $900 or so. I've got a dresser that's maybe 4.5ftx1ftx4ft and a dining room table (roughly the same size as the dresser) which are heirlooms (my dad made them) and I've got a leather recliner I'd also like to bring. I'd also really like to bring my toys I had as a child that my father got from Germany and a few other totes.
What is my best bet? I'm not honestly sure if the uhaul is going to be large enough, but if I go with the actual uhaul and tow my SUV behind it, it doubles my costs. I could ship it, but it's probably the same as uhauling it (though I won't be doing the driving of it, so it wouldn't be as bad). I could also get a moving company (probably the same as fedexing it I bet?). Pods are out, I can't park it in front of my apartment.
I did notice uhaul had a u-box container similar to pods, which might work because it's small enough to fit in my parking space, but do I have to tow that or is it shipped?
If it wasn't for the furniture, I could probably fit most of what I want to bring in my car. Maybe I still can and just tow behind the furniture (still not sure if it'd fit).
I've done some preliminary research and I'm trying to figure out the best way to accomplish this goal. At the very least I'm going to drive and bring some of my more important stuff (laptop/computer/tv/clothes). But, I've got some furniture and other stuff I'd like to keep.
I looked up my options, it looks like I could get a tow-bar installed on my 2008 escape for ~$500, and rent a uhaul trailer (6x12) for another $900 or so. I've got a dresser that's maybe 4.5ftx1ftx4ft and a dining room table (roughly the same size as the dresser) which are heirlooms (my dad made them) and I've got a leather recliner I'd also like to bring. I'd also really like to bring my toys I had as a child that my father got from Germany and a few other totes.
What is my best bet? I'm not honestly sure if the uhaul is going to be large enough, but if I go with the actual uhaul and tow my SUV behind it, it doubles my costs. I could ship it, but it's probably the same as uhauling it (though I won't be doing the driving of it, so it wouldn't be as bad). I could also get a moving company (probably the same as fedexing it I bet?). Pods are out, I can't park it in front of my apartment.
I did notice uhaul had a u-box container similar to pods, which might work because it's small enough to fit in my parking space, but do I have to tow that or is it shipped?
If it wasn't for the furniture, I could probably fit most of what I want to bring in my car. Maybe I still can and just tow behind the furniture (still not sure if it'd fit).
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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Your recliner probably comes apart, too - there should be some latches at the base of the back that let you take the back off of the base, which, again, makes it a whole lot easier to move.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Alone, yes, unfortunately.
The table doesn't I don't think (I might be able to if I look closer at it), but 4 chairs throws a wrench into it either way. I'll double check!
And yeah, the recliner I'm sure does.
Last time I moved I had that size trailer and fit a queen sized bed, chest of drawers, 2 night stands, 3 book cases and a computer desk in the thing, as well as my books (that filled the three book cases) and more than a few plastic totes full of assorted stuff.
Definitely measure the pieces (all three dimensions) and see what can be broken down, but you should have plenty of space.
Areas I should avoid, what to look for, how to handle driving (do I really need to stay at 45 mph?) and keeping my stuff secure, etc.
You probably won't be able to push it beyond 45 by much anyway. Avoid trying to get a hotel in big cities and get gas and stretch often. It's not that long a drive, assume you will get out the door and on the road later than planned, always happens. Avoid pushing yourself so far that you have to find a hotel any later than 9-10pm it becomes a waste of money because check out time is 11am no matter when you check in. Sit in a restaurant at least one meal so you can feel human. Bring 20$ in small bills and quarters, tolls are stupid and you may not hit any but its a good idea. Driving the Colorado Rockies sucks balls. Hit them in the daytime and make it early if you have to go over them. For food eat where truckers eat or go with something safe. Taco Bell and Subway are pretty safe. Don't go crazy with coffee, it isn't a substitute for poor sleep and you will be pissing nonstop.
Brain dump. Probably more later will edit. I've moved cross country 3-4 times (2400 miles)the drive is really enjoyable for me. Give yourself plenty of time and you may enjoy it too.
Edit:U-Haul u-boxes are great for moving. I think cross country they were the best. Could fit all my stuff into one and then not ruin my car towing something and getting awful gas mileage. I think door to door it cost me 1000$ or so. They're easily large enough for a one bedroom apartment worth of stuff if you're not a hoarder.
Compared to a one way trailer rental and cost in gas and wear, it's well worth it. They drop off. You load up and then they get it where it's going.
You'll be driving through some really scenic areas, so make sure to pause appropriately appreciate the scenery.
Stop every couple hours or so to get out, stretch, hit the bathroom, etc. It's tempting to keep driving, but you'll feel a whole lot better with semi-frequent breaks and your focus on the driving part will be much better. Similarly, if you find yourself feeling at all sleepy, pull over at the next rest area and take a quick nap. You're on your own time, you're driving alone, so there's no one there to complain about the delay and there's no one else to spell you at the wheel.
If you have the time, see if there are a couple of places on the way you've always wanted to stop at.
If you drive at 45mph the whole way on the highway, you will not make it. Someone will have run you off the road in rage long before you hit Illinois. Still, though, don't let yourself hit, like, 80, follow all posted speed limits, etc. Driving a vehicle with a trailer is not 100% different from driving normally, but it does weird things to your handling and especially your ability to make sharp turns. Avoid backing up if you can; it's just a pain in the ass in general with a trailer, and is a lot harder for novices who don't have a spotter.
No one is actually going to break into your trailer, but put a good padlock on it anyway. It won't stop anyone really dedicated from breaking in, but it'll deter casual theft. But, like I said, it's almost certain no one would do that anyway.
Get a gigantic pile of music to listen to; make sure it's upbeat stuff, and not the kind of music you listen to at bedtime. Make sure to listen to the radio a bit, too, though; take the chance to listen to a bunch of local stuff from outside your normal listening area, especially local morning radio shows.
Try to time things so that you hit major cities at ~6am, ~10 am, ~2pm, or ~7pm to avoid rush hour shenanigans.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Don't drink coffee so I'm safe there.
I could probably do 65 with the trailers? I've seen people pass me with them before doing 90+.
Any good recommendations for padlocks?
I'm expecting this drive to take me 3 days at best, 4 days at worst.
I don't do scenery, not my jam, I get that stuff on hikes, plus I've got a few high school friends scattered about I could probably go visit if I need it. Benefits of being a homebody.
Thanks for the tips though, everyone, I appreciate it
Quick googling shows:
Which is about what my sister payed moving in state. I'd imaging the delivery cost would be higher for you, but not substantially as they are mass-shipped. My sister moved cross state and it was about 300 for ~180 miles.
I can double check, but they were pretty adamant about pods when I moved in, but it's been 5 years so maybe they'll be okay with it.
ohio and Iowa have the best rest stops.
after a long day spring for a nice hotel room
if a hotel is offering a room for $30 it is probably for a reason.
avoid south bend
As others said - things like Hampton inns are great - try to target business suburbs or small cities with nice big parking lots so you don't have to worry too much about backing up with a trailer. Try to avoid staying overnight in a large city, as it's more likely to get your stuff broken into.
more than 12 hours driving gets pretty rough, to be honest. I've done 18 hours solo before and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I'd also say start purging stuff now, as it makes things a lot easier. When we moved cross country, we purged another 6 trashbags of stuff POST-MOVE, so don't be us. Also if you need to - send some boxes early if you're worried about fitting.
G/f is probably going to keep most of the larger stuff, bed, coffee tables, book shelves, etc.
Good idea on sending stuff ahead of time. Just use regular UPS or something?
Whatever gives you the cheapest bulk rate.
Sidenote: I know it can hurt, but ditch as many books as you can. They're just dead weight in a move.
We towed our car and drove the Uhaul because my car would have not made the trip if it had to work that hard. If you have a trusted mechanic, I recommend a quick tune up before the trip. If we do another move I think we are going to eat the costs of movers, because the exhaustion of packing your shit, then loading your shit, then driving your shit, then unpacking your shit really adds up. We didn't have friends to help us with the tail end of moving, so that was a factor, but something to think about.
When we moved to Texas, we made better time than we hoped, but we also hit shit weather. Like terrible storms. When you are driving cross country you are really increasing your chances that the forecast might trip you up somewhere, so be safe and try and track it all a bit ahead of time. If a few months might mean winter, doubly so. Plan for spots to camp out if you get hit by a bunch of bullshit, and don't be a hero and try and haul your shit through an ice storm.
Podcasts can help stimulate your mind a bit in the long stretches, I'd recommend mixing them in with the music. Download a decent amount of stuff to an old ipod or something because you will hit patches where your signal is too weak to stream.
I don't really want to be doing the driving tbh, and it seems like a better idea, just have it shipped to my brother's a week or two ahead of when I plan on getting there if he'll let me.
You can do next day pick up. Tell the office it's not for storage and will only be there 24 hours. It's that or a moving truck overnight. If you're nice they won't care. A U-Haul ubox is the same size as a parked car.
What you can do if U-Haul doesn't do drop off service is rent a truck and box and have them hitch it for you. Bring it home, park and load it without unhitching it and drive it back to U-Haul the same day. I've had to do this when moving from a smaller city. It adds maybe 40$ to the total price.
Transit time on the box was 5 days last time I went from Nashville to California and I made sure to bring clothes and a pillow + computer in my car.
Edit: Unless you need them tell them you don't need furniture pads. Otherwise the box will have a bundle of them in it which isn't useful and just occupies a couple sqft of space.
http://www.upack.com/moving-services/moving-container-size.asp
Looks like they might be the lowest cost of everyone, but I'm not 100% sure
I tried to use them once but they weren't available in either location I needed them to be.
There are stretches where there pretty much nothing, including gas, so you'll want to get fueled up before you hit one. Your best bet is probably the quote Oasis on the Plains unquote of Colby, Kansas. Tons of gas stations, places to eat etc, and the last thing approaching civilization for probably 150-200 miles. There's a few smaller towns along I-70 after that, but they're typically 50-60 miles between them and usually a ways off the highway, and you do not want to be stranded there.
There's also currently a couple 5ish mile stretches of 1 lane construction about 90 minutes outside of Denver. It's not too bad trafficwise normally, but on the way there there was apparently a terrible wreck and traffic was literally not moving for an hour. There's a detour you can take around that stretch (we ended up doing so after we gave up on that spot) but it adds a good 70+ minutes of driving.
Also, I have connections in Denver. Specifically, my best friend's uncle is IT Administrator for the city and county, so let me know if I can put a word in.
Alternatively, look into shipping costs for Media, pack those books up and send them on their own.
Postal service used to have flat rate for media. It's slow but not expensive.
Get some BBQ in Kansas City. Joes lives up to the hype. Arthur Bryant is decent too.
Motel 6 is cheap and generally clean, but it's 4 walls a bed and a shower.
Don't eat vegis at a truck stop, but eat something with a bit of fiber (like a bran muffin, don't go crazy). Nothing like getting constipation cramps in Indiana to put that into memory.
I've done almost all this trip (Denver to DC) 6 or 7 times.
I actually was going to recommend them as I started reading your thread. I don't know if they're better or worse than U-Haul's version or PODS, but I had a good experience with them moving my stuff from Florida to Illinois two years ago.
I especially wanted to go that route after helping my wife make the same move a year earlier, where she recruited myself and her family to do the drive with a moving truck + her car attached to it via a car carrier in one shot, no stopping at hotels. That was miserable and I was an emotional wreck by the time we arrived at her shitty sublet.
Instead, ABF delivered one of their cubes to my home, I loaded it up with my stuff and locked it, and a few days before I hit the road, they picked it up. We had a more leisurely trip and even stopped to visit some friends in Gainesville for a few hours before calling it a night just outside of Nashville.
Anyway, I recommend them.
My Backloggery
Hopefully pod and uhaul's are available, or else that limits me pretty drastically.
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
Looks like around, Chicago is a bit out of my way.
https://goo.gl/maps/NPCud9VvE1v
That's the planned route.
Chicago Megagame group
Watch me struggle to learn streaming! Point and laugh!
I know I always forget to bring something with me on long drives for work and end up making stops.
If you are taking the i80 route, I stayed in an Embassy suites in Joliet (south of Chicago) that was really nice. If you can get a good price on that, stay there on the first leg. Mid tier is the way to go, if they include a breakfast, even better, take it into account. Then take it to Nebraska, go passed Omaha to Lincoln, or one of the small towns passed Lincoln. Omaha is surprisingly sketchy.
If you are going i70 I usually go to the outskirts of Dayton or Indianapolis, and then the second leg take it too Kansas City.
For this trip. I try to leave the house by 11:00pm. A lot of people don't like night driving, but it beats the shit out of hitting rush hour in the morning trying to get out of town, or hitting it Rochester or Cleveland. You'll get to Illinois about 10:00am. Find some place to eat, try to get an early check in with your hotel. Get in shower watch some TV. GO to sleep about 7:00pm and get up at 4:00am to do the second leg. That is less population dense portion of the trip and you'll want more light. For the third leg still 4:00am.
This trip sucks if you are doing it in the morning and afternoon. It also takes a lot longer.
I hate night driving though
hm
Interstates at night are generally easy-peasy, as it's you and truckers only, rather than lots of other traffic.