Shipping your Rig

[JeepVT]

Has anyone ever shipped their rig to a location where you plan to explore?

I live in VT.....I'd like to spend some time out West (CO/UT/WY), but adding an extra 7-8 days onto my trip to get to where I plan to explore is most likely not feasible if I want to maximize time on trail.

I know this goes a bit against the ethos of overlanding, but time is time and I don't have the extra week to accommodate the 10-14 days I want to explore.

If so....what service did you use and any tips?

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[PA-Punkn]

Great question, very interested in doing the same at some time.

 

[ByronJayJee]

Following this thread. Also very interested in doing the same

 

[JeepVT]

Looks like we are alone in this...I know their are car shipping services, just no idea what to look out for and how best to do it.

 

[elzy0000]

Shipping is no problem. Just depends on if you want to pay for enclosed or not. I think the only challenge is organizing the receiving and then the re-shipping. I would plan to be flexible with your timeline by a day or two on both ends.

 

[Tellurian]

Aloha VT compadre! I’m in Chittenden County and a quick search pulls up several auto transport companies in the area. I haven’t shipped my Jeep (Doc) but I have my other vehicles when moving to Vermont.

Two routes to go: 1. pick a major company which usually transports multiple vehicles to major cities, however, you need to be flexible on timing with them; 2. go with a small company that does single transport and they could potentially drop it off at the trailhead for you. I recommend the latter and would call multiple transporters for estimates and logistic info. To @elzy0000 point, a covered transport brings up the cost.

For what it’s worth, I took two weeks off in September and drove to Mount Rushmore. I purposefully took the long route (MI upper peninsula) so I could see/experience more of the states - 14 in total. Toward the end, I stayed several days in CO to go wheeling and then did a straight shot home to VT. I left CO on a Tuesday around 10 am and got home to VT a little after 8pm on Thursday. One night was slept in KS and another night in OH. I made the last ferry across Lake Champlain which helped saved time.

That all said, I plan to transport Doc to CA sometime in the next few years to cross off the Rubicon trail. I’ll want to spend more time in CA than driving there. Tell whomever you go with you’ll recommend them to us Vermont Jeepers.

 

[JeepVT]

Aloha VT compadre! I’m in Chittenden County and a quick search pulls up several auto transport companies in the area. I haven’t shipped my Jeep (Doc) but I have my other vehicles when moving to Vermont.

Two routes to go: 1. pick a major company which usually transports multiple vehicles to major cities, however, you need to be flexible on timing with them; 2. go with a small company that does single transport and they could potentially drop it off at the trailhead for you. I recommend the latter and would call multiple transporters for estimates and logistic info. To @elzy0000 point, a covered transport brings up the cost.

For what it’s worth, I took two weeks off in September and drove to Mount Rushmore. I purposefully took the long route (MI upper peninsula) so I could see/experience more of the states - 14 in total. Toward the end, I stayed several days in CO to go wheeling and then did a straight shot home to VT. I left CO on a Tuesday around 10 am and got home to VT a little after 8pm on Thursday. One night was slept in KS and another night in OH. I made the last ferry across Lake Champlain which helped saved time.

That all said, I plan to transport Doc to CA sometime in the next few years to cross off the Rubicon trail. I’ll want to spend more time in CA than driving there. Tell whomever you go with you’ll recommend them to us Vermont Jeepers.

Thanks for your help. Great information. The cannonball option is still on the table....but the idea of 30hrs on pavement with 3.5" lift and 37 muds is not my idea of good time. If I was half my age I wouldn't even be asking. I'd just quite my job and hammer it out there.

 

[Col_Sanders]

I've shipped a couple vehicles in the past. I just did a bit of research online and found a carrier with good reviews the first time. Second time I used UShip. No complaints with either service I used, but I was not at every pick up or drop off. It has been a while so I do not remember who I used exactly.

Tips I can give you: Be very specific with mods, dimensions, and weight of everything up front so you do not end up getting someone who is not equipped to handle your vehicle showing up then backing out. That could really screw up your plans. You'll need to be a bit flexible on times, dates, and pick up and drop off locations. The larger carrier required a bit more flexibility on my part than the small one. Look everything over well before and after shipping. Take lots of pictures inside, outside, and underneath. It would probably be a good idea to allow for an extra day or two just to be safe.

 

[runningshoes]

I shipped a Subaru from Chicago to Oregon and have a few notes that may impact how you get this done;
- Distance of course impacts the price, but so does the drop location - the further away you get from main trucking routes the higher the price (I would guess that shipping to a trailhead is really really expensive)
- Larger multi-car carriers were a lot cheaper than the guys who carry 2-4 vehicles
- All of the carriers said that they would not accept anything in the vehicle as it invited theft and damage and their insurance does not cover anything the owner packs inside the vehicle. If you're planning to carry a lot of gear for camping or other needs this could be tricky for you.
- You need to be physically present at the drop off point - as others have pointed out they're usually +/- 1 day. Alternatives include a drop off at a place where keys can be handed over and someone signs on your behalf (Jeep dealership may agree to do this on your behalf if you don't know anyone in the area)
- Most of the companies are brokers and they bid out the job to an independent carrier. Some are integrated and have their own drivers / vehicles. I don't know that one model is better than the other
- As a reference, it cost about $1k to ship the car about 2 1/2 years ago

Good luck!

 

[Ohio Hiker]

@obwahn shipped his rig from Vermont to Cali. He just moved there a few months ago. What say ye Mike?

 

[obwahn]

@obwahn shipped his rig from Vermont to Cali. He just moved there a few months ago. What say ye Mike?

I did not "cheap out" and used US Luxury Shippers. As mentioned above, be very specific when giving the dimensions of your ride. Even tho I did exactly that, the first truck showed up and could not accept my Jeep, my Vette did hitch a ride on that truck tho. US Luxury was great and managed to locate another enclosed rig headed west and my Jeep hitched a ride in a two vehicle enclosed trailer. My two girls arrived in Oceanside within a couple days of each other and both were in the exact condition as they left. Very happy with the results.

Check with several companies but be aware that most of them actually bid it out to truckers. My girls rode on two different trucking companies but it all went well. It wasn't cheap but it also wasn't as expensive as I had feared.

PM me if you want any more gory details.

 

[REWJeep]

This is a general observation about shipping a car, not specific to Jeeps. A couple of years ago, I had an excellent experience with Bruce Levinson of Above the Rest Auto Transport. He is a broker who worked with me through some problems in getting a bid from a trucker. The actual transport was excellent: it was on time and the car arrived in the same condition that it left. [email protected], 561-577-5485.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

I have never shipped my Jeep but a few times in the Jeep I almost shipped my pants.

 

[Zandcwhite]

No experience shipping a Jeep, but we roadtripped our jlur on 38's from CA to Alabama last year. Vermont to Moab is only 34hrs, a couple 17hr days and you're there. Personally I'd rather spend 4 days driving than hoping my Jeep arrives where I need it before I do and then wondering when it will be home after but to each his own. We met a couple from PA on top of the world our 1st trip to Moab and they had driven straight through. That's a bit much for me.

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