Driving across country.. Washington to NC. Any tips, pointers, etc? ANYTHING HELPS!!?

Husband is getting outta the Army, he got 80% disability. We're doing the Dity move. We will have around 7-9k pounds of stuff. We're probably going to go with Budget rental. We were quoted for the 24' truck and the all four tires off the ground car pull at around 1600, My mom is looking at pricing because she thinks she can get it a little cheaper than that, so hopefully around 1300ish or something.. and then with gas I'm assuming that'll be anywhere from 1k to 1500 which is what I'm also getting quoted at. We don't plan on doing hotel trips often. Probably every 2 days? Just to save money. Just to shower up and get back on the road. My husband is trying to avoid the mountains so we may go down towards CA and then across.. We honestly need ideas.



We DO have 2 pugs, they are obviously smaller dogs. With the car pull, its all 4 wheels off the ground, would it be safe to get a kennel and put them in the back of the car along with like the cooler with food, etc.



MY QUESTIONS ARE;

1. Is there any good like deals on truck rentals?

2. Would the 2 wheels off the ground of 4 wheels off the ground be safer, or does it matter? The reason I'm thinking 4 is so we can put things in the car.. and also, it won't hurt the tires, etc.

3. My husband is afraid of driving the truck, literally afraid. Any tips or is it really as hard or as easy as people are saying?

4. Food ideas to take with us? Whats things we can put in the cooler that will be like cheaper than stopping at Mcdonalds, Taco bell, etc?

5. Is there any easier way to travel with dogs? I'm being told that I could put them in the front with us because its able to fit 3-4 adults in the bigger trucks, so I may do that.. but any tips traveling almost 3500 miles with 2 pugs? Any medicine for them? Any tips for peeing and pooping, etc?

6. Any ideas how to make this trip cheaper?

7. Any people that have done the Dity move that can tell me how much they got, etc?



I just need a lot of help and the person with the best answer gets "best answer", and itll make me really happy. ANY advise would be amazing. We plan on taking turns with driving, but driving as much as possible a day.. any things that may make the drive better? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE



-The "Nervous" family.Driving across country.. Washington to NC. Any tips, pointers, etc? ANYTHING HELPS!!?
From an expert....driven many trips, worked as a truck rental agent too....



1. You will get the best deal (and best truck) from Budget. Here is a secret.....don't tell ANYONE about this cause it's a secret...really.........Budget will make deep cuts in their price but you need to negotiate. Start by going to Uhaul and tell them your Budget rate, then see if they will beat it. Not by a few bucks, you are looking at a $1600 rental. Get it knocked down a couple hundred (yes you can!!). Then take your deal to Penski and do the same thing. Work these two guys until you get the best deal.



THEN.....now here is the REAL secret part...call your LOCAL Budget dealer. Don't mess with the website or call center, call the dealer. And not the big corporate owned ones, but the affiliate dealer that also runs a storage facility or some other business. Try to schedule your pickup for a weekday, when things are slow and they are desperate for business. They have a special phone number they can call to get special rates in order to beat the competitors. If you do this, you can easily knock that $1600 bill down 20%.



2. The car hauler is always better if you are taking a car more then 300 miles (my opinion). Advantage is it's more secure to carry, will do less damage to the unit then the tow dolly, and you don't need to disconnect the driveshaft (some vehicles). Disadvantage is they are more expensive, can be tricky for inexperienced driver to maneuver (especially with a 24' truck). Being automatic drive, they can be difficult in mountains. They are slow going up steep grades, you don't want to ride the break going down hills....downshift!!! The key to your trip is taking lots of breaks, swapping drivers frequently, and never drive when you start to get tired. I have a small dvd player so I can watch (well...listen) to something if nothing good is on the radio.



3. It's understandable to be nervous. You are use to driving a car 17' long, now you are in front of a huge truck and trailer. My wife was the same way, but after a while she looks forward to it. You just need to drill it into your head that you have 50 feet of truck/trailer behind you, and you need to make VERY wide turns, and leave a lot of room in front of you to allow for stopping. In urban areas this can really be a challenge (driving in the northeast is a nightmare). But you will be on open roads, not a problem. Take your time...don't go over 60. You are going to get drivers passing you and flicking a finger at you because you are holding them up. Not a problem, get a hand sign telling those drivers to F*** O**.



4. Food and drinks = more bathroom breaks. Guys don't have a problem..women do (I don't go into those details...). On my trips I have a cooler with sandwiches and vegi-snacks. But after a couple days of that you will look forward to a decent restaurant dinner.



5. Budget trucks have a "bench" seat that runs across the cab. There is plenty of room to let your dogs run loose without confining them to a kennel (as long as you aren't packing a lot of stuff in the cab area. I would discourage putting them in your car while it's on the trailer. And unless they are a very hyper dog, or have a tendency to get motion sick from riding in cars, you should not have to medicate them. You should stop every 2-3 hours to give them (and you) a break.



6. You said you plan on stopping at a hotel every couple of days? Where/how are you going to sleep in between? The truck is not going to be very comfortable or practical. Do your research and you should be able to find some dirt-cheap rooms. Still gonna do the "sleep in the truck" thing? On one trip I simply left a few feet of space in the back, packed a sleeping bag and inflatable bed. After doing this a few times I chose the $29 motel room.



7. Spend a few dollars for a GPS....plan on making an occasional wrong turn and trying to figure out where the heck you are at. Decent ones are as low as $60. When you get to your destination sell it (if you don't think you need it any longer). Find a friend who is a AAA member to get you a package of maps and info (for free to members).



Hope this helps.Driving across country.. Washington to NC. Any tips, pointers, etc? ANYTHING HELPS!!?
Did it for Global van lines, 40s alright during the winter, if summer you want to stick to 80 not so damn hot, AZ ain't no fun in the summer, and the Rockies and Sierras ain't that bad anyway. actually very nice sights, nothing to see on 40. dogs will be fine in the cab with you, my pit bull was in the million mile club, RIP, take advantage of the vista points and rest stops for rest room breaks and remember truck stops are the best place for food and a shower then back on the road, I had the luxury of a sleeper cab though, if you can leave a spot in the back of the van to lay your mattress down you now have a place to sleep, yea I'm a cheapskate.Driving across country.. Washington to NC. Any tips, pointers, etc? ANYTHING HELPS!!?
I just drove from Oregon back to California with a new kitten so I can maybe offer some advice on the dogs. Go to every other to every third rest stop and walk/poop them so they're not as antsy but chances are they're going to sleep in the car but exercising them every 100-200 miles will keep them happier.



If you've got the room for a cage in the cab of the truck that would be much better than back in your car. Not that it's going to but if the car broke free or got hit, they would sustain more injuries than if they're up with you.



If they're not used to being in the car except for the vet I'd drive them around a bit before you left so they got sort of used to being in a vehicle.



As far as driving the truck, I've done that 4 times a year for the past 10 years. It's not really difficult as they're automatics. You just have to remember that you need a larger turning radius when you turn and you can't stop as quickly. After about 20 minutes he'll be fine. Just make sure that you adjust the mirrors properly so that he can see.



If you've got the dogs with you in the cab I'd keep the food back in the car and eat when you got hungry. There's only so much room in the cab.



Lastly as far as hotels, make sure they're pet friendly if you're going to stay overnight. Most places charge a small fee for pets but check first.



Good luck!