getting 2nd car to Anchorage (Petersburg, Wrangell: relocation, insurance, military)

[scoobagirl]

as I previously mentioned in the post about getting the dog to Alaska, my son is being relocated to Anchorage for his job. He's engaged and will marry in August. The company won't move her stuff, so she's brought as much as possible to his place to be included when the movers come.

He has a SUV and she has a smaller car (which she plans to sell when they get it to Alaska). They are wondering how they will get the 2nd vehicle (packed with wedding gifts and the rest of her clothes) to Alaska. From what we can tell, the choices are:

1. get it up to Tacoma and put it on a boat (close to $2000 incl. transportation)

2. dad drive it from Texas up to Alaska (what an adventure!)

3. sell car here and ship the stuff (car is only worth around $3500)

4. son takes HER car to Alaska and leaves his SUV to be driven up by dad with stuff packed in it

I think they have it in their minds that they need her car to pack the rest of their belongings in. Eventually they want to sell her car because its 7 yrs old and neither of them really like it.

I'd like some advice to share with the kids. Will that car be worth more in Alaska, and more importantly, do you think they'll be better off to keep it in Alaska?

Is there a way of shipping a small volume of belongings that I haven't already mentioned?

Thanks in advance for your help. The relocation people with his company did not offer any suggestions on how to get her stuff up there later.

[Rance]

What kind of car? Myself...I would sell it there and ship up any belongings they can't live without. Or maybe rent a u-haul trailer and pull up with the SUV? Or buy a trailer and sel it once they get here.

[scoobagirl]

her car is a 2000 Dodge Avenger.

his is a 2007 Chev. Tahoe 4x4

[scoobagirl]

also, the other question I had (and forgot to ask) was:

if we drive one of their vehicles to Alaska, will it be a hassle to cross through Canada if the vehicle paperwork is in one of the kids' name? We will have the appropriate insurance & registration info as well as our DLs and passports.

[rotorhead]

If you ask me I'd say sell the car down south and don't worry about shipping it. We ran into a similar situation when we moved to ANC, the military would only pay to ship one vehicle. We ended up selling one of ours and buying another one up there used. There are plenty of options in ANC for buying cars, only the brand-new ones off the dealers lot will pay the markup for shipping to AK. It was about $2K when we were there, versus the $700 or so you'd usually pay in the rest of the US. BTW, lots of cars up there are equipped with a remote start system, a very desirable accessory if you don't have a heated garage.

If you drive it to Tacoma (I think the actual terminal is in Bremerton) you'll find that the shipping company won't guarantee that the belongings inside will make it to Alaska...they just ship cars, not stuff. My wife had some skiis and such in the back of her station wagon when she showed up at the terminal and they gave her a hard time about it but finally just let her put in on the boat with a signed waiver basically saying "if all your stuff dissappears don't come to us, we told you so). Its pretty much that way wherever you ship a vehicle unless you are going along with it like on the ferry.

If they're bound and determined to take it up north, you might consider the Alaska Marine Highway System. http://www.akferry.org/ Its the state-run ferry, and carries cars, trucks, trailers, RV's, etc. including the passengers. You can't carry stuff like extra gas or propane tanks, but regular non-hazmat belongings are fine. The cabins are pretty much sold out for the summer but most people just bring along an air mattress and sleep in the solarium or on the deck chairs indoors. They have showers, lockers, a cafeteria, etc. Takes about three to five days or so from WA state (Bellingham) up to AK, depending on your destination and the boat. Price depends on the length of the car and the length of the trip.

Unless the car is somthing special, like a 4wd or some sort of sports model you'd probably get a better price and have better luck selling it in the lower 48.

[Rance]

I don't think you'll have a problem at the border. Last april I drove down and back. Was asked only for my trailer registration. You might have the kids make a document with names and contact info incase one of the border gaurds is having a bad day. Or put the vehicle in your name for the trip. The ferry ride is a good time. I went from Wrangell to Petersburg once and met some great people as we hung out in the solarium.

[AKMammabear]

Have they considered 'renting' a small container? You can easily load a smallish car and some household good in the container and ship it up there. Try The Moving Man: they are giving us an incredible deal from AK to HI.