Subaru Crew Cafe

p0926

Holy cow! Talk about a bad day for Ford. I can't wait to hear Bob's response!

U-Haul Forbids Rentals to Explorer Drivers

-Frank P.

bigelm

this domino effect would take place!

njswamplands

lucien2

and everything to do with the current state of American culture. None of the lawyers I know have time to go out and solicit business; they're too busy keeping up with the calls from every Joe who wants to sue someone for papercuts and such like.

U-Haul is merely protecting themselves from the 1st yahoo who exceeds the speed limit for the trailer in an Explorer, wrecks, and then sues because he doesn't want to take responsibility for it.

It's why ProRally spectating can't be allowed like it is in Europe. It's why we're all going to have black box recorders in our cars, if for no other reason than the manufacturers can defend themselves against "unintended acceleration" suits like the one that nearly ruined Audi.

And I think it's why most new Moms and Dads feel they need a 5000lb truck to haul a 10 pound infant in. No one is going to be responsible for their own good driving skills, so I am going to surround myself with as much metal as I can, damn the consequences. Should I attempt to drive it like a car and rollover, I'll sue the mfr. for bad design.

hondafriek

Not only new Moms and Dads, factor in seniors who generally surround themselves with lots of sheet metal.

Crown Vics, Caddys,Minivans and yes SUVs, when their driving skills start to erode they buy the biggest thing they can find in order to feel safe.

  Cheers Pat.

hondafriek

When the time comes to move the M3 I doubt you will have much trouble finding a buyer, as you say it is still a fast desirable car.

  Cheers Pat.

lucien2

that's true. If anything though at least that makes a little sense, since their bodies are so frail. In most cases of course it ends up not making much difference. It's the force of impact that breaks them, not any cabin intrusion.

nygreg

I'm with you.

Greg

rsholland

IIRC, has a 45 mph speed limit on all their small utility trailers. This is plastered in large type on their fenders. Now who is going to limit their speed to 45 mph towing a trailer on the interstate?

Bob

locke2c

Just two weeks ago I did 70-75mph with one of those aforementioned trailers. If I lost it I would have been at fault, not U-Haul. duh.

-Colin

nygreg

takes responsibility for their own actions as you do Colin. Sad.

Greg

bigelm

they were traveling over 45MPH on the highway when that trailer turns over... *except a very small minority*

rsholland

nobody is ever going to 45 mph on a highway, and everybody knows that. For U-Haul to put such a low speed limit on their trailers, it tells me they must be lousy trailers.

Bob

locke2c

why wouldn't someone admit their speed? the physics of it would point out their lie, not to mention if anyone observed them. plus a lot of late model vehicles have blackbox-like data logging so it's possible they know your true last speed and control inputs anyway.

45mph is absurd. accidents can occur at any speed if you're careless, unskilled or just unfortunate. I'm sure it's a liability thing but those trailers, properly used, seem fine to me to at least 60mph. 75+ did get a little dicey at times, a truck and trailer is no sportscar!

-c

hypov

Isn't it that the regulated speed for commercial vehicles and trailers in the US?

In Singapore, if I remember, it is 35mph and the speed limit is plastered on the vehicle. There's an annoying buzzer in the dash that goes off when exceeded, as well as a strobe on the roof that will light up. Radar gun? Who needs radar gun? ;-)

-Dave

p0926

Bob- The 45 mph is no doubt strictly for liability purposes and has nothing to do with the quaility of the trailer. I know I've towed several in the 70-75 range without problem. Of course if I'd flipped then I could hardly blame the trailer.

I'm more interested in why the "Exploder" got singled out for special treatment. Is this still just a by-product of the Firestone tire debacle? But if it is, then why, as the article pointed out, does the ban extend to the new models?

-Frank P.

nygreg

implies that it is related to the Firestone/Explorer problems.

Greg

locke2c

someone needs to WTLW U-Haul then. why do something now so long after the fact? the explorer/firestone stuff has been cold a long time.

and very dubious to begin with, but that's a whole can of worms we shouldn't get in to.

-c

nygreg

that they won't allow any Explorer, including the new design.

Greg

paisan

I'm glad I don't rent from Uhaul anymore. I generally do 75-80mph with the 5000lb trailer in tow on the trooper. It can get a bit dicey with crosswinds but not that bad. I think Uhaul is just protecting itself from the stats. It's their right to do that too. If it hurts business enough, they'll revoke it.

-mike

rsholland

if they're just trying to punish Ford, or to try and get even with them.

As for the 45 mph limit, yeah, I'm sure it's lawyer-driven. I guess I wonder why people, knowing that fact, why they would risk renting from them, knowing full well that if they have an accident, quite likely they will be held responsible. That 45 mph limit has kept me from renting from them in the past.

Bob

hammersley

45 will get you a ticket for obstructing traffic in some places. And where I am, from the looks of the U-Haul trailers around here, I probably wouldn't rent one anyway!

Pardon the age-activated ADD, but what's a WTLW?

Cheers!
Paul

bigelm

meaning... old news!

rsholland

renting trailer to move some furniture into a new apartment 300 miles away, and keeping your speed to 45 mph? Good luck...

Bob

locke2c

oh yeah there's no way the trip from Phoenix to Wichita, some 1200 miles or more, would fly at 45. it was annoying enough at 70.

p0926

Pat- There's someone over in the Forester topic looking for frameless door rain deflectors. Didn't you order a set from England? Or am I confusing you with someone else?

-Frank P.

hondafriek

Wasn't me but they can be gotten in the UK, or alternatively from japanparts.com.

  Cheers Pat.

ateixeira

Loosh: not 5000 lbs trucks. 6000 lb trucks. Need to qualify for that tax loophole, LOL.

UHaul says 45 because people go 10-15 over whatever the limit is, so that's 60, i.e. a reasonbale speed.

-juice

subearu

I dug these up specially for you - it's my pics from last years Chicago show. There's pics of a java XT...

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4288066837

(imagestation is slow right now, probably due to juice doing his GT uploading...) LOL!

-Brian

ateixeira

My bad... hee hee.

35 more images uploading right now. I'll narrarate them tomorrow, though. They'll be in my storage bin for now, I gotta go to sleep!

-juice

lucien2

heh heh. I dunno. Pat says Black is a bear to take care of, and imprezton said the Java black looks like a bass boat. Which was funny.

subearu

in person Loosh. The lighting at the show doesn't really do it proper justice. There's also a pic of a java XT on the Subaru brochure.

Any dark color is a bear to take care of. Our MPV is a dark blue metallic and the Outback is a dark maroon metallic. (pics in my profile link)

-Brian

c_hunter

Java black is a great color, despite the bass boat similarity. However, black is a tough color to live with. It will show every scratch and dent. I think silver or white are the easiest to work with. The various other colors are somewhere in between.

locke2c

Owned a lot of black and I think silver is OK, but my next Subaru will be blue or white. Black is definitely out!

Actually I'd really like gunmetal grey but I'm not holding my breath on that.

-Colin

lark6

I wish the Forester XT was available in gunmetal or World Rally Blue. I know the latter exist because I've seen photos of them being used as SWRT support cars (maybe even recce, though I think they use STis now).

My first car was black and so is my current Forester. However I don't like the Java Black Pearl's gold undertones - not as pretty as the blue ones in the Midnight Black Pearl used on the '02-03 WRXes or even red ones in my Black Diamond Pearl. Ironically white is my favorite of the current XT colors and I would go with it begrudingly.

Ed

subearu

I'd love to see a really nice dark grey metallic.

If the XT was available in a dark blue, I'd favor that as well. The silver is nice, the red is sharp, but the gold doesn't do anything for me. I haven't seen a white XT, I'd have to see it first.

-Brian

paisan

the gun-metal grey. sign me up! That's my absolute favorite color!

-mike

bigelm

Wooo-hooo... sign me up!

Wherewherewherewherewhere...gimmegimmegimmegimmegimme :-D

njswamplands

raced-damaged primer?

locke2c

I'll pass on gunmetal or anthracite rims. Bleh!

-Colin

paisan

I like regular silver Alloys.

-mike

bigelm

I want Atlantic Blue or Pearl White :-D

regular silver alloys

I like them too but I was just commenting that it would most likely look sick!

I'll take Gold rims with my AB or PW ;-)

hondafriek

Gunmetal. Anthracite, and now Black and Flat Black, they all look crap to me, black is the worst, you may as well run steel rims without hubcaps.Yuck)-:
And guys I agree any dark colour is hard to keep, but after owning 4 black cars, I have to say black is the absolute worst it shows every wart on the car.

  Cheers Pat.

lark6

I like my anthracite Superleggeras. Darker than silver but not as dark as the Prodrive-branded wheels. They wouldn't go well with Java Black, though.

Ed

kens

Craig,

How do you connect your iPod to your car stereo? I'm considering using a cassette adaptor since my older Forester head unit doesn't have an AUX input.

I'm looking at the Belkin and Sik charger/line out options. I've heard that the Belkin has a built-in line amp that sometimes distorts the sound.

Any input on which would be the better choice? Any other options? I'm not interested in FM modulators.

Thanks!

Ken

twrx

Or this summer you can buy an hPod!

HEH,HEH

hondafriek

To each his own, I will give you that anthracite to me is the least offensive, some of them are positively pukey IE: the flat black.

 I prefer straight silver myself, either machined or with the machined lip like my Rota Subzeros.

  Cheers Pat.

ateixeira

Gimme light blue metallic, the color they now have in Japan. Silver is nice but getting too common, plus that Benz' color.

What, no chrome bling-bling rims with spinners? LOL

NAIAS had a room downstairs with lots of aftermarket stuff, one booth was called Dubs, something like that, that's all they had.

-juice

lark6

I won't try to sway you, Pat. I'm not crazy about black or white wheels myself. I wish I could link to a photo of mine; there are a couple posted at the 'other' board.

Ed

c_hunter

I have the Belkin auto-kit with the amp. So far, the sound has been clean enough for me (though it will certainly distort if you crank the gain up too high). If I were you, I would start by getting a Sony cassette adapter. Connect it to the iPod's headphone jack and use the volume control on the iPod to adjust the gain. See how that sounds and how your iPod battery holds out in day to day use. If the sound is not loud enough or you run out of juice, then get the Belkin auto-kit.

I'm about to install an Alpine head unit in my WRX tomorrow, which has direct line in. Part of the reason is that Apline announced (at MacWorld Expo this week) that they will be selling an iPod harness this summer -- it will connect the iPod to the CD changer input on Alpine head units and allow you to use the head unit's controls to browse songs and control the iPod, as well as provide power to the iPod. So that will be cool.

I'm still going to stick with the stock radio and cassette adapter in my Outback wagon.

Craig