Hi there. I'm new to the forum, though I've visited the site often over the years to help troubleshoot and fix problems with our 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport. I hope someone here can help us...
My husband, our daughter, our 3-legged shepherd dog and I piled into a UHaul and towed the Jeep from NJ to TX on a wing and a prayer, with financial support from our families. Unfortunately, we trusted the UHaul rep that hooked up our Jeep to their tow dolly (he insisted it would be fine to tow without disassembling the drive train) and now the transfer case is shot and the back brakes sound like hell. In addition, my sister backed out of her contribution to our trip at the last moment, so we're several thousand dollars short of our original budget.
We find ourselves stranded at an incredibly accommodating UHaul outside of Dallas, "living" in the parking lot, and using the undrivable Jeep as shelter with the bulk of our possessions in on-site storage. As time drags on, we continue to gradually deplete our supply of canned food and bottled water, and we don't have nearly enough money to fix what's wrong with the Jeep and get on the road.
We had planned to stay at a gorgeous free campsite in Lake Winnsboro so we could work for a few weeks and ultimately purchase a nice piece of land to operate an organic farm and non-bovine dairy as well as a not-for-profit animal rescue and shelter. (We farmed back in NJ, and we've been rescuing and rehabbing animals for decades.) We're hard workers and believe the best way forward is to lift up our community, one life at a time. Unfortunately, we can't help anyone right now.
My family - especially my amazing husband, who's had to walk miles at a time for food and water for the rest of us - isn't doing well in the TX heat without a cool place to rest, so we desperately need to get somewhere out of the sun to recuperate.
We're considering selling the Jeep - probably for parts and preferably to a Jeep lover - so we can leave the parking lot and get back on track. I hope there's an incredible Samaritan out there who is looking to acquire a nearly-functional vehicle with a few known inspection issues, and is willing to take our situation into account when negotiating a price. Or perhaps there's someone in the area with time, skills, and the needed parts plus the desire to help another person, who would simply fix up the Jeep and get us going (we WILL pay you back, in time but in FULL). Our last hope would be to find someone looking to trade another vehicle (that seats at least 4) for the Jeep. We're honestly not looking for a handout, but rather seek a hand UP.
As I mentioned, we're literally living in the parking lot of a UHaul facility and have been since Saturday afternoon. They have a bathroom available for ~12 hours daily, and the staff has been sympathetic and willing to let us remain on site since we're not disturbing anyone and aren't messy or loud, but we don't feel right staying here.
If anyone can help, please respond. If you have any ideas or know of something or someone that could help us, let me know, please.
Thank you for reading this.
My husband, our daughter, our 3-legged shepherd dog and I piled into a UHaul and towed the Jeep from NJ to TX on a wing and a prayer, with financial support from our families. Unfortunately, we trusted the UHaul rep that hooked up our Jeep to their tow dolly (he insisted it would be fine to tow without disassembling the drive train) and now the transfer case is shot and the back brakes sound like hell. In addition, my sister backed out of her contribution to our trip at the last moment, so we're several thousand dollars short of our original budget.
We find ourselves stranded at an incredibly accommodating UHaul outside of Dallas, "living" in the parking lot, and using the undrivable Jeep as shelter with the bulk of our possessions in on-site storage. As time drags on, we continue to gradually deplete our supply of canned food and bottled water, and we don't have nearly enough money to fix what's wrong with the Jeep and get on the road.
We had planned to stay at a gorgeous free campsite in Lake Winnsboro so we could work for a few weeks and ultimately purchase a nice piece of land to operate an organic farm and non-bovine dairy as well as a not-for-profit animal rescue and shelter. (We farmed back in NJ, and we've been rescuing and rehabbing animals for decades.) We're hard workers and believe the best way forward is to lift up our community, one life at a time. Unfortunately, we can't help anyone right now.
My family - especially my amazing husband, who's had to walk miles at a time for food and water for the rest of us - isn't doing well in the TX heat without a cool place to rest, so we desperately need to get somewhere out of the sun to recuperate.
We're considering selling the Jeep - probably for parts and preferably to a Jeep lover - so we can leave the parking lot and get back on track. I hope there's an incredible Samaritan out there who is looking to acquire a nearly-functional vehicle with a few known inspection issues, and is willing to take our situation into account when negotiating a price. Or perhaps there's someone in the area with time, skills, and the needed parts plus the desire to help another person, who would simply fix up the Jeep and get us going (we WILL pay you back, in time but in FULL). Our last hope would be to find someone looking to trade another vehicle (that seats at least 4) for the Jeep. We're honestly not looking for a handout, but rather seek a hand UP.
As I mentioned, we're literally living in the parking lot of a UHaul facility and have been since Saturday afternoon. They have a bathroom available for ~12 hours daily, and the staff has been sympathetic and willing to let us remain on site since we're not disturbing anyone and aren't messy or loud, but we don't feel right staying here.
If anyone can help, please respond. If you have any ideas or know of something or someone that could help us, let me know, please.
Thank you for reading this.