Moving truck driving tips?

[JustinH]

My car insurance does not cover moving vans or trucks of any kind. Neither does my AMEX car insurance. You need to buy the Uhaul insurance.

I just rented a brand new ford econoline van from uhaul last week, 900 miles on it.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Ended up with a 26' box van gas job.


They always run on gas! The diesel Uhaul is a unicorn!


There are no more big block medium duty trucks being made as I understand it, so sooner or later I guess they will have to transition over on the real big uhauls.

Back around 2000, I had a 454 Penske top kick.


Ford puts gas V10's in the F-650's.

 

[The_Jeff]

But the V10 is a small block, eh? Part of the modular family? Whatever they put in RVs and ambulances and other cutaways, Uhaul probably winds up with too.

 

[01rangerxl]

The DRW E-Series cutaways and the base stripped chassis actually come with the 5.4 standard. The SRW E-250 cutaway comes with a 4.6 standard still.

U-Haul probably avoids diesels due to the high risk of people filling them with gas, or doing other majorly expensive damage.

 

[KrisZ]

I don't know if someone already mentioned it, but take into consideration the bigger turning radius the moving truck will have, especially in tight residential streets.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
The DRW E-Series cutaways and the base stripped chassis actually come with the 5.4 standard. The SRW E-250 cutaway comes with a 4.6 standard still.

U-Haul probably avoids diesels due to the high risk of people filling them with gas, or doing other majorly expensive damage.


U-Haul specs ALL their cutaway Econolines with V10 power.

 

[sciphi]

Whups, I let this one go a little too long...

To conclude: I had zero problems driving a 17' bed Uhaul. It was a little un-nerving not being able to see directly behind, so checking the mirrors was done overtime. I kept the truck to between 55-60 mph on the interstate, and followed the posted speed limits everywhere else. When turning, care was taken to swing wide so the back end had enough clearance.

This one got about 12-13 mpg, which wasn't bad considering we packed that truck to the rooftop. Everything worked just fine, and I had no problems with the pickup or dropoff.

For insurance, I did get the full coverage. An unexpectedly kicked-up rock from a semi did make a good "thwack" against the windshield, and made my choice to get the insurance seem much wiser. With my luck, that rock would have cracked the windshield if the insurance had been skipped!

 

[morris]

all ways know how tall the tallest part is, and watch all over hangs.

 

[antonmnster]

One good thing I enjoy about driving a big truck is not caring who's driving behind me. It's not like I can stop so fast that I'll get rear-ended.

By far the thing that's most likely to get someone into trouble is the top of the box. It's taller than you think, and remember that the rear end swings around, seemingly more than is possible in tight spaces. The box is sexually attracted to your house roof's drip edge.

 

[Boatowner]

I would say always have someone guiding you as you back up.

If it is diesel, let it cool down a few minutes after long, hard, driving, especially up hill just before the rest area. Warm it up a couple of minutes in the morning.

Don't be in a hurry. I probably averaged 55 mph driving 1050 miles last August in a 26' Penske truck. Getting there was the main goal.

Always downshift for steep, winding grades, up or down hill.

Don't swerve for jackrabbits if you drive at night.

Take lots of breaks. Those seats are not the most comfortable.

I averaged just over 9 mpg with the truck fully loaded.

Check online for the best place to return the truck for the best overall price. The difference was worth the drive to Las Vegas to return the truck. You have to have this arranged in advance.