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Is the Wrangler JL Reliable enough for a 10k road-trip?

Ken Ztopolovky

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We did an 8k trip last summer through the Canadian rockies, plus did some trails and light off roading, loaded with 4 people and camping gear, never skipped a beat. Averaged 24 mpg as well! We were very impressed
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I did the same last September. I think my mind was more preocupied with the scenario where an essential spare part wouldn't be available due to the fragile NWO market realities. The mileage was shockingly great at around 27 - 29 mpg. Mostly I drove along secondary hwys and usualy not faster than 50 - 60 m/h . The aerodynamic defincencies of Wrangler come in play once the speed jumps over 60 - 65 and that's without the headwind.
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Omen

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The problems with that doesn't happen in a month. It's when that battery dies with zero warning. It's not just about getting the engine started anymore.
Not quite sure what you were trying to say here, so I'll break it down and try.

The problems with that doesn't happen in a month.

There are a few that post here that have, at least anecdotally, been running via a single battery for more than a year trouble free. It is some of them that inspire confidence to run a single battery.

It's when that battery dies with zero warning.


On two occasions, my aux battery died. Both times, zero warning and zero ability to even push the Jeep out of the garage. Have you experienced an aux failure and what were your experiences?

It's not just about getting the engine started anymore.

Not sure how to respond here. Isn't that the point to prevent being stranded?

At the end of the day, I choose this path. I'm not going to turn around, and I'll accept my fate if I'm wrong. Time will tell and my build log will reflect my experiences.

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Reinen

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The problems with that doesn't happen in a month.

There are a few that post here that have, at least anecdotally, been running via a single battery for more than a year trouble free. It is some of them that inspire confidence to run a single battery.
It's a reasonable risk if you are with a group that can drive you out and near civilization.

It's when that battery dies with zero warning.

On two occasions, my aux battery died. Both times, zero warning and zero ability to even push the Jeep out of the garage. Have you experienced an aux failure and what were your experiences?
First of all, if your Aux battery already died twice on a '22 something is wrong and causing it to fail. That's way too soon for an age related failure. I doubt replacing the Aux battery is fixing the root cause. Did you replace the Main as well? You want to replace both of them at the same time because they are linked 99% of the time. If you didn't, you could easily had your Aux damage your main and once you replaced your Aux, the weakened Main is now damaging the new Aux.

I guarantee you there was warning. Your ESS would have stopped kicking in before the Jeep was dead. Every time it kicks in it means your batteries passed a voltage test. But many people ignore that, might even be happy that ESS stopped working. But it really means you don't have long until your batteries can no longer keep the Jeep operating.

It's not just about getting the engine started anymore.

Not sure how to respond here. Isn't that the point to prevent being stranded?
The point is that the JL can't function without the electronics. For example, the accelerator pedal is nothing more than a request to the computer. It's not connected to the engine anymore and will do nothing without functioning electronics, which actually operates the engine. Functioning electronics requires steady electrical power from the batteries. If the batteries can't provide that, the JL is utterly dead.

At the end of the day, I choose this path. I'm not going to turn around, and I'll accept my fate if I'm wrong. Time will tell and my build log will reflect my experiences.
It's a reasonable risk if you're always in cell range, near civilization and/or are always with others who can take you home. Accepting and handling the possibility of a DOA Jeep. But I'm one who could be out of cell range and 100 off-road miles from the nearest middle of nowhere gas & service station. So that risk is unacceptable and I appreciate ESS kicking in and signaling a successful voltage check every time. If ESS stops working it's time to head directly to civilization and replace both batteries before a failure occurs.
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