Would you rent gear?

[j.o.y.ride]

Thinking about starting a rental business of some common items Jeeps need and use, but owners maybe don't need and use often enough to want to make a full investment. Things like M/T tires for people who have on road, racks, soft tops for hard top owners on a vacation weekend, hard tops for soft top owners going someplace snowy, fridges, power supplies, recovery gear, etc.

Would you be interested if something like that were available around you?

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[johnparjr]

Consumables like tires I would think would be too risky for a company liability but tops or tents and stuff sure

 

[j.o.y.ride]

Consumables like tires I would think would be too risky for a company liability but tops or tents and stuff sure

I think tires would be the best thing to rent honestly. A good MT has such a huge mileage rating on it that it'll last a very long time, and would be something people maybe don't want to use all day every day but certain offroading trips yes.

Tube doors would be in that category too I bet.

 

[Deadeye]

Yeah, I would have loved to trial a couple different types of RTTs, fridges, etc before making my purchase. Great idea.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

Yeah, I would have loved to trial a couple different types of RTTs, fridges, etc before making my purchase. Great idea.

I imagine tents, fridges, tube doors, and various tops would be the most common items.

 

[anavrinIV]

I imagine tents, fridges, tube doors, and various tops would be the most common items.

Tops are tricky IMO. If you are renting based on season you will have inventory out for months on end and the cost for the owner will likely be prohibitive vs. purchasing one for themselves. If the cost is not prohibitive for the renter it will mean years long payback for you, assuming the tops are not damaged while in possession of the renter. The other issue is storage of the owner's top as many many not have the means to store it themselves which would put the burden back on you (drive in, swap tops, drive away) and increase your insurance liability considerably by being in possession of multi-thousand dollar parts for customers for months on end.

I think trip gear is a better bet. Wheels and tires (cost would need to pay back on tires in, likely, 5000 miles or less to account for damage or misalignment of customer vehicles), tents, fridges, racks...things that will be used for a week or so at a time by an overlander or someone looking to try out trails their rigs are not always equipped for. Winches and bumpers would be very cool but you would need to develop a wiring setup that would allow a quick attachment and detachment

 

[eaglerugby04]

I think tires would be the best thing to rent honestly. A good MT has such a huge mileage rating on it that it'll last a very long time, and would be something people maybe don't want to use all day every day but certain offroading trips yes.

Tube doors would be in that category too I bet.

I agree Tires. Something like a 35in mud terrain would be amazing off road, but I would never put it on my truck because I need it as a truck.

And for the liability side of it sell them at a discount at 50% life or something. Put them on cheap steel wheels. You will have made your money at that point and can still get a decent amount for the residuals left.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

Winches are going to be too difficult probably, some of these bumpers are not exactly easy to use a winch on.

The tops though, those are $$ and bulky to store. Being in NorCal someone with a hardtop who is going on a vacation would want a soft top, like when I went to Yosemite I wish I could have taken the top on and off on demand. Even if the BesTop looks goofy as hell when open, worth it for a week even though I would never buy one, that's what got me thinking.

Wheels and tires would be last imo, because take up so much space... though I could def see people wanting them.

 

[eaglerugby04]

Winches are going to be too difficult probably, some of these bumpers are not exactly easy to use a winch on.

The tops though, those are $$ and bulky to store. Being in NorCal someone with a hardtop who is going on a vacation would want a soft top, like when I went to Yosemite I wish I could have taken the top on and off on demand. Even if the BesTop looks goofy as hell when open, worth it for a week even though I would never buy one, that's what got me thinking.

Wheels and tires would be last imo, because take up so much space... though I could def see people wanting them.

there is a winch plate that hooks onto the tow hooks developed by this one company. In terms of storage and install for rental this could actually work out for you. Swapping bumpers would never work due to the time to get them swapped out.

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