1 is 4wd but I can’t get it to engage

Monday, March 9th, 2026, at 11:50 a.m. (PT), we received a request for help with an offroad recovery in California. The requester, Thomas Ternus, submitted the following information: “1 is 4wd but I can’t get it to engage. Maybe a mile to solid ground. Both Jeeps are in working condition. / I’m with the vehicle / I can help cover the cost of fuel.”

Our administrator, David Mrak, contacted the requester and verified the contact information provided, GPS location, and current situation before sending the request to local volunteers. In this particular recovery, we contacted volunteers within a 30-mile radius.

From the group of contacted volunteers we had Laura McKenzie and Robert Mashburn taking over the recovery. Laura was about 18 miles out while Robert was only 5 miles away.

Laura, the first to arrive, took care of the recovery and informed Robert that it was completed before he arrived. She also sent us a great detailed note and some awesome photos we share down below.

Laura’s note:

A much easier recovery than I thought it would be. In the passed, doing recoveries in that spot took several 4×4 doing a daisy chain style pull out. I was in contact with Mr Mashburn who was enroute for back up.

We arrived to find one older Jeep Cherokee non 4×4 stuck down in a “sand bowl” in the popular Lenwood Dunes in the Mojave River area. 

After assessing the situation, we decided use our kinetic rope and start tugging him out as far as we could before back up arrived. 

I really didn’t think my 2024 Wrangler could do it alone, but luck was on our side. The owner was a big help and understood the directions we gave about giving a little gas as I pulled and at any point if I stopped tugging due to me stopping and starting to get stuck myself, stop giving power so he didn’t get dug in, which could make things harder. I did start to dig in a few times while going up out of the bowl, dropped to 4 low, backed up a bit, more forceful tug and my awesome driving skills, I turned into the “Little Wrangler that Could” tugging off into the sunset.

Pulled him to a  harder sand area, unhooked, called off Mr Mashburn and called it an evening.

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We want to thank Laura for such a great job! Also Robert for responding. All volunteers in this area of California are AMAZING!

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