ruined my toad

[mr. seaview]

I was towing my jeep wrangler behind my motorhome from California to
Joplin Missouri. Apparently and unintentionally I left the transfer case of
the jeep in gear instead of neutral. when I got to Joplin at my destination
I unhooked my jeep and It would not start. so I towed it to the jeep
dealer in Joplin. He stated it ruined my engine and the motor blew a rod and
the motor inside looked like a bomb went off in a million pieces. so he said
the motor needed to be replaced. they replaced the motor under warranty
and now say they found more damage as my whole rear end was also blown
up and the whole rear end needs to be replaced at a cost of $5500. they say
that the rearend is not covered under the warranty???

don't understand why it is not covered under the warrancy as I have the
manufactures warranty and two extended warranties. I thought that a
rear end is considered part of the power train?

anyway we are completely depressed about the whole situation.

the wife just wants to go home since we have been stuck in Missouri for
over a month. the dealer says I cannot tow the jeep with the rear end
the way it is.

my question is can I rent a tow dolly that I can put the rear wheels of the
jeep up off the ground and tow it home???

I can then deal with my dealership at home where I purchased the jeep
and warranty and see if they will put a new rear end and axles in the jeep?

dealership also states that even if replacing rear end and axles they still
don't know if anything else is wrong with it until they drive it and test it
on the road? I understand. just frustrated and want to get it home.

it will take us 5 days to get back to California. don't know what to do?

the dealership said they could order new rear end housing but it would take
3 or 4 days to get to Joplin as it has to come from Chrysler and they don't
have it in stock.

I guess my only other option is to let them order it and fix it and just go
ahead and drive the motorthome back to California and in a couple of weeks
fly back here to Joplin and pick up the jeep and drive it back to California.

don't know what to do at this point but wife wants to get home.

[cruzbill]

1) Take care of wife
2) buy new Jeep
3) do like we do, after hooking up the toad, the wife checks the toad/MH turn and brake lights, then I put the MH in gear and gently let off the brake. The MH will crawl on its own if the Jeep is set up right for towing. If the TX case is NOT in neutral, the Jeep will skid on the dirt or pavement. That's what the wife is looking for as we creep forward a couple of feet-the Jeep should be freewheeling at that point. I can also see the Jeep in my rearview camera so I can watch the action.

See if UHaul will rent you a car trailer so you can get home.

Good luck!

[BirchyBoy]

Wow, that would definitely ruin a vacation. In some ways, you're fortunate that the warranty covered the engine, which surprises me. You can likely decrease the cost of the rear end by looking at a junkyard or off-road shops for a used axle.

You're safest way to tow will be to get a trailer and get the whole rig off the ground. Or, check intkmhaving it shipped via car carrier.

[Pusherman]

mr. seaview, my sincerest condolences on your situation.

You stated that you 'unintentionally left the transfer case of the jeep in gear instead of neutral'. Why would you think this damage should be covered under warranty if it was caused by operator error?

If the manufacturer directs the operator of the vehicle for a sequence of steps for flat towing, and it is not followed, then negligence may cause damage to the unit, and it is not the manufacturer's responsibility to warrant under this situation.

Regarding your question on how to get it home, if it's a 4WD (which it must be since it has a transfer case) then it must be put on a trailer with both axles off the ground.

Another solution may be to see if the servicing dealer can disconnect the drive shafts to both front and rear axles to insure no more damage will occur towing it home 4-down.

Edit: On re-reading your original post, if the rear end is toast, then disconnecting the drive shaft to the rear will not help.

Sorry again for your misadventure.

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by Pusherman

mr. seaview, my sincerest condolences on your situation.

You stated that you 'unintentionally left the transfer case of the jeep in gear instead of neutral'. Why would you think this damage should be covered under warranty if it was caused by operator error?

If the manufacturer directs the operator of the vehicle for a sequence of steps for flat towing, and it is not followed, then negligence may cause damage to the unit, and it is not the manufacturer's responsibility to warrant under this situation.

Regarding your question on how to get it home, if it's a 4WD (which it must be since it has a transfer case) then it must be put on a trailer with both axles off the ground.

Another solution may be to see if the servicing dealer can disconnect the drive shafts to both front and rear axles to insure no more damage will occur towing it home 4-down.

Sorry again for your misadventure.

That won't help; the rear end is bad. Best thing is to rent a car trailer from U-Haul one way home.

[LarrytheBear]

I like the option you mention of leaving the Jeep where it is and getting the wife home. Let the people that have the Jeep fix it and go back to pick it up.

Another thing you could do is find a destination park where your wife might be content and wait close by for the Jeep to be fixed. A rental car is about $40 to $50 a day if you need it.

Good luck with your decision.

[swampdog2]

You can sure rent a trailer and tow it home cheaper than a plane ticket and take a chance driving it home and have it break down again if things didn't get repaired correct .

[Hgrace56]

You are lucky for any coverage.
Gross negligence is usually not covered under warranty.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

"Mr. Seview's" coach has a hitch rating of 5,000 pounds. Published curb weights for a 2010 Wrangler range from 3,838 to 4,460 pounds. Vehicles can exceed published curb weights. In any case, the combined weight of the Jeep and any rented trailer should not exceed 5,000 pounds.

[FredV]

I would suggest a used rear axle. I am retired from a GM dealership and have never seen a new rear axle costing more than $3000 to $3500 installed. Otherwise I would trailer tow the Jeep home, providing it is within weight limit.

[THenman]

Kind of wondering how the $ would work out for you if you traded for a new or used Wrangler. Probably not cost effective but could be.

Best of luck and count your blessings the engine got covered. I am kind of shocked it did.

Tom

[rbpower]

get it away from the dealer.. a used rear end can be had for under $1000 plus around 5 hour labor would you at $1500 range.. i have a hard time belivnig the rear is damaged.. transmition i could see but rear not so much

[Waiter21]

Could you tow it backwards on a dolly? Probably so. Make sure to tie the steering wheel so it can't turn, don't rely on the ignition lock.

OR, rent a trailer

[tangoparson]

I’m having trouble adding this up.

What transmission is in it and what gear did you tow it in? What was the failure mode in the rear end exactly?

I can see an auto trans in park being trashed by towing in park still connected but that still shouldn’t hurt the rear end. Or the motor maybe overspeeding with a manual in first but the oil pump would have worked if the crank was turning. Still the rear should have only seen normal stresses

Could the dealer be wanting a little bonus?