Do you need to move your car from SFO to DC ~ 24th Sep. Doing a one way road trip.

Hey Guys,
Am doing a one way road trip from SFO to the East Coast, and will be going to various places in the East, intending to via DC to Boston. If you have a car/camper/ similar that you need to move around that date, I can drive and deliver. I and my wife want to drive through some of Continental US. If you need to move your car, you and I can be mutually helpful.

Am an Indian citizen, with US driving licence. We will take appropriate insurance. If you have a camper or something of that sort, even better.

Happy to answer any of your questions/ consider reasonable changes.

Regards
Indi

Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

This is a risky task to undertake on a private basis. There is so much involved. You need a formal contract with the owner, you need security checks, and much more. There is a special insurance which applies, and as I understand it, is available only to companies who undertake this work. I have moved some two dozen vehicles around the US, covering almost 45000 miles, all of which were organised by Autodriveaway company - whose conditions are firm and strict in a most reasonable way. I would never want to shoulder all the responsibility involved with such a trip.

There is a new player on the block in imoova, but I have not used them in the US.

However, I think you'll find that if you are as rigid as having a specific date in mind, it is not likely to work for you. Relocating vehicles needs you to be flexible, not only in time, but in the direction the car needs to go. Not much use you wanting to move a car on one date, when someone needs their car moved three days earlier/later. You may also find that two relocations could work better, insofar that you may get a car from the west coast to one city and another from there to near DC (as an example). You can also pick up cars which go near the destination you wish to go, and then get a bus or train for the rest of the way. For example: a vehicle going to Atlanta, and take the bus from there.)

DC to Boston is an easy train trip.

Lifey

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I have to tell you that I don't think you will have much luck with your request, and I really wouldn't recommend even if you could. Trying to arraign a "private car rental" is a legal nightmare, and there are far too many problems and hassles to make it worth even considering.

As a "renter" you don't have any protection if the car breaks down or has any other issue. It is also very difficult to obtain appropriate insurance for such a "rental."

As the owner, the risk would be enormous. There would essentially be no guarantee that you'd ever even arrive at the destination, and essentially no recourse other than filing a stolen car report if you just kept the car. There's also the element that if you don't have sufficient insurance (which I indicated would be difficult to obtain) and you are in a significant crash, the owner could also be held financially liable. Even if you returned it, but trashed the car over the course of your trip, again, there would essentially be nothing the owner could do.

There are some 3rd party companies (like auto driveaway) that do make arraignments to help private people move other peoples cars, but they don't do that with campers, and if you went that route, you would have a limited amount of time to complete the trip.

LifeMagician, Midwest Michael..
Sincere thanks to the both of you.. Appreciate your detailed advice.

1. In terms of breakdowns, I did believe AAA or similar ones would be good to help. Would that be a wrong assumption?

2. Owner's recourse? Yes, You are very right. I would have felt very uncomfortable if I myself had to "lend" my car to a foreigner. The only reason I would have considered that option would have been if a move organised by moving companies was at least as expensive as the value of the vehicle being moved. In such a case, it would make sense to take a risk like that.

In other words, I am banking on someone willing to take the risk when compared to the potential saving of thousands of dollars in moving costs.

3. Insurance? I have been away from the US for nearly 7 years, and am not sure if any rules have changed. However, as a resident in around 2006, I had driven a friend's car for a few weeks, after getting formally documented by the Insurance firm as a 2nd driver for that while. At that time however, I did have a valid US DL and a valid car insurance policy in my name as well.
Both the US driver's licence and my Auto Insurance (US) are expired now, and that is certainly a change from the circumstances.

Not that I have any responses from car-owners yet, but am curious to know your thoughts on my points 1, 2 & 3 above.

Thanks a lot once again.

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Originally Posted by Indiguns

In other words, I am banking on someone willing to take the risk when compared to the potential saving of thousands of dollars in moving costs.

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Those who are prepared to *take the risk* and save, would do so via one of the car moving companies, and pay the few hundred dollars that it costs. A company which offers the option of having the car driven by a casual driver, local or foreign., That way they know they would have a security checked driver, whose fingerprints are taken and whose details will be forwarded to the FBI in case of the car not being delivered. They will also have the deposit the driver lodges before the trip, in case the vehicle is damaged along the way. That deposit, I believe, is equivalent to the excess the company has on its insurance. At the end of the trip, when the owner notifies the company that all is well, the deposit is refunded to the driver.

No individual who knows the risks would undertake all this on their own. There is a lot involved, legally and for security, all of which is handled by the company they pay to organise it all.

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I had driven a friend's car for a few weeks, after getting formally documented by the Insurance firm as a 2nd driver for that while.

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There is a great difference in driving a friend's car, or a total stranger's car. I too have driven both my son's car and another family member's car for a five month period each. In each case they were happy to have me on their policy. But I can assure you, neither would ever give consideration to putting a total stranger on their insurance policy.

It could bankrupt them!

Lifey

HOW flexible are your plans? Could you leave a week sooner?

CRUISE AMERICA currently has a ROLLING OUT OF ARIZONA one way special to Washington DC for $24 per night with no one way fee. This includes some insurance with the option of full coverage for an additional fee. Of course, that's 750 miles away but if you can find a way to get down there it might be worth your while.

Very inconvenient for you, yes. But they rent to foreign visitors all the time. At least it's an option to consider. You have 8 days for the trip.

Edit: I just noticed that your two posts contradict each other. First you state that you have a US drivers license. Then you state that both your license and insurance have expired.

If you have an International licence, if your Indian licence is not written in English, that is acceptable. It would also be good if you could get a letter of the status of your licence in India - which hopefully is flawless.

That is a fantastic deal, and 8 days will give you time to explore two or three sites along the way. You would of course have to add the cost of camp grounds with hookups to this low rental fee.

Lifey

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Originally Posted by Indiguns

1. In terms of breakdowns, I did believe AAA or similar ones would be good to help. Would that be a wrong assumption?

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AAA covers towing to a garage, it doesn't cover actual repairs. What if once AAA gets to you a repair shop, the mechanic informs you that the car needs a $2,000 repair? Are you covering that cost? Is the owner? What if the owner thinks the repair is needed because of how you were driving the car?

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2. In other words, I am banking on someone willing to take the risk when compared to the potential saving of thousands of dollars in moving costs.

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One, I think you might be overstating the cost of having a car shipped across country, but more importantly, for any potential savings, they are risking the complete loss of their second most valuable possession. Realistically, what you are asking someone to do is not that much different than "volunteering" to ship $25,000 in cash across county for a stranger. If you never arrive with the money (steal the car), or lose several thousand dollars along the way (damage the car), there is almost nothing the owner could do about it. You might be willing to take that risk, but I think you'd be incredibly foolish to do so.

There are many horror stories of people renting out their homes on AirBNB, only to discover that their home was torn apart by "renters" who used the home for a party. However, since the people renting out their homes used a 3rd party, like AirBNB, the owners have recourse to have their damages covered by AirBNB and/or AirBNB's insurance, and if they don't, the owner can sue AirBNB. You're asking someone to do the exact same kind of rental, but without the protection of a 3rd party, and that's just not a smart idea at all.

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3.However, as a resident in around 2006, I had driven a friend's car for a few weeks, after getting formally documented by the Insurance firm as a 2nd driver for that while. At that time however, I did have a valid US DL and a valid car insurance policy in my name as well.

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First of all, without a valid US drivers license, it will be more difficult to get a US insurance policy. Second, I don't think you appreciate just how much of a risk your friend was taking by adding you to his policy. If you had gotten into an accident, his rates would have gone up for several years because of it.

But here's the bigger thing which I addressed in my first post. If you get into a major accident where someone is killed or seriously injured, you've now put the car owner at financial risk. Say you're at fault in a crash, and the other person suffers $500,000 in medical bills, and you've got an insurance policy with a $50,000 limit (a policy that would still be above state minimums), the victim of the crash could then go after the owner of the car to try and collect the other $450,000. While something like that is a rare outcome, and as much as you'd like to say "that will never happen to me" it does happen, and is part of the risk someone would be taking by handing you the keys to their car, without any 3rd party protection.

Thanks so much all...

Immensely grateful to the time and logic you have put it. I think I understand the situation much better now, enough to say no to anyone who requested me to do that.
Thanks again..

Two things for clarification:
1. My valid US Driver's license expired 2015. I tried to just convey that I have driven on the US roads, for nearly 7 years, lawfully, and therefore can be considered a safe driver. Thankfully not a single incident/accident to date.
2. Indian Driver's licenses are all in English now, and mine made a few years ago, will also have a magnetic chip if I were to renew it for whatever reason today.

As for the deal on Cruise America, thanks so much but no thanks. Would not suit my plans.

Thanks everyone once again..

One last question, though this may be the wrong forum to ask this. Any tips with Insurances for International license on Car Rentals? 15 years ago, they used to charge you a lot more if your licence was International (English or Not). Additionally, a lot of the inexpensive ones refused renting a car to International Licence holders altogether.

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Originally Posted by Indiguns

As for the deal on Cruise America, thanks so much but no thanks. Would not suit my plans.

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In that case relocating vehicles would not work for you. When I did it, I never had any forward plans. I just took each relocation as it came up. Helped me to see a lot of the country I otherwise would not have seen.

When it comes to car rentals, check out this thread. Some good ideas you could follow through with.

Lifey