Like the ‘Little Engine That Could,’ this brand new Wrangler JL eventually pulls the huge truck back onto the road.
The all-new 2018 Wrangler JL has just start hitting dealerships around the country, but we already have a video of the redesigned Jeep performing an incredible feat. This video was shared online by masterjeem on YouTube, and while it takes eight minutes of work, the little SUV pulls out the huge truck and trailer.
Wrangler JL to the Rescue
The Jeep shown saving the day in the video above is an all-new Wrangler JL Unlimited in Rubicon trim. We don’t know for sure, but it sounds like it is powered by the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and the eight-speed automatic transmission, a combination that sends 285 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque to all four wheels via the Rock-Trac four-wheel-drive system.
This drivetrain is designed to make the 2018 Wrangler JL the ultimate factory-built off-road machine, but in this case, the sure-footedness of the legendary Jeep is called upon to pull a tractor trailer out of a ditch on the side of an icy road. The truck itself likely weighs five to six times as much as the Jeep and if the trailer is loaded – the combined weight of the tractor trailer setup could be close to ten times that of the Jeep.
Digging Through the Ice
When the video begins and the driver of the Wrangler JL tries to pull the big truck out of the ditch, it appears as though the icy, snow-covered road might make this too big of a task. Over and over again, the big truck would back up, trying to get somewhat of a run while the Wrangler pulled on the front bumper, but it seemed like it might be a job for a bigger vehicle.
In fact, the guy with the camera stops paying attention to what he is filming, but for the better part of six minutes, we watch the Wrangler struggle.
However, after eight minutes of pulling, the Jeep dug down through the snow and ice enough to get the grip needed to pull the huge truck and trailer to freedom.
Jeeps are powerful, adaptable, reliable, and downright amazing vehicles. This feat is proof of that.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
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"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
