Episode 799 – Arrest Warrant Issued!
Double Wide Jeep, it’s not just for trailer homes any longer!
The eight-passenger two-door—yes, eight-passenger—is kept at the Morocco National 4×4 Auto Museum in Merzouga. It’s more than a showpiece, though, because it can actually drive. A YouTube video from 2013 shows it taking up a lane and a half as other drivers pass by, understandably puzzled.
The double-wide Jeep only has one steering wheel, and it’s mounted all the way on the left side. I thought it’d be even better if they combined a left-hand-drive model with one that was right-hand-drive, but then again, there’s already enough going on here. The passengers on the opposite side are probably better off being used as spotters.
There’s no readily available info about the powertrain and whether or not it uses two engines or one. Odds are it’s propelled by at least one V6, either a 3.6-liter or 3.8-liter depending on the actual model year. Photos of the interior at least confirm it’s automatic. I’ve reached out to the museum (and other parties) for more info but have yet to hear back. I’ll update this story if they respond.
For kicks, the museum also houses a bug-eyed Jeep that’s been narrowed for dramatic effect. It only fits one passenger, and it doesn’t even have a single grille slot. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
Internal combustion – Staying Alive?
Stellantis Is Betting on Keeping Combustion Engines Alive With Massive E-Fuel Tests
On Thursday, the automaker announced that it had begun testing e-fuels in 28 different engine families across its brands. The goal is to help accelerate the potential reduction in carbon emissions through synthetic fuels, which are made by recapturing carbon emissions already present in the atmosphere and processing it into a fuel source with renewable energy.
The automaker says that by investing in e-fuels, it is potentially ensuring that customers with an existing ICE-powered vehicle will have an affordable, drop-in option to “decarbonize” their vehicles without having to upgrade the fuel system, worry about the EV charging infrastructure, or replace their existing vehicle with a new or used electric car.
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
Inspecting your jeep AFTER a run
After a great day of wheeling, it’s always a good idea to take a few minutes to look around and under your Jeep. You just put it through some rough roads, maybe some 4-wheel drive, maybe even some extreme rock crawling. Double-check things to make sure your jeep is in good working order before you hit the road back home. Here are some things to look for.
1) Once off the trail and while airing up, take a look at your tires. Are there chunks missing from the tread or sidewalls?
- It’s good to do a once-over visibly to make sure there are no issues.
- Once you are aired up, do a quick check of some basic things to make sure you didn’t bang it too hard while on the trial and that something isn’t broken or bent.
2) Check the shocks – Check to see if they got bent while you were dancing through that rock garden. Are they leaking fluid? Do the bolts at both top and bottom seem to be tight?
3) Check for any oil or fluid leaks. This is somewhat important. You need oil to keep things like engines and transmissions functioning.
- You may have kicked something up on the road. Maybe while crawling over a rock you may have peeled your diff cover off. Maybe a well-placed rock poked a hole in your gas tank and you have a slow leak.
4) Check that your mirrors are back to normal. You may have adjusted them to back out of that obstacle you decided not to take, or you may have pulled them in to get through that tight squeeze.
Once at home, it’s a good idea to do a more thorough inspection. Depending on what type of terrain you put your Jeep through determines how much inspecting may be necessary.
1) Bill uses a power washer and always does a complete inspection of our Jeep from top to bottom. Mostly bottom. Although it’s always nice to have a clean and shiny Jeep to drive around town or back and forth to work, it is a really good idea to “detail” the bottom side as well.
2) Bill has found things that way and avoided several larger issues, or worse, trail break-downs. He cleans the suspension, hose, brake lines, springs, shocks, drive shafts, etc. He says it’s a great way to find fatigue, stress cracks, and loose or missing bolts.
Create a consistent habit in your inspections and who knows what you may find. Having a “checklist” to cover all these things may help. Some things to check for;
1) Check the undercarriage, especially if you don’t have body armor
- Check the upper and lower control arm rubber bushings. They tend to get destroyed when you flex the suspension a lot.
- Check the oil pan/gas tank
2) Check for loose connections with wires. Or maybe they are wearing on the frame or springs. A fist full of zip ties goes a long way toward preventing failures on the road or trail.
3) Check for loose connections with bolts. You don’t need to do a re-torque after every run but just do a visual. Sometimes it’s just enough to catch something that could become a real problem.
4) Inside the jeep: replace any Band-Aids, water supply, or any tools you may have lent or broken on the trail
5) Put everything away: ie recovery gear etc., so you are ready for the next run
The old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” really hits home when you’re the one not breaking down on the trail.
https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver
Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
An arrest Warrant was Issued!
If you’re new, or blocked it from your mind. On Jan 13th (Friday) 2023, the 2021 Jeep Talk Show Gladiator was keyed. From driver’s side flare to passenger’s side flare. The collision center estimated about $2,800, then another 200+ due to the vinyl sticker replacement on the hood. Over $3,000 in damages.
This isn’t a situation where I upset someone in a driving incident that resulted in road rage. I parked in a spot at Sam’s Club behind a truck. It appeared that the truck driver either backed into the space or just drove through. It wasn’t straight in the spot and it extended slightly into my parking space. I parked behind the truck and made sure to try to get the Gladiator’s ass out of the way of other drivers.
After I found the Gladiator was keyed I contacted the police, then Sam’s Club to check for security footage.
The security person at Sam’s looked at the footage and clearly saw the PERP damaging my vehicle.
The police investigator was certain when he reviewed the footage, but after looking up the license plate for the truck he was unable to find a positive match between the face in the security footage and the perps driver’s license photo. He said it looked to be an old photo.
The case was at a standstill without this positive match. About a month went by and I received a call from the investigator. The perp updated his driver’s license and his picture! Positive match!
The case was then forwarded to the District Attorney. A couple of weeks have passed and I haven’t heard anything more, until a couple of days ago.
The restitution department from the DA’s office called me. They wanted receipts, or estimates, to repair the damage.
I found out that when the investigator called the perp and told him about the charges, the perp willingly admitted to keying my Jeep, and here’s the best part.
He was upset that when he came out of Sam’s Club with his purchases, that I was parked so close to his truck, he couldn’t open the tailgate.
Instead of pulling in forward to a spot, or leaving room in the space that he parked in for another person to park their vehicle and still get to his tailgate, he parked the way he wanted and got mad when someone else would dare to park properly. I guess he felt that he should have had two spots, the one he was in and the one behind him.
He also told the investigator that he thought I dented his bumper. I have video footage, there was no bump.
As of the end of March, this case is all wrapped up with the exception of what’s going to happen to him and if I’m going to get paid for the damage. I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on future episodes.
Oh, currently he has been instructed not to contact me directly or through a third party. Or anyone in my household. Once the case is resolved hopefully I will be able to contact him and get an interview for you to hear what and why from the person.
I have insurance. I have a $250 deductible. The reason I’m following through on this is he and people need to know that when you choose to act this way you may get caught. It took 3 and a half months for that call to be made by the police. Can you imagine what that must have felt like?
If I dented his bumper, he should have waited, spoken to me and we could have exchanged insurance information. I had proof that I didn’t damage his vehicle. That’s the way mature individuals handle these things. He did not. I suspect that on top of restitution, he will be required to attend an anger management class. I don’t know about you but that would piss me off! 😉
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Must Have Stuff Pick-of-the-Week for your Jeep!
Powertank
10 LB. PACKAGE B POWER TANK
PT10-5250
$739.95
https://powertank.com/collections/power-tank-packages/products/pt10-5250-builder
Steve’s booth was right next to the TYRI Lights booth that I was in and they had some spectacular savings on their powertanks at Easter Jeep Safari! But that’s over, so you should have gone! 😛
Steve has a great product, and it’s worth every penny. If you’re trying to sell the idea to your spouse you might want to try the CHEAPER card and get a very good alternative, Offroad Air Buddy system. I have seen this product first hand. A 10lb Tank System is $445. https://offroadairbuddy.com