May 2014 wedding cake to be baked in Myrtle Beach SC traveling Approx 500 miles about 8 hours away.

Thinking I should crumb coat and freeze then cover in fondant after arriving the day before. Another ideas?

Any suggestions will be most appreciated

Go ahead and finish your tiers. Put each one in its own box, then double-wrap in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil.  Freeze.  Travel with the boxes in ice chests sitting on dry ice.  The day before you need them - or when you arrive - put the boxes in the fridge to defrost slowly.  The day of, set them on the counter and let them come to room temperature before you even unwrap them.  This way, any condensation will be on the wrapping and not the cake.  Unwrap and stack and finish up.

My dh and I drove from Texas to California with 2 cakes, one fondant and one bc.  After being frozen for a week and driving for 23 hours, I didn't expect much, but I followed the instructions exactly (originally from BlakesCakes, by the way) and they both turned out perfect. 

Last month I traveled 6 hours with a 4 tier wedding cake and groom's cake.   I had everything filled, crumbed & iced and then froze, and individually boxed each tier.    I put the boxed cakes in my gigantic coolers with dry ice.    After arriving and putting in frig overnight at location, the big layers were still frozen the next morning!    Next time I travel for a long distance, I will not bother with dry ice and just travel with frozen cakes in the cooler.

I decorated onsite.  My wedding cakes were all butter cream and groom's cake was fondant.   I would definitely fondant/decorate onsite.

what type of wedding cake?  Complicated details, flowers, etc

Or you can follow BlakesCakes instructions - -

Finish and decorate your cake and put each tier in a separate box. Double wrap with plastic wrap and then wrap in foil.  Freeze.  Travel with the boxes in coolers sitting ON TOP of dry ice.  When you arrive, or the day before you need them, put the boxes in the fridge.  The day of, set them on the counter and don't unwrap until they are room temperature.  This way, any condensation will be on the wrapping and not the cake.

I drove 1400 miles over 23 hours with a fondant wedding cake and a bc graduation cake.  After being frozen for a week and the "fun" trip, I wasn't expecting much but they both turned out perfectly.

The guy at the UPS store where I got my dry ice said that dry ice should be stored on top of boxes..because the cool air will travel "down".  I overbought on the dry ice and I had it on top of the boxes and all around the sides.   Maybe that's why my cakes were still frozen. 

The instructions on the dry ice I bought said to place it "On top to keep cool, on bottom to keep frozen." Maybe I got it backwards. . . . ?

That's good to know jfgifford...I did not read the instructions...just listened to the UPS guy....maybe I should've read!  Thanks for that info!

Thank you all for the information. I will be doing a small test run in Nov. The only other time's I've had to transport a distance was when my nieces got married in PA and I lived in Utah. And I had plenty of time then to ice on arrival.

I forget how long dry ice lasts...there is some formula..how many pounds lasts per hour.   I bought $90 worth of dry ice!  Had way too much.   The next day most of my dry ice had not evaporated that was in the cooler.   The dry ice I had in another plastic container..that did not seal was almost completely evaporated in 6 hours..it was one of those stackable plastic things.   With your long trip, you may want to find dry ice locations to buy more.  Start with UPS stores.

I have no idea about dry ice. Haven't seen any in South Carolina. I'll check with UPS. Out west all the stores have it extremely hot.

AI love in charleston. Publix sells dry ice

Ohhhhh.... how I miss Publix!!  We don't have them here.

Found out there are a few ice companies in Myrtle Beach area that sells dry ice. 5-10 pounds should last 24 hrs in a closed cooler.