First time driving a 16ft moving truck with a tow for 900miles. Any tips?

So in the summer I will be driving a 16ft moving truck (Penske or Uhaul) one way from LA to Portland which is approximately 900miles. I've done the drive before in winter with my sedan but this time I will be moving! I'm 24 and have been driving since I was 16 so I'm very confident in my driving skills.

Any tips regarding any of the follow:
- driving a 16ft moving truck
- safety precautions when staying overnight with a truck load of goods
- towing a 2005 Honda Accord from the back
- also moving with 2 cats who will stay with us in the front.

Watch your speed and don't exceed the speed limit

My recommendation, since you said "us" is not to tow your car. A 16 foot truck heavily loaded with your stuff is going to struggle towing a 3500# car plus a 500# tow dolly, especially on the 250 mile stretch between Roseburg and Redding. Have your partner drive the car or get a bigger, more powerful truck that can handle the load with ease.

Security won't be a big issue if you park in brightly lit motel parking lot with security cameras and put at least two high quality locks on the cargo door. I'd avoid staying in Red Bluff. High crime area.

And I hope you put the damned cats in a kennel. It is very unsafe if they are loose and get under foot at the wrong time. Been there, done that.

Remember the length behind you. It takes a lot more clearance than a car.

Most of this is going to be just common sense, but here are some considerations:

1. As already mentioned, I would consider having your spouse or friend or whoever drive the car instead of towing it if that's an option. What you save on not renting a trailer and a slight improvement in gas mileage on the box van will basically pay for the gas for driving the accord 900 miles and it really simplifies the logistics.

2. If towing the Accord is unavoidable I would consider spending a little extra to get the flatbed car hauler instead of the 2 wheel dolly. The car hauler has 2 big advantages, first and most importantly it has brakes. It uses a surge braking system where as soon as it senses forward pressure on the hitch it applies braking power to all 4 wheels of the car hauler trailer. The trailer itself adds about 1500 lbs to the total weight compared to a 2 wheeled dolly but adding the brakes will actually shorten your overall stopping distance.

Just look at it this way, a 3500 lb car on a 500 lb dolly with no brakes means you're asking the brakes on the 6 tires on the van itself to stop an extra 4000 lbs every time you hit the brakes.

But a 2000 lb car hauler and 3500 lb car on 4 wheels with brakes means the trailer is stopping the 5500 lbs behind you, and the brakes on the van only have to stop the van and the load inside of it.

The other main advantage of a car hauler is that there's a single pivot point (at the ball where it attaches). The 2 wheel tow dolly will pivot at the ball and at the axle where the car sits on the dolly (its designed that way). With a single pivot point you at least have a fighting chance to back up if you get in a tight spot. The double pivot is nearly impossible to back up even for skilled drivers.

3. The biggest issue with long vehicles is that the back end cuts the corner when you turn. Just make sure you swing wide around corners so the back end and/or trailer don't clip the sidewalk or lamp post or something. But of course not so wide that you are swinging out into another lane or oncoming traffic.

4. To secure your load make sure you park in a well lit area and get a good lock for the roll up door on the van. Consider backing up against a wall or curb so someone can't steal the trailer off the back and ask uhual if they sell or rent a lock that secures the trailer to the van. Lock the accord the same way you would if it was in a parking spot.

5. Inspect your trailer connection and the straps holding the Accord on a regular basis, probably after every stop and especially in the morning when leaving your hotel. Make sure nothing is coming lose or nobody has messed with the hitch, chains, straps etc. Also do a light check to make sure trailer lights are working.

6. Drive careful, slow down, take your time, leave space, don't get mad at people who cut you off, and avoid rush hour traffic. All common sense but worth noting.

7. Use the tow/haul mode if the van has it, and downshift on hills if it doesn't have it. That includes both uphill and downhill.

8. Be aware of your fuel economy and plan your gas stops. Plan on about 8mpg on open road cruising and 5-6 mpg through the mountain passes. Its well worth it to drive a mile or two off the freeway to find a Costco or Wal mart with gas 50 cents (or more) cheaper than the name brand station on the freeway on ramp, and since you'll be buying 40+ gallons at a time you'll want to spend a couple extra minutes to get the best price.

9. Its probably best to plan on packing and loading on one day, then start your drive the next day, and plan on one night on the road. Just allow plenty of time so you aren't pushing it and stressing about your schedule or driving when you are sleepy. Schedule your hotels ahead of time and make sure they have truck parking and allow cats.

After all that great advice you're getting I can add only one thing, don't do uhaul. It is in their company policy that all customers must have one break down of some sort en route

Spend the extra 10 bucks for the insurance.

1. DON'T get in a position where you have to back up while towing a car behind.
2. Always leave extra room behind you when changing lanes or turning corners. People tend to forget they have an extra 16 feet of vehicle behind them.
3. SLOW DOWN well in advance of a stop. A fully loaded moving truck will take more space to come to a stop.

You have two people.
Can the other drive the car?

Helps when the car goes ahead to confirm your parking place for the night.

Crime happens. A simple just backing the truck to a wall helps.

Cats while in motion it is a real good idea to keep them in their kennels. They can get underfoot at the worst possible moments. Plan a stop about every three hours for litter box water and a snack. The humans can do the same.

Not a bad idea to invest in a harness for each cat and leashes. They can wear the harness during the ride and leash helps for your stops. They can get used to it at home for weeks before you move.
You will not be driving top speed. The entire time. If it is just one driver plan on two stops for sleep. It can be done with one.
Did you seriously expect to be unloading the minute you arrive in Portland after a day on the road.
Honestly after you get it all loaded up will you be hitting the road for hours and hours a few minutes later?
Driving tips. PAY ATTENTION and remember you have something behind you that pushes you when you want to stop and drags you when you go It just take a bit more to get up to speed and longer to stop.

Make use of the other human to help guide you when you may need to back up. You can't see the trailer much in the mirrors.Take your time. If you turned the wrong way just pull forward and try again. You do not learn the art of backing a trailer in a few seconds.

Security? You get what you pay for. Hint the bargain room, the cheap place not worth the aggravation Just pay for the nicer place that has a secured parking area.

As you have kitties suggest you look for places that accept pets. Expect to pay a bit extra.

They need to clean up the shedding reminders of their stay.
DO NOT ASSUME your cat is a welcome guest. They can and will add a cleaning charge.

Up hill just accept that you will be slower move to the right. May want to also activate the flashers.

Downhills avoid long brake usage. Gear down and let the engine do its thing to help control the speed.

USE YOUR BRAIN you have a large thing that can be affected by the wind, Drive accordingly or just stop until it calms down a bit.A side wind and headwinds.

If your are an AAA member it also covers you while driving the u haul. Things like gas discounts and room rates are part of membership benefits.

Relax and enjoy the journey or stress out and marathon it.

FlagMichael has some good hints also.

The freeway/highway part is not much different. It is the entrance merge and exit the parking your negotiation of streets in Portland you will have issues.
SLOW DOWN signal your intentions well in advance and obviously know your height and pay attention to low bridges and other stuff you might need to go under.

Your other human can be your watchman if you are not sure.

Your cats will need their Portland stuff.

In case you get lost it is really a good idea to have a phone number on the cats collar so they can find you.

If you plan on driving the same day that you load up just a few hours and get some sleep.

In the morning JUST GO. Have breakfast down the road.

Depending your time of day not much rush hour traffic after Sacramento. Rush hour a good time to just stop take a break and have dinner or breakfast.

For planing purposes about 18 hours of driving. This includes sometime for breaks.
the humans need the litter box too. 4 hours for the toms and 3 hours for the princess and cats.

BE AWARE of temperature Kitty can't roll down the window while you go eat.

Don't tow the Honda. Get someone to drive it there for you, even if it costs money.

Also get some practice driving a machine that big. I don't doubt your driving skills, but you want to be comfortable driving that thing before you head out across the friggin' country with it. Those trucks don't accelerate, brake or turn like your sedan, and they sure as hell aren't as easy to park. You've got to get used to driving using only side mirrors, and you don't want your first experience to be on a major interstate at rush hour in a strange area.