Mark’s Memorable DIY Moving Experience of ’88 With a U-Haul

On today's episode of "what am I going to have trouble writing about", I'll be covering moving and U-Haul.

I was sitting at the stoplight at Wicks and Main on the way home yesterday when a big semi pulled up next to me. On it, he was hauling a couple of brand new U-Haul vans.

Then before the light changed a guy pulled up next to me with a U-Haul trailer. And I snapped a picture of it because it's the smallest trailer that I have ever seen in my life.

So I was going to write about how many different trailers are available from U-Haul.

They offer three sizes of the covered cargo style. And five uncovered trailers where you can haul oversized cargo, materials for your yard, and cars.

But in Texas they don't have U-Hauls. They have Yee Haw's. Thank you.

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Seeing those reminded me of U-Haul experience when I moved to Billings in 1988. And the majority of my earthly belongings were in a storage unit. So I had to wait until September that year to collect my goods.

You remember 1988 in Montana, don't you? Drought. Fires in Yellowstone. Record heat. Good times.

The temperature was 106 degrees outside. And in my storage unit, which was in the geographic center of the building, it was 126.

But we got everything loaded. So next I had to crawl under my old car and take the driveshaft out so that I could pull it along with us. I didn't have extra money for a car trailer in those days.

So, I get the driveshaft out. We get the car hooked up. And get brake lights attached and it was time to get back on the road again.

But I didn't even get out of town before getting pulled over. The state trooper walked up to the truck with his flashlight. When the light hit my face he started laughing.

He asked, "Tough day, son?'

He was a great guy. He helped me get the brake lights working properly. And he wished us luck.

So, every time I see somebody in a U-Haul I give thanks that it's not me.

Also, back when this trip happened, U-Hauls didn't have air conditioning in them.

I also vividly remember getting 6 mpg on that trip. Top speed going up the pass, towing my car was 32 mph.

I'm older now. And now I have "somebody else can move me" money.