Date:         Fri, 30 Apr 1999 07:30:16 -0700
Reply-To:     "Tom L. Neal" <jneal@NETCOM.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Tom L. Neal" <jneal@NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      (No vanagon content) One Hell of a Trip or Why you shouldn't use
              U-Haul for long distant trips
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

No vanagon content.
Agree with the note about the excess of non-vanagon non-Friday messages.
Also agree that just returning a message to sender, not all,
is much more appropriate for most messages.

However, since it's Friday, this true story from my sister's friend
makes hauling stuff around with vanagons, even with all their issues,
seem like a breeze.  Of course, this friend seems a little more accident
prone than the average person.

Cheers, Tom Neal


Trip log of a move from Manassas to Austin
>
> With my right ankle still in a splint from falling off truck during first
> move, I managed to get everything packed (w/my mom's help) for the 2nd move.
>  Up until the day of closing I didn't know whether my well would pass the 2nd
> inspection (they spent 1 day putting clorine into well, spent 1 day pumping
> it out again, and on 3rd day, tested the well.)
>
> Early 4/14, I went to U-Haul to pick up my 26'-truck that I had reserved and
> had a deposit on for a month.  It wasn't there and so he called other dealers
> until he found one.  I had to go get it and it wasn't ready when I arrived.
> The delay meant that I had to cancel my movers and they agreed to come at
> 1300 that day (arrived at 1600).  Also postponed the carpet cleaners.  U-Haul
> informed me that they don't guarantee a truck at any location, day or time.
> They just take your deposit.
>
> Next morning, I loaded up car, finished cleaning house and took truck to
> U-Haul for the auto-transport.  I drove to the closing (sold my house finally
> --- Yea!!!) and drove back to U-Haul where they secured my car to the
> autotransport.  We left for TX.
>
> Arrived just East of Nashville where we spent the night.  Next morning, I
> manuvered through Nashville's rush hour traffic and got about 45 miles west
> of the city when the clutch failed on this long, high mountain.  I barely had
> enough time to pull onto the small shoulder before coming to a stop.  For the
> next hour, 100s of semi's rocked the truck back and forth.  Finally got out
> of truck and stood on shoulder.  Tenn State Trooper stopped and called
> U-Haul's emergency road service #.  A hour later, a private mechanic arrived,
> decided he could fix it right then and there by adjusting the clutch.  I was
> able to follow him on the shoulder to the next exit where we stopped in a
> large parking lot.  He finally got behind the wheel and declared the clutch
> dead and called U-Haul for a wrecker.
>
> Two hrs later, wrecker arrives and discovers that original U-Haul improperly
> installed auto-transport and car.   A few more miles and I might have lost
> both and killed someone.  We tow truck and auto-transport back to U-Haul
> repair facility, arriving just as they are closing.  They put us up in hotel
> after giving me my auto (had to unload and put stuff into truck cab for the
> night.)
>
> Next morning at 0930, my truck had a new clutch and he gave me two more days
> of travel time by writing on my contract (U-Haul dispatcher has no idea that
> I don't need to return it by 4/20;  nor does the poor sap who is planning on
> renting it on 4/20).
>
> We make it to East of Dallas before stopping for the night.  I see that the
> straps that hold the car down have come off again and am unable to release to
> reinstall.  I call U-Haul who tells me that no one will come out to help me
> that night, but will come by 0900.  Next morning 0900 comes and goes.  I
> can't get anyone at U-Haul to respond.
>
> I plan on driving real slow to Austin, but the day is saved by the coach of a
> Southern Bapist Softball team that are queing up in the hotel parking.  He
> figures out the strap  release and re-installs (this time they stay secure).
> I arrive at the Round Rock U-Haul late afternoon where they remove the
> auto-transport and car.  I drive truck to apartment complex where I promptly
> destroy the awning over the covered parking ($450 to fix!).  Next morning
> movers unload truck and storage Unit.   Later I returned truck and had to
> tell them the the clutch was replaced (no central maintenance records exist).
>  They gave it out to a new customer without even test driving it.
>
> We unpacked for 4 days then I drove my mom back to El Paso, got my teeth
> fixed (Fairfax dentist had screwed up my bite when he basically did
> unauthorized work -on 2 teeth after falsely telling me that I had a cavity in
> one) .  I've been unpacking ever since I got back to Round Rock.  And yes,
> I'm still wearing the splint since I haven't been able to rest my ankle for
> more that 2 days (in El Paso).  Driving my car really hurts it.  Here's
> hoping for a day of rest soon.