Moving my collection to Texas, suggestions..
- Thread starter JHE1956
- Start date
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cstone
Active Member
I just moved from Denver to Baltimore. I rented a Penske box truck which had plenty of room to spare. I never left the truck unattended and have lots of practice sleeping in parked vehicles. Baltimore to anyplace east of Amarillo is two days at most and this time of year is pretty easy driving once south of Virginia.
Leave yourself a day or two loading and a day or so unloading. Most rentals are based on seven days and Penske had a 16' truck with unlimited mileage for about $300. Add $150 for gas and it is the absolute least expensive way to move lots of stuff.
Be safe.
16' One Way Van
$322.00
+ Free Unlimited Mileage
March Promotion
- $28.98
Promotional Discount
- $32.20
ENVIRONMENTAL FEE
$9.00
Towing and Supplies
HAND TRUCK ONEWAY RENTAL (1 EA @ $10.00)
$10.00
Rental Estimated Total
$279.82
Estimated Tax Total
$27.30
Overall Estimated Total
$307.12
Leave yourself a day or two loading and a day or so unloading. Most rentals are based on seven days and Penske had a 16' truck with unlimited mileage for about $300. Add $150 for gas and it is the absolute least expensive way to move lots of stuff.
Be safe.
16' One Way Van
$322.00
+ Free Unlimited Mileage
March Promotion
- $28.98
Promotional Discount
- $32.20
ENVIRONMENTAL FEE
$9.00
Towing and Supplies
HAND TRUCK ONEWAY RENTAL (1 EA @ $10.00)
$10.00
Rental Estimated Total
$279.82
Estimated Tax Total
$27.30
Overall Estimated Total
$307.12
When I moved between States I transported all the firearms with me. I agree with the others that recommend a box truck. I purchased a couple of the KNAXX job boxes to contain everything as they looked a lot less conspicuous than the gun safes. Those I sold back in CA and bought new safes when I got to AZ
CasualObserver
Who Observes the Observer
I'd go with what Lazarus said. I moved my large collection to Vermont from Maryland a few years ago. Big box truck with the collection buried in the front and a HUGE safe in the pick up truck (empty) trailing. My only mistake was I had stacked ammo high and deep from CMP years ago and I tried to load a bunch of it in a separate trip in the trunk of my Honda Civic instead of in the truck. What was I thinking.
buellsfurn
Ultimate Member
small or medium box truck or rent a motor home enjoy the trip. NO MOVERS I ran insurance claims for a insurance company for years inspecting damaged items and documenting loss or stolen property.
Straightbolt
unindicted co-conspirator
When you pick up the U-Haul they can supply as many as needed moving blankets. Wrap every long gun in an individual moving blanket. Should be fine.
jimisbell
Member
Hell, its a two day trip just in Texas....LOL I am on the Texas coast and welcome to the Land Of The Free. I am an FFL but not near where you are going or I would offer my services free.
huesmann
n00b
You should definitely be considering this generous offer—and throw in some good Texas BBQ on arrival.I might be willing to take a road trip with my SUV if my gas was covered both ways
With my CCW permits you would effectively have an armed guard the entire way down
I did it this way the last time I moved, but that was only 60 miles or so, from southern MD to NoVA. I rented an 18 foot Penske truck, and bought a couple of dozen shipping blankets from ebay.....all the ammo cans made a layer on the floor, then a layer of shipping blankets, then a layer of rifles, then a layer of shipping blankets, etc.. Pistols went into plastic bubble wrap bags with a zip closure that I got off AMZ and put into Home Depot small boxes. I had 3-4 friends help me load and unload and everything was done pretty quickly but if I had to do it with jusst one or two people on a longer move it wouldn't have been much more trouble. I would just drive through and not stop anywhere over night.
U-Haul rents, one way, trailer hitches that can be put on and taken off, which are free rent , I believe, when you rent a trailer. That may be your best bet.
.
BTW, JHE, stay to hell away from Illinois, as well as Maryland. Illinois will confiscate your "stuff", lock you up, and throw away the key. You'll get to Texas about 2030, if then.
Uh, he is in MD.
onedash
Ultimate Member
Movers packed most of my guns in Hawaii and were delivered here with zero problems. I was pretty nervous about it though. They also told me to pack my powder in boxes. I don't think they realized what I asked them. But all my powder and ammo was fine as well. I had the bottom drawer of a rolling toolbox full of shotgun shells and the drawer broke due to weight but was locked with a bar so it couldn't fall out or open.
I am not the OP but all this advice is greatly appreciated by me because I am planning to retire in FL in the next few years and was wondering what the best way was for me to get my firearm collection down there. I don't think that I have as big a collection as the OP, so I think that I can just pack them in a small rental truck and drive it down there. Thanks for all the good advice and information.
Cal68
Cal68
TGR
Active Member
Ok. I just moved to Florida from Maryland this summer with a collection of long guns and handguns plus lots of reloading supplies including smokeless powder, primers, and lots of ammo.
Went thru the same decision making process and and came to the conclusion that I needed to drive straight thru with the collection in the very front cargo of a box truck with my household goods. Here’s why...
PODS will work, but they don’t allow guns so if there is a problems the loss will be on you.
Moving Companies will move the collection with the household goods. I’ve used them before with military moves and not had a problem. But they are expensive.
It is legal to mail the firearms to yourself, but anything over 20 guns or so would get expensive.
Same for using an FFL.
So that leaves the box truck, trailer or SUV. Problem with that is, I quickly came to the conclusion that I’d have to drive straight thru. Gonna leave the gun collection in the parking lot? Don’t think so.
Also, these days, I wouldn’t put it past some concerned desk clerk to call the police on you after watching you make multiple runs of gun cases into the room.
So if driving, some things to think about...
Are the guns legal in the state your going to?
Are they legal to transport thru the state or city you are traveling thru? (Wash DC and NY)
Does the state require you to stop at weigh stations with a rental (state specific and you’d be surprised many require the stop)
Do you have to stop for Ag Inspections with a rental truck? (Florida yes)
Max amount of ammo/powder/primers allowed to transport legally in the state?
I’d find a good friend and make the drive with some strategic stops planned to rest in the truck along the way.
Hope the info helps
BTW, Florida is a refreshingly gun friendly state!
Went thru the same decision making process and and came to the conclusion that I needed to drive straight thru with the collection in the very front cargo of a box truck with my household goods. Here’s why...
PODS will work, but they don’t allow guns so if there is a problems the loss will be on you.
Moving Companies will move the collection with the household goods. I’ve used them before with military moves and not had a problem. But they are expensive.
It is legal to mail the firearms to yourself, but anything over 20 guns or so would get expensive.
Same for using an FFL.
So that leaves the box truck, trailer or SUV. Problem with that is, I quickly came to the conclusion that I’d have to drive straight thru. Gonna leave the gun collection in the parking lot? Don’t think so.
Also, these days, I wouldn’t put it past some concerned desk clerk to call the police on you after watching you make multiple runs of gun cases into the room.
So if driving, some things to think about...
Are the guns legal in the state your going to?
Are they legal to transport thru the state or city you are traveling thru? (Wash DC and NY)
Does the state require you to stop at weigh stations with a rental (state specific and you’d be surprised many require the stop)
Do you have to stop for Ag Inspections with a rental truck? (Florida yes)
Max amount of ammo/powder/primers allowed to transport legally in the state?
I’d find a good friend and make the drive with some strategic stops planned to rest in the truck along the way.
Hope the info helps
BTW, Florida is a refreshingly gun friendly state!
WildWeasel
Active Member
I'd never let standard issue movers touch my firearms or anything related to them. The .mil is/did firing/fire the last company because they were trash, but the new one is still the second lowest bidder
Use caution... Compared to MD, CA, and IL, it's a dream. But Florida is being completely overrun by lefties as well, and recently enacted red flag laws and increased the age to purchase rifles and shotguns to 21. Is it the next Virginia? I doubt it. But it could be a few down the road... For a state that doesn't require handguns to be registered, it's a huge step in the wrong direction.
I moved to Texas from the other coast. Rented a 24' Uhaul. Loaded the safes and ammo near the cab. Wrapped guns in uhaul blankets and stacked them in the safe. Then packed everything else. Barely made it up the hill outside of Albuquerque those safes and ammo were heavy. Parked the Uhaul in well lit areas under cameras. 1700 miles and two days later we were home... and free.
Uhaul blankets worked really well. Packed them tight in the safe and didn't notice a single dent or ding.
Make sure you get a newer Uhaul. My biggest concern was breaking down and having to transfer all that hardware into another van.
Still have hear the wife complain that my guns fit in the uhaul but her potted plants didn't.
Uhaul blankets worked really well. Packed them tight in the safe and didn't notice a single dent or ding.
Make sure you get a newer Uhaul. My biggest concern was breaking down and having to transfer all that hardware into another van.
Still have hear the wife complain that my guns fit in the uhaul but her potted plants didn't.
