The Jeep is likely to be totaled by four vehicles.
The video begins with familiar faces from previous videos as well as the amazing Corvair off-roader. The crew is joined by two experienced off-road recovery professionals for this run. This is because the Wrangler is in serious disrepair. It is not only in water up to its hood but also the tires are sinking into silt and dirt up to their base. After all that is done, it’s time to tow a dead Wrangler over miles of hills, trails, and rocks.
We don’t know the modifications that are hidden beneath the water, but the Wrangler is not a stock vehicle. Although it claims it is a $100,000 rig in the video, it appears that a snorkel to handle deep water was not one of the upgrades. It wouldn’t have kept the Wrangler stuck, but the snorkel could have made it possible to drive once it was freed from its watery tomb. It was actually quite easy to pull it out of the water. It was difficult to get the strap and tow hooks on the boat. Also, it was hard to put the Wrangler into neutral. An off-road buggy was driven into the river to act as a fulcrum point. This helped reduce the suction effect. Instead of pulling back straight away, the force from the strap pulled the Wrangler upwards, lifting it from its sticky river bottom and pulling it out of the water.
It worked great, but then there was the real challenge. It’s not easy to tow a vehicle that doesn’t have power steering or brakes. Anyone who has done it knows how difficult it can be. All four of the tow vehicles had to be at different points to navigate narrow trails and open terrain with large stones and hills. However, with night falling, the crew was able to return to the main road. We don’t know whether the Wrangler can be salvaged. The owner does have a great story.