Can bunnies handle riding in the cab of a moving truck?

[Meg]

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a move from Chicago to Washington, DC, and need some advice.  I don’t have a car, and am thinking of renting a Budget truck (a 10′ one) to move the bunnies and me and our stuff.  But here’s my question: do you think that bunnies could handle the added stress of being (in their crate, of course) in the cab of a bigger truck like that, with its noisier engine?  They already hate going in cars as it is! 

 

It’s an 11-hour drive, which I’m thinking we can mitigate a little by splitting it into 2 5.5-hour days (one pm and one am), and staying over in a pet-friendly hotel where I’ll set up their familiar habitat. But do you think the truck noise would be too much for them?  I can see if I can somehow borrow a car to drive if needed (it’d be more money but I’d be open).  Does anyone have experience with this?

 

Thank you so much!! 

[longhairmike]

car… even renting a full size SUV will save you tons in gas money compared to a small truck.

if you rarely even drive a car, then you’re also not used to a truck where the ONLY way to see traffic around you is using your side mirrors.
if you have no experience with those vehichles you will not want to stop anywhere where you might need to back out of a parking spot.
your turning radius will also be very wide.

[Meg]

Thanks, Mike! This actually wasn’t what I was hoping to get an answer on, though. I’ve driven moving trucks of this size before, so I’m OK on that. And because I need to move all my belongings across the country, it will definitely be cheaper if I can drive the truck myself. But I can pay more to get movers to drive it and to rent a car to drive the bunnies in if it would be much better for their health and peace of mind.

So this is my question, fellow bunny owners:

Do you think that it would freak out my two bunnies too much to do our long drive while riding in the cab of a 10′ moving truck? I’m just worried that the noise and vibrations of that bigger engine would make them even more scared than they would be in a car. But I don’t know. Has anyone done this before?

Thank you so much for your help!!

[Linette]

The cab of the truck is not that much louder, they’ll be fine. I’ve moved rabbits all over the country, last year did a 2000 mile treck with my current bun. Never had any trouble with them.

Gave him a bowl of water at all of my potty stops, and pulled a few weeds so he got some different treats along the way. The big thing is heat, need to make sure they don’t heat up, I always have towels to throw over them to keep the Sun off.

[Meg]

Thank you so much!! Mine are usually too nervous to eat or drink in their carrier, but I’m hoping… Did you move yours in the cab of a truck too?

[LongEaredLions]

I have driven mine in loud cars before too, it really doesn’t make much difference from a regular car.
Do make sure they are cool, and offer hay and veggies with a high water content. You will want to stop every 2-3 hours and offer a water bowl and pellets, and perhaps let them out a bit to stretch their legs.
Good luck!

[Author]

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