I have some questions about driving cross-country, can you give me your input?
The chances are very high of me getting out of the military in about a year, so I could either stay in NJ, or (what I’m leaning more towards, although I’m still weighing my options) go to either WA, or OR (where I’m from and my family is spread around). But let’s just say that I am going to go back to WA or OR, what’s the best way to do that?
There are multiple ways: Flying and having your stuff moved, driving with a U-Haul (all of my stuff would fit in a van, seriously) and towing your car or vice versa (but I have a 4-cylinder, so no) etc. I don’t really want to fly, because I think going on this journey (I’d be alone, too) would be really eye-opening and simply a good thing to do.
I was thinking maybe a U-haul with all of my stuff, but then there’s also having a moving company move all of my stuff so I’m free with my car (but I paid for my ex-wife to move back home from NJ to MN and that was almost $6,000 with a moving company; she flew back, so maybe not).
I guess my question would be: what would be the best option, assuming a lone 25 year old wanted to move across the country? Give me your honest and realistic opinions. Thank you.
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I’d drive for the experience. You can probably get a u-haul one way – dropping it off at the Washington or Oregon office, right?
Drove across the country a couple of times pulling a uhaul trailer. Driving is definitely the way to go. One of the best experiences of my life.
Warning: I think it caused an early life to my car, however.
Also, I highly recommend taking your time. Leave real early and camp the whole way.
going on this journey (I’d be alone, too) would be really eye-opening and simply a good thing to do.
Absolutely! DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! Otherwise you will always be wondering, “What if?”
Throw away as much stuff as possible. Let the movers handle the rest. Forget the trailer. Enjoy the freedom of the open road!
Take a month off if you can swing it.
@jaytkay – You’re right. Ditch the trailer if you can, and make it a month.
Head to LA and work your way slowly up the coast.
Rent a van, tow your vehicle on the rear and see if you can find a “ride share” person to make the trip with you.
Do it for safety, do it sharing the costs, do it just because you want to.
It would be an adventure to see the country as a bonus.
If time is not a constraint, I would send my belongings ahead with a cargo service to a storage facility and enjoy the drive. The opportunity doesn’t arise often and it’s priceless!
I recommend the book Blue Highways to get you in the right frame of mind and grab a the latest version of Let’s go roadtripping, USA for a guide to roadside attractions, festivals, where the locals go to eat, etc.
Be open to experience and meeting new people and it will be the best thing you’ll ever do!
I think you should rent a u-haul trailer, attach it to your car, and go. A 4 cylinder car shouldn’t have a problem hauling around a little u-haul trailer. Take your time. Try and stay off the highways where practical. America is much more fun and interesting and REAL on the state and county roads which parallel the highways. Stop at a lot of places, tell people you’re just out of the military and driving across America, and feel and enjoy their hospitality.
I would sell a bunch of your stuff that you don’t need, and then put the rest in a U-Haul and drive across country.
It is really fun. Depending on the time of year, you will have to choose a route that avoids snow.
You will make great memories and see wonderful stuff.
I’ve made six full-household coast-to-coast moves in my life (so far), and a fair number of shorter and/or non-whole-house moves. So I have some experience in this area.
I’ve been fortunate that most of my moves were paid for by an employer, and we negotiated that I could (and did) use moving companies to pack and move my household goods, and (sometimes) a car, as well. But with every move I’ve made sure that I myself made the cross-country drive. I would not have wanted to miss that. (I got the employers to pay for the nominal 40 hours and costs of driving, too.)
So that would be my first recommendation: Find someone who wants you at the place you want to be, and negotiate a moving allowance as well as paid expenses to make the drive. And then don’t cheat on that. For example, every move I’ve made like that has a clause that I will take “the most expeditious and reasonable” means. So when I take side trips, that’s on my nickel. I don’t include that in mileage, I don’t charge for extra time that I take, and I don’t try to chisel the person who’s paying the bills (and if time to arrive at the new place is really important, then I forgo the side trips altogether).
But if you end up having to do the trip all on your own, then winnow, winnow, winnow. My first trip away from home (in a VW bug from Massachusetts to North Carolina, and not counted as one of the six) included everything I owned that I wanted to take with me and was pretty much all that I did own for the three years that I spent in the south after that move.
The first move of the six was from Florida to Oregon, which I accomplished with a pickup truck and a travel trailer, again carrying everything I owned.
My son and grandson flew to South Dakota to bring home some storage which filled a rented van plus a small rented trailer. They had a great road trip bringing it home. You should check for a ride share.
We have used ride share successfully in the past.
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