The beging of December Im packing up the family and moving from Central California to Colorado. Everything we own will go into two 6'x12' U-Haul trailers. Anything that doesnt fit will be given away to family or friends or taken to the dump. We will be towing the trailers with our 2000 F250 and 2000 Excursion.

Here are my questions:

1. Tires, should I get them sipped before the trip? Im taking my 315/70/16 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws off the F250 and running the tires and wheels that came on the truck, 265/75/16's they are Big O brand All terrains. The Excursion has Michlin tires. Both sets of tires have 75%+ tread left on them. Does anyone swear by a particular brand of all terrain tire for snow?

2. Any problems towing trailers with surge brakes in the snow? I lived in Colorado for 10 years but never towed anything, heck I only drove for 2 winters out of that 10 (16-18y/o).

3. How hard is it to install a rear sway bar on the Excursion? I cant stand the "wag the dog" handling of the Excursion and am worried about my wife towing her first trailer with the Excursion. What brand should I get? Hellwig?

Im really not looking foreward to moving in the snow. We were planning on being moved already before winter hit but the darn housing market had to go and slow down so it took longer to get the house sold. Really worried about my wife towing for the first time mixed with winter driving in the rockies. Atleast she will have two states worth of towing under her belt before we get into the snow.

 

The surge brakes could be fun, if the trailer pushes up on the truck and activates the brakes. The tires lock up and slide, sence they can't go forward, it'll try to go around. Tell her to drive as fast as she feels comfortable.

Helwig makes good bars, addco would be my second choice.

 

I hate to be negative, but... since it's in my nature and all:

Towing in the snow is entertaining at best. ReAX is right about the surge breaks adding even more entertainment. And, you're putting all of this in the hand of a woman who hasn't pulled a trailer before, in a vehicle that you don't even feel comfortable with the handling?

Come up with another plan. Find a bigger trailer to rent somewhere... maybe a 7x16 or 7x20 and pack stuff a little tighter. Make two trips. But don't put her behind the wheel of something that she's not appropriately experienced to drive.

I'm assuming you're an EMT or EMT-P by your name... so I'd guess you've seen your fair share of MVCs. You don't want to end up participating in one yourself...

 

My main worry is the towing in the snow business. I've done it plenty of times, and it still keeps me on edge. The surge brakes on the usual sort of rental trailer tires (bald ones) won't make it easier.

The sway bars will help for sure. I don't think that is too difficult. Thinking about how you place your load in the trailer will give you a better ride more than anything else, of course.

Best of luck with the move, and don't forget to check those fluids when those beasts are working hard.

 

The U-haul 6'x12' is the biggest rental enclosed trailer I have found. Two trips is going to be real hard, one way is 1,200 miles. Our usual route of travel to Colorado is I-15 to I-70 through the heart of the Rockies over Vail pass and such. Most likely we will take the southern route through Arizona and New Mexico (I-40) and up I-25. This will limit our Mnt. terrain. Also the wife can drive my truck and I can drive the Excursion (she wont like it), my truck tows dead steady, you never know the load is there unless you are backing up.

So, two new questions:

1. What are winter driving conditions like in Arizona and new Mexico?

2. Anyone know where to get a bigger rental trailer for a one way move?

You have no idea, I work on blood alley, California Hwy 46.

 

why not use one of those "pods"

maybe rent a biig (24ft) truck and tow the x??

 

I'll second the rent a big truck and pull the X

 

I checked into the PODS, that was my first choice but kinda pricey. PODS was going to run very close to $4,000, two trailers just over $800. I dont really want to drive 1200 miles in a crappy rental moving van. Plus we have 4 kids and pets to move so we would have to tow my truck its only a Super cab (not to metion its lifted) we need the X for the room.

Another option I have been thinking of is flying my dad out to drive one of the vehicles instead of my wife driving.

There are a ton things I can do to the X to make it more tow worthy, I have the F250 springs from my truck when I did my lift. I have air bags off the F250. I can do the sway bar. Hmm, lots to think about between now and then.

 

I like option B... have dad drive

 

Yeah, understand. You'd almost be better to take the truck and one trailer, fly back, and get the other truck and trailer. Jake00 had a good idea with the PODS, although those seem to be rather expensive too (looks like about $2700 for a single POD... ouch).

If you do end up doing the two-truck/two-trailer convoy, make sure to get some portable radios to communicate truck-to-truck.

Ouch. I'm just a backwoods volunteer in a county of 100K (who needs to sit down and get his EMT... copious spare time and all)... we have our fair share, but probably nothing like you get to deal with. I hope your dept. has a decent CISM team in place to help ya'll deal with all the carnage. I know some of our guys have had issues with a few particularly nasty scenes.

Good luck in the move.

 

have you checked into moving companies? my bro moved a 2 bedroom apt via moving co from chicago to norfolk va for about 3 grand.

or buy something like this then sell it when you get there
http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/rvs/210036337.html

 

Can't answer about NM.

I-40 through Flagstaff can be a bitch if it has just snowed. If it has snowed, thawed and snowed again it can be REALLY bad. About 20 miles or so east of Flag there is a long straight downhill pitch that is treacherous with ice on it. Make sure you check with the Arizona Highway Patrol for road conditions. If there isn't any snow, I-40 is an easy drive (lots of trucks, though).

 

800 bucks a piece on the U'hauls? How about buying a bigger used trailer, then selling it in CO?

 

$400 a peice to rent for one way move.

[QUOTE=Kerrys]Can't answer about NM.

I-40 through Flagstaff can be a bitch if it has just snowed. If it has snowed, thawed and snowed again it can be REALLY bad. About 20 miles or so east of Flag there is a long straight downhill pitch that is treacherous with ice on it. Make sure you check with the Arizona Highway Patrol for road conditions. If there isn't any snow, I-40 is an easy drive (lots of trucks, though)...[QUOTE]

Thanks for that info. I havent gone that since I was 9y/o. When we moved from California to Colorado when I was a kid that is the route we took. I spent the entire trip in the back of an F150 with a camper shell. Man that was boring, kids have it so much nicer now with DVD systems and games in the car. And they still ask a millions times "are we there yet?"!

 

We moved from Miami to Atlanta this past Feb. Almost 700 miles one way. I borrowed my brothers 7x16 enclosed trailer with eletric brakes. My wife was pregnant so I left her in Miami and made a few trips, 7000 miles in two weeks on my two month old Excursion. I wasn't about to drive even 100 miles in a Uhaul!

The other guys are right, if your wife has never towed before figure somthing else out. I-10 through west TX is one thing but winter I-40 in CO is a big no-no for ANYONE that is unexperienced even without a trailer.

Good luck with the move.