Facing a Dilemma With Safe and Moving, Need Advice

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Evergreen

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I have decided that I am going to be moving to the east, probably Florida, but also considering South Carolina or Georgia possibly. Right now I live in Oregon and have lived here for almost 19 years or so. I have decided to make the move, don't ask me why, but different culture, warmer weather, nice beaches are some of the reasons.

Anyhow, this move is going to be major for me. I am going to be selling all my possessions, since I cannot afford to move them across the country. Its really heartbreaking for me to do this, but I am a single guy and I cannot bring any of my nice furniture to heaven with me.

The major problem I am faced with is my gun safe and the security of my guns. I do have a rather a decent size gun collection, along with ammo and I know I will have to transport all my guns to the east coast. I will be driving there, so I will transport them in my car.

I was hoping I could take my safe with me in a trailer, but the more I think about it, the more risky it sounds hauling that big heavy safe (appx 650lbs) across the country. I just feel the safe is too large and I am not sure if I can sell the safe in time before my move. The safe is top quality Sturdy Safe made with 8 gauge steel that I purchased for around $1800. Its an awesome safe and I will feel heart-brokened to lose it.

Anyhow, I have a few questions:
I want to sell my safe, but I doubt in the small town I live I can sell it for a reasonable amount in a reasonable time. Does anyone know any type of dealer, service or place that would be willing to buy or sell the safe for me, assuming they got some money for it? Safes never go down in value and its in about the same condition I bought it. I was hoping I coudl get about $1400 for the safe and use that money to buy another safe of the same kind from sturdy. I live in a small town in Central Oregon, but a major city, Portland, is about 4 hours away. I know if I lived there, I could sell the safe much faster.

Does anyone know of any cheap freight shipping, that may be able to ship my safe to my new location? If it cost more than $400 it may not be worth it; assuming I can sell it. Also, I will not have aplace to live yet, so shipping it may not be a feasible option.

One other question I have is about gun insurance. Seeing that I may not have a safe available and will have a lot of guns/ammo, accessorties not locked up, does anyone know of a company that offers some kind of insurance? I don't know if it exists, but I would like to look into some type of firearm theft insurance that is not too expensive and would cover the cost of my guns. I won't bother with renters insurance, because they can give you a lot of trouble with regards to firearm. I also own the so-called "evil" types of firearms, which makes using renter's insurance even more risky.


I am really struggling here and I think the issue with my safe and guns will be the most challenging aspect of my move. Of course, I am not so happy about sellilng my bed, sofas, etc etc ...
 
Most 4cyl cars can pull up to 1000-1500lbs safely...

Get a u-haul, and toss the safe in the back.. If you want to bring nothing but the safe, you can do that even with a Hyundai Accent or such...

You will most likely have to BUY a hitch though, as most U-hauls no longer rent the universal ones.
 
Google "LTL freight." "LTL" means "less than truckload." You should be able to get it shipped for less than $400, easy. I've had V-8 car engines shipped to me for $75 (at least that's what they charged me.)

The only issue with heavy things is that the trucker will want assurances that there will be a way to offload the item once it's at its destination. Thus, most of them prefer to deliver to commercial addresses. You can probably talk them into delivering to a residential address (I have) if you convince them that you have a way to get the thing off the truck.

Alternative: Buy a little trailer. Any car should be able to tow 1000-1200 lbs (trailer and safe.) You can always sell it when you get settled.

Lowe's sells one for $338 (Item #: 110783.) It holds 2000 lbs, according to them. The bed tilts, too. They have another, larger one for $498 (Item # 145557,) with which you could bring some of your furniture as well.

Moving thoughts: Once, when moving, I divested myself of almost everything, thinking that I was going to acquire new when I got there. It took forever and cost more. From now on, I will go through the short-term hassle & extra cost of moving all of what I want to keep. I find it better to spend a little extra time and money now than to have to shop for furniture et al indefinitely while trying to make a place liveable. Good luck with the move.
 
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Evergreen,

I just did a similar move last year (CA to SC), although I was fortunate enough to get the move paid for by my employer. My safe went with the movers, but I hauled the guns and other "unique" items across country in a small (18') travel trailer. I slept in the trailer every night to make sure things were secure.

If you want to sell your safe, I'd try Craigslist.org. They don't allow gun / gun accessory ads on their site, but I did find gun safes for sale on the local site. I have sold a few big ticket items there in the past.

I would definitely get an LTL freight quote, or if you know a trucker, ask around for anyone headed that way. I was able to move some furniture cheaply from NC to KS by making a cash deal with an independent trucker who was a family friend. I had to wait a while until he was headed that way. If you sell your safe and buy a new one, you will definitely lose money on each transaction.

Just another logistical thought: if you do use a small trailer to haul your safe, you'll be much better off with an enclosed trailer. The cheap trailers people were recommending sounded like flatbed trailers, but obviously if you go that route you need a way to disguise the safe so it doesn't scream "payday" to all the two-legged, opportunistic rats that are so prevalent.

Good luck.
 
Moving thoughts: Once, when moving, I divested myself of almost everything, thinking that I was going to acquire new when I got there. It took forever and cost more. From now on, I will go through the short-term hassle & extra cost of moving all of what I want to keep.
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I'd second this. BTDT.

A 24" Penske or U-Haul may cost a couple of thousand dollars, but it will be WAY cheaper in the long run. What it costs to replace a few pieces of furniture would cover the cost of the truck.
 
IIRC my 14-foot (cargo box) U-Haul van and car trailer was around $2400 plus tax and extra insurance (around $2900-$3000 total) to move 2000 miles. There is still the issue of getting the safe out of your house/apartment and into the truck. An appliance dolly (cheap to rent) and two or three big guys are needed. If you have help on that end you can save money, but if you have to hire help, call around for a mover that charges by the hour. (In Phoenix this was $100 an hour, 2 hours minimum.) The guns can be put in the cargo box and the door padlocked. They may be vulnerable when you stop for the night, but I solved this by sleeping in rest areas in the cab of the van. Remember that if you have enough guns to be worth a large safe, you will need security for them where you're going. This will cost no more in the long run than replacing your possessions.
 
Do you have a friend with a truck or trailer.

Sounds like you need to make 2 trips or have some help. Taking you things (Even if 2 trips) is likely less costly than disposing of them and replacing them.

IMO
 
Have you figured out what it would cost to rent a U Haul truck, move all of your possessions and have your car shipped?
If you are sellling all of your possessions you are going to have to replace everything at TODAY's prices.
What will this cost you in replacement costs?
What would it cost to rent a huge truck and drive your stuff to FL?
What would it cost to ship your car to FL or even tow it behind the U Haul (if it's a small car)?

I had a relative that used to drive cars all over the state for different dealerships. If a dealer needed a ______ they would work a deal with another business that had ______ on the lot and my brother in law would drive it over. He'd catch a bus back to town.
I'm sure there is some service that you could pay to have your car driven to FL (trustworthy...don't know....everything can be researched though).
Would it be cheaper to sell your car and buy another one in FL then to replace all of your possessions. Bear in mind that FL doesn't get snow or salt their roads so you might get a better deal. I'm not a car guy but it's something to consider.
 
Assuming you don't already have a pickup truck, if you decide on Georgia, you'll need a pickup truck to fit in with the rest of us rednecks, so buy one and haul your safe here. We also have OK gun laws, as it were.;)
 
I understand not wanting to deal with the hassle and cost of moving everything across the country. I recently (in May) moved just from Baltimore to Annapolis (about an hour) and it is a pain. To hire a full service mover is expensive, finding one who is reputable is quite a hassle and takes a lot of research, and if you go cheap almost all the "discount" firms seem to have problems. Using Uhaul or similar for anything more than an hour or two away will be cheaper than a full service mover, but it won't be cheap (see on this thread where people have paid $2-3K to move cross country) and physically moving can be tough work and finding people to help can be a bother (esp. at your destination where you may not know anyone well enough that they'd volunteer for the job). Also, if you don't already have the keys to your new place and aren't ready to move immediately, you need to continue to pay to keep the truck (Uhaul) or pay for storage until you are ready.

Then again, selling everything and starting over may be an extreme solution as well. Used furniture sells for pennies on the dollar and depending upon your timeline, and the condition of your pieces, some may need to be given or thrown away. Then, to replace it will be expensive (even the cheapest sofas are $400ish, a cheap but good sofa will probably run you around $600ish) and very time consuming. Further, you'll need to replace some of it quick and won't be able to spread out the cost (or shop for your best deal). How long do you want to go without a table to eat on, a bed to sleep on, or a sofa or at least chair to sit on? Heck, those are things that will be nice to have the day you get there and unpacked. Also, do you plan to get rid of and sell all the little things? Books, kitchen stuff, clothes and other small items can take a lot of room and depending upon the size of your vehicle may also need to be disposed of with your plan- this means more expense and trouble to replace more items (and these are often the items with sentimental value).

If I ever do get out of this state I have VT and MN on my short list of states I may want to go to, and TN is a possibility as well. So, if I don't want to use Uhaul or similar companies, I don't want to use a mover, and I don't want to sell everything, what is my solution for an interstate move?

Well, if it will cost you at least a couple thousand for the move (several thousand for a full-service mover, $2-3000+ for Uhaul and similar or a couple thousand to replace your furniture even with cheap stuff), why not buy a vehicle for the move and sell it when you are done (if you get a good deal, you should lose far less than $2K in depreciation for a couple thousand more miles). Just don't buy or sell through a dealer and you probably can come close to breaking even.

One option is to buy a used cargo van. $5-10K should buy you one in good enough condition to reliably make the move, and be relatively easy to sell when you are done (I know, you may not have that sitting around, you can also find something around $2-3K that may work, or take a loan). You may not be able to bring everything (without multiple trips) but you could bring the basics anyway (your safe, a chair, your bed, clothes, etc). For your car you have a few choices. You may have a friend that wants to go to FL- have him/her drive your car and buy him/her a plane ticket home. Even if you fly back and take two trips (or drive the van back and sell it on the West Coast) so you can drive your car back you should still save money from renting a Uhaul or hiring a moving company. Either of these options will allow you to take your smaller items with you in the car and not need to take space in the van. The final option is to sell the car before you move and drive the van for a while or buy a new car when you get to your new home (depending upon how new your car is, and if you buy a used car, this will still probably be cheaper than selling your stuff and buying new stuff when you get there). You might be able to get a tow dolly and tow your car with you (with the right engine vans can have some pretty nice tow and payload ratings so you might be able to both carry your stuff and tow your car). A similar option would be a pickup with a cap (and this would work better if you were to sell your car and use this for a time as your day to day transportation).

The other option is to buy a used Uhaul type truck. Depending upon the size you could probably carry all your stuff and you also may be able to tow your car without trouble. The biggest downside I see is that it would probably take longer to sell than a van, and the option to sell your car and use the van for a while wouldn't really work as these would be too unwieldy to use as your day to day transportation for any amount of time.

With either of these options, I'd check the local Craigslist or hire a crew from a moving company to help with the labor. I might get friends at home, but in the new city I'd hire a crew. The couple hundred bucks this would cost would be a lot less than hiring a full service moving company and you'll still probably save from selling your stuff or using Uhaul (where you'll still have the concern of what to do when you get there).
 
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I'd bind the longarms together inside of it (padded to avoid damage of course) along with anything else of note. Lay it on it's back on an oblong pallet and have it freighted.

It should be pretty inexpensive, and take long enough that you can drive over here with some degree of sanity.

I did the california to Florida move back in 2004. I had my belongings (minus furniture, a bunch of clothes, computer stuff, books, kitchen stuff, tools, hi-fi gear, etc) freighted for $800 while I took a plane flight here so I could get an apartment before they arrived.

The frieght guys showed up at my apartment and loaded up all the boxes...then when they got the final weight on the pallets, called me with my pricing (it's based on dimension and weight). When I got there, they unloaded it and brought it into my new apartment (you pay extra to have them handle it past curbside typically).

Just be sure you know exatcly what you paying for to prevent confusion later. Also you should ask for a lift-gate truck to pick it up AND drop it off, unless you're some kind of he-man who can lift a gunsafe to clear a 4ft truckbed floor.
 
I have also moved across country a few times.

First time I had a car and divested myself of everything that didn't fit IN the car. I considered a trailer but was told that the strain on the car (V6) would be too much; it would cost $200 to install a hitch; there's the rental cost for the trailer; etc. My stuff wasn't irreplaceable so I sold it and moved on.

Second time was paid for by my employer. Guns and ammo went with me and the employer moved the rest, including the safe. I also have a similar safe from Sturdy. They are a bear to move in my opionion.

You have a tough decision to make. I don't know what vehicle you have so that's a variable. Can you trade for a SUV or truck if you don't have one?
How attached to your stuff are you?

It sounds like you are attached to your stuff. So I would get a reliable SUV or truck with a tow package - very useful in life, anyway - and rent a Uhaul trailer. Get an NRA membership and gun insurance through their affiliated company. Your valuables will be more secure in a locked trailer. Park with the trailer boxed in against your hotel so noone can steal it. As other said, you'll spend days trying to find buyers for your 'junk' that nobody wants, but the replacement cost for all of your household stuff will be thousands of dollars and time consuming to both sell and replace (think chairs, tables, furniture, kitchen items, small appliances, etc.).

If you cannot get a SUV or truck, sell the stuff you can't fit in your car for the most you can get, and travel lightly. Insure what you travel with. It's a several days' drive. You may want to carry your guns into the motel with you, hidden in rolled up blankets or bags.

The other option is to pay a moving company to come and move you. They usually go by weight and distance, so I would pick carefully the things you want moved. Try to sell things for as much as you can on sites like craigslist. I've used it hundreds of times without incident. Narrow down what you absolutely can't take or what will cost too much to take.

The good news about the safe is that they retain their value and you may even break even on the safe. However, once you get to FL you'll have to buy another so you'll lose money on the replacement. Weigh your options.

Maybe try to sell them for top dollar first to see if you get any bites.

If it were me I'd bite the bullet (I have an SUV), I'd get an SUV if I didn't have one, get insurance, rent a large trailer and pack and move my stuff, making the decision to give away or sell anything I didn't absolutely want or need or anything that was too cumbersome to move. Having moved across the country twice myself, that's what I did and I don't regret it. Sure I lost some cool stuff, but haven't needed it or missed it and in some cases profited nicely from selling it.

Professional movers wrap each longgun in either bubble wrap or brown paper, tape them closed, and put them in a long box. The wrap handguns similarly and put them in a small box. Maximize space by filling drawers, fill your safe once it's loaded, etc.

Good luck.
 
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You are doing the right thing leaving anything that you can't easily transport. I spent 6,500 moving crap from NY to FL 17 yrs ago, and it ws almost a total loss. The furnature didn't go down here, and you can buy all new stuff," especially now", for a third of the price. My mom just moved down and she had some baeutiful things, but after my experience and everyone who has moved here that I have met, I had her sell or give away most of what she had.
The consignment business is huge here, and with forclosures like crazy, you can pick up a house full of new furniture for a couple thousand dollars. My neighboor does this "on the side". So don't worry about your "stuff", the safe is another story. I would tow it down and leave something behind that you aren't going to use or replace for pennies on the dollar. Don't make the mistake of holding on to possesions. They are replacable other than "family things". When we just moved from Broward to Vero, about a 2 hour drive, it ran us $1400, for everything, and he removed a 400 gallon propane tank, my neighboor of 15 years was a mover. That was for Truck 2 guys and the same day service, they even waited for us to close on both properties and followed us up. So look around there are deals out there. We had an entire 3 bedroom home with a load of crap, packed shiped and unpacked.
 
I know all of the above sounds daunting, but have some perspective and stay strong. People move successfully across the country and world every day.

AND

People risked their lives and all of their possessions with no healthcare, insurance, etc. to move across country hundreds of years ago, and that trip took weeks or months of uncertainty and high chance of death, starvation, malnutrition, robbery, and general bad stuff.

Whereas you can make the move for a few thousand bucks and a couple weeks of inconvenience.
 
Another option nobody has mentioned is freight companies like ABF that offer pup sized trailers. They bring one out for a few days, you load it up. They then truck it to your new location and leave it there for a few days for you to empty out.

I want to sell my safe, but I doubt in the small town I live I can sell it for a reasonable amount in a reasonable time. Does anyone know any type of dealer, service or place that would be willing to buy or sell the safe for me, assuming they got some money for it? Safes never go down in value and its in about the same condition I bought it. I was hoping I coudl get about $1400 for the safe and use that money to buy another safe of the same kind from sturdy.
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Safes do in fact go down in value (unless it's an antique). We sell used safes for 50% of their new retail cost. We would sell your $1,800 for $900, and we would still have to make money. We would pay in the $400 to $500 range if it was something we could sell quickly, less if it is something that would sit.

If you must sell it, I would try craigslist first. Make sure whoever picks it up is insured or willing to sign a liability waiver before you let them on your property to pick it up.

Does anyone know of any cheap freight shipping, that may be able to ship my safe to my new location? If it cost more than $400 it may not be worth it; assuming I can sell it. Also, I will not have aplace to live yet, so shipping it may not be a feasible option.
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You can go to any freight company's website and get a quote. Safes are class 70. Just remember that most large dealers/distributors/manufacturers get a 70% to 80% discount due to their volume. A safe that cost them $200 ship may cost you $800.
 
I believe you'll find that round-trip rates for a rental will be similar to one way, since they have to get the truck back to it's home somehow. If you're leaving a place that has lots of people moving to it, the rental company has a good chance of renting the truck to someone going back that way, reducing their cost. If more people are leaving, then the rental company will have to pay an employee to take the truck back. (Simplified, but you get the idea.)

Compare rates for round trip from Oregon to Florida and the other way around. If rates are cheaper going round trip from Oregon to Florida then back to Oregon, rent the truck - move your stuff - drive back to Oregon, return the truck and get your car. If it's cheaper from Florida to Oregon, then back to Florida, drive your car to Florida, rent the truck, drive back to Oregon, get your stuff, drive to Florida and turn in the truck.

Either way, load the safe into the truck, load it with guns and valuables. Pad it, cover it, and chain it in place. Then, stay in the truck. Sleep in it, eat in it... do everything but go to the bathroom in it. :scrutiny:

When I moved from Ohio to Vegas (many years ago), we stopped overnight at a motel in Amarillo. While we slept, someone removed the starter from the truck. Try finding a starter and installing it in the parking lot in Amarillo, early on a Sunday morning, in the early '80s. Yep, I had my tools, but they were buried deep in the truck. How I wish I had slept in the truck that night...

DD
 
My move to California from Indiana (first real move ever) was a disaster, it was everything I could fit in my car (a 92 Sunbird)....sadly the car's 4-cylinder engine didn't have the scoot to handle being loaded that aggressively for a mountain drive. The engine blew out right when I pulled into my destination. Average temps in the mountain range was between 5f to -25f.

So that trip was a $4000 car (it had 30k miles on it when I bought it, looked showroom new), and about $600 in fuel and lodging. Not to mention I had to chase off some people messing with my car one of those nights.

Best bet for a "carload" move is a torquey car with at least a v6, preferably a supercharged v6 or a v8, as those will offer similar levels of torque. My Sunbird was NOT torquey, having only about 100ft/lbs or so of torque....this meant I had to really push it to move when mountain climbing and in general. Since the engine was running ahrder than designed, it ran hotter than expected long enough to ultimately damage it. I suspect it overheated but didn't shut down due to the sub-zero driving conditions I was in.

There were other problems I had too....like not realizing the muffler hanger broke...it turns out the rear brake line was between the muffler and the chassis components underneath....it melted the line shut, causing rear brake failure. I discovered this as I lost control and slide sideways towards a cliff face without a guardrail (someoone else took it out earlier that week). I made it out fine thanks to some advanced driving courses I've taken, but for the average driver that may have been "game over".

That said, I refuse to do anything like that again. It was just too risky. If the car isn't made for the load, I won't even try.
 
I thank everyone for your responses and help on the issue. All the posts here have given me a lot to think about. Well, I guess I should have explained a few more things about my situation. As far as losing money on my furniture, its not a real issue. I am a very money-conscious individual and almost all the furniture I bought was used on craigslist or things I got liquidated from going-out-biz sales, etc. So, in the end, I have a lot of nice furniture that I got dirt cheap and I probably won't lose a huge amount of money selling it. I realize if I bought it all new at the store on my credit card, I'd take a major hit. That is not my case. I talked to a consignment shop who said they could sell all my stuff, but I know I'd lose more than if I did it on craigslist. However, the convenience of just getting rid of it at once and losing a couple thousand on my furniture is not as bad as paying $7000 to haul it to the east coast and risking a lot of it getting damaged. Also, it would take a long time to sell things around here and I don't think I want to wait.

As far as the safe is concerned, I feel confident that I can probably tow it from hearing others talk about it. I have an 08 Toyota Highlander SUV and its got a pretty good size engine. It probably could handle a moderate load I would think. I hear its rated at about a 5x9 covered trailer. The one thing that worries me is how I would load a 650lb safe up a trailer, seeing they dont have ramps. I would probably have to hire a mover to load and unload. It would be a bit of a pain I think; but nothing is impossible, I suppose.

There are lot of things I have not yet thought about that people have presented to me. I think sleeping in my car/truck is not going to happen. Yeah, I am worried about my trailer being stolen, but I don't think I can just sleep in my car. As far as renting at ruck to haul my goods, its not worth it. It would cost me $1500 for truck alone and my car is too large to tow. So, I probably would have to pay for auto transport which is more money. Also, the gas prices for driving a truck cross country are astronomical, like $1300 in gas, perhaps. Also, U-hauls are not taht reliable and prone to breaking down, which would be bad in some of those very remote areas. I guess I will have to find places to stop that appear to be low in crime. I will avoid staying or stopping in cities. Maybe I will find some way to secure the trailer, not sure how.

I better go renew my NRA membership and look into the gun insurance. The ideas about travellers insurance are also something I will consider. My guns will be with me at all times and I will sleep with them by my side. They are the only children I got and would hate to think of them being taken from me.

This is tough situation and I have to think things over. Maybe I will look into some other freight companies as well, but I think from the sounds of what people said, shipping it will be too much, since I am not a safe dealer, but a consumer.

Safes don't really go down in value as much as other things do, but I know selling it will result in a loss. I think hauling it would be a good option, once i figure out a secure way to do it. If someone offered me around $1400 for it in Central Oregon, I would probably sell it to them. But, the place is so small I don't really know if I could.
 
For those who can pre-plan moves, one possibility is a modular safe (see www.zanottiarmor.com for one brand) that you can take apart and put together again. Not as good as a really heavy safe, and no fire protection, but decent protection against the casual burglar.

(Burglar proof safes are a myth, like fire proof safes. No ordinary safe will stand up long to an expert with a cutting torch or heavy duty diamond cutting gear.)

Jim
 
Having moved over 15 times in a 15 year period - most of them moving myself, my advice is to get the truck, with a liftgate, and a car-tow dolly.

If you really can't do this and must sell the safe - contact a good local LOCKSMITH that sells safes and see if they'll either buy it ir sell it on consignment. When you get to where you're going, go to your local locksmith and see if he has a nicely used safe for sale
 
Car Trailer

I've moved halfway across the country before. I'd say rent a 14' truck and get a car trailer. A 14' can be loaded down, securely locked, and easily tow a car. The truck engine takes the beating and you keep mileage and wear off your vehicle. I've carried enough in the 14' to fill a 2 bed efficiency. you can also load some things in your car to expand the moving space for things that are bulky with little weight like towels and bedding.
 
I've moved several times (military) and I've bought and sold trailers each time. I just moved and I currently have a 16' enclosed trailer sitting in my driveway. I've actually made money selling those trailers after I've used them (I started with a 5'x10', next move was a 6'x12', rented a Uhaul 6'x12' once, and got the 7'x16' this time). If you can front the cash to buy a trailer, look around for one and look at what that same trailer is going for on Craigslist where you're going.

As for moving the safe - I have one that's about 600lbs (sounds similar to yours) and I can move it by myself if I really have to, but it's cake with one or two other guys and I bought a dolly at home depot. I'll admit that I'm a pretty good sized guy - 5'10" and 220lbs, but I've moved it with my little brother who's 5'10" 170lbs. Oh yeah - as for getting it in and out of the trailer - roll it up next to the back of the trailer and tip it in. Put a towel or old blanket on the floor of the trailer to keep from scratching your safe. Slide the safe into the center of the trailer. It helps to empty your safe before doing this. Get the safe where you want it in the trailer, fill it up with stuff and tie it down. Then pack stuff around/on top of the trailer (now lying on it's side in your trailer).

One last thing - make sure you have the trailer hitched up to your vehicle before you attempt this. Don't ask me how I know!

I have a 3/4 ton truck, so i can understand that you might not want to pull a 16' trailer with your SUV, but you can probably find a 5'x10' or so for $1600? I have no idea in your part of the country, but that seems to be the going rate in Texas/Arkansas/Colorado/Missouri (where I've been). The nice thing about buying a trailer is that you can take your time loading and unloading it, you can sell it for about what you paid for it - even if you take a loss, you'll save money over hiring a moving company.

Good luck!
 
Check with your local Toyota dealer to determine how much weight you can tow with your Highlander. The gun safe and then some should not be a problem. A lot will depend on how much total weight you'll be hauling. Also, find out if you have a transmission cooler and a heavy duty cooling system. These things wouldn't be a big concern on short, level road trips. A cross-country trip is a different matter. What you save by towing a trailer can be far less than a new transmission would be, should it become overheated. Good luck.
 
Pods are pricey as heck, but very valuable for large moving operations, as well as sudden moves without plans, as the pod is also a storage device (they'll keep it around for a monthly charge until you're ready to have it unloaded).

Honestly, if you're paid for the move, Pods. If you have cash to spend and desire to not worry about having a place before your stuff arrives, Pods. For all else, traditional moves.

Not all of us have had the upbringing that helps to have the massive lifting capacity some of us have here. It's not the muscles so much as the experience and technique. If he doubts he can load it to a trailer on his own, then he shouldn't. He should get some help at that point.

600lbs can be easily done as a 3-man job....get some friends, grill them some steaks for the effort and have at it. Then at the new place, find some folk you can trust to help get it out..similar offer usually works well :)
 
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