Moving in or around Fond du Lac? The default assumption for most people is "rent a moving truck" — a U-Haul cargo van or a 26-foot box truck from one of the national chains. That assumption is worth questioning. For most local and regional moves in Wisconsin, renting a trailer and towing it with your own vehicle is cheaper, faster, more flexible, and frankly less stressful than driving an unfamiliar box truck through downtown FDL.
The Cost Comparison: Trailer vs. Moving Truck
Let's run actual numbers for a typical Fond du Lac move — say, a two-bedroom apartment moving to a house across town or to a neighboring city like Oshkosh or Beaver Dam.
Moving Truck Costs
A 15-foot moving truck from U-Haul for a day might start at $29.95, but that's the base rate before you add:
- Per-mile charges (typically $0.89–$1.09 per mile)
- Fuel (box trucks get 8-12 mpg)
- Damage waiver / coverage
- Dollies and furniture pads (rented separately)
- Taxes and fees
A local 25-mile move in a U-Haul 15-footer routinely totals $120-180 after all the add-ons. A move from FDL to Milwaukee (65 miles) can hit $200-280 before fuel.
Trailer Costs
Our 20-foot enclosed trailer rental starts at $60 for 4 hours. A full-day rental for a move is more, but the total — with no per-mile charges — is often 40-60% less than a comparable moving truck for the same job. You supply the tow vehicle (your truck or a friend's), and you supply the fuel at your vehicle's normal towing economy — considerably better than a diesel box truck's 8 mpg.
Real example: FDL to Oshkosh move, 25 miles each way. U-Haul 15-footer with mileage: ~$180-220. Fondy enclosed trailer + your truck: ~$80-120 depending on rental period. You save $80-100 before lunch.
What Fits in the 20-Foot Enclosed Trailer
Our enclosed trailer is genuinely large — 20 feet of length gives you more capacity than most 15-foot moving trucks. What fits in a typical two-bedroom home's contents:
- King or queen bed frame, mattress, and box spring
- Dresser, nightstands, desk
- Couch, loveseat, coffee table
- Dining table and 4-6 chairs
- Refrigerator, washer, dryer
- Approximately 40-60 medium moving boxes
A well-organized two-bedroom move usually fits in one load. Three-bedroom homes may require one organized trip or selective staging over two loads depending on furniture volume. The trailer's E-track tie-down rails let you secure furniture in place to prevent shifting on the road.
Advantages of Towing vs. Driving a Moving Truck
You Drive Your Own Vehicle
This sounds simple, but it matters. You know your truck. You know how it accelerates, brakes, and feels in corners. Driving a 26-foot box truck you've never operated before through FDL's tighter neighborhoods, past construction zones on Main Street, and into an apartment parking lot is a legitimate stress. Towing a trailer behind your pickup uses the same driving skills you already have — just with the additional length behind you.
No Height Clearance Anxiety
Box trucks are tall — 12 feet or more. Wisconsin has underpasses, parking garage entrances, and drive-through-style loading docks that create clearance problems for box trucks. Trailers sit low. You won't be white-knuckling it under every overpass.
Weather Protection Without Bulk
Our enclosed trailer protects your furniture and boxes from Wisconsin's unpredictable weather while remaining easier to maneuver than a box truck. The enclosed walls and lockable rear door protect your belongings just as well as any moving truck.
Multiple Trips Are Easy
If your move requires two loads, you load, drive, unload, and come back for the second run. With a trailer, that's easy — the trailer stays hitched, you park and load, and go. With a moving truck on a per-mile plan, two trips doubles your mileage cost.
Loading Tips for Moving in FDL
Load Heavy Items First, Against the Nose
Appliances, dressers, and filled bookshelves go in first at the front of the trailer (nearest the hitch connection). This places weight over the axle and forward, which stabilizes the trailer during towing. A back-heavy trailer causes dangerous sway at highway speeds.
Use E-Track Straps for Large Furniture
Our enclosed trailer has E-track rails on the walls for attaching ratchet straps. Loop straps around furniture pieces and anchor to the rails to prevent them from sliding. Furniture doesn't need to be immobile like a package — it just needs to not slam into the walls or each other when you brake.
Fill Voids With Boxes
Boxes packed into gaps between furniture pieces reduce movement and maximize trailer utilization. Pack bookshelves and dressers with books and clothing while in the trailer to use every cubic foot efficiently.
Protect Glass and Mirrors
Mirror boxes (flat cardboard moving boxes) are worth using for large mirrors and glass tabletops. Lean them against the trailer walls with padding on either side. They don't need to be horizontal — vertical transport of glass is fine with proper padding.
Moving Scenarios Where the Trailer Wins Clearly
Local FDL Moves (Under 30 Miles)
The mileage savings alone make the trailer the obvious choice. You're looking at a flat rental rate with zero per-mile cost regardless of how many times you drive back and forth.
Moving to Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Green Bay, or Milwaukee
Regional moves are where U-Haul's per-mile charges really bite. A Fond du Lac to Milwaukee move is 65 miles each way — 130 miles round trip — plus the drive back empty. With per-mile charges and fuel, a moving truck is expensive. Our trailer with no mileage cap covers the whole round trip for a single flat rate.
Moving Out of a Storage Unit
Storage units in FDL are common. Moving stored items to a new home or into a garage is a half-day trailer job in many cases — and you'll appreciate the no-mileage policy if the storage unit is across town.
When a Moving Truck Might Make More Sense
To be fair: if you don't have a truck or SUV with a tow hitch, you can't pull the trailer. In that case, a moving truck is your option. Also, if you're doing a very long-distance cross-country move (over 400 miles), a professional moving company may ultimately make more economic sense than multiple days of trailer rental. But for the vast majority of Fond du Lac moves — local to regional — the trailer wins.
Book Your FDL Moving Trailer
Text Nick at (920) 381-9770. Tell him your move dates and whether you need a single day or multiple days. He'll confirm the 20-foot enclosed trailer is available and walk you through any questions before you pick it up. If you're moving on a weekend, book by Thursday to guarantee the trailer.