U-Haul - description of move with 17 foot truck and auto transporter from Taft, CA (Bakersfield) to Midland, TX

Complaints.com received the following on March 20, 2003:

From: Email User

RE: U-Haul - description of move with 17 foot truck and auto transporter from Taft, CA (Bakersfield) to Midland, TX

I rented a 17' truck and an auto transporter on March 6, 2003 for a one way move from Taft, CA (Bakersfield) to Midland, Texas. After paying the $1220.51, I went out and inspected the truck and transporter. The lights on the transporter did not work, so Dave cut a few wires and said I was good to go. When I got in the truck, I noticed that the radio did not work. He told me that I had the only diesel on the lot, take it or leave it. On the evening of March 7 (Friday), I loaded my 1992 Mazda MX-3 onto the transporter. Again, the lights did not work. I had a left running light and a right turn signal only.

I called the "Emergency road service" (ref#1103431) and only after arguing with them for two hours (I was scheduled to leave at 5:00 am on 3/8, and it was far too dangerous to drive with no tail lights, and the customer service rep wanted me to wait until 9:00am to take the truck into Bakersfield to get the lights fixed), did they finally agree to send someone to fix the problem. At 12:30, mechanic #1 finally showed up. (He was given the wrong phone number by U-Haul and could not find my address). Finally, at 2:15am, I had lights. I left with my son, daughter and 3 dogs (two dogs rode in the car on the transporter) and headed for Texas.

The truck ran very sluggish going over the grapevine through Los Angeles, although the hot line indicated that due to the steepness of the hill and the truck being a diesel, this was normal. At about 5:30pm, we were just about 13 miles west of Phoenix, AZ, white smoke began billowing out the rear of the truck. We immediately pulled off the highway in Goodyear, AZ and again called the hotline (ref#1104559) and after about 3 hours, mechanic #2 showed up. He indicated that the front seal was going out, put in