kirks5oh Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 WARNING--long read, but fairly entertaining GOAL: move the wife, two 9 month old twin daughters, two large dogs, one GTO, one cobra, one explorer, and a house full of shit 1016 miles to tampa florida, and then come back to columbus for 2 weeks to finish my job. i will be in tampa for only one year THE PLAN: use 2 large UHAUL trucks, with 2 car trailers (i drive one, and my brother drives the other), brother-in-law and father-in-law drive the explorer with the dogs along side our UHAULS, and my wife and mother-in-law fly to tampa with the twins. THE PREPARATION: i moved a lot of stuff up to my parents' house in cleveland over the past year that i would not need in tampa. my wood shop, kegerator, and a few other things would stay in columbus (my brother bought my old house), as i would not need them in tampa, and my house in tampa has no basement. other than that, i had been packing for months, and had just about everything packed and ready to go last friday. saturday--wife went to her parents in akron with the explorer, and i moved most of our stuff into half of our garage. this involved taking tons of things apart (2 cribs, 2 beds with headboards, large computer desk, TV stand, etc.) sunday--brother-in-law and i get the UHAUL trucks (took 3 hours, as UHAUL was completely unprepared despite numerous calls from me in the weeks leading up), and start loading them. i live in a cul-de-sac, and it was father's day, so everyone had cars parked in the street--we had two 26 foot trucks, with car trailors (not car dolleys). took us about 5 hours to completely load each truck--not bad i applied blue painters tape to the front of the GTO and cobra my brother was still in st. lucia on his honeymoon, coming back that night at 11pm THE MOVE--loaded the cars onto the trailers and left columbus around 9 am--it was raining---TRUCKS DID NOT HAVE A/C. refueling was a cluster fuck, as we had no real shot of reliably backing the UHAULS up (i'm not a truck driver), so we had to pick gas stations carefully, and refuel one truck at a time (30-40 minutes per refill). my brother realized at this time that the truck's overdrive was not turned on (idiot). ran into tons of construction in kentucky, and lost 2 hours at one point going through 8 miles of one-lane I-75 construction. made it through the mountains with no issues. as we enter georgia, my brother's truck gets just a bit squirrely, and we pull off at a rest area, thinking he had a flat, or something like that--turns out he was going just a bit fast down a hill, and got into the berm just as he was caught in the backwash of a quickly passing semi truck. nothing is wrong with the truck, but we agree to stay under 65mph (speed limit is 70, and semi's go about 75-80mph). made it through atlanta traffic at 10pm, and stop for gas just south of atlanta. brother/father-in-law try to lead us into a dead-end gas station, but we avoid it, and fill up at a BP. they insist on eating at the waffle house which advertises "truck parking". instead of scouting it out, and calling us, they go ahead, and we follow--into a small parking lot. i'm able to manuever the lot, back the truck up, and turn around to face out again. we get the other truck completely stuck, and have to detach the trailor, manuever the truck several times, while truckers are laughing their asses off--we lose 40 minutes in the parking lot, and enter the waffle house to clapping from the 4 cops sitting at one table. we finish eating at 11pm and agree to go about 40 more minutes and stay at a hotel. the dogs have done fine so far in the explorer. we stay at a dirty ass super 8 motel (my brother finds a bug on one of the beds), and i'm paranoid about my cars parked on trailors. i had locks on each truck, as well as locks on the trailors, and we parked the trucks side-by-side with the explorer blocking the trailors in. we wake up at 5:30 am and get on the road--380 miles to go--we tell my father/brother-in-law to go ahead, so they can get to our house, unload the dogs, and pick up my wife/kids/etc. when they fly into the airport by 1pm. we roll into tampa at 12:45pm, and start unloading--wife's flight was delayed until 4pm. we get the cars off the trailors (some of the tape did not stick, cars were filthy as hell), and get each truck unloaded. wife/daughters/mother-in-law get in, o.k. and the twins are fussy, but happy to see me. the only thing that broke was one wine glass. all in all, things went fine, but the drive was quite nerve-racking. we got tons of looks from just about everyone who passed. COST: two 26' UHAULS with trailors/insurance/etc--$1900 GAS for UHAULS and explorer--$1500 flights---$1000 overall it cost us just over $4500, but i figured it would have cost twice that to have a moving company do things. will i do it again, next year??? probably not. i will have the cars professionally transported, and we will trash most of our shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fast91stang Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Wow... All i can say is moving blows... If I ever have to do it again I will pay united van lines or someone to do it. Good Luck in Florida.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 what no pics? booo on you Kirk. Glad it went well for ya. PS flying with multiples sucks you wife deserves a free pass for a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 I do not envy you at all. That would completely suck balls. Can I ask what made you decide to move that far away for such a short amount of time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 I do not envy you at all. That would completely suck balls. Can I ask what made you decide to move that far away for such a short amount of time? a one-year fellowship (job training). i could have had easily the same training in cleveland, but my wife thought it would be nice to live somewhere for a year, that we would not normally live. my official "job" will start next summer, and i will be residing in wisconsin--one hour north of milwaukee, right on the lake. talk about two extremes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 What kind of work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 what no pics? booo on you Kirk. Glad it went well for ya. PS flying with multiples sucks you wife deserves a free pass for a day. i had already packed the cameras up, and didn't even think to get pictures. our kids have been on two trips so far, so i know about flying twins, but i couldn't imagine triplets--holy shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 What kind of work? my fellowship will be in total hip and total knee replacements--plenty of old people in florida, so i will be busy as hell next year. i'm taking a big pay cut for the year, but my experience will be worth so much more (that's why they can pay us a small amount). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excell Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Some or all will be tax deductible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Some or all will be tax deductible. thanks, good to know. i'll have to put the receipts in my tax deduction file. at one point during our trip, we were passed by another UHAUL transporting a beat up old explorer. my brother radioed me to look at the explorer. there were 4 people in the UHAUL itself, and another 4 people riding in the explorer on the trailor--WTF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye1647545503 Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Tampa Blows, alot of mt family is there. It is stupid hot and sticky and the people there are rude and can't drive. Oh and did I mention it is stupid hot? Good thing it is only a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 yeah, i walked outside at 7 am wednesday before i left for columbus, and it was sticky as hell, hot, and humid--felt like 90 degrees already. but the wife and kids have already been to the pool twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 WOW! but a trip like that and starting the begining of a life like you're doing makes it all worth it and a series of stories I'm sure you'll remember for a while. Better you than me for the move, but thumbs up for the fun and good times ahead. Florida is a cool place to visit, especially if you're near water like in Tampa, but honestly, I think you'll be happy to move to WI come next year. Good luck and have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry_Trapp01647545522 Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 sounds like a hell of a trip, lol. when we moved last year(only a town away), we were supposed to have a Uhaul. my dad called them up, scheduled it, all is well in the kingdom. we get there at 8AM to pick it up, and it turns out that the person my dad talked to knew she was about to get fired so she decided to screw the company(and, in turn, us) over. we ended up moving everything with 2 pickup trucks, one being my cousins big white cummins with a 6 inch lift and 37s pulling a 26' trailer. we got most of the stuff on the trailor and everything was going well, then it started raining and i got to sleep on the couch for a few days while my mattress dried out. moving sucks! while my dad was driving a truck last year, i went with him a few times. one of our trips was down to florida. it was 85 in december, and we had just came from a snow storm in minnesota(you really would think they would know how to drive up there, being that they go through terrible winters every year. turns out that common sense doesnt exist in minnesota). tampa is really nice! now miami, that plus just plain sucks! might as well make it a province of cuba. have fun down there! if your gonna be back in columbus changing out knees, you may be working on my dad, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 WOW! but a trip like that and starting the begining of a life like you're doing makes it all worth it and a series of stories I'm sure you'll remember for a while. Better you than me for the move, but thumbs up for the fun and good times ahead. Florida is a cool place to visit, especially if you're near water like in Tampa, but honestly, I think you'll be happy to move to WI come next year. Good luck and have fun! thanks. all-in-all it was not too bad, and thank god we made it down there without wrecking/breaking anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 sounds like a hell of a trip, lol. when we moved last year(only a town away), we were supposed to have a Uhaul. my dad called them up, scheduled it, all is well in the kingdom. we get there at 8AM to pick it up, and it turns out that the person my dad talked to knew she was about to get fired so she decided to screw the company(and, in turn, us) over. . this is what i was afraid of. i reserved the UHAULS 3 months ago, and was told i'd be able to pick them up at the georgesville location (not too far from me). then the day before, they tell me i have to go to the east side of town to pick them up--at least they upgraded us to larger trucks, because we needed all the space--garage full of workbenches, two large tool carts/jacks/air compressor, two complete bedroom sets, with a very large armoire, washer/drier, 2 couches, 2 big screen TV's, and another 32" TV, recliner, kitchen set, baker's rack, miscellaneous end tables and coffee tables, and a nursery with two of everything imaginable including another huge armoir--and countless other things i've accumulated in this house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragknee66 Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Damn son! Pics would have been good though too ya. Thats a crazy ass move for 1 year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Kirk where at up in WI my sister-in-law just moved up to Sheboygan. In Jan and they love it up there cost of living alot less then Columbus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 i'll be in manitowac--very close to sheboygan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyinbrian Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 I can relate. Made the move from Hilliard, OH to Fort Myers, FL, (2 hours south of Tampa) back in 2003. I made two trips to get my two boats, drag car and enclosed trailer down there. Long drive. I'll dig up my pics off the other computer. I then turned around and moved back north in 2007, (like you plan on doing), except I went to Virginia. Take my advice and sell some stuff while you are down there. I sold one of the boats and it made the move back north much easier. Here's a pic of my move back north- Thanks to my dad for hauling my boat. RIP dad http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/brianscy/The%20Burb/DSCF0387.jpg http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/brianscy/The%20Burb/DSCF0212.jpg The Flordia sun was brutal on my Burb's paint. Also, the 496 I built for the Burb was thirsty the whole tow north. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 i'm keeping the cobra, GTO, and explorer. i will give my sentra to my parents, and get my '87 fox that's remaining in columbus next year. most of our other shit will be trashed in florida. couches with baby spit-up all over them, etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate1647545505 Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 I don't think I ever have had any luck with U-Haul. I feel abit better knowing they aren't discriminating against middle eastern looking males. What a trip, literally. Glad to see you made it down there OK. I spent a good amount of time with clients in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale. It was a nice change of scenery when it wasn't raining. What's the deal with home owners insurance down there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted June 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 What's the deal with home owners insurance down there? we're renting a house. i used state farm for homeowner's here, and was told by my agent that they (st. farm) do not do renter's policies in fla. they claimed that there was only one company that did renter's policies. we paid $400 for $50k coverage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Wow, must be nice to have it all over with! If there's one thing I hate, it's moving. I can't even imagine having to move a bunch of stuff that far. Tampa is awesome IMO. I used to visit that area every year, mostly St. Pete or Clearwater Beach, and it was really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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