Help me pick a moving truck

[jlee]

I think I can move with any of these, so size is not a huge concern. I don't have too much stuff (I was thinking about downsizing and towing a small trailer with my Subaru, but I might drive the Subaru out and tow the MR2 with a moving truck).

Penske provided the following fuel costs estimate-

Here's prices and fuel numbers for the vehicles in question:

12ft Economy Van $1,627.00 $1,432.00 with AAA
Interior dimensions of up to 12ft. long x 6 ft. 6 in. wide x 6 ft. high
Up to 73 sq. ft. of floor space
Up to 450 cu. ft. of loading space
Up to 2,600 lb. load capacity
Up to 35 gal. gasoline fuel tank (6-10 mpg)


16ft Economy Van $1,627.00 $1,432.00 with AAA
Interior dimensions of up to 16 ft. 6 in. long x up to 7 ft. 8 in. wide x up to
6 ft. 6 in. high
Up to 117 sq. ft. of floor space
Up to 826 cu. ft. of loading space
Up to 4,300 lb. load capacity
Up to 37 gal. gasoline fuel tank (6-10 mpg)

22ft Truck $1,858.00 $1,635.00 with AAA
Interior dimensions of up to 21 ft. 3 in. long x up to 7 ft. 8 in. wide x up to
8 ft. 1 in. high
Up to 164 sq. ft. of floor space
Up to 1,200 cu. ft. of loading space
Up to 8,000 lb. load capacity
50 gal. diesel fuel tank (8-12 mpg diesel)

26ft Truck $1,858.00 $1,635.00 with AAA
Interior dimensions of up to 25 ft. 2 in. long x up to 7 ft. 8 in. wide x up to 8ft. 1 in. high
Up to 194 sq. ft. of floor space
Up to 1,400 cu. ft. of storage space
Up to 8,370 lb. load capacity
50 gal. diesel fuel tank (8-12 mpg diesel)

I don't have much to move. Queen size mattress/boxspring, dresser & nightstand, metal bed frame, 33gal upright compressor, rollaround tool chest, floor jack/6 jackstands, misc tools in cases (a few socket/wrench sets, power tools)..42" TV, HT setup (with two large tower speakers, plus sub & stuff), and a desktop computer. On top of that, probably a few boxes of clothes and misc stuff..maybe a couple hundred pounds of ammo, etc.

It'll cost me $203 more to get a diesel truck, which will allegedly save approximately $350 in fuel. It seems to be a no-brainer, and I would think that a diesel truck will tow more comfortably than a gasoline van. On the other hand, driving cross country with a half empty 22' truck seems silly. However, if I did get a big truck I could probably fit my motorcycle in the back (instead of selling it).

Halp!

 

[Demo24]

Get the Diesel, always better to have more room when you move. We got one of the diesel trucks last time and it worked great for what we needed.


I say get the 26ft and throw the Mr2 in the back 😛

 

[jlee]

Get the Diesel, always better to have more room when you move. We got one of the diesel trucks last time and it worked great for what we needed.


I say get the 26ft and throw the Mr2 in the back 😛

:awe:

The MR2 is just under 14 feet long and less than 6 feet wide. It would fit easily, but I have some doubts about the safety of such an endeavor. 😛

 

[punjabiplaya]

:awe:

The MR2 is just under 14 feet long and less than 6 feet wide. It would fit easily, but I have some doubts about the safety of such an endeavor. 😛

safety? do you think these guys are worried about safety? more like winning (I know, I'm sorry for the Sheen joke)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smj6BceU0u0

 

[Sukhoi]

Remember the smaller the truck the more time it'll take to pack. It's hard to stack stuff above chest level without worrying about it flying around or crushing what's below. Certainly can be done, but takes time. I definitely think the 12' truck would be too small. We have a 1 BR apt and filled a 16' truck pretty well.

IMHO go with the 22' diesel especially if you're towing. It'll also let you go to full-size truck stops which has to be a lot better than trying to get a 16' gas truck into a regular gas station.

You could also try to load stuff on the roof:

 

[skyking]

Seriously, that would fit into a 12 x 6 trailer. I had an online move brokerage and quoted that stuff all the time.
You could easily load the car in the diesel IF there were tiedowns.

 

[jlee]

Seriously, that would fit into a 12 x 6 trailer. I had an online move brokerage and quoted that stuff all the time.
You could easily load the car in the diesel IF there were tiedowns.

Yes I think it would fit, but a 6x12 UHaul is just shy of 2000lbs empty. I'm only rated to tow 2400, so eh.

I am guessing I will get better than the estimated 9mpg if the truck is hardly loaded, too.

 

[Zenmervolt]

:awe:

The MR2 is just under 14 feet long and less than 6 feet wide. It would fit easily, but I have some doubts about the safety of such an endeavor. 😛

As long as you got it strapped down OK, it wouldn't actually be that risky. Assuming, of course, that you have adequate ramps.

Regardless, I strongly recommend the diesel trucks. They're just so much nicer than the gas ones with any kind of load. And every time I've moved, I've somehow managed to fill up a truck that was "much bigger than I'll ever need". Also, having too much space is a good thing; it takes a lot of the stress out and makes packing a lot easier. Just mind that the air brakes will have a different feel.

Of course, I'm also a fan of anything that would mean you keep your motorcycle too.

ZV