Any Tips on Low Cost Moving? (NJ->IN)

[Westonium]

Just a thought: My neighbor moved his new wife from Utah to Oregon. His solution? Bought a 16'x8' trailer with very heavy duty axles (mobile home axles I think).

He still has the trailer and uses (lets me use it even) to this day.

For the price of renting, you could own a piece of useful equipment and have something of value you could later sell if you wanted or keep and use.

Enjoy Indiana!

 

[EddieWalker]

His solution? Bought a 16'x8' trailer with very heavy duty axles (mobile home axles I think).

My parents and brother are all planning on moving out here from California. My dad found this 24 foot enclosed trailer for $3,000 that he thought would work perfect for moving. It has three moble home axles and is basically the box off a bobtail with a frame under it for the axles.

They loaded it up with my brothers stuff. He doesn't have allot compared to most. He's never owned a house, so it's just tools and furniture for a small place, but they filled it up. I flew there to help out and drive one of there vehicles back. The weight of the trailer was incredible, but my dad was pulling it with his RV. It has a turbo cummins 8.3 and he said the trailer felt very heavy to him. No way could you pull it with anything less. We made it to Needles when the first tire blew up and destroyed the axle. We replaced the axle with a 7,000 pound one we found in Bakersfield.

That lasted all the way to Tuscon when lug nuts started to break and the tires came off again. New lug nuts and we're back on the road. The trick was to stop every 200 miles and re-tighten the lug nuts.

Here in Texas we replaced the other two moble home axles. They are total junk. NEVER buy a trailer with them. Dad learned the hard way.

Steph and I used it to get her stuff our of storage in Birmingham, WA this past August. I pulled it with my F-250 truck and was way underpowered. Just pulling it empty was a nightmare. Every semi that passed us would push us sideways!!!

We loaded it about half full and it wasn't nearly as heavy as when my parents brought it out, but my top speed was in the 50's.

If you buy a trailer, be sure you can haul what you put in it and that it's not a nightmare waiting to happen. Swaping out axles in the Majave Desert really is a terrible experience!!! hahaha

Good Luck,
Eddie

 

[Westonium]

Wow. I wonder how much weight you had in there? Neighbors trailer has 2 axels and is 16x8 with treated 2x12 planks for a floor (very very solid). It is currently a flat bed. He routinely tows it up 1300 feet elevation with 6000# of hay on it. Actually now that I think of it, he had like 10000# of decorative stone on there that I helped unload with my FEL recently.

I only have 6500# towing capacity with my Dodge Dakota 4x4 quad cab. The 4x4 made all the difference I think since it involves pulling the thing up steep gravel road, and driving in the pouring rain (hay load was plastic wrapped tight)

 

[Egon]

I don't think mobile home axles are legal for trailers.

 

[Westonium]

I don't think mobile home axles are legal for trailers.

Well in that case its a terrible idea and I never mentioned it you hear?

I've never even heard of anyone using, what are they? Mobile home axles were they? Yeah no idea what you are talking about.

<.<

>.>

*flee*

 

[QRTRHRS]

Thought I would bring this thread back to the top.

My wife and I will be moving to the Somerset, KY area from PA next month. (Somerset area, about an hour an a quarter or so south of Lexington)

ABF U-Pack will not service that area period? I would have to have the trailers staged in Lexington and shuttle back and forth. Nor will Pods go there and Gomini's have not called me back.

I won't take possession for about three days after closing so I won't be able to move things directly in though I can park whatever in the driveway.

I work for a company on one of Ryder's national accounts but they still will not rent me a rig to move it myself.

Guess my next move is to look into buying a used drop deck van if I can enlist one of the OO's that I know to pull it and find a trailer backhaul home.

 

[capt jack]

Just a thought: My neighbor moved his new wife from Utah to Oregon. His solution? Bought a 16'x8' trailer with very heavy duty axles (mobile home axles I think).

How BIG was his new wife???:

Jack

 

[Champy]

You can also look on sites like craigslist for truckers who are dead-heading on return trips. They may not be "movers", but they have the space/equipment for small fees....