RVer flat-tows new Jeep Wrangler in low gear; carnage ensues

If you've ever seen photos of an interference engine that has been over-revved, you probably think you know what catastrophic engine damage looks like. This 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon's engine bay absolutely redefines the concept.

This four-door looks perfectly fine from 10 feet away, as TikTok channel sbcsdime210 demonstrates in its walk-around, but what lurks beneath is an entirely different story. The Drive caught up with the channel's operator and got the details behind this spectacular failure, and what we're looking at is the result of user error. This Wrangler was flat-towed behind an RV, which is not at all unheard of. Tragically, in this case, the driver made the critical mistake of leaving the Wrangler in gear. First gear. With the transfer case in 4-low. I can hear some of you groaning in sympathy all the way up here in Michigan.

If you're not familiar with the mechanical reasons why you absolutely do not want to do this, here's the short version: The lower the gear in an automobile, the faster your engine spins for a given road speed. Red line in first gear in a typical passenger car is probably no higher than 30 to 35 miles per hour. Doing highway speeds in first gear is simply not possible in most cars, this Jeep included. In fact, vehicles have had rev-limiters in place for decades to prevent drivers from accidentally exceeding an engine's rated operating range.