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Moving cross-country -- trailer or roof rack

92245

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Joined
Jul 14, 2019
I'm moving from rural Northern California to South Carolina and I'm debating how to get my stuff there (1992 240 wagon). I'll be traveling with my dog and potentially sleeping in the car (although I may camp) so I won't be able to bring that much in the car. There will be some two-lane, windy roads on the way out and potentially a bit of snow/ice but I will hopefully be able to leave soon enough that that isn't a factor. I'm wondering how the car would handle with a trailer vs. getting a basket for my roof rack and a hitch mounted carried. Forgive me if this is a silly noob question but I haven't made a move this far with my car.

Also, do most hitch carriers allow the hatch to open? If not are there any models that folks have used that do?

Thanks!
 
If you can camp, or even hit a Motel 6 (or, if not pet-friendly, another motel that is) on those nights that are cold, it might be best to just load everything in the back, then use three Thule or Yakima crossbars with a Yakima Megawarrior luggage basket for those items that don't fit. Add a bike mount if you have a bike that you're going to be taking with you. That way, you can at least still use overdrive if your car has an Aw70 or 5th gear if M47. The extra weight in the cargo area will provide some help with traction if there is snow.

Re: the hitch mounted luggage racks, I don't think I've seen any that'll do that. Maybe someone else has, though.
 
Roof rack mpg penalty brutal, but only takes up one parking space/easier to park than a trailer.

Much like pickup truck cab-over camper; can separate house from car and still fits in same size parking space as truck, but MPG penalty brutal (who cares/going to have fun/rarely do it anyway/truck gets bad mileage anyway?).

Hitch basket/tote/swing away stowage: still one parking space(ish), no aero penalty really unlike roof, weight beyond the wheelbase (good for a small light bike or something for yuppies on their crossovers), brutal on short wheelbase 240/not safe to put much weight back there.

Trailers are a pain in the ass.

Cab over camper and 4x4 go anywhere truck with cab over & 245 being towed?

~1972 Grumman aluminum step van with ford 300-6 (Run forever/good storage unit/shop at new house with permanent collector plates/smog exempt and a sob story for HOA about how it was your grandpas that died or Covid and it was his dream you restore it?), frame mounted jacks, rear permanent collector plate only, tires or suspension never soggy no matter how much you store in it in your driveway? Inflated/plated/registered/hoa-proof. Fold out 8’ awning both sides, effectively ‘24x’24 dry storage Possible, drive 245 inside step-van?
Future roach coach food cart/taco business optional.

Stealth used sprinter towing 245 for 5k/cheaper than cheap horrible dirtbag/fleabag hotels?

Ship the 245 wholesale rate in shipping container with all your worldly possessions FOB at rail yard and a cheap plane ticket/droogs for dog/WWI Covid gas mask for plane/Covid tube/get there fast/direct flight. (Is there any other way worth flying ? Small quiet airport to small quiet airport direct small (Quieter/smoother ideally?) jet?)
GPS/serial # on container, locked/super secure.

AAA roll back gets loaded with shipping container as one of your yearly tows, beg/borrow/steal forklift for unload in the road at ‘new’ house blocking out all neighbors/set the bar nice and low on move in for large chunks/unsightly trashy junk in the dirty south/ex confederacy? :rofl:
 
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Great info! It's an M47. I'm bringing 3 bikes that I'll probably take apart and pack with my clothes but I do have an old Yakima roof rack that I might use for 1 so I can ride it if I come across any cool trails.

I definitely thought about other options but I don't have money to buy another vehicle. I'm escaping CA because I'm too damn poor to live here and I miss my family. And now the state is on fire.

I looked into shipping the car but my dog would be a damn mess after a plane ride. He's a neurotic rescue and I read enough horror stories of dogs + airplanes to scare me out of that. And it's a 5 hour drive to anywhere with a direct flight.

Where do you find the wholesale shipping rates? I was thinking about using Greyhound for some boxes but I'm not sure I trust them.

And what do you mean by brutal (in reference to the hitch basket)? What would that do to the handling?

Thanks for the great responses!
 
No idea of cost, but you might want to look into the cost of renting a small U-Haul truck for your stuff and a trailer to trailer your car behind it.
 
There are ways to make the cargo carrier work and still allow the hatch to open. I made a custom 3/16" wall 1 1/4" bar for my carrier with multiple holes to get just the right length so that the hatch can open... but you may not have time for that.

wind noise with roof racks is real, but I haven't ever put a thule container up there.

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No idea of cost, but you might want to look into the cost of renting a small U-Haul truck for your stuff and a trailer to trailer your car behind it.


Even a U-Haul Ford F-150 pickup would do the job.



To the OP: load everything into the bed, attach the car trailer to the back of it, load the 245 onto it with your bike, camping gear, etc, then put the dog in the passenger seat (maybe use one of those sheepskin dog blanket things to keep him comfortable), hop in the driver's seat, and go. Other option, would be to just rent a Tahoe or Expedition from Enterprise, then rent a U-Haul trailer for the car, and hit the road. Would be basically like an F-150, but with a built-in canopy.


Re: roof racks making noise, a bare Yakima rack or Thule rack will have some wind noise. A bit more than the factory luggage rack, but that can be minimized by either mounting a luggage box, a luggage basket, or even just add a fairing.


-J
 
Uhaul vehicles kill you on longer trips due to the per mile charge of $0.60-$1.00/mile.

Enclosed uhaul trailers are a per-day rate of like $50/day.

OP: I'm not sure how much stuff you're taking with you (weight/volume wise), but that's probably going to be the limiting factor on this trip.
If you can fit it all in a trailer, 100% that would be my choice.
 
15 years ago, I moved from Denver to Southeastern Oklahoma in a 245 with a Coleman roof-top bag lashed to the rack. All my other worldly goods were in a moving van driven by professionals. It worked, but if I had it to do again, I'd go buy a new 4 x 8 Harbor Freight trailer. The crosswinds in New Mexico and Texas panhandle were fearsome.
 
No idea of cost, but you might want to look into the cost of renting a small U-Haul truck for your stuff and a trailer to trailer your car behind it.

U-Haul with trailer is $3500 -- there's no way I'm doing that. I'll likely ship some stuff and drive my car with what I need for the trip and anything I forgot to ship.
 
Even a U-Haul Ford F-150 pickup would do the job.

Re: roof racks making noise, a bare Yakima rack or Thule rack will have some wind noise. A bit more than the factory luggage rack, but that can be minimized by either mounting a luggage box, a luggage basket, or even just add a fairing.

U-Haul won't rent a pickup for a cross-country trip, sadly. I already have a Yakima rack that makes plenty of noise -- I don't mind that part. Handling is my biggest concern.
 
15 years ago, I moved from Denver to Southeastern Oklahoma in a 245 with a Coleman roof-top bag lashed to the rack. All my other worldly goods were in a moving van driven by professionals. It worked, but if I had it to do again, I'd go buy a new 4 x 8 Harbor Freight trailer. The crosswinds in New Mexico and Texas panhandle were fearsome.

Interesting, I suppose a U-Haul trailer would suck in the wind. I was looking at the HF trailer and reviews are varied -- most say that the instructions are awful and the bolts don't fit properly but it seems like once you get it together they are fine.
 
There are ways to make the cargo carrier work and still allow the hatch to open. I made a custom 3/16" wall 1 1/4" bar for my carrier with multiple holes to get just the right length so that the hatch can open... but you may not have time for that.

I have time but I don't have the equipment for that. I've seen some swing-away racks but I'm not sure the cost is worth it.

Did the car handle OK with rack? I wouldn't put anything terribly heavy on there.
 
Interesting, I suppose a U-Haul trailer would suck in the wind. I was looking at the HF trailer and reviews are varied -- most say that the instructions are awful and the bolts don't fit properly but it seems like once you get it together they are fine.

Well, how much stuff do you have?

We towed this back from MI TO FL in two days - the same time it takes us without a trailer. Wind didn't seem too bad at all. Car handled great. It did have IPD rear cargo springs.

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Plan B:If you can get the funds, buy a used pick up and a used car trailer in No. California; use them to travel cross -country, then sell the truck and trailer in South Carolina.

Hell, you might break even or eke out a small profit.
 
Cars are more expensive in CA than most other places due to the stricter smog requirements culling the beaters. So breaking even seems unlikely.
 
I have time but I don't have the equipment for that. I've seen some swing-away racks but I'm not sure the cost is worth it.

Did the car handle OK with rack? I wouldn't put anything terribly heavy on there.

I was using XJ springs at the time which are stock rate and about 1.5" taller. Handled great, but you'll be on the highway, not doing the Nurburgring, so handling is only important as far as safety goes. But yeah it felt fine. I didn't have more than 150 lb back there anyway, I would keep it at that or less with a 1 1/4" hitch
 
Well, how much stuff do you have?

We towed this back from MI TO FL in two days - the same time it takes us without a trailer. Wind didn't seem too bad at all. Car handled great. It did have IPD rear cargo springs.

0oetryrl.jpg

I'm still sorting and getting rid of stuff but this looks pretty reasonable to me. I have overload springs I'll be installing in the rear before the trip -- new tires, struts (KYB), HDs in the back.

I am a bit worried about a trailer heading out of CA with the windy roads but I think I'll just have to get over that. I wonder if there are any winds on that trip that compare to the winds in TX that people keep mentioning.
 
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