Quote from: rule62 on November 14, 2008, 06:02:18 PM
So... has anyone ever driven a 16' moving truck across the country with a car in tow behind it?  Looks like that is the way I'll be hauling it all.  The company is not fitting the bill this time and I'm trying to keep the cost as low as possble.  Any pointers?

Yup, from Maryland to Arizona in fact. I can attest that Arkansas & Oklahoma are WAY wider than they should be. And that you can ride your Monster up the ramp in the rain, but the aluminum floor of the truck is pretty much the slickest thing you'll ever encounter unless you're into ice racing. I'm just sayin'.

U-haul was far and away the cheapest when I looked around, and the truck & trailer were in excellent condition when I picked them up. (When I dropped them off, too!)

They might not give you a choice (they didn't with me), but if they do, DEFINITELY opt for the full car trailer rather than the car dolly. It'll track better & keeps the car level which is kind of nice if you run out of space in the truck and end up packing bedding and other stuff in your car.

Assuming you're hauling a bike, I'd get it on board the truck first -- FWIW, mine rode in the front drivers-side corner with sofa pillows and soft stuff all around it. Just for this trip, I invested in a Baxley Sport Chock that locked the front wheel in place (I've used it a decent amount since then), lifted the rear with a stand, and snugged everything in place with tie-downs to the wall of the truck. Nothing moved. Also, be aware of what you pack above the bike & in the area over the truck cab -- we had some stuff shift, and it would have sucked to have something heavy drop onto the bike. Don't mention the bike to the rental company, BTW, because you're not supposed to...

Another investment before the trip -- pick up a GPS unit and software that can give you hotel info & turn-by-turn directions. Your route west is hardly complicated, but the thing was absolutely invaluable for finding food and lodging with a minimum of hassle. Our basic MO (much easier with two people) was to drive until we were getting close to exhaustion (I second the note above -- take your time if at all possible; we weren't able to) and then query the GPS for motels in the town ahead of us. We then started calling them, made reservations & knew we'd have a room when we pulled in -- and then the GPS sent us directly there without any getting lost. Then when you find out that every room in town is booked for the big homecoming game (happened to us), you'll do it by phone instead of driving the truck & trailer from one to the next.

And if your street on both ends of your journey will accommodate a full-size moving truck, definitely check into one of those "you pack it, we drive it" moving companies. If I remember right, it was about the same cost as renting a truck & trailer, they were perfectly happy to take the motorcycle, and it would have been MUCH more comfortable to drive my own car across instead of the truck & trailer. But there was just no way to get a semi down my little gravel road in Potomac, MD.

Good luck!