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Thinking of Driving to Richmond,VA.....

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AngliaGT

AngliaGT

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Our Granddaughter,who's almost 10 years old,
will be going to live with her Mother,in August (LONG story).
I'm thinking about buying a van/truck to haul
our Daughter's/Granddaughter's stuff to the Richmond,VA
area,& fly back home,& letting her resale it when she's done
with it.
I'd love to make the drive,but need to know if this is
a really stupid idea,or not.
Your thoughts?

- Doug
 
Well, 10 is kinda young for a chick to have a van but I had a bug at 9 so I guess it's ok.

How much stuff does she have? What about shipping it instead? A cross country road trip in an unfamiliar vehicle full of personal stuff with a child is a disaster waiting to happen IMO. The only way you could make this trip worse is if you wrote, "Free Puppies" onna side of it. :grin:
Don't you have a truck already?
 
" ...a disaster waiting to happen IMO"

Agree!

If you *have* to move that stuff yourself, seems that U-Haul or another rental would be a heck of a lot safer and less expensive. And daughter doesn't have to figure out how to sell it afterward.

A tip from the Frugal Yankee: you might find a "cheap" truck for sale, but do you want to drive a "cheap" truck across the USA?

And U-Haul (etc.) provides roadside assistance.

Of course, you *could* just tell your daughter to make the arrangements herself. Just sayin'
 
You guys don't get it - I would love an excuse to do a road trip,but am trying to figure out a way that is affordable. - Doug
 
So ... isn't renting a U-Haul and driving across the country a road trip?

Or are you just looking for an excuse to buy a new vehicle?

Step one: what size/style truck do you need?

Step two: Call U-Haul and get an estimate for renting the truck you need.

Step three: Then compare that with what you'd spend on buying the right size truck that would be safe enough to drive. Then add in the hassles of your daughter trying to sell a truck that doesn't belong to her, in a different state from where you bought it.

Tom
 
NutmegCT said:
So ... isn't renting a U-Haul and driving across the country a road trip?

Or are you just looking for an excuse to buy a new vehicle?

Step one: what size/style truck do you need?

Step two: Call U-Haul and get an estimate for renting the truck you need.

Step three: Then compare that with what you'd spend on buying the right size truck that would be safe enough to drive. Then add in the hassles of your daughter trying to sell a truck that doesn't belong to her, in a different state from where you bought it.

Tom
Click to expand...

I'm with Tom here. And an addendum to step three: Subtract the hit you'll take on insurance and the loss between buying and selling price.

Mickey
 
Rent a U Haul truck of the appropriate size, drive it there, unload it, take it back to U Haul and your done. Return at your pleasure. You get your road trip and no worries after! :encouragement: PJ
 
PAUL161 said:
Rent a U Haul truck of the appropriate size, drive it there, unload it, take it back to U Haul and your done. Return at your pleasure. You get your road trip and no worries after! :encouragement: PJ
Click to expand...

:iagree:-------Thats the way to go!!!
 
I am in concurrence with the fellas, rent a U-Haul.
 
Since everyone else is being so DARN practical, I'll be the lone voice against the herd. :smile: If you have some time to shop, which it sounds like you do, find a decent Caravan/Voyager/etc. possibly add a hitch to it, get it inspected, detected, injected but not neglected and Bob's your Uncle! :driving: Then you can leave it with Daughter and Granddaughter for them to use until they get settled, etc. The three of you will have an adventure no matter how it goes and your karma bank will be the richer for it. Your fall back option can always be the U-Haul route.
 
Paul, THANK YOU for getting it! I'd love to drive cross country,meeting up with new/old Friends.I've also had this weird idea of driving a big truck,with a manual transmission. I'm hoping to combine the two,& hoping I can come out even. - Doug
 
AngliaGT said:
Paul, THANK YOU for getting it! I'd love to drive cross country,meeting up with new/old Friends.I've also had this weird idea of driving a big truck,with a manual transmission. I'm hoping to combine the two,& hoping I can come out even. - Doug
Click to expand...

errr ... didn't Paul suggest renting a U-Haul just like most of us did?
 
AngliaGT said:
Paul, THANK YOU for getting it! I'd love to drive cross country,meeting up with new/old Friends.I've also had this weird idea of driving a big truck,with a manual transmission. I'm hoping to combine the two,& hoping I can come out even. - Doug
Click to expand...

Oh, don't worry, you will. When the van burns up maybe the tow truck driver will let you drive for a bit. :wink:
 
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Most of my jobs as a kid were in local lumber yards. Had all the fun I need driving "big trucks with manual transmissions." Certainly would not fancy driving one cross-country.
 
Most of the big manual transmission trucks I have driven were too slow and rode to rough to even think about going across country in.
 
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