Moving old truck with ATV and ATV trailer across multiple states...any thoughts?

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April 22, 2017, 09:43 PM

Dilettante

Moving old truck with ATV and ATV trailer across multiple states...any thoughts?

I'm helping a friend move back east from Colorado. He needs to either keep or sell his vehicles.

He has a 19-year-old F150 with over 100,000 miles on it.
He has an 8-year-old Arctic Cat TRV and a trailer to go with it.
I looked into having them shipped--it would be about $900 for the truck, $1000 for the ATV, and the trailer would cost too much.

Usually I would say to sell everything locally, but there's only a week to do this, so he might take a big loss.

What would you guys do? Hitch everything together and drive them all across country, knowing the truck might break down? Sell everything locally even with a loss?

Any experiences to share?

April 22, 2017, 09:47 PM

64dodge

Drive it. Yeah, it may break down. A 2017 Benz might, too. If it breaks, you deal with it and get back on the road.

April 22, 2017, 10:03 PM

dusty3030

Drive it, but have him be smart. Grease the trailer bearings. Be sure tires can handle it and make sure he keeps them inflated properly.

April 22, 2017, 11:03 PM

Bassamatic

Definitely drive it. Hell, if it's been taken care of, 100,000 miles on that Ford is nothing. The ATV is not that heavy and if he does proper maintenance on the trailer he should be just fine.

April 22, 2017, 11:06 PM

Outnumbered

Drive it, for certain.

April 22, 2017, 11:13 PM

chellim1

I have a 1999 Tahoe and wouldn't hesitate to drive it cross country.
I would ask about the condition of the trailer. You don't want to trailer any distance with bad tires.

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April 22, 2017, 11:35 PM

Expat

Sell the trailer. Load the ATV in the pickup and drive.

April 22, 2017, 11:51 PM

Dilettante

I like the idea of "load it up and drive" but the ATV weighs 700+ pounds. It would need a ramp to get it in the truck, meaning we'd have to buy a ramp or borrow one on each side.

April 23, 2017, 12:08 AM

DougE

quote:
Originally posted by Dilettante:
I like the idea of "load it up and drive" but the ATV weighs 700+ pounds. It would need a ramp to get it in the truck, meaning we'd have to buy a ramp or borrow one on each side.

Maybe y'all can find a bank to back the truck up to and drive the ATV right in. Get it out the same way on the other end. I've loaded/unloaded motorcycles, riding mowers, and all kinds of stuff that way.

April 23, 2017, 05:23 AM

Excam_Man

Most 20 yr old vehicles have 200+ miles on them... drive that puppy!

April 23, 2017, 05:25 AM

arfmel

If he has taken care of his truck and trailer it should be no problem.

April 23, 2017, 07:20 AM

Gene Hillman

As suggested, back up to a bank but use 2x10's or 2x12's as "runners" for loading if there is any gap. If you end up using the trailer, don't just grease the bearings but clean, check and repack them. I've got a 20 year old GMC and I would drive from the St Louis area to California in it tomorrow if I had to.

April 23, 2017, 08:22 AM

ugeesta

Now's a good time for a road trip. Not too hot and not too cold. When we made our trek out of Colorado with our camper, it was -26 degrees on the eastern plains. Made the mistake of adding air to the trailer tires in Sydney. By the time we got to Lincoln Nebraska we had a flat. Lost a good hour only to learn the valve froze open and the air leaked out.

Keep the trailer too. I made the mistake of selling my atv trailer because I dint think it was worth it to pay storage fees on it as we didn't have room for it at the house. I took a big loss on it and regret selling it. Ended up buying another trailer within a year. Not as nice as the last one but it fits in our garage.

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April 23, 2017, 08:30 AM

TXJIM

quote:
Originally posted by Expat:
Sell the trailer. Load the ATV in the pickup and drive.

This for sure!

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April 23, 2017, 08:34 AM

Black92LX

Spare tire for truck, trailer, and a AAA membership and enjoy the drive.

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April 23, 2017, 10:58 AM

dsmack

quote:
Originally posted by Black92LX:
Spare tire for truck, trailer, a jack and a AAA membership and enjoy the drive.

A minor but important addition, and emphasis on the AAA membership!

Have a safe trip...
Don

April 23, 2017, 11:03 AM

comet24

As long as the truck and trailer have been maintained and have no issues I would drive.

AAA membership isn't a bad idea.

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April 23, 2017, 11:20 AM

SIG228

Drive it.

April 23, 2017, 11:25 AM

Outnumbered

Regarding the AAA membership, make sure to get the upgraded "Gold" or "RV/Plus" membership. It covers 100 miles of towing. The basic only covers 5 miles and many places charge $5 or more per mile. The over mileage is what kills your wallet. I used to run tow trucks, and had to break the bad news more often than I wanted, to a basic member.