Starting a new project: The get away vehicle.

I would think that a Laredo or a Wrangler would be better. Especially a Wrangler.

Land Rover Discovery. It is the vehicle for everywhere any condition. If you get diesel you can run it off 100proof+ alcohol if you have to, but you will have to add octane booster later to burn out the water. Or you can run it on kerosene.

I used to have a '93 Grand Cherokee and the thing was bulletproof. Never let me down once, except the ONE time I let the wife drive it and she threw a rod with 250k on the clock. It was a damned good truck, never got stuck once, out 4 wheeled many purpose-built rigs and generally was an awesome vehicle. I miss her still.

Now I drive an 07 Dodge 2500, and she is also an awesome vehicle in her own right. Tow/ haul anything, high ground clearance, 4wd and a 2 speed transfer case, tough as hell, and also un-stuckable. The milage I get is terrible, but what do I want out of a 6500 lb truck?

I just did an estimate tonight for a job that'll make me a lot of money if they go for it. I think that money might turn into another Grand Cherokee because those trucks are really good.

Cheers

i recently (like, today)got a 1990 Jeep Cherokee Limited. If it's reliable i will want to be fixing it up. First thing, i want a receiver hitch put on it. What should i focus on after that?

Winch and tires.

I never even thought about a wench. That would be a good idea. Thanks, bunni.

I did a bit of talking to Penn and he suggested:
Receiver hitch
brush bar
upgrade the tires
use a lift kit
put on a jerry can rack
then a safari rack with extra lights.

in that order.

Screw the nudge bar. Go a proper bullbar.

Add rear mount spotlight(s) with an internal switch. If your mounting lights on top of your vehicle, go white lights. The kind that make everything around you look like daylight (haven't had coffee yet name slipped mind... Halogens or something). Mounting the ones on front, go the normal spotlights to the maximum your laws allowed.

Try to catch B-Rad in chat. He is a professional 4WD'er and knows his sh... Stuff. He will be able to point you in the direction of good suppliers and good advice.

With all that hardware, beef up your suspension and up grade your brake system. Think about making the primary systems safe and reliable first before you go all razzle dazzle. Otherwise you might throw on all that steel just to blow a shock or bust a line trying to stop on a dime. If you hit a tree or something bigger than your truck head on and that bull bar V's on you because you were doin 60 when the brake pedal went to the floor or your car went straight when you turned the wheel left, your engine is gonna be in your lap.

Ya after The cow bar and winch i say springs struts and sway/roll bars and get the lift while your at it. Obviously 6 tires added storage options; roof front rear or under on some trucks. Then Snorkel the intake and exhaust which will also boost your Horsies a few. Safari Rack would be awesome. Get a cargo tray that plugs into your hitch for the Jerry cans. Depending what your really planning, you might want a new drive shaft if your planning off roading and a new differential. Also get a temp gauge put on your transmission to see if you need a Trans cooler or not. Get an over sized alternator and 2 batteries.

Well, after driving the Jeep for about a week now i've re-arranged my priorities. First things first with my Jeep. It needs new transmission lines and a front Oil Pan seal. Then i need a new bell housing cover for the lower transmission. Then i can start of the cool upgrades like bars and guards. I'll be hitting the junkyards this week before school starts.

Doing them yourself mate? If you need advice don't hesitate to ask on site, we have many mechanics and DIY car enthusiasts on site.

Also, I'd suggest getting the repair manual.... other then the Haynes Collection I would suggest (linked) Chilton Repair Manual - 1974-2001 Jeep Cherokee.

Always keep it in a sealed container(s) in the car. (I keep my user manual in two large ziplock bags wrapped in cloth under the spare tyre).

The amount of times all I had to do is replace a fuse or replace a small wire or even clean a contact has saved me $1000's while travelling long distances.

don't forget to carry some car bug out gear one of my major two items people i know do not think about is a glass breaker bar and a hand held oxygen tank(gives me about 3 min of oxygen in case the car goes under water) of course if your using a jeep with a soft cover top then the glass breaker wont be as necessary.

The Cherokee is a uni-frame jeep with an all metal body. It's an early SUV, not a real CJ-style jeep.

(we really need to be able to edit our comments)

Well i'm going to disassemble the small kit I've got in the old POS Buick and see what i can reuse/re-purpose for use in the jeep, but it looks like i'm going to need a whole new "trouble" kit. AKA - jumpers, tow cable, ect.

I've got water, blankets, an extra 5 gallons of fuel, and some other misc "spare" goods that were extra in my GOOD (Get out of Dodge) kit. but i'm going to go sniff around a few stores for more supplies when i head out to the junk yard.

Always make sure your vehicle is mechanically sound before you embark on upgrades. No sense in having a huge bull bar if you blow your transmission trying to push a car.

Also, don't forget to use the gas in your can about twice a year, and don't fill the can all the way if it stays inside the truck. In the summer it can get crazy hot, and your can will expand a lot.

Secondly: Make sure you have fuses, hose clamps, and tire plugs with you at all times. I keep a tire plug kit and a cigarette lighter compressor in my truck. One time I had a dime sized hole in my sidewall. I was able to cut 6 plugs in half, and stuff 12 half-length plugs in that hole and drive to a service station.

I used to keep a patch kit and some ether in all my vehicles before i got married. You can patch the tire, then spray the either into the flattened tire and ignite it. The resulting expansion of gas inflates the tire and seals it to the rim. Neat little trick, as long as there is no tube. Still need to put more air into the thing, but it works. Sadly, I've not been up on this as my kits have fallen into disrepair. Only the Kit in the newer car works now, so i'm looking at putting a new one together for the Jeep. I've got all the "essential" fluids put together, done most of the minor comfort repairs, and now i'm working on a new car kit. I have to say, i'm really disappointed with the selection of available car tools in my town.

Your tip on the gasoline is a good one. I ran into that problem once before in another vehicle.