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Cross country moves

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 11:22 am
by WonderAshley
Hey everyone,
I have a nice collection of licenses under my belt, including some that I got for "emergencies." I'm an East Coast city gal, but CA and AZ have been burning a hole in my pocket. I'm foreseeing a cross country move probably at the end of this summer.

I own a trusty Matrix, basically a Corolla in a hatchback body, able to fit as much cargo as a Chevy Equinox or other small SUV. Despite it's storage capacity, its capability for hauling said trailer is that of a Corolla rather than the SUV it's trying to imitate. I can haul the smallest U-Haul trailer on easy rolling terrain at 60-65 mph, but that's the most I'm comfortable with right now. Mountains test my car even without dragging the ball and chain of a trailer. I'm scared of burning out my engine in the middle of nowhere and having to abandon any trailer that I would attempt to bring.

I figure everyone travels a bit differently, bringing pets, spouses, RV's, etc. The drive/move will probably be completely by myself and I find the prospect a bit daunting.

I've moved myself alone over shorter distances and can lift/maneuver everything by myself. I have a twin bed, a break-down wood table that I use as a kitchen table/desk, a dresser that I've already decided to ditch, and the standard clothes and kitchen junk. I already have a fairly dependable air mattress that I could sleep on for a couple of weeks if need be.

Any suggestions for this cross country move?

Re: Cross country moves

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:14 pm
by Jimebob
Ashley,

I think that air-mattress is about to become your biggest piece of furniture. :-)

But seriously, I say put the bed, dresser, table, and most of the kitchen stuff into a cheap storage area and rent a furnished apartment. My wife and I traveled out of an Accord making many long trips for a number of years. We were forced to live minimalist without space to carry extra stuff, but I do think it's the way to do it. A second hand Thule roof rack and cargo box that I pieced together through Ebay and Craigslist helped a lot in the later years of the Accord. Eventually all the heavily-loaded miles on the Accord began to take their toll - We now have an SUV with the same roof box on top, instead of having all kinds of extra space on trips, we've found a way to fill it to the brim with more stuff we don't really need.

So, that's my advice: Travel as light as you can, rent furnished.

Other long road trip suggestions: Build in more time than you think you'll need. You feel fresher mentally if you take time to stop and see some main-sights and some of the smaller bizarro-Americana that is peppered across middle America. If you don't feel rushed, you can take the time to eat healthier meals and not feel so junky by the end. Check you favorite sports teams' schedules - it's always cool seeing them at an away game if the timing works out.

Good luck!