Help Ideas needed

[Freeholder]

And I have no idea how many people are still checking this section of the forum -- it seems to have pretty much died recently!

I'm trying to figure out what is going to be the best way for us to move across the country, if and when this place sells. Originally I was planning to stay in this area, which would have made life much easier (I could have moved in multiple trips with my pickup), but after much consideration, I've decided to return to New England -- Maine, most likely -- even though it's far from my favorite place to live, because that's where my two older daughters and my grandchildren are.

I have a 1997 F-250 4-W-D pickup, short-bed (7' bed) extended cab. It's set up for towing, although I've never pulled anything with it. It's in good condition, has about 106,000 miles on it, and I will take it to my mechanic and have him go over it with a fine-tooth comb before we leave -- I HATE breaking down in the middle of long trips!!

I'm also realizing that I have more STUFF to move than I had thought! Given that this winter may see extremely high food prices, I'm not leaving any of my preps behind! Don't have a lot of furniture to move, but there are a few bulky pieces. And, I'll be taking four or five goats, and a couple dozen chickens, and a large dog. (I debated about the dog -- he's eleven years old -- but he's still doing fine and he's going with us.) Lots of tools and equipment of various kinds, all necessary stuff for living our lifestyle (off-grid, producing most of our own food). I want to take my cattle panels (heavy, 52" high by 16' long -- I have about eleven of them), and the 12' X 24' goat shelter -- just the frame, as the tarp is shot. The frame knocks down into a small package, but is heavy. Oh, and a couple of ladders, and a dog crate, and so on. Lots of books, extra bedding and winter gear (heading for Maine, we'll need that stuff!), snow shoes, and so on. No couches, no dining table, maybe one recliner, a couple of office chairs on wheels, several dressers (which can be packed full of stuff), and our beds (mattresses on plywood).

In addition, if we buy bare land when we reach our destination (as is quite likely, since I have a strong aversion to ratty old mobile homes!), we'll need something to live in for a while, while we build a cabin. I don't think that a travel trailer would work, since we have so much stuff to haul, and the animals. What I'm thinking right now is to pack the heaviest stuff in the back of the pickup, possibly buying a canopy for the truck, a tall one. Then buy a cargo trailer of some kind (enclosed car hauler?) and divide it into thirds. The part over the axles would be more cargo space. The back section would be for the animals, and I'd build a make-shift camper in the front section. When we got our land, I'd put up the goat shelter again (with a new tarp), and convert the entire trailer to our temporary living quarters.

I guess my main question is, will my pickup haul this load? I've had a ton of hay on the back of it and you couldn't even tell it was there in the way the truck handled, but I've never towed anything with this truck or any other. I'm leary of hauling a trailer, possibly a 24' or greater trailer, clear across the country, if the truck isn't powerful enough to do it safely.

Second question -- does anyone have any better ideas for how to do this? Selling the goats really isn't an option -- these are good animals, hard to replace. And, goat milk and it's products forms a high percentage of our diet. The chickens I'll be keeping are young, will just start laying in early fall, and should lay well straight through the winter, so I don't want to get rid of them, either.

Thanks!

Kathleen

 

[Publius]

You have decide what to keep and what to get rid of and moving all of it, well you get the idea. My self would get rid of every thing but the essential tools and survival equipment! If it would not fit in the back of the truck or the trailer I was towing it has to go, I would not be trying to go back and forth across country and today your probably looking at $2000 or more on just one trip one way.

 

[duchess47]

Maybe a gooseneck aluminum three horse trailer with living quarters or a gooseneck toy hauler. Goosenecks pull a lot better than bumper pull and you could sell it later for a good price. Aluminum weekender horse trilers are expensive but sure don't loose much value, even years later. I'd probably sell the cattle panels and buy at the other end but you can find trailers with brackets to carry them or have some welded on. You could live in the weekender for awhile without too much discomfort.

 

[LMonty911]

just bought 5 cattle panels this week- 30$ each-10 yrs ago they were 11...replacement value matters when you are making those decisions. besides they can strap flat on the roof of the trailer. books- i almost wonder depending on how many, if its worth mailing by PO book rate to one of your daughters, to free up space. same with lighter items like fabrics, winter clothes (bulky but fairly light), and lighter kitchen items. the space they free up might be more valuable than the cost of postage.

 

[Freeholder]

I was planning on carrying three or four of the cattle panels on brackets on the side of the trailer, and the rest on the roof. Might not take all of them as some are getting kind of beat up, but yes, replacement cost is a factor. Our budget isn't going to have much leeway in it.

I will probably be going through the books and sorting some out, but have been thinning over the years and don't have many left that I don't want to keep long-term. Might mail some to one of my daughters, though, as was suggested -- I did that with some stuff when we moved out here (only had a mini-van that trip). I don't know about the gooseneck trailers, though, because then I would lose all the storage space in the back of the pickup. And the prices on the horse-trailers! Ouch! We MAY have a total budget of around $40,000 for the trip, buying land, and building a cabin off-grid -- that's not much. I don't think I could justify spending half of it on a trailer! I was figuring maybe three thousand or so for a used cargo trailer/car hauler, then fit out the inside to suit our needs. I could justify that because we'd live in it for a while, then sell it.

Anyway, I'm glad to see that people are still watching this forum!

Kathleen

 

[Freeholder]

I've been working outside, rearranging feed bags and such heavy mindless work, and was thinking -- I wonder how large of a gooseneck trailer would be reasonable for my truck to pull? Because if we lost the cargo space in the back of the truck, but replaced it with the same amount of cargo space in the trailer, then I could consider going with a gooseneck rather than a bumper pull trailer.

When I have time, I'm going to go talk to trailer sales places here in town and see what they have, and what the prices are.

Kathleen

 

[duchess47]

I don't know weight your truck could safely pull but it is probably easily found online. Our horse trailer is an old one so heavy, gooseneck four horse. The tack room in the front has a ledge in the gooseneck part large enough for a mattress and you could sleep there. You could also use it for storage and it is quite large even though not tall. I think going to look at some would give you a good idea. We pull our trailer with our 99 dodge 2500.

 

[GingerN]

Forget the fancy gooseneck horse trailer. Get a plain jane gooseneck stock trailer. If you have to live in it temporarily, plywood can be applied to keep the wind out, it is useful and it has a good resale value.

 

[Freeholder]

You know, Ginger, that's exactly what I was thinking! I saw a couple of stock trailers this morning as we were going to and from church, and that got the wheels in my mind turning -- I wouldn't have to worry about ventilation for the goats and chickens in the back! Price should be a lot more reasonable than the fancy horse trailers with living quarters (I don't want pre-built living quarters -- there wouldn't be space for a whole bunch of stuff I need to pack).

Kathleen

 

[Yarnball]

I don't have any creative ideas to add at the moment but I am excited for your move to be by children. I will be praying for your current place to sell. Please pray for our home to sell as we are moving back to Texas as soon as the house sells.

One idea, no idea of cost, but perhaps some of the things could be sent to daughters via one of the moving companies that has space to fill on a load?

 

[Freeholder]

Of course, probably the simplest alternative would be for DD and I to sleep in the truck (two seats to sleep on) for the trip. We don't normally cook while traveling anyway, just carry eat-and-go stuff (we don't eat out, either). Stop at rest areas and gas stations for potty stops, and stop briefly, like overnight, at a relative along the way for a shower and a hot meal (last three trips, our only stopping place was my sister's in Cheyenne; this trip I've also got a brother and SIL in Michigan). That way I wouldn't need the living space in the trailer, and could use the back of the pickup and half the trailer for hauling stuff.

Going on to the next thing -- after we get to Maine, what I hope to do is buy some land and build a cabin. Debating whether the cabin should be a couple of shipping containers side-by-side, or stick-built (which would probably run the property taxes up above what we can afford!), or ? Maybe I should start a new thread....

Kathleen

 

[Jerry]

A little late in the reply and just throwing it out there for something to consider. My thought is the livestock, food and valuables should go with you in your vehicle and stock trailer. You may wish to do some investigating on vet requirements to moving stock through ther various states. The other stuff (and boy how it adds up) could be put into a container and shipped.

You could buy a used 20 foot container with a man door in it, $2500 to $3000 around here. There are companies that will do this for you. They have several grades of quality so you should pick one of the better ones that has vents in it. They will deliver it to your farm and you can load it to their weight limit, probably 15 or 20 tons max. Have them pick it up and ship it to your new address where they will deliver it. All of your stuff is there protected from the weather until you make a shed or barn for it. When it is empty you can move in for temporary shelter while things get settled. When your housing has cleaned up, you have a really nice shop or storage unit that is pretty secure.

This will not be cheap, but will probably be less than other options and you don't get rid of the stuff you have spent a long time accumulating to run your farmstead. The only hitch is you have to already have your new place picked out. Hope things work out for you. Good Luck.

 

[LMonty911]

been thinking of you freeholder. hope your plans are coming along well.

 

[Freeholder]

Well, the for-sale sign is up in the front yard, and I'm making good progress on packing, so I guess that things are going pretty well! I've been looking at places for sale in both Maine and New Hampshire, but need to do some on-the-ground research (and, of course, have money in hand). I probably could ask my ex to do some of the looking for me, as he's off work for a few weeks recuperating from surgery, but don't want to do that yet. Need to know what we are going to have to work with first.

Jerry, that might be a good idea -- I'll have to do a little checking, though, and find out how much it would cost to move the container. If we were able to travel with just our camping gear in the cab of the pickup, and the animals in the back, that would make life a lot easier than having to haul a trailer clear across the country. I do know two or three truck drivers -- maybe one of them knows who I should talk to to find out rates.

Kathleen

 

[Freeholder]

Well, someone just dropped in to look at the house. Not sure if this was a good thing, or a bad thing. They just knocked on the door and asked if they could look at it -- had a realtor with them, but no advance notice!! Poor form, I think, when the listing specifically requests making an appointment! And I would have preferred NOT being here when people were looking!

And of course, the house is a mess because I wasn't expecting anyone to come looking on the Fourth of July!! I'm cooking stuff to take to my mother and step-father's place this evening -- we are going to have a picnic in their yard. So I haven't done any cleaning today. Oh, well. If they liked it and make an offer, that's great. If they don't like it and don't make an offer, we aren't any worse off than we were an hour ago.

I've pretty much decided to buy an enclosed car hauler to make the trip, carry our stuff in it, then once we get there turn it into living quarters to stay in while getting our little 'farm' set up and a house built. It will be more durable than an old travel trailer, and I can set it up to suit me, with plenty of storage.

Kathleen

Oh, and I've had a Buckeye hen setting on a clutch of eggs in the corner of the front flowerbed right next to the front steps -- the chicks have started hatching. At least four of them have already hatched. The people who stopped to look at the house were almost more interested in the chickens than in the house -- the guy asked if I'd have any young ones for sale, as he's got some old hens that are going in the freezer when they molt this fall.

 

[Garryowen]

Here's just an idea, and you can evaluate it to see if it will work for you. How about putting up a fairly small pole building? The shell is pretty easy work, and a lot of folks are using that building model as opposed to a stick built house. My thought is you could insulate it well and live in it until you get a cabin built to your liking, then use it for storage, shop, or livestock. The only problem with that is that you wouldn't have a basement, but maybe basements aren't practical in the area you want to settle in.

I would think long and hard about hauling a lot of stuff all that distance if you can sell it and just buy some more. The more weight, the more gas you are going to use, and there are always farm sales and second-hand sources where you are going. Is there some way you can scout out the area and see what is available before you actually make the move? Maybe someone who could do some local checking for you?

We haven't moved a great deal, but we always moved stuff we should have gotten rid of. Some stuff we have never found, even though we know we packed it. Go figure.

Make sure guns are cased and unloaded when you go through Ill Annoy. And they are supposed to be unavailable to the driver while you are driving. Unless, of course, you are a criminal or politician, then you are ok.

Good luck on your move.

I'm not sure I'd want to be on the East coast states though. Seems pretty liberal out there. Of course, the darn things are like Japanese beetles, and are showing up everywhere. (The liberals, that is)

 

[Flippper]

I hope if you moved it was safe for you and you're all settled in your new place now.

 

[Freeholder]

Not moved yet -- there have only been three couples who have looked at the house. The last people came today, like it a lot, but hadn't even talked to a lender before they started looking at houses! (The realtor says they are very young, probably the first time they've done this.) As of this afternoon, I guess they've been to see a lender, but it was sounding unlikely that they'd be approved for a loan.

My mother and the realtor discussed the situation and decided to drop the price of the house pretty drastically (to about where I thought it should have been in the first place!), so if the economy holds together, it may sell now.

I've got quite a bit of our stuff packed, and have gone through those boxes once and sorted out some stuff. I should probably do it again, though. Sold all but three of the goats, and sold all of the chickens, but then a couple of days ago I found some ducks pretty cheap and got them instead (I've been wanting to switch to ducks, as their eggs are a lot more nutritious than chicken eggs).

And, I've found a place in Maine that I like, that I think we'll be able to afford, and it already has a cabin on it, and a well and septic system. I don't think it has any electricity, which is fine --I was planning to be off the grid anyway. It's got eighteen acres, almost all wooded. The ad says it's 'remote', but I had to laugh at that, as it's only a couple of miles from a village, and about seven miles from the nearest small town! It's about four hours drive from my daughters in New Hampshire, which is a little farther than I'd hoped to be, but it's sure a lot closer than six DAYS drive, LOL!

I'll be sure and post when this place sells and we get ready for our trip.

Kathleen

 

[nomifyle]

I just saw this tread, will be praying for you.

Judy

 

[Freeholder]

Thank you for your prayers, Judy! Another lady came and looked at the house last weekend, but her husband is in Iraq and she wasn't sure if the power of attorney she has would let her buy a house without him being here, LOL! She said he'd be home in early September, so we'll see.

Kathleen