Rant: U-Haul

I needed to haul fourteen sheets of plywood and a bunch of other stuff home from the store today. The plywood I'm buying comes in typical 4'x8' sheets. Now I'm not foolish enough to just assume that I can fit a 4'x8' sheet of plywood into a 5'x8' trailer.

I reference this diagram of inside dimensions on the U-Haul website:

Inside dimensions suggest the 5x8 trailer is more like a 4¼X9. No problem.

I rented the trailer, and then spent two hours at the gettin' place trying to get the right wood. We haul it out to the trailer, and the first sheet won't lie down. I double check that this is a 4X8 sheet, and not, say, one of the 9' sheets that seem common in OSB. Nope, won't fit.

I had to return the whole batch of wood.

It looks like the inside length is actually about 92" on this trailer. I'll check it properly in the morning. After so much went in to getting the right stuff picked and bought, I'm livid.

Hopefully, U-Haul will make it right in the morning. I'm bringing a tape measure.

I think that it is a universal fact that one cannot be a happy customer when renting from U-Haul.

Would it have been better to rent the "by the hour" Pickup from Lowes/Depot?

In reply to JohnRW1621:

At this point, probably. The nearest one of those is half an hour away, at the Home Depot in the next town. That means I'd blow 60 of the 75 minutes getting there and back, leaving only 15 for loading, unloading, and standing in line. I guess it would have depended on what the second hour cost.

I did run the numbers on the U-Haul pickup with the 8' bed, but decided this trailer would be cheaper once miles were factored.

I think the U-Haul was $28 out the door, 24 hours, unlimited miles.

What I really wish is that I'd decided that I needed the loading ramp on the next larger utility trailer, and spent the extra five for that.

Just put a measuring tape on it, and the interior length on this trailer is 7'9". That's closer to the next trailer down:

I'm headed out, comforted with the certain knowledge that U-Haul will make this right.

I wish you luck in your certain knowledge.

I can only wish you luck!

uhaul trailers way overbuilt.. and probably twice as heavy as they need to be

Different vein, same company.

$110 for a one way dolly rental plus $75 more for a deposit?!?!? Yet it's sub $50 for local?

I'll agree to way overbuilt. That driveway was steep, narrow, and long. At least 300# heavier then needed rolling it down that driveway myself.

It's a good thing that no-one really needs to own a pickup truck.

Datsun1500 wrote: Both of your diagrams are pointing to outside dimensions, but it's hard to imagine loosing over a foot to the rails? There's no way they are that thick.

I agree that that is what they look like, but they're labeled as representing inside dimensions on the site.

Well, went to the U-Haul this morning. They started to object when I said their 5x8 trailer wasn't actually 5x8. I had the internet dimensions memorized at this point, so I gave them facts, and they agreed that I shouldn't have to accept a trailer a foot and a quarter smaller than promised. They swapped it out for a 5x9. I put a tape on it, and that one is over 9 feet long inside, and close to the internet dimensions.

They didn't offer to restart the 24 hours, but I didn't really need that. They did apologize for everything, and that was something I appreciated.

I don't know that a venting thread is the most useful thing, but the lesson here might be to bring a tape measure to U-Haul, and don't rely on their dimensions. I know that's what I'll do.

Ranger50 wrote: Different vein, same company. $110 for a one way dolly rental plus $75 more for a deposit?!?!? Yet it's sub $50 for local? I'll agree to way overbuilt. That driveway was steep, narrow, and long. At least 300# heavier then needed rolling it down that driveway myself.

That's supply and demand. I find that if you do a 1 way from east bumberkeley to a major metro area it's sometimes damn near free.

you don't have a friend that has a full size pickup that would let you borrow it? even if it's a short box, you can either leave the tailgate open and tie the bundle in with a couple of strategically places ratchet straps or just put the plywood in so it's laying on top of the closed tailgate- which i would assume would also have been viable options with the first trailer that you rented, as well.

novaderrik wrote: you don't have a friend that has a full size pickup that would let you borrow it? even if it's a short box, you can either leave the tailgate open and tie the bundle in with a couple of strategically places ratchet straps or just put the plywood in so it's laying on top of the closed tailgate- which i would assume would also have been viable options with the first trailer that you rented, as well.

The first trailer's tailgate opening was less than four feet wide, so that wouldn't have worked. We nearly tried standing the plywood up diagonally in the box, but figured it wouldn't scale to more than maybe six sheets or so.

There are a bunch of SUVs I could borrow, but most aren't bigger than mine. No pickups, except a step-side Ranger. When we met, my wife drove a Tundra, so she was the designated truck owner in our social circle.

In reply to Swank Force One:

Completely understood but seems excessive for the same amount of use.