[wrrr]

My Wife and I are moving from Florida to Connecticut in a couple of months. We have a 2007 Toyota Prius we want to both drive up in (including a cat in a carrier and a small dog in my lap or back seat?) We have a second vehicle, a 2004 Honda CR-V EX 4WD that we want to “ship” to our destination but I am such a fanatic with our vehicles, plus it’s in fantastic condition, I ONLY want to use an “enclosed” trailer to transport it. Our moving company is taking our 12,000 pounds of items for a reasonable fee but when I asked how much more to transport the ’04 CR-V they said $1100. I went on the internet and found an ENCLOSED TRAILER vehicle transporting company that will transport for $900 but know nothing about their reputation. I know I definitely DO NOT want an “open” car carrier and prefer an enclosed trailer !!

My concerns are that if using my moving company, the vehicle is mixed in not only with OUR furniture, boxes, etc., but with other people’s furniture and goods as a mover usually take three or four families per trailer load.

Can anyone suggest a “trusted and dependable” vehicle carrier (enclosed trailer) that will get our vehicle from Florida to Connecticut without the fear of boxes or furniture falling on it ??

[daniellefort]

I guess buying your own enclosed trailer and towing it yourself is out of the question. We too are moving from FL to NH and purchased an enclosed trailer for one of our cars then we plan to sell the trailer and get our money back out of it. I would be nervous about having someone else transport it though. I guess you could request nothing else being in the trailer or have a trailer just big enough for your car so nothing else can fit in it but then they may charge you a bit more because like you said, they probably combine other things in one trip.

[wrrr]

Originally Posted by daniellefort

I guess buying your own enclosed trailer and towing it yourself is out of the question. We too are moving from FL to NH and purchased an enclosed trailer for one of our cars then we plan to sell the trailer and get our money back out of it. I would be nervous about having someone else transport it though. I guess you could request nothing else being in the trailer or have a trailer just big enough for your car so nothing else can fit in it but then they may charge you a bit more because like you said, they probably combine other things in one trip.

YES, towing anyting with a Prius is out of the question (the trade-off for getting 50+ MPG). Since you purchased a trailer you obviously have a vehicle with some "towing power" to pull it.

I have gotten a few quotes from ENCLOSED vehicle carriers. The "best" ones carry only ONE LEVEL of vehicles with a maximum of TWO vehicles. These are mainly for "show cars" are thus the $1700 price tag. Then there are others that are "dual level" and carry like six vehicles at a time, but still are enclosed, for as cheap as $900 to carry our CR-V !!

I am hoping some nice reader of this forum can suggest, first hand from THEIR EXPERIENCES, a "dependable and reliable" enclosed vehicle carrier. I can just "Google" for hours and get result after result, call up and get prices, but I have NO idea of their reputation.

PLEASE HELP with any experiences you had, good or bad, THANKS !!

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by wrrr

YES, towing anyting with a Prius is out of the question (the trade-off for getting 50+ MPG). Since you purchased a trailer you obviously have a vehicle with some "towing power" to pull it.

I have gotten a few quotes from ENCLOSED vehicle carriers. The "best" ones carry only ONE LEVEL of vehicles with a maximum of TWO vehicles. These are mainly for "show cars" are thus the $1700 price tag. Then there are others that are "dual level" and carry like six vehicles at a time, but still are enclosed, for as cheap as $900 to carry our CR-V !!

I am hoping some nice reader of this forum can suggest, first hand from THEIR EXPERIENCES, a "dependable and reliable" enclosed vehicle carrier. I can just "Google" for hours and get result after result, call up and get prices, but I have NO idea of their reputation.

PLEASE HELP with any experiences you had, good or bad, THANKS !!

Check the BBB and see if they have any negative reports. If you select a carrier review the find print and insurance papers. Use a magnifier and get full understanding of their Terms and Conditions. You might want to ask in the automobile forum, some members might have an inside on this.

See link to movers: Moving Cars and Shipping Cars DIRECTORY

[SKB]

I have shipped my Nissan 350Z twice now. Once to Montreal in 2005 and then once back to Florida in 2007.
I used an open carrier with NO problems. Not a scratch or dent.
I used Bluestar Auto Movers.

Auto shipping is all about bidding on cars, you can get any price you want to pay in regards to shipping. The lower price you agree to lessens your chance of having the car shipped on the exact dates you want.
I paid 900 the first time and 750 to return it to Florida.

I was happy car came as promised on dates agreed etc...

Check out reviews: Bluestar Auto Movers - 4 Stars out of 5 - Transport Reviews.com - Your Auto Transport Information Source. View Reviews, Ratings and Rankings of Auto Transporters.

I will PM you the info.

[tamcim72]

have you looked into the Amtrak auto train?? It starts in orlando only goes to Washington area and then one of you would have to drive the rest.

[wrrr]

Originally Posted by SKB

I have shipped my Nissan 350Z twice now. Once to Montreal in 2005 and then once back to Florida in 2007.
I used an open carrier with NO problems. Not a scratch or dent.
I used Bluestar Auto Movers.

Auto shipping is all about bidding on cars, you can get any price you want to pay in regards to shipping. The lower price you agree to lessens your chance of having the car shipped on the exact dates you want.
I paid 900 the first time and 750 to return it to Florida.

I was happy car came as promised on dates agreed etc...

Check out reviews: Bluestar Auto Movers - 4 Stars out of 5 - Transport Reviews.com - Your Auto Transport Information Source. View Reviews, Ratings and Rankings of Auto Transporters.

I will PM you the info.

THANKS for the info !! I have had friends that tried to get "low-ball deals" from these fly-by-night places and had their crappy, old (and I mean like "junk") high mileage, engine smokin' vehicles shipped down from CT to FL for like $400. And then they wondered why the schedule was so far off, "where is my car" they kept asking (and calling the place) !! And the guy drops it off 2:00 AM in the middle of the night............ sometimes ya' get what ya' pay for !! They didin't mind because their vehicles were scratched, smashed and dented to begin with ...... my vehicle is in impeccible condition and I drive it wisely and it also has very low miles. I am in a totally different situation than they were, thus I am looking for your "better" carriers, as you suggested, that are a lot more "professional and caring" !!

[wrrr]

Originally Posted by tamcim72

have you looked into the Amtrak auto train?? It starts in orlando only goes to Washington area and then one of you would have to drive the rest.

We actually have a friend (in Lakeland, Florida) that very recently did just that.... took her car and she and her daughter used the Amtrak auto train on a trip to New York, (drove the vehicle from Washington to NY), stayed in NY about two weeks then returned to FL the same way.

Unfortunately my Wife and I have a dog and a cat and I don't want her driving up alone, which means I would have to put "my" vehicle on the auto train "alone" (without a passenger on the train, if they allow that?) and drive up with her and then go and retrieve the vehicle once the train reached the station, which I am sure the train would beat us driving as we would be stopping (staying over two or three nights in hotels) and driving a lot slower than the train. Perhaps a relative could pick it up in CT for me.........
Hmmmmm............ ???? Gotta think about this one !!

[TraderJack]

wrrr, I've had 2 recent cross country moves and I used Dependable Auto Shippers both times. Very good service.

You can have the vehicle picked up and delivered at your front door or drop it off at the yard and then go pick it up in your new city. The later is a little cheaper. I can recommend them, for what it's worth.
But let me add that the trailer is not enclosed -

They're online at DAS.

Good luck with the move.

[2legit2quit]

I just shipped my car from Philadelphia PA to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl using BlueStar www.BluestarAutoMovers.com

VERY reliable