UHaul experience this weekend

[Straight6Jeff]

Welp, UHaul has kept is perfect record with me as far as renting garbage. I needed an enclosed trailer to help family move this weekend. No one except UHaul would rent a trailer unless I rented thier truck. So I pick up the 6x12 enclosed friday afternoon, preparing to drive to NY. Hook up the trailer, go to hook up the Harness. HMMM, five wires, all that have been torn off at the frame. OK, I call the Local UHaul place (the place I picked mine up was a drop-off point that had no one who could help). the Guy on the phone tells me to bring him the trailer so he could re-wire.



I start going down the road and it felt like my truck was lugging a little. I stop at a light about a mile fromt he UHaul maitainance shop, and when I go to take off, the trailer tires are locked up... . hydraulic inertia brakes set. Well, having four veins popping out of my forehead by now, I put my transmission in first gear and take off. A mile later I pull up to the service door with four smoking tires (trailer), one blown out. I hop out and ask the tech "hey, can you fix the lights on this thing". He asks whats wrong with the tires? I reply "tires, I don't know, everything seems fine to me... "



Well, the replacement trailer worked OK the rest of the weekend.

 

[Batman]

"what's wrong with the tires" ROTFLMAO

I can just see that guys face.

"trailer is fine" You are too funny. Hope the rest of the trip was fine.

Ican honestly say that I haven't had any problems with the many times I've rented from them. I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER luck I guess.

George

 

[klenger]

The last time I checked, the largest enclosed trailer that U-Haul had was a 6'x12'. It's possible that I may be moving about 250 miles from here, and will need to move our stuff. The 6'x12' is way to small. Does anyone rent either a bumper pull or gooseneck enclosed trailer that would hold a housefull of stuff that I can pull behind the truck? I have a draw-tite 5th wheel hitch that can be setup with a gooseneck ball.

 

[Alaskaskiff]

Uhaul 6x12

Rented one to move some stuff from NYC to Rhode Island. Lights were all messed up when I got it. They tried to say it was on my side. Not! I tow regularly. They work fine. I was in a rush so I took the trailer and fixed the lights at home. Just on a whim looked under the trailer and one of the bolts holding front spring assembly had backed half way out threatening to dump the suspension. Discovered after they closed and after trailer was loaded. They did not have another one anyway. Spent $5 and safely went about my business. Rent and abuse , but check them out first. Tows nice at 70!

 

[Eric_77]

Well there are no national chains or if there is they aren't in Dallas that rent bigger trailers. I have had luck with some of the trailer dealers renting trailers look in Yellow pages under trailers and start calling the big name trailer dealers Wells, Pace, Utilimaster, etc. Sometimes the U-haul or Ryder dealers know of the mom-n-pop outfits that rent trailers. You should be able to find someone but alas it is only "local" rental so you have to return it to where you rented it.

 

[roadranger]

Yep- Gotta love that U-Haul!



Rented one of their GMC 24 ft vans to move from Arizona to Colorado. Truck didn't have ANY lights working at all, except the headlights. Didn't find this out until after I loaded up.



Kept on motorvating until dark, then put up in a motel till daybreak. Turned in the truck 1 day overdue- and refused to pay the penalty. Then I raised hell with Phoenix until they finally paid the motel bill.



Gotta use Ryder next time... .

 

[Doc Tinker]

The only problem I ever had with UHaul is the time I paid cash for the deposit and rental at one place and dropped the trailer off at another. When I dropped off the trailer they wouldn't return my deposit, said it would be mailed to me in a couple of weeks. I told them I wouldn't accept that policy, since I paid cash earlier that day and called headqaurters who approved an immediate refund.



UHaul has been in the news a lot, for renting dangerous and unkept equipment, so be real careful when you check out the equipment before leaving and make note of all problems, including dents, ect.



If you pick up the unit at a UHaul owned facility, expect the counter man to pressure you to buy their insurance. They'll tell you all kinds of crap designed to scare you into buying the insurance.



Doc

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I refuse to rent ANYTHING from u-haul any more - never got anything but junk from them! If I have a large load to move that I can't do with my own truck I rent a large truck from Ryder or Penske - they both have good equipment in my experience.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Better yet, dually ram and my gooseneck flat or my horse trailer, no need to rent.

 

[klenger]

QRTRHRS



Can I borrow yours? See previous reply on this post.

 

[QRTRHRS]

klenger,



My gooseneck is a flatbed and the horse trailer is a stock type, ie, not very water proof and too small. Sell em' to ya' though. By the way, I am about two days drive east of you if you keep the hammer down.



Seriously, check out Penske. Around here, they rent out trucks with about 22' of box and a power lift gate. You can't beat that gate!

 

[rickhans]

When I need a trailer, I buy one. It can always be re-sold. I was on vacation in '98 one week after buying my new Ram. I had to move my son's furniture back from 29 Palms Marine base in California to Texas. I went to Colorado and Utah first and did not want to drag one of my trailers on a 5,000 mile trip. I could not find anyone other than U'haul to rent me a trailer, but they were too small. I stopped south of Salt Lake City where there is a trailer manufacturer and bought a new 20' enclosed, went to 29 Palms, loaded up, went to Tombstone, AZ and picked up an antique upright grand piano, then on to Dallas.



After unloading, I parked the trailer with a for sale sign and sold it for $1,000 more than I paid for it. Sure beats renting.

 

[Scot]

Rented a 6x12 U-Haul in about '83 or so to do one of those easy money one trip moves. Such is life as a college student. The guy gets the scotch locks out and begins to hack into the wiring under the truck to hook up the lights. I begin to get worried. Two trips later it is too late to turn it in so the guy that was helping me takes the trailer back.



As he drives down Division St in Arlington TX, the truck "popped out of gear" as he tells it about a month later. Not generally knowing much more than being able to find the gas cap 4 out of 5 times, he manages to get the hubs locked in and into 4 hi.



I drove the truck maybe once a month. Where the truck was parked all of the time, it was not unusual to have kids lock the hubs, so I was not too surprised to see them locked in. Then I unlocked them and tried to move it.



Well it turns out that the failed surge brake banging back and forth almost tore the ball hitch off the bumper and the repeated shocks in turn broke the Dana 60 axle off at the root in a beautiful textbook conical fracture.



So much for that money making adventure.



I have refused to loan a truck to best friends if the trailer is a U-haul.

 

[Roger rodbolt]

Run the other way!

I owned and operated an auto repair/towing service for over 20 yrs. and for a short time signed a dealer contract with U Haul. I'll be kind and just say that the equipment condition mentioned here on TDR is the "norm" and U Haul discouraged contract dealers from even doing minor repairs.

"Nuff" said.

 

[RobG]

I've also had my share of crap from U-Haul. Back in the early 90's my dad rented a 6x12 trailer and towed it from Florida to Nebraska to bring me my stuff. The trailer had a leaking roof as we discovered later when half of my stuff was water-logged.



Then, I rented one of their 14' trucks to move from Nebraska to California in 1998. It was a Ford Econoline chassis with the 6. 9 non-turbo diesel. The truck was only a few years old but had 96k miles on it. I wish I'd known to check it more thoroughly first, but the truck was in seriously bad shape. One of the rear tires blew on the first day of the trip because air pressure wasn't right. I also noticed that the front tires were worn bald on the inside due to a poor alignment, and the thing pulled really badly to the left.



I tried to get some money back from U-Haul for all the problems and it was like dealing with a used car salesman. He tried to lay the blame on me for "accepting" the truck in that condition, when I didn't even realize it was like that until we were loaded and on the road.



So I also will never do business with U-Haul again. I'll stick with Budget; I've had good luck with them, and they also rent Isuzu NPR-based trucks.



Rob

 

[SlyBones]

Ryder is not any better

My sister moved here from New York at the end of August. ( Just in time, knows lots of missing ). She used Ryder as she heard all the bad problems with UHaul.



Well the Ryder truck broke down 4-5 times, all for the same thing. It broke down, left them sitting on the freeway, had to get towed into town, spend the night, bla bla bla, gets the thing fixed, starts out the next morning, 122 mi and it happens again.



Overall her 7 day trip really took 13. They tried to charge her for the extra days she was late. Cost her almost $1000 more than expected. Then told her to blow smoke. Told her to sue them if she wanted some of her expenses reimbursed.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

Bad Uhauls

Wow... sorry to hear of all the bad news with rental companies. My local U-Haul company is owned by a local major maintenance shop. Never heard of any complaints from their equipment other than the paint and rust, because the equipment lasts so long.

 

[Hale on wheels]

I won't even get started on this one

 

[RobG]

Anything will last a long time if properly cared for. The problem is that most U-Haul equipment isn't properly cared for, because the rental facilities aren't reimbursed for repairs or service to the equipment. That's why they won't do it if it isn't absolutely necessary. They'd RATHER it break down in-route, because then U-Haul the company pays for it.



I see this as a serious problem created by U-Haul the company that should be corrected.



Rob

 

[DiTrani]

Here in Boston UHaul in notorious for over booking the big Sept. 1st move. You'll see 2-3 people with reservations show up for every truck they have. It gets ugly.



BONUS!! 0% financing just went into affect for my on-order truck!!!