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Can anyone help me estimate how much my stuff weighs?
My wife and I are planning to move anywhere from next month to next year. I also happen to be in the market to replace my pick up truck.
I've priced rental trucks and found they cost as much as an enclosed trailer. At least with the enclosed trailer I can sell it at my destination, or continue to use it.
I want to buy an enclosed trailer and tow it with my truck, but I have no idea how to guess what our stuff weighs. I see that full size 1/2 ton pick ups can tow roughly 7,000 pounds (depending on make and configuration this can be lower or higher).
I can't imagine that my stuff and the trailer would be over that weight, but would like to have an educated idea before having to have a conversation with Officer Friendly Scales on the side of the interstate. Obviously I can scale the rig prior to getting too far down the road, but I'm not too interested in buying a truck and trailer then loading it up to find out I'm far overweight.
The only heavy things I really have are a king sized pillow top mattress and box springs, stand up freezer, and a sectional couch. Just about every other piece of furniture we have is Ikea, and pretty light weight...
The first part of your relocation project should be to decide exactly what you and wife want to move.
While IKEA furniture may be light, it's construction is cheap which limits the rigors it can be subjected to and how it can be loaded.
For example, moving an $0.89 can of canned corn could cost twice that after you pay for the carton, the labor to box it up, load it and unload it, and the fuel to transport it. An lightweight IKEA bookcase won't make the trip intact if you a load a box of canned goods on a shelf.
Forget how much your stuff weighs! You need to be more concerned with how much space it takes up. Compared to freight, household goods are relatively light. The average piece weighs about 6.2 lbs per cubic foot. The average inexperienced homeowner only loads at density factor of 3.5 - 5.0 lbs per cubic foot.
I suspect you're not just moving your king sized pillow top mattress and box springs. What about the pillows, bed spread, blankets, dust ruffle, sheets, etc. You just added 2-3 boxes of bedding.
That means that if you do have 7000 lbs, it will take 1400 cuft to move it using the higher 5 lb average. That's the capacity equivalent of a 26' rental truck.
I recommend that you contact several reputable movers in your area and ask them for a free in-home estimate. They can not only give you an idea about the size and density of the items in your home, but will provide you with several pricing and service options to compare as you plan your relocation budget.
thank for the reply! i've replied to some of your points to keep the conversation moving.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RikkiTikki
The first part of your relocation project should be to decide exactly what you and wife want to move.
We are job hunting, and where the jobs are is where we will go. we have several cities on our radar
While IKEA furniture may be light, it's construction is cheap which limits the rigors it can be subjected to and how it can be loaded.
we broke it down the best we could when we moved in February. that really helped keep the pieces in tact
For example, moving an $0.89 can of canned corn could cost twice that after you pay for the carton, the labor to box it up, load it and unload it, and the fuel to transport it. An lightweight IKEA bookcase won't make the trip intact if you a load a box of canned goods on a shelf.
we pack, load, unload and drive ourselves. we also get free boxes from our workplaces
Forget how much your stuff weighs! You need to be more concerned with how much space it takes up. Compared to freight, household goods are relatively light. The average piece weighs about 6.2 lbs per cubic foot. The average inexperienced homeowner only loads at density factor of 3.5 - 5.0 lbs per cubic foot.
our February move only filled about 3/4 of a 26'-0" uhaul. We are minimalists and i spent my years in college loading tractor trailers for sears. High and tight is my packing motto!
we also intend to purge some unnecessary belongings. I REALLY wish I ran the truck across a scale while it was loaded. that would have answered all of my questions.
I suspect you're not just moving your king sized pillow top mattress and box springs. What about the pillows, bed spread, blankets, dust ruffle, sheets, etc. You just added 2-3 boxes of bedding.
being minimalist we have 2 sets of sheets and one comforter. we don't have the head board, dust ruffle and so on. yes, it does take space, but I believe we are below the average on possessions of all sorts. we have NOTHING decorative in our home. if it isn't functional it doesn't come in the door.
That means that if you do have 7000 lbs, it will take 1400 cuft to move it using the higher 5 lb average. That's the capacity equivalent of a 26' rental truck.
I recommend that you contact several reputable movers in your area and ask them for a free in-home estimate. They can not only give you an idea about the size and density of the items in your home, but will provide you with several pricing and service options to compare as you plan your relocation budget.
back to weight, that's my real concern. I do not want anything to do with operating a truck trailer combo that is above the GCVW rating. we also don't have a plan to really set roots anywhere. We've moved from pa to az a few years back, now we are planning to leave az and i doubt we'll stay where we go. we often talk about how fantastic life in a motorhome would be
since I have the luxury of being in the market a pick up at the moment, I don't want to buy something undersized. that in a nut shell is why i'm concerned about weight over volume.
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
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My recommendation would be to don't buy a trailer.
A trailer is a vehicle and as with any vehicle, you have to register and maintain it and find a place to park it. It's going to be a headache for you long after you move unless you're moving out to the country where there are no rules or restrictions about trailers.
And even though your towing capacity may be 7000 lbs, the capacity of the trailer will be much less.
You'll be better off renting a trailer. Another thing you might try that is very inexpensive and will give you a lot of extra space in the back of your truck is to add a stake rails to it. I made some for my truck for about $10 in lumber and it enables me to lay a queen mattress vertically on it's side as well as load in lots of furniture that would otherwise be prone to going over the edge if not strapped down. Look for the stake pockets. Most if not all trucks have them. I later added panels to the sides to keep it more or less enclosed and added a heavy duty tonneau-like tarp to the top.
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