So, here’s the thing. Last weekend, I made a reservation on UHaul’s website for a moving van. I decided I needed a reservation when I drove by the local lot and saw that there was a real dearth of vans. In fact, there was only one. When it went through, I figured that either (a) I got dibs on either the van I saw or one that wasn’t in the lot, or (b) if there wasn’t one, they’d send one out. I was giving them a week’s notice, after all.
I had decided to stop by the UHaul place and confirm that everything was a-go and find out how I was supposed to pick the car up on a Saturday when they are closed on Saturdays. Unfortunately, the one day I stopped by there was nobody there. I forgot to stop by again. But I figured we’d work it out.
Yesterday morning I got a call from UHaul’s Arapaho dispatcher or whatever, and they called to inform me that there was no van available for my reservation. I would have to pick one up from Redstone. It would cost an additional $20 because it would be considered a one-way move. Or I could still do “in town” but I would be paying for mileage ($.89/mi). The second option would mean that we would be paying for over 100 miles for a move that is four blocks over. The first option would mean that somehow I would need to get over there without driving because I couldn’t leave the car over there because I wouldn’t be going back. Or I could get a ride back to pick up the car, but that was problematic, too.
Adding to this, if I was driving solo (second option) I couldn’t take the baby with me because you can’t put a babyseat in a UHaul. Which would mean that Clancy would need to watch the baby, which she doesn’t have time to do because of work obligations*. Further, she can’t drive me to Redstone (first option) because she is on call this weekend and that means she can’t go beyond a 20-mile radius. It also means that leaving her with the baby is problematic because if she gets called in, there is nobody to watch her.
So that just wasn’t going to work. Unfortunately, due to the fact it took them a full four days to inform us that the Callie location has no vans, we were hard-pressed to find someone to loan us a pick-up truck. Our neighbor had offered, but when I asked her I found out that their pickup is broken down. Clancy could ask around the office, but it was short notice and pickups are not as big with the doctors as they are with everyone else in town (and everyone else in town we know well enough to ask are doctors). The realtor had also vaguely made such an offer, but that was before we signed the lease and also before we turned down his brother-in-law’s offer to move us. So I wasn’t sure if that was an option, even forgiving the short notice.
Before calling him to find out, I decided that maybe we would just get a trailer from UHaul. We have the Forrester, and we got the trailer hitch package for a reason. The only problem is that the trailers we needed maxed out at 1,800lbs and the theoretical maximum for the Forester is a scant 1,500lbs. Now, we’re pretty sure that the 1,500lbs is more of a liability limit rather than an actual limit as to what the auto can actually pull. The maximum tow capacity is listed as much higher in other countries (3,200-4,400 lbs) and I don’t think it’s because they’re getting that much a tougher model. Rather, I think they have more to fear from lawsuits and so they are more conservative in their American estimates.
So I called UHaul and I lied. I said that the maximum tow capacity is 2,000. It turned out this wasn’t a lie. Even though it’s advertised at 1,500, the hitch itself says 2,400. Whatever, it’s four blocks. UHaul bought it and we made the reservation.
So yesterday I get the hitch out only to be reminded that I don’t have a hitch ball. I am quite glad I looked tonight so that I can go around town and look for one tomorrow. Now, theoretically I should be good to go. The hitch package on the Subaru is supposed to be complete (with break lights and so on – I’ve seen the cables). I am crossing my fingers and hoping-hoping-hoping that they don’t take one look at it and say “That won’t work.”
Because if they do, we’re hosed.
* – She has a job interview on the east coast next week. Rather than let her use her vacation time, they basically put the week’s worth of clinic in the first three days of the week. That means that it will be nigh-impossible for her to get all of her paperwork done before she leaves and that’s if she’s caught up from this week’s. She can’t catch up from this week’s without my giving her every possible moment to work on it (and even then, it’s iffy, because I’m going to need her to help me move some of the heavy stuff).
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11 Responses to UHaul It, U-Lug It, U Swear U’ll Never Do It Again
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Arapaho
Greetings from Callie, Arapaho, a red town in a red state known for growing red meat. And from Redstone, Arapaho (Aw-RAH-pah-hoe), a blue city with blue collar roots that's been feeling blue for quite some time.
Nothing written on this site should be taken as strictly true, though if the author were making it all up rest assured the main character and his life would be a lot less unremarkable.
It seems as if many U-Haul customers are dissatisfied.
Unfortunately, there just aren’t many competitors out there. We rented an Enterprise van back in Cascadia for the purpose of driving out to the boonies and purchasing a used sofa and love seat. That was pretty nice because Enterprise doesn’t charge for mileage even for their moving vans. But it was a hassle and a half to actually get a hold of one of their moving vans.
How awful for a measly 4-block move. I hope it all works out for you.
I thought that Clancy was pursuing additional training for a year or two. Is this interview for a job that will start after the additional training period, or is this in lieu of the additional training?
It is an interview for the additional training period.
Ah, ok. For some reason I thought that had been sewn up already. The East Coast would certainly be a change for you. I hope the interview goes well, especially if it’s the fellowship she really wants.
The east coast (and it’s not actually on the cost, but only a couple hours drive) would actually make all four time zones since I’ve been married. As luck would have it, the place is a half-hour or so from the town where I was raised from 0-2 year of age. So I’ve technically lived there.
She has a job interview on the east coast next week.
How East Coast is East Coast?
Unfortunately, there just aren’t many competitors out there.
Admittedly, you’re in the middle of nowhere, but a second best would be a Hertz Local Edition where some have vans and pick up trucks available. Otherwise, an interesting alternative would have been a Ryder truck or Penske rental…
Now, we’re pretty sure that the 1,500lbs is more of a liability limit rather than an actual limit as to what the auto can actually pull.
I think it may actually have more to do with the selection of automatic transmissions sold here in the States, while in foreign countries, the gearing is less focused on 0 to 60 times. Plus, it’s a marketing attempt to get you to buy an Outback which can tow up to 2700 lbs.
Besides, how many people in the States tow *anything* with their small CUVs or sedans? Admittedly, I’m biased as I’m in a part of the country where trailers are de facto banned, so we’re unlikely to see them, but other than some guys out east with F250s and F350s or my neighbour with a Sierra van, nobody tows anything.
That certainly makes sense.
We do! We do! I actually used a trailer to get our exercise bike home, back in Estacado.
The East Coast would certainly be a change for you.
It’s admittedly why I asked “how East Coast is East Coast”. Some rural areas will remind of where he is now, except with much smaller mountains and better winters, and there are smaller urban areas like Hartford or Providence to balance out with larger places like NYC or Philadelphia.
Not hugely east coast. But east coast for us!
Signed Baseballs…
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