WORKHORSE - If you need a vehicle for all seasons, this might be a good contender, if not for the climate unfriendly fuel consumption. Tim had ideas to convert his weekend off-road buggy to green fuels. He began experimenting with hydrogen, and methanol. And wanted to fit a heavy duty winch, where he'd been stuck before in Robin Post Lane. Famous for very slippery clay mud, up to your axles in wet weather. Not for the feint hearted.

Even these Jeeps can get bogged down in up to the axle mud. We're sure as off roader's, you will have been there yourself. Tim had used all wheel drive and diff-locked, and still been stuck during his time in the British Army. The answer is a high-powered winch. With sufficient grunt to pull almost 2 tons of Jeep out of the quagmire.

Electric winches have revolutionized the world of heavy lifting and towing. They are powerful, efficient, and easy to use. Whether you are an off-road enthusiast, a construction worker, or a boat owner, electric winches can make your life easier and more convenient. 

If you plan on going off-road, you will eventually get bogged. It’s not so much a matter of if, but when, regardless if you’re on mud, rocks, sand or even snow. It is inevitable.

Most vehicles use a 12 volt system, thus a 12V winch makes sense. Using a winch with a different voltage can cause compatibility issues and potentially damage your vehicle's electrical system.

A 12V winch is designed to work with your vehicle's battery and electrical system, making it a reliable and safe choice for off-road adventures. Installation is also easier.

You must choose a winch that can handle the weight of your vehicle with some power to spare. Or, you'll burn out the motor, and be just as stuck, as if you had not bothered fitting one. A bit extra power is useful if you are mud-tracking with mates, and they may need a hand.

In choosing an electric winch, a rough rule of thumb is to make sure your recovery system can pull at least 1.5 times the weight of your vehicle. You can calculate it by taking the gross vehicle weight and multiply it by 1.5. A Jeep XJ weighs approximately 3,357 lb (1,523 kg); 1,375–1,662 kg (3,031–3,664 lb) (Jeep 2500/2700); 1,610 kg (3,549 lb) (BAW Qishi). Thus choose a winch with at least 6,000lbs pulling power. We chose a 12,000 lb model.

You will need enough Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) in the battery to power both your engine and winch. The battery must have the reserve capacity to supply enough power to the winch. A 12-volt battery rated up to 650 CCA will typically be enough for a 12,000 pound vehicle which is the general standard for winches.

VEHICLE HISTORY (FICTIONAL)

Timothy Watson set about restoring his cherished Jeep Cherokee, looking to make improvements, such as a composite roof with solar panels, to generate power for his equipment, and keep the batteries charged when not in use for long periods. Then John added electric drive, using fuel cells to convert hydrogen. The vehicle thus became a zero emission hybrid experiment.

The Jeep Cherokee is a compact SUV that was first introduced in 1984 as a revolutionary vehicle with a unibody construction and an all-wheel drive system. Some of the best features of the Jeep Cherokee SUV all wheel drive classic vehicle are:

- It offers unrivalled on-road performance while maintaining most of the off-road ability for which Jeep is famous.

- It comes with a Selec-Terrain switch that has up to five settings to adjust the all-wheel drive system according to different terrain conditions.

- It has a spacious and comfortable interior with a high level of standard equipment, such as power steering, alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, remote central locking, air conditioning, cruise control and an automatic gearbox.

- It has a distinctive and rugged design with a wide D-pillar and a long fixed rear side window with an optional flip-out section.

The Cherokee ‘XJ’ was a radically new vehicle for Jeep in 1984. Developed under AMC with Renault, the compact SUV had revolutionary design features for a car of this class.

While other American manufacturers were rushing out rebodied pickups, AMC’s Jeep introduced the Cherokee XJ with a unibody construction and well-damped suspension that offered unrivalled on-road performance while maintaining most of the off-road ability for which the company was famous.

The Jeep XJ utilizes front and rear beam axle components (live axles) as opposed to an independent suspension. The live axle configuration offers advantages in off-road capability and performance at the expense of some on-road comfort and driveability.

Timthy Watson is a practical man with years of experience welding new panels and chassis components to older, rusty vehicles. The Jeep Cherokee was Chrysler's first foray into the luxury off-road market, deviating from twin rails to unitary construction. Meaning, that with leaks from roof gulleys and other weak spots, these vehicles would soon rot away if not cared for.

These were always highly equipped vehicles, especially in the UK where the value prospect was a big part of their market entry strategy. The 1993 UK-spec Cherokee Limited undercut rivals like the Isuzu Trooper and the Land Rover Discovery, while offering greater levels of standard equipment. You got power steering, alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, remote central locking, six speakers, air conditioning, cruise control and an automatic gearbox all for free.

Electric everything of course: all four windows, the door mirrors, the front seats, and naturally the aerial for that impressive stereo. Metallic paint was a cheap option, and even leather seats were a very reasonable £1000.

The Jeep Cherokee SUV all wheel drive classic vehicle was a great choice for anyone looking for a versatile, reliable and stylish vehicle that can handle any road challenge, between the 1980s and 1990s. But is now very rare indeed.

The later iteration of the 4-litre petrol unit featured Chrysler fuel injection and is generally referred to as the high-output engine, because of its hike in power from around 175bhp to 190bhp. Torque remained roughly the same at 225lb.ft but at a significantly higher peak. This engine saw service from 1991 and proved to be exceptionally reliable, while its revised electronics were easier to diagnose when issues did crop up.

One of the best places to buy a quality classic Jeep Cherokee, is near Rome in Italy. Another is California, USA. Where they are very popular with the trendy elite.

ABOUT TIMOTHY WATSON'S JEEP

JEEP - The Jeep Cherokee that the General acquired some years ago is in need of much work. Previously used in connection with an ocean research project, this vehicle was fully loaded with leather seats and metallic paint job.

Jimmy Watson dreamed of having an intelligent robot friend to play with, from a very young age. What a great Christmas animation (Anime) this would make. Or, maybe, a graphic novel, or Manga adaptation. What do you think?

CHAPTERS - CHARACTERS - FILMS - MAGIC - PLOT OUTLINE - SECTASAUR

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This is a work of fiction. Names and Characters are the product of the authors' imaginations, and any resemblance to any person, living or deceased, is entirely coincidental, save for reference to heads of state, whose dialogue, actions and thoughts do not represent those of the actual persons. Being entirely fictional and for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved. JHL is not responsible for the content on third party sites, reference links, or sites linking to this site.