Extraordinary Jeeping
By Paul Dockrey

On the first run of the year something strange happened. We Jeepers are use to the unexpected occurring on a run. Like when you hear that "bang!" and watch as your rear drive shaft appears between the seats. But this was different. Pretend for a moment you are a member of a Corvette club. After a long snowy winter with the vette stored from the elements you and you fellow club members decide to charter a bus and hit the casinos. You all gather at Hebert's candy Mansion and watch as the charter bus arrives. As the bus pulls into the lot you are overcome with the excitement of the chance at winning big. As you watch, the bus turn around it backs down a hill. The rear tires sink into the soft ground and spin as the driver tries to power out of the mud. For about fifteen minutes you watch as the bus slowly slides further down the hill and is stuck deeper and deeper in the spring thaw. As the bus sinks so does you hope of winning big. You know a bus just canšt be pushed up a muddy hill. You also know that it would take hours to get another bus or a heavy wrecker to winch the bus out. At the least you and the other fifty high rollers will be very late. Right about now you are thinking you would trade the vette for one good four-wheel-drive. When what to my wondering eyes did appear but some crazy young men and their wheeling machines! As you can see from the pictures this is not a flight of fancy, but another instance of "Jeepers to the rescue". Another random act of showing what we can do with jeeps. Another great jeep story. I talked to the driver of the bus who was obviously upset at the predicament he was in. He knew what the boss would say when handed the bill for the tow truck. "FIRED!" pops into my mind. I told the driver we could attach tow straps and three jeeps to the front tow points on his bus and easily pull him up the hill. I told him we could save the day. He accepted and even though I was not sure we could save the day, it was worth a try. After all we had several jeeps and I am sure that if we had to hook them all up we could haul 30,000lbs up a greasy mud covered hill. At the very least it would be fun. As you can see we hooked up the jeeps, Roger took the right side with his YJ, I was in the middle with the Willys, ready to make use of all 60 hp, and Rich was in his XJ taking up the left flank. With all the straps secured with shackles and an eager crowd praying for success, we began the pull. Like a race flag man at the 500 Rich B. signaled the driver of the bus to spin his wheels and off we went. With 8 Super Swampers digging through the mud to solid ground, and 4 Trxus tires tearing at the edge of the black top we pulled the bus steadily and slowly up the hill on to the paved parking lot. We did it. There was cheering and hollering coming from both jeep and vette camps. One of the vette owners asked us to get together for a group photo in front of our jeeps and bus. She wanted to post the picture on their club web site.

<-- Back to Trip Reports