Need a fresh shipping company suggestion

[SteSpot]

from Florida to California.....I found the guy on UShip.......I had several bids but the one I went with asked me important questions.....it was not cheap but it worked out ok......he was from Indio, CA and was looking for a load returning from his trip to Florida...........I can give you his name if you pm me......his parents own an RV business in Indio, CA. paula

[NevadaGeo]

It sure looks like a job opportunity right here, for someone ambitious with a good tow vehicle and some airstream knowledge and skills. Bet they'd get a lot of bites pretty quick. Go get the airstream, get her up to snuff for axles and brakes and tires and battery and heater and water pump and refrig while on the road and deliver the baby to her new parents. Would you hire someone like that, or go to Dragger-R-Us instead?

[HHaase]

Originally Posted by NevadaGeo

It sure looks like a job opportunity right here, for someone ambitious with a good tow vehicle and some airstream knowledge and skills. Bet they'd get a lot of bites pretty quick. Go get the airstream, get her up to snuff for axles and brakes and tires and battery and heater and water pump and refrig while on the road and deliver the baby to her new parents. Would you hire someone like that, or go to Dragger-R-Us instead?

Don't take this the wrong way, but I have a solid preference for somebody who carries their own insurance/bond plus current MC and DOT numbers. The last thing I'd want to do is stick a forum member that had good intentions with some kind of hefty liability, and then god forbid something happens along the way.

-Hans

[BIGED52]

Hans, Where is the closest Airstream dealer to your dads house? If it is within reason maybe you could contact them and ask who they would recommend to tow it for you. They may know someone who has the ins. and bonding to haul it to you. If they put you in touch with a hauler that has over-the-road experience with Airstream towing perhaps you could have the trailer moved to the dealership first to have the running gear checked, bearings lubed and brakes/trailer lights checked out before they tow it. An experienced hauler would know to check hubs for issues while on the road so as to prevent hub/axle failure. This would be a smarter choice IMHO than trusting your family legacy to a flatbed hauler that might do damage by not tying the trailer down correctly or bouncing it from Montana to Long Island. Shame you couldn't find an owner from the forums that would haul it. It is such a long tow that it would involve a major time commitment to get there. Ed

[Flat Creek]

A transport service that knows what they are doing can transport on original axels... They would be bringing tires with them, bearing grease, temp lights, etc... You might note on your estimate a hook up charge... That is the reason for such a charge... That charge can be from $50. to $250. depending on the year of the unit. A transporter also has cargo insurange which will cover the unit in case of accident. He/she should also have a CDL, (although not necessary), and vehicle should be US DOT'd... again not always necessary, but prefered...
Just some food for thought for the person you hire...

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Buckner Transportation 478-213-0664 Best in the business if you ask me.

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by HHaase

The time has come, in the next month I'll finally be shipping my '65 Safari from its current location in South Dakota, to where I am in New York. Considering it's still on the original axles, brakes and lighting are of unknown condition, tires are fairly old, ad nauseum... I think it's the better idea to just have it shipped instead of trying to tow it.

ISo, in light of that, anyone who can offer some suggestions about a shipping company that could shackle my 22' Safari onto a lowboy and move it here for me?

-Hans

Hans,
Call RJ Dominic @(914) 204-6190. He has shipped a few Airstream's for me & my clients. He owns an Aistream himself, has the proper equipment, insurance, wheels with good tires, temp towing lights & most importantly, he gives a crap about Airstream's. He has always done a fine job for me & my clients have been very happy. He lives in NY so he is along the route that needs to be towed, likely making his quote somewhat better than someone coming from Florida or California. Food for thought,
Colin

[Flat Creek]

Loading a 1955 airstream on a flatbed and transporting it from one destination to another, some 500 miles away should be carefully considered. Keep in mind the height restrictions on any given highway… Let’s say putting an airstream on a flat bed tow truck of which I have seen, and going under an over-pass that is 3 to 4 inches to low, clipping the air conditioner would result in devastating damage to the unit… If there is anything left to the roof, it might be making a trip to upstate New York for a restoration job.
Your shipper should actually measure the trailer for its exact heights and widths. DOT has all bridge on any interstate in the country to make a decision on what kind of a flatbed truck, or even trailer to use.
I have seen flatbeds used, (usually lowboy trailers), and usually are somewhat expensive. If your trailer is towable, best to tow it.

[Flat Creek]

Loading a 1955 airstream on a flatbed and transporting it from one destination to another, some 500 miles away should be carefully considered. Keep in mind the height restrictions on any given highway… Let’s say putting an airstream on a flat bed tow truck of which I have seen, and going under an over-pass that is 3 to 4 inches to low, clipping the air conditioner would result in devastating damage to the unit… If there is anything left to the roof, it might be making a trip to upstate New York for a restoration job.
Your shipper should actually measure the trailer for its exact heights and widths. DOT has all bridge on any interstate in the country to make a decision on what kind of a flatbed truck, or even trailer to use.
I have seen flatbeds used, (usually lowboy trailers), and usually are somewhat expensive. If your trailer is towable, best to tow it.

[HHaase]

Originally Posted by Colin H

Hans,
Call RJ Dominic @(914) 204-6190. He has shipped a few Airstream's for me & my clients. He owns an Aistream himself, has the proper equipment, insurance, wheels with good tires, temp towing lights & most importantly, he gives a crap about Airstream's. He has always done a fine job for me & my clients have been very happy. He lives in NY so he is along the route that needs to be towed, likely making his quote somewhat better than someone coming from Florida or California. Food for thought,
Colin

That's the kind of guy I'm looking for. I also noticed he's posted in this thread 3 times so far, with some great info. I've already sent him a PM, as I hate calling guys about business on weekends, but will follow up with a call on monday in case he didn't see it.

-Hans

[SteSpot]

Some of the reasons we had for choosing to flatbed is the number is issues our 82 24' Motorhome had. Frequently when you have something repaired it may need a second visit.....or more.....if we had had the work done in Florida and then went to CA you can bet we would not return to FL to have the repair repaired.....also, we were unfamiliar with repair shops and their reputation plus the time and money to be spent staying in FL while the repairs were made. As it turned out, it was a wise decision on our part....the mh had been stored for quite a while so things were hardened and not happy to be driven.....by the way, the MH was 10' high including the air conditioner....and it did not hit any freeway overpasses......admittedly we took a chance but it worked out okay for us. paula

[Flat Creek]

Paula, in your case I would also made the decision to ‘flat bed’ the motor home. I was more specifically talking about the travel trailer end of things. When you are talking about motor homes, a transporter has to consider motors, drive train that are general elder, and already cantankerous… not to mention all of the extraneous things that can malfunction. Especially brakes!
Travel trailers have one or two axels to worry about, and a hitch, amongst other things. I have had to move units with compromised frames, and such… The decision was to haul it on a low boy to the destination. There were height restrictions on this particular interstate, which would have literally taken the top of the trailer off. While the unit might have made the trip on its wheels, we decided not to test it. With each move, it is paramount to establish the condition of the unit, and any structural area of the trailer that might be in such poor condition that it could not survive the move.
Definitions:
Flat Bed – means on the back of a tow truck for example 4ish feet in the air. The unit rides over the wheels.
Low Boy trailer – A trailer bed that is 2ish feet in the air. The unit rides between tow vehicle and trailer axels. Thus lowering the overall height.
Thanks,
RJ Dominic

[SteSpot]

I guess from what you are saying we had her low boy trailered......it was being transported behind a jet ski....here is a pic. Looks like the MH is on top of the axles.....not an expert on the terminology.....I had folks on the forums keeping an eye out for her and lo and behold, someone spotted her in Weatherford, TX....our hauler charged extra for spying....

[Flat Creek]

Perfect! And yes, I love spies! Gives a sense of security to the owner that the transporter is doing his/her job correctly!
I do not know if the Jet Ski is yours, but that is common practice for transporters to maximize their cargo capacity both ways on a trip in order to give the customer the best possible rate.
RJ Dominic

[SteSpot]

No, not our jet ski and yes, our hauler was looking for a load each way....it worked out for us because he lives not too far from LA and he was headed to Florida already. I have to admit that I was skittish about the whole transaction....from purchase until I had a title and the vehicle.....not something I would recommend but I wanted the MH---it may be the only 1982 24 footer out there......and everyone did what they said they were going to do. Thanks for setting me straight on the terminology....I was unaware I was using the wrong descriptions and what you have said makes a lot of sense. paula

[HHaase]

After everything here, and some more in-depth conversations with Dad regarding the current condition, I'm actually pretty comfortable now with the idea of having it towed by somebody who knows what they are doing.

Now I just need to get the paperwork taken care of for the registration and insurance.

-Hans