Any jeep wrangler owners?

[suzieqtwa]

Oh, I have my bike rack on the tire...fits 2 bikes ,and so easy. I was going to get a hitch ,but it was so big ,and heavy .
You can fold the seats down...in fact the whole car basicially comes apart if you want to go off road etc. I also have A/C.

[CyclChyk]

I had a 97 Jeep Wrangler that I absolutely LOVED - it was my heart. Now we have a 93 Wrangler that is totally cool but no a/c so here in GA not so cool (no pun intented).

My mother bought the Unlimited when it first came out. I can tell you that the handling of it feels somewhat different from the shorter Wrangler. Kinda like the longer wheelbase I had in my Dodge Ram, its just awkward til you get used to it. Also it did not turn on a dime the way traditional Wranglers do. She traded it in for an 06 Wrangler and does not regret her decision at all. Of course, she doesn't ride so there isn't a "bike" factor.

We purchased a cheap-o bike rack for our 93 Wrangler. The kind with fabric straps. Not good. Jostled around and never felt confident with the bikes on it. We use my Jeep Grand Cherokee with a hitch rack now, and the Wrangler merely for fun.

I think if you plan on transporting the bike INSIDE the jeep, then certainly the Unlimited will have added advantages. But for the ride itself, I would certainly go for the Wrangler.

[Xrayted]

See? This is why I came to you ladies. Great feedback. I was leaning towards the Unlimited b/c my brother said that's what he's getting next. Personality wise, we are alike in many ways except one big one - he buys the latest and greatest everything just b/c it's there and I prefer to go with what I actually need. I drove a big one today and wasn't in love. I agree with y'all. I liked the shorter ones much more. So, I guess I'm going retro.

I feel getting a new vehicle is just not for me. I've done that route once and hated it. Always in for repair - under warranty but still, so much to tweak on it that they had it more than I did. I'll take one that is broken in with factory warranty still attached and ready to roll thank you.

Still gonna go with hitch mount cuz I'll use it for more than just the bike. Kayaking is another addiction of mine. Paddled years ago and am now getting back into it. I'm gonna do a flat platform rack with adjustable rails and snap the bike down on it. I'll have room for gear on it as well. I'm designing a rack for a kayak that will lock onto the bike setup so I can carry both simultaneously. We'll soon see if I've still got it in the McGuyver depeartment.

A/C definitely. The top stays up over 95 degrees. Hot is hot at any speed. I hate feeling like I'm sitting in a puddle.

Steel door is a priority. I see my bro replacing his soft window pretty often cuz he rips out the zipper. No thanks! PITA when you just wanna open a window and it's flapping around at ya.

I was amazed at the smooth ride they have now. So much different than the older ones. I used to feel whiplashed in an ex's Jeep.

Thank you all very much. You've helped me out a lot. I value all of your opinions greatly. Any more comments are certainly welcome. When I get her, I'll post a pic. (cuz I know how y'all are about pics )

Peace!
X.

[CyclChyk]

Good call on the doors! Also, if you can get full steel doors, and not half steel doors. You'll be glad ya did.

I want pics! And its a requirement of any jeep owner to take it through serious mud the very first day. Sort of like a christening!!
I'll post some of mine tomorrow. Gotta find the disc with the pics..........

[CyclChyk]

okiedokie - just a few to show how fun (and messy) a Jeep can be..... We had to use our hitch. The first pic shows what we thought was harmless grass and weeds. Turned out to be marsh......... yup, got stuck. Slung mud everywhere....Bare in mind this was a mild jaunt as we didn't want to get our baby dirty :-)

[spokewench]

We have a jeep wrangler - regular size - actually, it is more my husband's than mine - it is a 6 cylinder - i think this is a good choice. As far as the hitch vs. tire mounted bicycle carrier, we have both. The tire mounted is okay, but it difficult to put full suspension mountain bikes on it since they don't have a convential top tube - so my husband handy man that he is made his own homemade hitch mounted system for his mountain bike

The jeep is short on storage space, it kind of depends on what you are going to use it for and how many people are going with you. If you want to use it for camping and biking with one person other than yourself, it can get pretty tight. I've seen some people put racks on the tops if they have a hard top but it sounds like you want a soft top so I don't know about that.

We have a soft top with zip windows, but my hubby bought some slip in winter top doors that have windows that actually slide so you don't have zip windows in the winter. They work well and keep the jeep a little warmer in the winter.

The only problem with a jeep is that it rough riding on the highway and noisy with a soft top. I guess it just depends on what you like and what you want to put up with.

We take ours stock out into the forest all the time and four wheel. My hubby will drive it up and down anything! It is amazing.

[Xrayted]

Well, I'm still looking for just the right one. I thought I found it the ohter day,but it's got stick. Everything else was exactly what I wanted. (color, hard top, A/C...) Trying to decide if I can live with the stick. I do a lot of town driving and constantly shifting is a PITA. I have to think about where and how I'll be using it in the future too. I think I really want the auto. trans. My brother is anxiously waiting for me to get it so we can get ours muddy together the first day. (Apparently that really is a rule. Who knew? ) Thanks for your input ladies. Nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

Hopefully soon I'll be able to reciprocate.

X.