Reply With QuotePretty funny Wes. Good luck to him
I have a close family friend that against the better advice of everyone he knows is driving to Eufaula, AL to trailer a very dilapidated 21 foot production boat daycruiser back to Sonoma, CA. Against the advice because of his tow vehicle of choice... a 1995 Jeep Wrangler with 130K on the clock.
So, we did the only thing you really can do when a grown adult you know has made a truly stupid decision... make fun of him at his expense! What happenned next is pretty funny. We started a "Death Pool" for the Jeep. To know Brian, the guy doing it is to know he will not let a little thing like rated tow capacity, available power or brakes stop him from going and getting his free boat, and he let us in on the route he plans to take.
The following is the e-mail sent out to the family members and close friends. It quickly grew through word of mouth and went from myself and my brother along with his Dad to our entire extended family... We are at 15 people or so now with a much larger than originally anticipated pot. I will keep all of you posted on the results of the journey...
Hi Everyone!
The premise is simple. It seems obvious that Brian and Clay’s trip is fraught with issues from a fundamental level. Not the least of which is the choice of tow vehicle. Considering the years and miles on the Jeep, it’s heavy use off-road and for long-distance commuting, its time spent in Alaska etc… combined with the huge mechanical disadvantage it has against the nearly 5,000 pound combined weight of a 21’ Sea Ray with tandem axle trailer… we all concur that it isn’t really a matter of “If” it breaks down big-time but “when”. Under-rated tow vehicle aside, there is the issue of a little-used trailer and boat in extreme disrepair. Under any other circumstance, this would be the kind of event that any of us would feel a duty to keep a young kid from trying. However, as Brian is nearly 40 years old, an airline pilot, college graduate and prior military, we are extremely comfortable with instead making fun of him for it and wagering on exactly “where” the inevitable “when” is going to take place!
A couple of interesting facts and stats regarding the “Wrangler vs. Sea Ray Trail of Tears” event:
1995 Jeep Wrangler 4wd
Engine: 2.5L 4 cyl 125 Horsepower (For the record, my Ducati motorcycle has 6 more horsepower)
Curb Weight: 3100# (This is the actual dry weight of the Jeep unloaded, no fuel)
Gross Trailer Weight: 1,000#
Actual Estimated Trailer Weight: >5000# (Depending on the weight of the trailer, total weight of boat and trailer, no fuel or cargo is estimated by Sea Ray to be between 4900 and 5600 pounds)
Estimated Trailer Overload Percentage: 500%
Gross Vehicle Weight: 4,300#. (This is the total load rating advertised for the vehicle including tongue weight, trailer weight, occupants and fuel. In other words, the legal limit for total weight going down the road for this particular Jeep)
Actual Estimated Gross Vehicle Weight: 8570# (This includes the 3100# Jeep, the 5000# boat and trailer, 180# for Brian, 60 for Clay, 120 pounds of fuel and approximately 100 pounds for gear, which may be light. If they pick up anything along the way, you can add it to the total)
Estimated Overload Percentage: Nearly 200% Over GVW
Estimated Value of boat getting retrieved: $1200 (This is probably wildly optimistic)
Total Miles of Trip: 2730 Miles
Total Drive time*: 46 hours, 26 minutes (*Drive time calculated at normal driving speeds and does not take into consideration towing with an 11 year old Jeep that is double overloaded)
Reduce a lot of those numbers due to larger tire size and diameter (harder on the clutch and brakes) and you see not only what I consider a gross safety issue, but at the least a vehicle decidedly not rated to tow this kind of load.
Factors to consider:
1) Trip may never be embarked upon.
a. Brian may realize after he hooks the trailer to the Jeep and squats the back end down that this is a terrible idea and not get any further.
2) Long uphills are hard on engines, short steep uphills are hard on clutches and engines
3) No mechanical part associated with cooling, drivetrain or brakes is safe in this situation
OKÂ… now for the rules
1) No telling Brian. If he finds outÂ… all bets are off
2) $20 buy in. One waypoint only
3) The “closest” guess will be determined by using “Google Earth” and doing a straight-line distance between the guessed waypoint and the point of breakdown, not the point of repair.
4) Choose your “waypoint” from the list below as the point that the vehicle will actually break down.
a. Break down is defined as a mechanical failure serious enough to require either a tow to a mechanic or a stop at a mechanic.
i. If in the event of a multiple-breakdown event, the following rules apply
1. The most serious breakdown is the winner
2. Each minor breakdown will pay $20 to the person whose chosen point is closest until the entire pot is gone.
a. (As an example, if the Jeep loses a water pump in Meridian, but is repaired and continues the trip but eventually dies in Dallas, the person closest to Meridian gets $20, the person closest to Dallas gets the remainder of the pot. If the water pump is the most serious break down of the tripÂ… the person closest to that failure gets the pot)
3. Payoff occurs at the conclusion of BrianÂ’s journey home, with or without the Jeep. If he actually abandons the Jeep for repair (i.e. flies home to wait it out, the last place it broke will be deemed the winner)
4. A grenaded motor is an immediate winner, full payment, full remaining pot.
5) Explain why that particular waypoint. Should be good for a few laughs on itÂ’s own.
6) If in the extremely unlikely event Brian makes it home with the Jeep unscathed, he gets the entire pot.
Here is the list of towns figuring on guaranteed waypoints in Dallas, Carlsbad Caverns, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo. The assumption is that he will stick to the low route (20 to the 10) to avoid hills. This also assumes a likely Grapevine-bypass of the 101 to avoid the steepest grade of the trip. If he does take the Grapevine instead of the 101, any bet with the 101 Bypass in parenthesis will be voided. (FYI, Gorman is at the top of the Grapevine and is a near shoe-in for a failure if he unwisely chooses the 5 North but somehow made it that far). Conversely, if he wisely chooses the 101 Bypass, any choice with Grapevine Route will be voided.
Wrangler “Death Pool” Itinerary
Alabama
Eufaula (Choose this if you donÂ’t think he will even hook it up)
Midway
Union Springs
Montgomery
Selmont
Uniontown
Bellamy
Mississippi
Meridian
Newton
Jackson
Edwards
Louisiana
Tallulah
Monroe
Grambling
Shreveport
Texas
Waskom
Tyler
Dallas
Abilene
Odessa
Pecos
New Mexico
Carlsbad
Texas (2)
El Paso
Canutillo
New Mexico (2)
Las Cruces
Deming
Lordsburg
Arizona
San Simon
Willcox
Tucson
Eloy
Phoenix
Quartzite
California
Blythe
Indio
Palm Springs
Beaumont
Colton
Los Angeles
Gorman (Grapevine Route)
Coalinga (Grapevine Route)
Merced (Grapevine Route)
Tracy (Grapevine Route)
Santa Barbara (101 Bypass)
San Luis Obispo (101 Bypass)
Salinas (101 Bypass)
Gilroy (101 Bypass)
San Jose (101 Bypass)
Hayward
Send me your vote today and I will compile the list and send it out to everyone this evening. Need the info in my inbox by 7:00 for it to count.
Pretty funny Wes. Good luck to him
Theres an old Irish proverb that reads to the effect of " The Lord loves a tryer" So do I, if his crazy ass breaks down within 150 miles of Shreveport Louisiana or Phoenix Arizona, the Kirkaldys got his back.
I have been through Eufaula while going to school at Auburn. I strongly disagree with his decision to go there.
Was that your question?
Theres an old Irish proverb that reads to the effect of " The Lord loves a tryer" So do I, if his crazy ass breaks down within 150 miles of Shreveport Louisiana or Phoenix Arizona, the Kirkaldys got his back.
Noted. I am actually thinking about buying www.jeepdeathpool.com and updating it for everyone to keep tabs on and post sentiments regarding the trip. He obviously won't see it until the bet is over, but it would make for some great reading after the trip is done!
I know that if it was me trying something like this I would shoot the clutch out the side in twenty minutes. Like you said though... The Lord loves a tryer so there is the clause in there that if he makes it, we send him the pool for giving us all a good laugh!
I have been through Eufaula while going to school at Auburn. I strongly disagree with his decision to go there.
Was that your question?
No... but funny.
break downs are one thing.. i just hope he is careful so there won't be any accidents. good luck to him.
I have a 94 Wrangler, with larger than normal tires, and a minor lift. Same peewee 4 banger motor, I can hit 75 mph downhill, but I swear its impossible to better 60 going uphill any real grade on the freeway. 5th gear is a downhill only event.
When you arrive anywhere you feel as though you've done a 50 situp workout, cuz it bounces more than Frenchie's midcabin on a Saturday night.
Tell him to wear earplugs, cuz he'll be deaf by the time he's 4 hours into his trip. It is quieter with the top off than on. Of course on the way back, he will have to rent a big Uhaul to put the jeep inside of, and to tow the boat back with.. :idea:
I think he'll be lucky to get the Wrangler all the way there without a breakdown. :cry:
I will watch this with great interest, please keep us posted.
Wes, however funny, I would give your friend one more bit of info before going.
I have read a lot of this on the glamis site I go over to in the towing section.
Basically, if he exceeds the capacity of the Jeep in weight limitations, and there is an accident, insurance will not cover it. If something tragic was to happen, it would be a long battle with the insurance company, because they will not even cover any liability with it wither.
You stated some very specific facts, and by overlaoding the vehicle by ther percentages you stated, there is a clear line of neglect that they could easily prove.
Edit: I just read that this was a Wrangler. Not good, this is a very bad decision, and if there is an accident, not only is his safety on the line, but that insurance thing is a really big deal if something happens.
On another note, what spot can I still get in on? I would like to pick Mississippi. Been there once and never going back. Hope that I can get some money back after wasting a business trip there, and this would be a great opportunity. The Jeep will quit in Biloxi, Mississippi.
If he has a manual transmission, I think there's a good chance he'll make it. The automatic is a little less likely but he still has a shot.
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