Alaska trip Busted!

[Bumala]

Originally Posted by sourdough

It's great to hear that they think they can get the new engine to you so soon. Hope they can get it in just as quickly.

I'm not trying to be the weight police or harp at you. I'm just worried because the numbers don't sound right to me. I'm staying at a resort in FL this week and I was out walking around a new JGC today in the parking lot just looking it over thinking about your situation.

Why do I worry? Primarily because you're going to AK and pulling your trailer with a Jeep. Pulling up and down mountains isn't like flatlanding and puts a big strain on the suspension, brakes etc. The EcoDiesel, if it stays together, should be more than enough engine for that trailer. The Jeep on the other hand is pretty small.

The dry weight of the trailer is 5385 with a cargo capacity over 2000 lbs. Usually, in my experience, you need to have a tongue weight that is in the vicinity of 12 - 15% of the trailer weight for stable driving; that is my concern for you when you hit long, steep downgrades or other difficult situations. A tongue weight of 650 would indicate, to me, that your full trailer weight would be around 5500 or less (at 12%). That says you have about 100 lbs of cargo in the trailer which can't be right - the propane tanks alone will add more than 60 lbs. I've got a few hundred pounds of "stuff" in my pass through alone, it would appear you have nothing.

Looking at the layout of your trailer it appears it will load heavy to the rear. That may be your issue. When you get the trailer back I would strongly urge you to take it to a scale and get it sorted out. Work on getting that tongue weight solid and weights in the trailer sorted or it WILL take you for a ride in the mountains (don't ask how I know). Good luck!

Looking at the specs for the trailer, it appears it is designed for about 10% tongue weight (545/5385). The trailer might have 1000 lbs of stuff in it, but I don't think it's that much. That would make the weight at 10% (650/6500), which seems reasonable. One of the problems with the listed specs is that they don't give the conditions, except to say that is as it was delivered. The 23RB has almost nothing aft of the wheels. It's just the bathroom, and the outdoor kitchen (which I love by the way). The big weight in the outdoor kitchen is the refer, but that's a static load, and included in the 5385. Above that is the linen closet, which just has some towels and bathroom supplies. All the gear is stowed forward of the wheels. The black tank was 1/4 full, and the grey empty. The fresh had 3/4 in it, but that's also forward of the wheels.

So I did up a spread sheet with everything I could think of and came up with 6292. I know the weights of everything because I loaded it. Although i didn't do a weight and balance.

I tow with a weight stabilizer hitch with sway control, and a proportional break controller. The Jeep also has electronic sway control, large anti-lock disk breaks, continuous four wheel drive, and is very comfortable. The motor, before it blew up, was amazingly strong and coupled to an 8 speed transmission.

Why not buy a new Chevy Diesel every year? Aside from I can't afford it, a couple of items on the Jeep make it more convenient for my wife, who's disabled. I'm also not a big fan of Chevy, more of a Ram fan myself. (no offense to the Chevy fans out there)
Bob.

[sourdough]

I understand about the vehicle. I wouldn't suggest buying a new Chevy diesel every year either....and, I'm a Ram guy myself.

Just do the numbers and make sure the Jeep feels solid when pulling, especially over big bumps etc. A heavy, or light, tongue can make a smaller TV do weird stuff.

Again, I just want you to have a great trip when you get to go. You've already experienced the unthinkable and, I'm sure, the most unexpected, kind of failure. I just want you and your wife to have a super, uneventful trip when you get to go. When my wife and I get to go I know how ramped up we will be and how unhappy we would be if something happened to us like it did to you. Good luck and safe travels.

[bill-e]

Originally Posted by Bumala

So Chrysler authorized a new motor and they ordered it today. They claim delivery in 5 to 7 days. I should get my Jeep back in a week or two. I hope it's true. I hope the guy from the JeepGarage forum is wrong. The trailer is home, everyone is safe.
Bob.

Are the getting you a long block or short block? Can you dig into what happened? Cam shift or rod bolt????

I have the same engine and it's a monster for towing within its limits.

[rnkburg]

Mimicking what someone else said the enterprise truck rental will rent 3/4 tons with hitches and one ton dually with gooseneck balls in them. As far as the weight police. You might have been wrong on the dually for an r pod. I think it should be a freight liner. [emoji41].

Yes u haul will drive you nuts IF you tell them your gonna tow.


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[Bumala]

Originally Posted by bill-e

Are the getting you a long block or short block? Can you dig into what happened? Cam shift or rod bolt????

I have the same engine and it's a monster for towing within its limits.

I agree about the motor. They're ordering a long block. For those who don't know, which included me a week ago, a long block is a full-up engine, while a short block is just the bottom end.
I don't know what failed on mine, but this seems most likely:

http://www.carbuzz.com/m/article.aspx?Id=32734

I say this because they are replacing the full engine. What happens is that the cam slips, and the pistons hit the valves, destroying everything.

Most say that after you hit 35k miles or so you're in the clear for this problem.

I truly love the Jeep. In a full size SUV, with all the bells and whistles, I get a solid 30 MPG at 70 MPH on the freeway, about 18 towing a trailer at 55. The acceleration is astounding. It tows 6k as though it's not there.

One thing to remember is that this has happened to a hundred or so motors out of the hundreds of thousands produced.
Lucky Me.
Bob.

[chuckster57]

Long block: Rotating assembly ( block, crank, pistons, cam) and assembled heads. does NOT include intake/exhaust manifolds, injectors and accessories such as alt, power steering pump and sometimes water pump.

Short block: just the rotating assembly NO heads or anything else. Sometimes the oil pump is included, most often the oil pan has to be swapped over.

This is based on 40+ years of operating my own auto repair business. Unless things have changed, thats been the long and short of it for years.

I am glad to hear your getting a new engine, hope you get your Jeep back real soon.

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Long block: Rotating assembly ( block, crank, pistons, cam) and assembled heads. does NOT include intake/exhaust manifolds, injectors and accessories such as alt, power steering pump and sometimes water pump.

Short block: just the rotating assembly NO heads or anything else. Sometimes the oil pump is included, most often the oil pan has to be swapped over.

This is based on 40+ years of operating my own auto repair business. Unless things have changed, thats been the long and short of it for years.

I am glad to hear your getting a new engine, hope you get your Jeep back real soon.

"The long and short of it."

[Ram189]

Just curious.

Did it sound like a jet plane right before it quit?

That seems to be the #1 description of what fails. The dealers don't even take them apart to see what is wrong with them.

We check the fuel for contamination, check the oil and call with what we find.

I know of 3 Ecos that have failed in our 2 FCA dealerships. All 3 got motors no questions asked all were under 10000 miles on them.

[bill-e]

Originally Posted by Ram189

Just curious.

Did it sound like a jet plane right before it quit?

That seems to be the #1 description of what fails. The dealers don't even take them apart to see what is wrong with them.

We check the fuel for contamination, check the oil and call with what we find.

I know of 3 Ecos that have failed in our 2 FCA dealerships. All 3 got motors no questions asked all were under 10000 miles on them.

I'm at 14.5k now and love the truck. When I tow I often forget that I'm towing. It does downshift on hills but that's what the 8 speed is for. I get 14-15 towing what I think is around 7klbs.

[Bumala]

Originally Posted by Ram189

Just curious.

Did it sound like a jet plane right before it quit?

That seems to be the #1 description of what fails. The dealers don't even take them apart to see what is wrong with them.

We check the fuel for contamination, check the oil and call with what we find.

I know of 3 Ecos that have failed in our 2 FCA dealerships. All 3 got motors no questions asked all were under 10000 miles on them.

No it rattled like a tool box dropped down a flight of stairs, then died.
Bob.

[denverpilot]

Too late for Bob, but for those looking at Good Sam and AAA add on RV towing, don't forget to check with your usual insurer. Mine beat both handily and will tow both TV and trailer.

And did, when we tossed the Bosch fuel pump in Nebraska. Two local tow trucks, one grabbed a fifth wheel plate and dragged the fiver to the campground where we set up in comfort for a couple of days, the other took the Dodge to the diesel shop.

They have a mileage limit but it's generous and we'd pay their contracted rate if we had to go further.

Many people don't realize most auto insurance companies have add on towing options. That one tow paid for a number of years of additional premiums to have it, and I used it again for another fuel pump failure on my Yukon about two weeks ago.

[Bumala]

I picked up my Jeep today, so I can finally get on the road again. According to the dealer, the motor threw the #3 rod, and punched a couple of holes in the block.
It's too late in the season to try for Alaska, but we may go down the coast to Morro Bay for a week or so.
Bob.

[hankaye]

Bumala, Howdy;

Congratulations! Have they given you a full warranty for the new engine or
is it shortened to the remainder of the original?

hankaye

[Bumala]

Yes, according to FCA customer care, the motor has the full 5 year warranty.
Bob.

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by Bumala

Yes, according to FCA customer care, the motor has the full 5 year warranty.
Bob.

Excellent! Polaris could learn a lesson from this.

Which oil is recommended?

[bill-e]

Great news. That is one of the more common failures.

Also, next time you talk to the dealer Ram changed the oil requirement for the Ecodiesel to Shell Rotella T6. They are getting away from the Penzoil.