Moving my fiancé 900 miles so I can acquire requisite five cats
 

In April I got engaged to a woman I had been crushing on for over 20 years.

Now I have to figure out how to move her 900 miles from the suburbs of Atlanta to the suburbs of Chicago. For those that are wondering, yes, I would consider moving down south to her rather than her to me, but I have a job that I am about to start my 9th year in that has good pay and great benefits, my family is all up here, and we want to at least start our adventures up here before maybe someday relocating.

My fiancé has over 400 square feet of stuff (mostly from her previous marriage) in storage units, not including what is in her fairly full two bedroom apartment. I am encouraging her to trim as much as possible because it doesn't make sense to spend money moving stuff across country just to put it back in storage or donate it. We aren't planning on moving her for about a year, so we have some time.

I have had several ideas and I want to see what you all advise, including one that intrigues me but could also end up biting me in the ass.

First, assume that it's 900 miles each way. Technically it's less but there will be some extra milage in there. Always does.

Next, assume 400 square feet to move.

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Those are the numbers so far. One idea that we have been throwing around is buying a used box truck (gas) or a pick up truck (diesel) and a trailer.

The pro's of box truck are:
Easier to drive than truck+trailer.
Don't have to drive an empty trailer down AND full back.
You can get them used for a decent price
Provided there isn't much maintenance or repairs needed and we didn't overpay, there shouldn't be enough depreciation after approximately 6-10k miles of driving to make it terribly expensive. (registration, insurance etc will of course apply)

pros of buying a used diesel pick up truck are:
More versatile. Even after the move we can use the truck to do stuff or go on trips with my Aunt's travel trailer. (until we sell it)
Can get them at a decent price
Provided there isn't much maintenance or repairs needed and we didn't overpay, there shouldn't be enough depreciation after approximately 6-10k miles of driving to make it terribly expensive. (registration, insurance etc will of course apply)
We will (for a time) own a cool truck that can haul cars or trailers with ease.

The plan would be to sell either of these in no more than two years. Probably sooner. The Truck would obviously be used more because stuff needs to be moved, and having a truck makes it easier to move it.

The budget for purchasing a box truck or diesel pickup would be between $6-10k. If we are buying, I would rather pay more to get less chance of stuff breaking or needing service in the time I own it. I don't plan on doing any of this moving in the snow, so 4wd is not necessary. If we buy a truck, we need to have money in the budget to buy a properly sized and priced used trailer. Again with the trailer, we have to buy something that won't depreciate too much.

Based on the above, what is everyone's opinion? Is it at all rational to spend the money to buy a truck or am I better off just renting the 26' u-Haul?

First off, congrats... that's some serious staying power. Hopefully she's worth it!

Second... maybe it's not a strictly financial decision? Do you see yourself needing/wanting a truck around for the next two years? If so, then that seems to be a no brainer.

I'd say buying a box truck doesn't make sense. Nobody really wants a box truck around for the next two years, and the hassle of searching\buying\maintaining\selling the truck without another benefit is probably not worth it IMO.

If I were in your shoes, I'd jump on craigslist IN HER AREA and find a well-maintained '95-2002 dodge Cummins pickup. They won't depreciate while you own it, are dead reliable, and will be nice to own for the next couple years too.

Thank you!

Did they get less reliable after 2002? Any other makes to look for or avoid? Is it necessary or desirable to buy a dually option?

After 2002 they went to the later body with a common rail engine. They don't get as good of mileage (stock) and tend to cost a bit more money, but they are nicer trucks and offer a larger cab, if that's important to you.

I just always liked the older ones, and have had nothing but good experiences with them.

Dammit. Now you have me on Craigslist looking at Cummins pickups again. Want so bad, even though my current truck fits my needs just fine.

In regards to needing or wanting a truck - it would technically be owned by my parents. They are paying for her move as part of our wedding gift but at the same time, they want to do more traveling and having a truck that can pull a travel trailer would a nice bonus. The less money I spend on moving is the more we can put down towards our new house fund.

Are 1 way Uhauls really that expensive?

Would it be cheaper to sell/donate most the stuff and rebuy later?

Yes, Uhauls really are that expensive (particularly big ones).

Usually rebuying stuff is not necessarily cheaper though unless all your current stuff is shit.

Getting personal insurance on a box truck is not easy or cheap. Diesel pickups also are not cheap. Buy a suburban for cheap and use that and then resale it.

7.3l Powerstroke master race. Just don't get an early '99.

Why isn't anyone addressing the issue here...

A woman shouldn't have possessions. Drive and pick up your woman with the top down, drive back to your place. Problem solved.

^^ My name isn't Joe Perez

I'm hoping she really slims stuff down for the move, but I have to plan for the worst.

The woman has 400 sq/ft of 'stuff' that hasn't seen the light of day for xx months and lives in another 400 sq/ft of 'full' apartment.

It's called true love...

I see multiple trips in your future. Congratulations and best of luck!

I missed the part about the storrage unit...


6 month rule. If she hasn't touched it in 6 months it gets sold/donated.

You get the picture.

Did you get a quote from Penske truck rental? I've used them to move three times, and their rental prices have killed Uhaul every time. They also do something like 10 or 15% off with AAA membership.

Also, they seem to take better care of the their fleet. I've helped some friends move in some pretty ratty Uhauls, but the Penske trucks have always seemed like they try to keep them feeling new.

Get a Ryder/Penske truck big enough to hold everything. Load it up. Set it on fire. Fly home. Win.

I recommended getting a E150-E350 van for this. Unless you have anything super tall I think it would work a bit better then the pickup, and tend to be a bit cheaper.

Thanks all. I will look into Penske. Had a good conversation with her last night and we are going to hold off on moving stuff until next year because she will be focusing on paring stuff down significantly in the meantime. All the options above are good and are on the table. I'll update if it makes sense.

A very good sign that she's willing to pare things down.