Toad on Fire!!

[News]

Jeep being towed by motor home catches fire in N. Idaho
Associated Press - October 20, 2007 7:14 PM ET <o></o>


LAPWAI, Idaho (AP) - A motor home driver traveling on U.S. Highway 95 in northern Idaho managed to get pulled over and stopped in time to disconnect the vehicle he was towing after other motorists warned him the towed vehicle was shooting out flames.

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Other motorists also stopped yesterday to help 71-year-old Michael J. O'Shaughnessey, of Clarkston, Washington, unhook the 2002 Jeep Liberty, which than became engulfed in flames.

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Idaho State Trooper Bryce Scrimsher says witnesses reported that it sounded like the Jeep was trying to start.<o></o> Police say no one was injured and there were no citations.<o></o>


Police closed the highway for about 45 minutes because of the fire, which only damaged the Jeep.<o></o>

 

[Jim]

"witnesses reported that it sounded like the Jeep was trying to start"


Electrical fault or the guy was towing with it in gear maybe, would that be possible?<o></o>

 

[Road Runner]

My jeep has a neutral on the auto box.

If he wasn't using it probably be his problem.

 

[Digger Driver]

You have to be really careful towing 4x4s!
Because even when your gearbox is in neutral your transfer box isn't!
There are only a couple of 4x4s you can tow without causing major damage!

 

[Road Runner]

You wanna go over to the States

Most RV's tow 4 x 4s of some description.

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[Jim]

Are Jeeps permanent 4 wheel drive. My Landrover is but many other 4WD are selectable aren't they?

 

[Road Runner]

I have a neutral between my high low box.

Jeep GC can be towed

 

[TestPoster]

You are right John, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has got a neutral position in the transfer case, therefore it can be towed quite safely as the wheels are not turning the input/output shafts, geartrain or ultimately the engine when it is selected. However the car that caught fire was a 2002 Jeep Liberty, which by my reckoning is a variant of the Cherokee not the Grand Cherokee. I do not know (without loads of research) whether that variant has a neutral in the transfer case, but I suspect not, which would "possibly" account for the disaster and would certainly account for the claims about it sounding as though it was trying to start....

Keith