No more U-Haul??
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From: Central KY
No more U-Haul??
According to Petersen's 4x4 mag, U-Haul will no longer rent trailers to anyone driving a Ford Explorer due to excessive costs from having to defend liability issues related to the Explorer and towing. Anyone know why this is? Is there a problem with the Explorer? 
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From: Milpitas, C.A.
It stems from all the Explorer-Firestone tire problems. Because a couple explorers with the firestone tires blew while towing a u-haul trailer and caused the suv to roll, u-haul faced a couple lawsuits and in order to avoid further legal issues they just wont let explorers rent any tow equipment from them anymore.
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From: Orange County, CA
U-Haul has been kind of quiet about the whole reason. I do think it has something to do with the Firestone fiasco a couple of years ago. Odd thing is, you can still rent a U-Haul trailer with your Mercury Mountaineer...go figure
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From: The Ohio State University
My father is a salesman at a Ford Dealership. He went to a sales training conference that Ford set up for salesmen in NW Ohio. He personally asked Rick Titus, the guy in Fords comericals lately, "why won't U-Haul rent to Explorers anymore?" Titus said that no one really knows but he (Titus) seemed to think the people that own U-Haul were a little "off their rocker." He said they were pretty kooky (sp?) people.
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I watched an interesting test on TV a while back. They attached a device at each wheel of an Explorer (a used model purchased off a lot and not test prepared in any way) that allowed them to dump out all the air remotely. With a pro driver on a closed course, they dumped air randomly on all four corners at 40, 60 and 70 mph. In every case, the Explorer tracked straight and was controllable. Finally the driver did a hands-off safe stop at 60 with no problems. It appeared by this test that the Explorer got a bad rap.
Last edited by dono; Mar 29, 2004 at 01:58 PM.
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From: 3rd Rock
Originally Posted by dono
I watched an interesting test on TV a while back. They attached a device at each wheel of an Explorer that allowed them to dump out all the air remotely. With a pro driver on a closed course, they dumped air randomly on all four corners at 40, 60 and 70 mph. In every case, the Explorer tracked straight and was controllable. Finally the driver did a hands-off safe stop at 60 with no problems. It appeared by this test that the Explorer got a bad rap.
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From: Lenexa, KS
If you want to place blame somewhere, look at our wonderful legal system. Lawsuits and the threat of future lawsuits are starting to decide what parts of our economy companies want to participate in. If U-Haul is willing to turn down the business, they must have a good reason. We're all starting to see the results of the "lottery" mentallity that many years of excessive, unrealistic, and expensive financial damages have cost our society. Maybe future jurors will get the message, although I doubt it.
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From: Michigan
Originally Posted by jskufan
If you want to place blame somewhere, look at our wonderful legal system. Lawsuits and the threat of future lawsuits are starting to decide what parts of our economy companies want to participate in. If U-Haul is willing to turn down the business, they must have a good reason. We're all starting to see the results of the "lottery" mentallity that many years of excessive, unrealistic, and expensive financial damages have cost our society. Maybe future jurors will get the message, although I doubt it.
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From: Central KY
According to the article, U-Haul insists it has nothing to do with safety concerns. That's why I was asking...what could it be? I'm interested because the Ranger is basically a sibling to the Explorer, so if there is a towing-defect in the Explorer that is surfacing I want to know about it too.
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Originally Posted by dono
I watched an interesting test on TV a while back. They attached a device at each wheel of an Explorer (a used model purchased off a lot and not test prepared in any way) that allowed them to dump out all the air remotely. With a pro driver on a closed course, they dumped air randomly on all four corners at 40, 60 and 70 mph. In every case, the Explorer tracked straight and was controllable. Finally the driver did a hands-off safe stop at 60 with no problems. It appeared by this test that the Explorer got a bad rap.
I saw it too, it was "Car and Driver" that did it.
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From: Pittsburgh
Originally Posted by BrianA
Could it have anything to do with Explorers now having IRS and not accepting a Class C hitch? They now come with those wimpy things like you see on the back of a Tarus.
Escape has IRS and has that pathetic 1"x1" reciever hitch.
I work at a u-haul dealership and an escape came in for a 5x8 and we refused to hook it up, the owner said yes, we said no (i have my truck, the other guy there wheels a Trooper). we knew better, but the piece of paper from u-haul approved it. The two of us backed off and said if he really wanted it he'd (the owner and/or the people getting it) have to hook it up himself, no blood on our hands. He was moving from st. louis to california. we figure he made it into colorado and then cooked his transmission
Justin
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From: South Dakota
Personally I've always felt that U-haul was a long long way behind on thier tire replacement and rotation cycle on thier equipment.
This is why I wont rent from them.
Maybe its just the outlet in my area, some of the equipment is some of the sorryest stuff I've ever seen. So bad that the local Mom and Pop rental stuff is nearly new in comparison and quite a bit cheaper.
My .02
This is why I wont rent from them.
Maybe its just the outlet in my area, some of the equipment is some of the sorryest stuff I've ever seen. So bad that the local Mom and Pop rental stuff is nearly new in comparison and quite a bit cheaper.
My .02