Uhaul won't rent a trailer if you have a soft top Jeep?

[multicam]

Why?

Lawyers.

Sponsored

 

[Rla1022]

They also would not rent to me when I had my JKU and Bestop Sunrider

 

[Solidaxle]

Yep, been this way along time. Soft top Blazer or Bronco , FJ40 all the same no go.

 

[rogisilva]

A lady I work with was just complaining about this a few weeks ago. I offered to let her borrow my hard top if she wanted to. Normally I would be a little anxious about lending it, but I kinda want to see how dumb a Firecracker JL would look with with a Mojito hard top on it!!!

I imagine it would look like Christmas...
Wrap some tinsel around the antenna and get a nutmeg scented air freshener to complete the theme...

 

[MtCamper]

U-Haul isn't the only one with stupid policies. Years ago I went to the rental store to rent a 7000# roller. I was towing with a 3/4 ton duramax with a tow capacity of over 15,000#. They wouldn't rent to me because it was a 3/4 ton. One ton only. I borrowed a friends 3500 that had a 350 gas V-8 with a tow capacity under 10,000#. They gladly rented to me. Go figure.

 

[cbrenthus]

I have tried and failed. Uhaul told me that soft tops were more likely to flip... I’m no mathmagition but I don’t see how.

That's really awesome because I would think the opposite is true, if anything the added weight up high of the hard top would result in less stability, if only a very slight difference.

 

[Sean L]

A lady I work with was just complaining about this a few weeks ago. I offered to let her borrow my hard top if she wanted to. Normally I would be a little anxious about lending it, but I kinda want to see how dumb a Firecracker JL would look with with a Mojito hard top on it!!!

Its too early for Christmas decorations! lol

 

[Ntegtmeyer]

Sound logic...the hard top would definitely prevent that from happening.

Lmao literally what I was thinking

 

[liquids]

With the JKU you also had to tell them you had the 4.1 diff (even if you didn't) cuz the small one only had a 1000 lb rated towing capacity.

 

[SecondTJ]

With the JKU you also had to tell them you had the 4.1 diff (even if you didn't) cuz the small one only had a 1000 lb rated towing capacity.

JKU has a 2,000 lb towing capacity with 3.21 gears.

Asking for the gear ratio is (unfortunately) not part of the standard questions when qualifying tow eligibility. However, a smart employee would ask and know the difference.

The whole soft top policy is actually up for debate right now because of Gladiator. As of right now, soft top Gladiators are allowed to rent. Stay tuned.

 

[Wanted33]

As a retired Leo I can understand why. One of my calls was at a wreck where a 2 door soft top Jeep was pulling a small 2 wheeled trailer loaded with 2 x 4's etc. It wasn't overloaded at all. But a car in front of the Jeep pulled a stupid move by hitting their brakes suddenly, and turning right. The Jeep driver applied the brakes quickly, and the trailer pushed him off the road, and into a ditch. The soft top Jeep turned over, and the trailer continued it's push out of the ditch into the trees. Luckily the driver was not hurt. In today's litigious society (where people can be stupid, and blame it on someone else) U-Haul doesn't want to be liable for anything like that.

 

[dsgrey]

This has been their policy since 2007. Go rent a trailer from Home Depot.

 

[liquids]

JKU has a 2,000 lb towing capacity with 3.21 gears.

A 2008 JKU X with a 3.8L, a 3.21 and a manual was 1000 lb. It was well discussed on the jeepforum board at the time.

 

[D60]

As a retired Leo I can understand why. One of my calls was at a wreck where a 2 door soft top Jeep was pulling a small 2 wheeled trailer loaded with 2 x 4's etc. It wasn't overloaded at all. But a car in front of the Jeep pulled a stupid move by hitting their brakes suddenly, and turning right. The Jeep driver applied the brakes quickly, and the trailer pushed him off the road, and into a ditch. The soft top Jeep turned over, and the trailer continued it's push out of the ditch into the trees. Luckily the driver was not hurt. In today's litigious society (where people can be stupid, and blame it on someone else) U-Haul doesn't want to be liable for anything like that.

I'm confused how the outcome here would have been different with a hard top, or more specifically how the soft top in this example allows you to understand Uhaul's policy?

You said the driver was not hurt, and I'm not reading that the trailer or the cargo actually came through the soft top?

 

[robaw]

As a retired Leo I can understand why. One of my calls was at a wreck where a 2 door soft top Jeep was pulling a small 2 wheeled trailer loaded with 2 x 4's etc. It wasn't overloaded at all. But a car in front of the Jeep pulled a stupid move by hitting their brakes suddenly, and turning right. The Jeep driver applied the brakes quickly, and the trailer pushed him off the road, and into a ditch. The soft top Jeep turned over, and the trailer continued it's push out of the ditch into the trees. Luckily the driver was not hurt. In today's litigious society (where people can be stupid, and blame it on someone else) U-Haul doesn't want to be liable for anything like that.

Makes sense (sadly), but how would U-Haul be liable for any part of that? Maybe it's not smart to tow a trailer with a soft top (or no top), but is that U-Haul's responsibility? Is that much different than if I buy a trailer from Home Depot and crash while pulling it with a soft top? Are they then liable for damages/injuries? Maybe it's more of a policy of the insurance company for U-Haul that you pay the extra $5 (or whatever) for...

Sponsored