My XJ & a Tow Strap
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,077
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From: Herndon, VA
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
My XJ & a Tow Strap
I got my 34' motorhome stuck in the sand on my property, and it wasn't going anywhere. I've got an '04 Damon Daybreak, and the 8.1 liter in it is torque limited in 1st gear (to keep from grenading the tranny) and an unfortunate result of this is that it's absolutely worthless on a loose surface. I'm stuck parking it off of a concrete pad until I can get my out building finished, and I got a little over zealous and parked it too far off the more packed yard near the house. The wife hates the site of the RV so close to the house, but I should have just left it there. Most of my property is pretty much a beach with coastal grass. It's great for horses and cattle but worthless as a road. The RV wouldn't even spin the tires. The good thing about that is that at least I wasn't digging myself in any deeper than I already was.
I used the hydralic jacks on it to raise the rear and front of it to try to pack some sand under the tires, but it didn't make a difference. I got it up enough to get some boards under the tires, and even that wasn't helping. I was about to give up and call a wrecker, and then I thought I should just go out and get a heavy duty tow strap and let the XJ have a go at it.
I wish I would have thought to get pics, but it was hilarious seeing that little XJ in front of that massive RV with that bright yellow 17,000+ pound tow strap between them. I put my wife behind the wheel of the RV and told her I just wanted to get it moved 3 or 4 feet to get it out of the ruts, and then I'd take over. I put the XJ in 4LO, took out the slack, and gave it a go. Sand was spewing all over the place as the Jeep seemed pretty helpless to be honest. I later learned that my wife said she could feel the RV start to give just as I gave up. On the second attempt, I decided to give it less gas and hopefully not spin this time. I carefully goosed the throttle and low and behold the RV started moving with relative ease!
After moving it 4 or 5 feet, I was able to get into the RV and work it out of the soft stuff by keeping the momentum up and got her into the more packed soil. What a victory for the XJ! I'm continually amazed by it.
I used the hydralic jacks on it to raise the rear and front of it to try to pack some sand under the tires, but it didn't make a difference. I got it up enough to get some boards under the tires, and even that wasn't helping. I was about to give up and call a wrecker, and then I thought I should just go out and get a heavy duty tow strap and let the XJ have a go at it.
I wish I would have thought to get pics, but it was hilarious seeing that little XJ in front of that massive RV with that bright yellow 17,000+ pound tow strap between them. I put my wife behind the wheel of the RV and told her I just wanted to get it moved 3 or 4 feet to get it out of the ruts, and then I'd take over. I put the XJ in 4LO, took out the slack, and gave it a go. Sand was spewing all over the place as the Jeep seemed pretty helpless to be honest. I later learned that my wife said she could feel the RV start to give just as I gave up. On the second attempt, I decided to give it less gas and hopefully not spin this time. I carefully goosed the throttle and low and behold the RV started moving with relative ease!
After moving it 4 or 5 feet, I was able to get into the RV and work it out of the soft stuff by keeping the momentum up and got her into the more packed soil. What a victory for the XJ! I'm continually amazed by it.
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