Hey guys, I did a search but couldn't find anything.

I'm going to be moving in less than a month to attend medical school and I want my MINI to come with me. I'm in Seattle, WA and I need to go to Maryland. Literally, the farthest horizontal distance across the US, coast to coast, you get the idea.

I thought of driving but I'm not so sure my schedule allows that.

What is the best way to transport my MINI?

Should I be contacting my Seattle Dealer and schedule a shipping to another dealer in Maryland? Or should I strictly just hire some mover?

Thanks!

 

and just from preliminary research.

The cost of shipping in an enclosed trailer $1600
Cost of shipping in an open trailer $1000

Thats a big difference to me. But whats the general consensus on shipping in open trailer? Am I just asking for break in / rock ships / other damage??

 

I shipped a car from Miami to San Fran a few years ago and if you can get it for $1000 on an open I'd expect that's a fair price as I paid nearly that a while back.

Yes, enclosed is a bit more protection but is costs $$$ .. open carrier is going to be no worse then if you drove now is it?

If you want to save $ you can find services that seek out folks willing to DRIVE your car out there . . . .

 

Thats a good point – I'm probably going to go with the open carrier. Just wanted to get some thoughts on experiences other MINIs have had

 

Try Reliable Carriers. They haul the cars for Mecum Auto Auctions (enclosed), and they have an open option as well.

http://www.reliablecarriers.com/services.cfm?sub=2

 

Ill drive it out PM me if you interested.

 

with your sig I'll bet he jumps on your offer pronto

 

Lol good point!!!

 

You might want to consider letting some of the members here on NAM to drive it for you, and get a chance to see the country at the same time.
Just a thought. You should consider what would be a fair price for the drive, if that is the decision you want to go with.

 

I used All Auto Shipping and K.B. Blackwood (kb@allautoshipping.com) took care of shipping my '59 356a in a closed container for ~$800 from Tulsa Ok to somewhere in So Cal...

 

i really don't like to ship cars. i'm very particular about my cars (even tho i'm kinda a slob with them), and i always prefer to drive. cross-country drive is pretty fun, especially in the mini. that said, i've had to deal with shipping twice and both times i was extremely nervous but nothing bad happened (one time i did find soda bottles in my back seat after pick up). last one i used was DAS. if you're budget-conscious, it seems to me all the auto carriers are about the same; if you look hard enough, you can find horror stories about any of them online, but chances are it'll be ok. just make sure you have adequate insurance coverage

 

I shipped six cars from the San Francisco bay area to Nashville via "Dependable Auto Shippers" enclosed transport. I would pay the extra for top-load....just my suggestion. Give them a try. If they can't help or if you need any other help shoot me a PM. I've dealt in domestic and international transportation and logistics for years and though I've been away from it for a bit I'll be happy to help if I can.

 

If you can get 4 days free, I would drive it, 90 gallons of gas plus saving air fare to MD, $'s wise it the way to go, lots of country to see......

 

a box of Depends and a few bottles of 5 hour energy

 

gross. i dunno which one is more gross

 

Pity you don't have time to drive it yourself. You could do MTTS 2010 in Denver on the way

 

Back in '04 I bought mine sight unseen from a dealer in Arlington, TX. Then I had it shipped to me in SoCal. IIRC I was given the option of $600 open or $1200 enclosed. I went for the $600 option.

The car was structurally perfect. No dings, nicks, scratches, etc... BUT IT WAS FILTHY!! It was covered in dirt, water residue, and worse of all diesel residue. I think mine was on the top carrier right behind the exhaust. It did wash off with absolutely no scrubbing required, but it was unsettling to see.

I vote for the enclosed carrier.

Edge.

 

In any case, someone above mentioned it too, you want to be on the top of the carrier. Although in Edgein's case, there was a lot of cleaning to do, but it was normal outside stuff. Consider this.....you are on the bottom of a carrier underneath an nice old '57 Chevy....that's leaking ever so slightly, it's engine oil on your hood, roof, BEAUTIFUL MINI!

 

If I had the time I would drive it. I wish I had my MINI for at least one of the cross country drives I have done. Now I am looking for a reason to make a cross country trip in the GP.

I have also done the carrier bit. I had a bad experiance in this area. It took a month and a half longer to get my vehicle than was in the contract. In the process of loading or unloading they damaged the driver's side front quarter panel and tire on my 67 Cougar. Then they tried hiding the damage, and guess what, they werern't insured. The only way I would do it is if I could find an independent hauler. They normally only carry 3 - 4 cars on an enclosed trailer but they are the ones that will take care of your MINI.

 

I was just watching an old movie the other day. "Cannonball!!!"

 

Thomas Sunday does a great job for a good price. Shipped my 911 from DC to SF for around $1200 in an enclosed trailer with all the insurance needed.

 

I used Thomas Sunday and had a good experience. I referred a friend later and he had Thomas Sunday transport his Ferrari F550 also, with good experience.