Hi--I've made two big moves, so I'll give you what advice I can.
The first was from Anchorage, AK to Seattle, WA. This was an easy, college-style move: pack up whatever will fit in the car, throw in a sleeping bag, tent, and a box of snacks, and drive down the Alcan. A very beautiful trip, one I'd love to do again. I actually did this trip twice: once when I moved, once when my sister did. You just have to make sure to stop at every gas station you see, because they're 150 miles apart in some stretches of road.
The second trip, however, is probably more along your lines. My husband and I made the 3000-mile trek from Seattle to New York City in a Uhaul truck. We originally asked for the 10' truck, and that's what we paid for. When the time came, however, they didn't have any of the 10' trucks in suitable shape to drive 3000 miles, so they gave us the 14' at no extra charge. We didn't have to worry about a car, since we were moving to Manhattan, so we didn't need a trailer. I think the truck cost ~$2000, not including gas (which cost another $5-600), and this was comparable to other rental agencies (I checked around). And they give you enough miles to get where you're going, plus some extra.
Unlike the stories we heard, we didn't really have any problems except for oil. Those trucks burn through oil like you wouldn't believe, especially if the weather is hot and the road is hilly, so I'd stock up on 3-4 quarts prior to departure. If you don't, you may be stuck with a dead, overheating truck (ours wasn't dead, but it did overheat in Montana). Also, if you're driving on toll roads, take a BIG stack of quarters, especially in Ohio.
We stayed in campgrounds along the way (much to the amusement of the other campers)($7-15 per night, and we chose places with showers), and we worked the schedule out so we could visit grandparents along the way. I think the whole trip took us about 8 days, with 2 days in Wisconsin at grandparents and 8-10 hours of driving on other days (we didn't want to be on the road in the dark with that huge machine).
It wasn't so bad. My husband was a nervous wreck the entire time, though, and we killed an unfortunate number of avian creatures. We camped out one night in a torrential thunderstorm in Delaware, on a bank above the Delaware river, and every single thing we had out got soaked--including our dinner of crackers and cheese. There was so much water it was running in streams under the tent. In Minnesota the bugs about killed us...And I'm a girl who usually LOVES camping. Somehow you don't enjoy it as much when you're experiencing such a big change.
Also, we didn't know a single soul in the receiving end: Manhattan. Thus, while we had tons of friends helping us load up our truck in Seattle, it was just the two of us unloading one very hot, steamy Manhattan August afternoon. We were so strung out afterward that we drank an entire bottle of wine that night. But all-in-all, things worked out.
HOWEVER, we're not sure we'll do it the same on the way back (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a residency in Seattle). We've decided to sell anything we have that's basically worthless (almost all of our possessions!), and if we can swing it financially at the time--even if we have to borrow a bit extra--we might shell out for movers. OR, we'll look into renting just a van or something small. We'll have to see...And if we DO drive again, we might spend the extra money per night for a hotel room and dinners out, even if it's at a seedy diner. (who wants to rifle through the truck to unearth the camp stove just to make another box of macaroni?)
I CAN say that the entire trip would have been much worse if we had children. You and your spouse would BOTH have to drive the whole way, rather than rotating like we did (which made it bearable).But it is definitely a cheaper alternative than hiring movers.
Oh, one other thing that we did that I would HIGHLY recommend: we moved 4 weeks prior to school starting (I started med, he started grad). Basically, we left at the end of July so we didn't run into August rent, drove for a week, and arrived 3 weeks before school started. That gave us a few weeks to get our new apartment in order, to find the bank and open new accounts, find the grocery stores, and explore our new city. That way we were pretty "settled" by the time school started, and we were able to focus on studies instead of getting things in order...also a good idea if you'll have kids starting a new school.
Good luck to you, and please let me know if you have any more questions. I'd be happy to help you if I can.
