Bogs Down in Reverse UP an Incline

[tommudd]

I have very limited off roading experience but wouldn't you want to be in 4Lo before you start crossing a flooded creek with unknown conditions under the water?

First thing you do in that situation is get out and walk it.
Too many just think since they have a 4 wheel drive that they can drive through it. Pulled a lot of Sunday afternoon 4 wheelers out of creeks they had no business trying to cross.

 

[JasonJ]

First thing you do in that situation is get out and walk it.
Too many just think since they have a 4 wheel drive that they can drive through it. Pulled a lot of Sunday afternoon 4 wheelers out of creeks they had no business trying to cross.

With no way to know how deep it is, or whether or not there was a hidden sink hole.. I'd get out and walk it, poking a long stick all over in front of me too!

Speaking of which... I had heard it in a Jeep video somewhere, but cant recall, what is the water fjording ability of the KJ? I want to say it's 16-18" ... what's the actual spec?

 

[tjkj2002]

With no way to know how deep it is, or whether or not there was a hidden sink hole.. I'd get out and walk it, poking a long stick all over in front of me too!

Speaking of which... I had heard it in a Jeep video somewhere, but cant recall, what is the water fjording ability of the KJ? I want to say it's 16-18" ... what's the actual spec?

Official spec is like 15" or so but you can go much higher at your own(and KJ's) risk.

I've been pushing water over my hood before in my KJ(lifted and before SFA) which would have been a little over 4' of water.I also had a open air filter(not stock box) with a outwears hydroshield cover on the filter which most likely save my engine,dang tank pool was deeper then I expected in the middle.

 

[Jim McClain]

...wouldn't you want to be in 4Lo before you start crossing a flooded creek with unknown conditions under the water?

First thing you do in that situation is get out and walk it.

With no way to know how deep it is, or whether or not there was a hidden sink hole.. I'd get out and walk it, poking a long stick all over in front of me too!

I was in Part Time 4WD, which was suitable for the terrain. The conditions weren't completely unknown:

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That depicts about 2/3 of the hazard. You can easily see to the creek bed. I am standing in the first third, which seemed fairly firm and was only 6-8" deep (a few inches above my ankles). I didn't think I needed a stick, even though I didn't walk clear across it. I have lung disease and sometimes it's a struggle just walking out to my mailbox. Not everyone who enjoys 4-wheelin' is as healthy as you or the great majority of other 4-wheelers.

Some of us aren't as smart either. I'm smart enough to know I need instruction though, which is why I talked to someone who could help me - and many others - with that. With the help of my local CHP, some of whom are avid 4-wheelers, and what I am learning here on JeepKJ, I might have a lot of great trail riding to come.

After shooting that scene at Gilson Creek, I pulled my KJ into it in Part Time 4WD and the ****** in 1. By the time my rear tires hit the water, I felt uneasy. I know I've seen a lot of videos where this kind of hazard wasn't even a second thought to the drivers. But I am reminded of my limitations every time I suck in a breath of air. So, I am over-cautious and decided to back out. I'm actually pleased that I have an opportunity to use what you guys taught me in the beginning of this discussion (where were your warnings of stick-poking and walking then?). So, I put the ****** in N, the TC in Lo, then the ****** in R and backed out - about a quarter mile because the trail was very narrow along a deeper than normal Spanish Creek and I didn't trust the bank.

My guess is that none of you would have been intimidated by that little creek or the loose gravel and rock that has covered what is usually a dirt road. I doubt any of you would have actually poked it with a stick. Not all of you would have walked it. I feel I did what was safe for me. I know I have much more to learn. Sometimes I take a risk. Heck, every day I go off road is a risk because I can carry only 15 hours of oxygen with me and even with that, walking more than 25' from my Jeep, especially at higher elevations, is sometimes not possible.

People ask me all the time, "how ya doin', Jim?" I always tell them "I'm doin' as good as I can be and enjoying every minute." I am not going to sit in a chair at home and wait for the inevitable, like so many other people with late stage emphysema. I'm gonna go find me some pictures and some dirt roads to play on. If the inevitable happens while I'm doing that, that would be the second best way to die.

 

[Dave]

^^better to be safe than sorry Jim.

Dave

 

[wheeee32]

Keep the photos coming Jim. I'm enjoying the outdoor shots.