I need to move a big, old-fashioned wooden desk half-way across the country.  It looks like Budget has good deals on a couple of types of rental trucks--Ford Ranger and Ford SportTrack.

The desk is 5' long and 32" wide (although the top comes off making it slightly less long).  The SportTrack has a 4-foot bed.  Will it be possible to transport the desk in a 4' bed with the tail-gate down?  I can also rent a ranger from Budget, but that comes with a locking bed cover which I would need to remove to get a desk into the bed.  Are those optional-equipment locking bed covers easy to remove for a trip?  I wish someone rented Avalances.

Hopefully stopping over-night to sleep will not result in the cargo bed being emptied by desk thieves.

Thanks,

GunLvr

How about getting an enclosed trailer from UHaul.   A 4x6 one should fit your desk requirements.  They are lockable so nobody will steal your desk.

A U-Haul probably won't work for me because no matter what I will need a rental car to make the trip (my 20+ year old car just isn't up to 2,200 mile trips anymore).  Isn't it tough to get a towing hook onto a rental car (probably violates most rental agreements too).

GunLvr

Why not rent a van?  That way your desk would fit without any problems and it would stay dry, too.

I am not sure why, but vans are a lot more expensive.  For the time when I want to make the trip a minivan is $100-200 more for a rental.  Also with the SportTrack if I can fit the desk in the cargo bed, I will have space in the cab for the wife and the dogs.  With a minivan rental I would have to take out the passenger seats and either leave the dogs home or the wife and one dog at home.  [:D]

GunLvr

GunLvrPHD, The little Ford truck should work just fine.  Get yourself a couple old blankets, a cheap plastic tarp, about 60 feet of nylon rope (it never hurts to have extra) and a piece of red cloth.  Drop the tailgate put the desk in snug against the front of the bed behind the cab.  Cover it with the blankets to keep it from getting scratched.  Use the rope to tie the desk in good.  Make sure it can't move at all.  Then cover the whole thing with the tarp and tie it down. Finally just in case, tie a little red cloth on the tail gate and you should be ready to go.  Good luck.

Larry

Thanks for the advice Larry!  [beer]

GunLvr