RedMF40
Well-known Member
I posted awhile back about moving a Massey parts tractor with a U-Haul car trailer. Lots of discussion, a debate ensued about truthfulness and the dilemma of renting a trailer under false pretenses. Well, this will be long, but if you want the short version, here it is: U-Haul allows for renting out their car trailers to transport a tractor. BUT....since the tractors we discuss here mostly belong in museums, chances are it won't be listed in their database. I presented this problem to the young man at the rental counter.
"Sure, you can use it to move a tractor. That's an option," he said, looking at the computer.
"It's a pretty old tractor," I told him.
"Yeah, it's not showing in the computer," he said. Then he said the words, and the words were this:
"I'll just put in another vehicle." His words, not mine.
"Sounds good to me," I said.
Then things got a little strange, but again--you have the gist of it. Any further reading is for entertainment purposes only. The young man at the counter told me they no longer kept the car haulers at that location. Ten minutes from my house--that's why I chose them in the first place. No car haulers there. Ok, where are they? He set up the rental at a place in a strange location. Nearly 20 miles from my house and at the intersection of rural tranquility and urban blight. No warning. You go from urban tranquility to urban blight instantly. Horse pastures, granite quarries, historic farms, then you get to a red light and on the other side are strip shopping centres with mostly failing businesses, crumbling parking lots with faded lines that outline where cars would park if there were any customers. That's where they kept the car haulers. Ok, I'm game. The ride there is pretty, until you get to the urban blight part. But I found the place with some difficulty, the reason being that the signs posted over top of the businesses often had nothing to do with the actual business. For example, the U-Haul place had a sign that indicated I could buy Jamaican fabrics there. That was the big sign up top. Then in the window of the U-Haul place, the actual rental sign was posted. You had to be really vigilant. Of course the door was locked, you entered by ringing a buzzer and if you checked out ok then you were allowed entrance. They didn't want just anyone coming in off the street. I was greeted first by a big friendly dog--a huge chocolate Lab, actually. Big dog. He came to my side because I guess he and his guy don't often get visitors. So I said hi to the big, friendly dog, grabbed his big friendly nose. He was ok with all that, just happy to have a renter come in. The man who greeted me told me I was there on the wrong day, that I was supposed to be there yesterday, Sunday. Nope, I called Friday to confirm, to make sure they had the right date, especially since I didn't set all this up. Oh, ok. It didn't really matter, because they had a car trailer there anyway, and it's not like there was a line of folks waiting to rent it. He started in with the paperwork, told me the U-Haul people liked to see a photo of the trailer hooked up to the tow vehicle--my pickup. Sure, take all the photos you want, I told him. They really like that, he said. They need it for their documentation. Ok, fine. But he didn't know how to work his phone camera. I was already running late at that point, had the seller waiting for me in Virginia. I told him I would just take the photo with my phone and send it to him. Ok, good idea. Yes, that's what we'll do. Then we got further into the rental details. I got the impression that we were starting from scratch, that the info I'd given the young man at the other location had not been relayed to this man. So, then came the question:
"What kind of vehicle are you towing?"
I thought about this for a moment. Looked down, the big friendly dog was at my side, looking up at me.
"So, what kind of vehicle?" The dog seemed to be saying. "What is it?"
I'd made it this far, drove through the pastures and quarries and finally arrived at the place that rents trailers and sells Jamaican fabrics. Did I really want to muck things up now, in spite of what the other young man had already told me?
"It's a 2001 Honda CR-V. Blue." I told him. I looked down at the big friendly chocolate Lab, but he turned away, didn't want to meet my gaze. The dog knew. I didn't care about lying to the man behind the counter. All he cared about was some random information he had to put into the computer. But the dog. I felt ashamed to be saying something that wasn't true in front of the big friendly dog. I knelt down and tried to pet him, but suddenly he was interested in other things. I'd let him down.
The man behind the counter missed all this, since he was just trying to fill in the forms on the computer. But came the time to go out and get hooked up. Now that he had all my info, we could get the trailer going. Not so fast! I have the standard round plug for trailer towing on my truck. Six or seven pin, I forget which. But U-Haul has a different hookup. They carry the correct adapter, but the one the man produced was broken. He came out of the store and showed it to me.
"See? This pin is broke off," he said. It wouldn't work.
I'd noticed that, right at the intersection of Rural Tranquility and Urban Blight, there was a TSC. It was right there, in another forlorn shopping centre just across the street. I told the rental man I'd walk over there, was already resigned to the fact I'd be late for the seller, but just had to do the best I could, would walk over to that store and see if they had the correct adapter with their towing supplies. It being early morning, the place was deserted. The young woman at the register up front told me where the trailer supplies were located, and called someone to help me. We put our heads together, this TSC employee, and found exactly the part I needed. I was back in business! I took my adapter, which is something I needed to buy anyway, and walked over to the trailer place. We plugged everything in, I took the photo that the rental man wanted, and I drove off--about an hour behind schedule. I had roughly a 40-mile drive with the tractor loaded up. Of course it went off without incident. And I should add that, if I can't tow a tractor forty miles without getting in a wreck, then I shouldn't be attempting anything like that in the first place. This day was clear, sunny and warmer than it should be for the beginning of February in winter. I unloaded the tractor by releasing the straps, rolling it to the back of the trailer, and pushing it off. It rolled down the ramps pretty well, but came to a lazy stop due to one rear tire being about halfway inflated. There was nothing for it to run into, but nevertheless I normally wouldn't opt for such an unorthodox unloading except that I was by myself and thought putting some distance between me and the non-running tractor would be best for all concerned. I hooked up a tow strap and pulled it out of the way with my other tractor.
When I returned the trailer later that afternoon, the dog still met me with a cool reception, but I was able to pet him a little before he jerked his head away. The trailer was fine, the rental man was happy, he had his photo he wanted, and I had my tractor. As I was leaving, I told him I sometimes need to move my old farm tractor around. Is that allowed?
"Farm tractor? Sure, that's fine!"
It's a pretty old tractor," I told him. "I know you're sticklers for having the correct vehicle in your system."
"Oh, that ain't no problem," he said. "I'll just put in a different vehicle."
"Sure, you can use it to move a tractor. That's an option," he said, looking at the computer.
"It's a pretty old tractor," I told him.
"Yeah, it's not showing in the computer," he said. Then he said the words, and the words were this:
"I'll just put in another vehicle." His words, not mine.
"Sounds good to me," I said.
Then things got a little strange, but again--you have the gist of it. Any further reading is for entertainment purposes only. The young man at the counter told me they no longer kept the car haulers at that location. Ten minutes from my house--that's why I chose them in the first place. No car haulers there. Ok, where are they? He set up the rental at a place in a strange location. Nearly 20 miles from my house and at the intersection of rural tranquility and urban blight. No warning. You go from urban tranquility to urban blight instantly. Horse pastures, granite quarries, historic farms, then you get to a red light and on the other side are strip shopping centres with mostly failing businesses, crumbling parking lots with faded lines that outline where cars would park if there were any customers. That's where they kept the car haulers. Ok, I'm game. The ride there is pretty, until you get to the urban blight part. But I found the place with some difficulty, the reason being that the signs posted over top of the businesses often had nothing to do with the actual business. For example, the U-Haul place had a sign that indicated I could buy Jamaican fabrics there. That was the big sign up top. Then in the window of the U-Haul place, the actual rental sign was posted. You had to be really vigilant. Of course the door was locked, you entered by ringing a buzzer and if you checked out ok then you were allowed entrance. They didn't want just anyone coming in off the street. I was greeted first by a big friendly dog--a huge chocolate Lab, actually. Big dog. He came to my side because I guess he and his guy don't often get visitors. So I said hi to the big, friendly dog, grabbed his big friendly nose. He was ok with all that, just happy to have a renter come in. The man who greeted me told me I was there on the wrong day, that I was supposed to be there yesterday, Sunday. Nope, I called Friday to confirm, to make sure they had the right date, especially since I didn't set all this up. Oh, ok. It didn't really matter, because they had a car trailer there anyway, and it's not like there was a line of folks waiting to rent it. He started in with the paperwork, told me the U-Haul people liked to see a photo of the trailer hooked up to the tow vehicle--my pickup. Sure, take all the photos you want, I told him. They really like that, he said. They need it for their documentation. Ok, fine. But he didn't know how to work his phone camera. I was already running late at that point, had the seller waiting for me in Virginia. I told him I would just take the photo with my phone and send it to him. Ok, good idea. Yes, that's what we'll do. Then we got further into the rental details. I got the impression that we were starting from scratch, that the info I'd given the young man at the other location had not been relayed to this man. So, then came the question:
"What kind of vehicle are you towing?"
I thought about this for a moment. Looked down, the big friendly dog was at my side, looking up at me.
"So, what kind of vehicle?" The dog seemed to be saying. "What is it?"
I'd made it this far, drove through the pastures and quarries and finally arrived at the place that rents trailers and sells Jamaican fabrics. Did I really want to muck things up now, in spite of what the other young man had already told me?
"It's a 2001 Honda CR-V. Blue." I told him. I looked down at the big friendly chocolate Lab, but he turned away, didn't want to meet my gaze. The dog knew. I didn't care about lying to the man behind the counter. All he cared about was some random information he had to put into the computer. But the dog. I felt ashamed to be saying something that wasn't true in front of the big friendly dog. I knelt down and tried to pet him, but suddenly he was interested in other things. I'd let him down.
The man behind the counter missed all this, since he was just trying to fill in the forms on the computer. But came the time to go out and get hooked up. Now that he had all my info, we could get the trailer going. Not so fast! I have the standard round plug for trailer towing on my truck. Six or seven pin, I forget which. But U-Haul has a different hookup. They carry the correct adapter, but the one the man produced was broken. He came out of the store and showed it to me.
"See? This pin is broke off," he said. It wouldn't work.
I'd noticed that, right at the intersection of Rural Tranquility and Urban Blight, there was a TSC. It was right there, in another forlorn shopping centre just across the street. I told the rental man I'd walk over there, was already resigned to the fact I'd be late for the seller, but just had to do the best I could, would walk over to that store and see if they had the correct adapter with their towing supplies. It being early morning, the place was deserted. The young woman at the register up front told me where the trailer supplies were located, and called someone to help me. We put our heads together, this TSC employee, and found exactly the part I needed. I was back in business! I took my adapter, which is something I needed to buy anyway, and walked over to the trailer place. We plugged everything in, I took the photo that the rental man wanted, and I drove off--about an hour behind schedule. I had roughly a 40-mile drive with the tractor loaded up. Of course it went off without incident. And I should add that, if I can't tow a tractor forty miles without getting in a wreck, then I shouldn't be attempting anything like that in the first place. This day was clear, sunny and warmer than it should be for the beginning of February in winter. I unloaded the tractor by releasing the straps, rolling it to the back of the trailer, and pushing it off. It rolled down the ramps pretty well, but came to a lazy stop due to one rear tire being about halfway inflated. There was nothing for it to run into, but nevertheless I normally wouldn't opt for such an unorthodox unloading except that I was by myself and thought putting some distance between me and the non-running tractor would be best for all concerned. I hooked up a tow strap and pulled it out of the way with my other tractor.
When I returned the trailer later that afternoon, the dog still met me with a cool reception, but I was able to pet him a little before he jerked his head away. The trailer was fine, the rental man was happy, he had his photo he wanted, and I had my tractor. As I was leaving, I told him I sometimes need to move my old farm tractor around. Is that allowed?
"Farm tractor? Sure, that's fine!"
It's a pretty old tractor," I told him. "I know you're sticklers for having the correct vehicle in your system."
"Oh, that ain't no problem," he said. "I'll just put in a different vehicle."
