Tips for moving

[joaks]

Next week I will be moving. This is the first time I will be moving by myself and moving a long distance (from Ohio to South Carolina). Just wanted to see if anyone had any last-minute tips!
I am taking my car and one of the smallest uhaul trailers. I should be under my max weight. Keeping tools and repair manual handy in the car should they be needed. Cat is riding with me in the car and will check about sedatives with the vet on Monday. I have garmen GPS, GPS on my phone, and have made the drive twice so far (its about 11 hrs as I usually drive). I have a transmission cooler installed and car is in good condition (as far as I know!). Still need to do my trailer wiring .
I plan on driving slow, 60mph max. Is it okay for me to drive in the truck lane in West Virgina? They have it on the hills and I would go the same speed as the trucks.
Thanks!

 

[sciphi]

That's most of it right there. Go slow, stop as needed, and enjoy the drive! That's some mighty pretty country you're driving through!

Keep food/beverages handy in the front seat, and stop every 2-3 hours to stretch to keep the blood flowing in your legs.

 

[Coprolite]

I would add a little journey management into the equation. Set up your route with planned points to stretch your legs. At each stop, call a friend/family member. If you are late to check in they would try to contact you and if they can not, they can dispatch help. If you are on a well traveled route with good phone coverage, this becomes less of an issue but is a nice safety backstop.

 

[simple_gifts]

Goes without saying, 16 yo car, long summer trip, new loads on the motor, I"d have some TO oil ready.... 8)

 

[GreeCguy]

Be sure your trailer is loaded properly and all tires inflated to proper levels. You might want to throw a gallon or two of water in the trunk just in case of rad leak or overheating. And of course, duct tape is your best friend for on the road repairs. Have a safe and enjoyable journey

 

[DrDusty86]

Check the oil in your often. If it is an auto trans, take it out of OD. This will keep the whole rig cooler and you will get better fuel milage. I would also carry a few gallons of water for emergency use.
verify the uhaul is connected properly. The bottom of the hitch coupler should be no more than a pinky's width from the ball would. Visually look at the trailer on the ball, If the knuckle on your pinky can touch the silver 2" trailer ball it is NOT connected properly. That guide saved me MANY times. Make sure you twist the trailer coupler ( the 1.25" square piece with a thumb release) CLOCKWISE as tight as you can get it by hand before you leave Uhaul, before you load the trailer and when you stop for breaks. The chains on the trailer should be crossed. The chains can be "twisted" to take up slack to keep them from dragging.
Verify ALL the lights on the trailer work including brake lights. Have someone else run the lights in your car while you stand at the back of the trailer and look at the lights.
Verify the condition/pressure of the trailer tires, Don't take their word on that. It should state the max pressure on the trailer sidewall. My guess is 60psi so 56-60psi is good.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Recently drove a 26 foot gas powered rig towing a car all the way to Maine from Florida.

You don't have to worry about stopping too much, the thing drank fuel so fast we couldn't go very far at all!

And definitely look the tires over. Our truck was nice and newer but had a cheapo retread on it that died and required a quick call for roadside service. When we arrived we had one flat on the rear and one flat on our double axle car hauler!

 

[DrDusty86]

Steve, you are a GM man, How did you like that Allison and 8.1 Chebby BB? Torquey for a gasser I tell ya! In a uhaul 26" with a car hauler Id figure 4-4.5mpg LOL. Holding my diesel truck on the floor will only drop it down to 6.8mpg. BBBAAAAHHAA Those gas suckers!

 

[SatinSilver]

Every day from now till moving day take the cat for a short trip to the drive through, errands, grocery store, gas etc. To get him/her used to the car and build up the cat's tolerance to car trips. Gradually, build up the trips to 5, 10, 15 mins etc... Report back how it goes. Also stop every hour or so if the cat is crying. Google, tips for driving lost distances with cats. Ask vet for tips. Then of course the sedation. The older the cat the harder on it the move will be I'm guessing.

I have a 11 year old Maine Coon.

Also get nice boxes at Home Depot and start packing them now. Throw out stuff you don't have a need for. Create a 3rd pile of stuff to be donated. Mark boxes on top with black marker what room it came from or the contents.

 

[SatinSilver]

Oh, and a pet carrier also. My cat won't get into her's in the house. I try to lower her into it and she'll stick her back leg out to prevent her from being lowered in. So put the carrier in the car with the door open and carry her out to the car. Soon as she gets in the car she gets right in the carrier. Put a nice plush towel in there for her to lay on. Bring food, water, cat treats(temptations), disposable litter box($3).

 

[Kuato]

Yes you can use the truck lane in WV. (I lived in WV awhile)

Lower gear uphill for sure, if the trans starts hunting back and forth you are better off selecting the lower gear and staying there.

Make sure to pack the trailer with heavier items towards the front; if it's heavier in the rear you may lose control of it when it starts to wobble.

Watch your coolant temp and be ready to pull over awhile (or stop and let it idle to cool off) if necessary.

Enjoy the trip.

 

[joaks]

Does anyone know if I can drop of the uhaul trailer after hours? I know you can drop off a truck. If not I am not sure what I will do with it overnight.

thanks for all of the suggestions so far!

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: joaks
Does anyone know if I can drop of the uhaul trailer after hours? I know you can drop off a truck. If not I am not sure what I will do with it overnight.

thanks for all of the suggestions so far!


I wouldn't recommend it, you're liable for the trailer until they get to it in the morning, so if it disappears or gets damaged throughout the night you're responsible.

My advice is to not take anything you might not need. No use hauling something there and then not using it or throwing it away.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Remember to gear down on the downhill grades as well as the climbs. That will let you control your speed better and take some load off the brakes. I'm guessing about the gears and revs, but it's better go down a big hill at, say, 4k in second than to ride the brakes all the way down in third. Also, use the brakes hard enough to slow down when you need to, and then let off so they can cool.

Check the car and trailer tires every time you stop. I noticed a U-haul dolly tire chopping really badly on afternoon one of a four-day move. Luckily I was just outside a city with a big U-haul place, and they changed it pretty quickly. (Traveling with a very pregnant lady probably helped.)

 

[joaks]

Well, I made it!
Can't wait to get the trailer off! I was surprised how much weight there was from just the empty trailer.
Cat meowed for about 2 hours then fell asleep. 12 hours or so for the drive.
Poured rain almost the whole way here. I get to Charleston (which means I need to unload everything) and only a couple of drops. Great luck!
I have to be honest, I really hate driving through west Virgina. Very scenic but even when my car is empty it really struggles on some of those hills.
So glad to be done driving, done unloading and have a place to park the trailer. Makes the fact I completely forgot to bring soap seem so much less troublesome.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. If you will excuse me, I'm off to take a laundry detergent shower!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
Steve, you are a GM man, How did you like that Allison and 8.1 Chebby BB? Torquey for a gasser I tell ya! In a uhaul 26" with a car hauler Id figure 4-4.5mpg LOL. Holding my diesel truck on the floor will only drop it down to 6.8mpg. BBBAAAAHHAA Those gas suckers!


The funny thing was it was only a 6.0 gas engine! Basically the same drivetrain as I have in many of my service trucks in the fleet here. But with the truck loaded to the roof with stuff (so tight we could not open the door in ME!) AND a car on the trailer the combined weight should have been pretty high.

Indeed it was THIRSTY! But the pedal was to the metal a lot.