I kind of assumed he was a coach who had done something horrible.

I kind of enjoy the experience of it, but if you're going with a cost/benefit type of approach, it's probably a total waste of your time. The haggling part can be annoying you'll have to put in some time in organizing everything and (I assume) being there for the sale itself.

That's a pretty long move so it won't be dirt cheap any way you slice it. The pod or uhaul option might be cheapest, but you might be able to find a reasonable price discount mover if you don't have too much stuff. I'd probably get rid of the mattresses and pretty much anything else you plan on replacing. It'll just cost more to have it moved. If you need a recommendation for a mover, I've used A1AutoTransport (theyre movers and car shippers) - they operate throughout the southwest and were on the cheaper side of the ones I looked at. Good luck with everything.