[heyimjason]

Hey, all. I'm gonna be moving in a couple of days (back to Omaha). I don't have a whole lot of stuff to bring with me, so I'm trying to figure the logistics of this move. Here's the situation:
I've got my bike. I've got about 5 or 6 mid-sized boxes, a couple of computers, and a TV that all need to come with me. I've got a couch, coffee table, end tables, small bed (all of those are new), and another 6 or so mid-sized boxes that I'd like to bring with me, but can try to sell/donate if I absolutely must.

I haven't found a rental truck to get from Biloxi/Gulfport to Omaha for under $650 - and that's even the tiny 10' trucks. Cash is kinda tight for a few weeks, but if I want to take this job offer, I need to leave Sunday or Monday.
I've got a small S-10. I'm adding a hitch tomorrow. I was considering renting a U-Haul trailer (enclosed), but I don't think they have ramps, and I'm not sure if they're tall enough to fit a motorcycle.
I could rent a utility trailer, but then I'd have to keep a closer eye on everything the entire time (stuff flying away, theft, rain, etc.).
I could just rent a motorcycle trailer, but then I'm only left with what fits in the back of my tiny truck, which isn't much.

Anyone have any suggestions or ideas?

 

[hogcowboy]

Sell the big stuff even though it's new. It's just "stuff". Plenty more can be had when you get where you are going. You aren't leaving yourself a lot of time though to dump the stuff.

 

[NordicMan]

Get a quote from a moving company like United Van Lines?

Haul your bike with the S10 & let the movers take everything else

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

I had to rent a trailer once to move a motorcycle. It was a low slung U-haul and it was tall enough for the bike, but I had to back it up towards a ditch bank and use a board to get the bike on. Aiming it towards the bank kind of leveled things out enough to make the board / ramp do-able.

 

[Metaldoc]

Check your local U-haul rental to see what kind of trailers are available. I rented a U-haul trailer to help move my daughter a couple of times and they had fold down rear door models where the door becomes the ramp.

 

[heyimjason]

Hmmm.. there's some good stuff in there. I'll make some calls today and see what I can come up with. If all else fails, it's nice to know there's still the S10, but it's getting harder and harder to start, and I absolutely need 4 new (or like-new, used) tires, and I can rent a motorcycle trailer for around $30.

The ****ty part is I just had to dump the majority of my savings into some medicine. I had a sprained ankle, then developed a DVT... so in order to knock out this blood clot and you know... not die, they put me on Xarelto, which is a few cents shy of $13 per pill.

 

[Badlands-4-2]

U haul has motorcycle specific trailers. They are small and open, but easy to pull, and probably cheap to rent.

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Just about every drug company has a financial assistance office. Maybe call the drug maker and see if they can help you out a little with the costs. A friend of mine did that with some heart medication. When it first came out it was like $90 a pill and the VA wouldn't cover it so he applied for and got assistance (got it free) from the maker for a year until the prices came down. Worth a phone call anyway.

 

[heyimjason]

Just about every drug company has a financial assistance office. Maybe call the drug maker and see if they can help you out a little with the costs. A friend of mine did that with some heart medication. When it first came out it was like $90 a pill and the VA wouldn't cover it so he applied for and got assistance (got it free) from the maker for a year until the prices came down. Worth a phone call anyway.

Yep, I did that and got a free 2 week supply, which was a big relief.
$90 a pill is insane. Hopefully the VA covers it now.. that's just crazy.

 

[Luvs2Play]

If you have an address in Omaha, ship the smaller boxes by USPS or UPS and then you don't have to mess with them, plus they can be insured. Then you can rent a small trailer and pull the rest back. A bike will fit in a small trailer, but just watch your head while loading it.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Profile

Seems your current circumstances does not fit your profile.
Bon chance avec la move.

I bought a triple axle trailer for my move over the Cascade mountains. Made about five trips. Built a 20 X 8 X 7 high container. Had to lift it off to free up the trailer for the 28 foot sail boat. Tipped the scales at 16700 pounds. Was heavier the first trip with the tractor, tools, equipment, steel and stuff.

Unkle Crusty*

 

[heyimjason]

Well, it's looking like I'll be getting a big rental truck (found a 35% off coupon). I'm just going to load the bike in, tie it off, then surround it with boxes and furniture, in case a tie did break. Since there are damn near no tow options around here, I asked my younger brother if he wanted to get outta town for a couple of days - so he's just gonna follow me up there in my truck and take a bus back.

Otherwise, the only other option would have been to rent a vehicle trailer, and U-Haul seems to have the only one in the area, so they quoted me $300 for it. So... I'm glad I don't have to actually figure out what to do there.

 

[heyimjason]

Now to figure out how to tie down a bike inside of a truck.

Maybe something like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skdk-1BO7X4

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Yeap, pretty much that's how you do it if you don't have tie down rings. Just make sure you compress the suspension with the straps. Not all the way, about 1/3 to 1/2 will do fine.

I attach the straps to the rear swing arm or fender support instead of around the tire as it looks like in the video, but that should work just fine too.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Tie down

Two Ancra tie down straps from each side of the bars / steering head, down to the same height as the bottom of the tar, and about 15 inches out from the center line. Rear wheel can be blocked from each side with stuff, like a tool box with padding. front tar needs to be pushing on something solid. Straps go to the base of the solid part.
I hauled many bikes many miles like that.
What Angel said about compressing the forks about half way down.

Unkle Crusty*

 

[NordicMan]

If you have the time, resources, and motivation, I've heard stories of enterprising movers BUYING a cube van cheap, using it to move, then selling it at their destination. If you're really good (& some luck!) you can move for FREE or even make a small profit

 

[Christine]

There really is only one way to move a bike from A to B. Really.

 

[heyimjason]

Well, it looks like my brother fell off the face of the earth, so I've got to figure out how to get the bike into the truck. I thought about riding it up the ramp, then decided to look it up. If it works, I didn't see any videos of it - though I did see a few people falling off their bikes halfway up the ramps.
This does not seem like a one man job.

 

[DanR]

Btw not sure if you have this in the USA, but here in Canada if you had to move for work more than xx amount of miles, your moving costs are tax deductible. Maybe check that out for next year's return...

Dan

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Well, it looks like my brother fell off the face of the earth, so I've got to figure out how to get the bike into the truck. I thought about riding it up the ramp, then decided to look it up. If it works, I didn't see any videos of it - though I did see a few people falling off their bikes halfway up the ramps.
This does not seem like a one man job.

Put the rear wheels of the truck down one side of a shallow drainage ditch, and let the ramp bridge between the tailgate of the truck and the opposite side of the ditch. It makes the ramp as close to level as you could hope for and then you can ride across.