Towing a Jeep

Topsail · 06-28-2019, 03:11 PM

The wife and I recently purchased a 2008 Voyage 35L and are interested in buying a used Jeep Wrangler to tow. Towing a Jeep is completely new territory for me so I am all ears.

Our Winnie has the GM chases with the Allison 6 speed and Workhorse 8.1 gas engine. It's rated to tow 5,000 lbs.

When looking at the two door Jeeps I notice weights just a little over 4,000 lbs all the way up to 5,000. The difference may be some have soft tops and some have the removable hard tops, but I don't really know. Also, the Jeep Unlimited four door versions start at 5,000 so these are out - I guess.

Are there any Wrangler year models that were just lighter than others? We prefer one with an automatic.

Any advice (or links) will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

SaltLife · 07-01-2019, 08:06 AM

Here's the specs for all JK years. Jeep seems to be the Toad of choice. See them everywhere....

https://www.quadratec.com/c/tag/jeep-wrangler-jk-specs

Topsail · 07-01-2019, 08:26 AM

Can't thank you enough. What a wealth of information.

SaltLife · 07-01-2019, 08:35 AM

No problem!

jimbobway47 · 07-07-2019, 04:38 PM

We have been towing a 2007 Jeep Liberty and it works well for us. I would buy a newer one if they still made them. It has a manual transfer case that is put in neutral for the tow. You have to leave the key in the ignition to unlock the steering so I carry two keys when towing. Many states require braking assistance for anything over 3000 pounds so I got an Invisibrake (Roadmaster) system. It installs under the driver's seat and has a cable and pulley system to operate the brake pedal. It also has vacuum pump that activates the power braking through a valved T junction provided with the kit. My 7 wire plug uses the center (Back up light) terminal to send the brake monitor signal to the RV and my RV keeps the Jeep battery up during the tow. The invisibrake is in place all the time but not active when not hooked to the RV. There is also a brake-away switch that applies the TOAD brakes if it breaks away. I have 110 K on Jeep and will probably switch to a Jeep Compass if I can find one with a manual transfer case. I had to tow briefly without the brake working and it was a big difference in stopping distance with the brake working.

rk911 · 07-07-2019, 05:30 PM

according to the winnebago brochure the gcwr of your mh is 30k while the gvwr is 24k, a difference of 6k. but you likely have a class 3 hitch which is usually rated fir 5k. so your statement about the mh being “rated” to tow 5k is accurate but may not be factual.

the amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

- the gross combination weight rating of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded and configured for travel

- the weight rating of your hitch

- the weight rating of your tow bar

before you buy a toad you need to know what your mh weighs as it is loaded for a trip. that includes full fuel, fresh water and lp tanks, food, clothing, supplies, pets and people. get separate axle weights to make sure that neither axle is is overloaded. then apply the three tests above. for every pound your mh exceeds its gvwr you lose a pound of available tow weight.

you may find that you have less than 5k of available tow weight. know! don’t guess or assume. good luck.

rhodesaz · 07-07-2019, 07:52 PM

I'm going to add my 2 cents for info only. We have a 2010 JK sport 2 door and love it. The 3.8 V8 engine is under powered when on the highway, but hey, I'm retired. I'm not in a hurry. It does great on the trails. With that, I am not a mud slinger or rock climber. Recreational 4 X 4 only!!! But I do have a rugged bumper and winch. Which adds weight but I can hook the tow bar to this bumper. No need for any extra plate. Also, at 60 MPH the soft top is noisy as all get out!!! I removed the soft top for a hard top as soon as possible. The jeep came with a luggage rack. I have not used it yet, but I can see it being used in the future. All this to say my jeep comes in at 4,280 pounds at the CAT scales. No people, full tank and all the junk in the back. Here is a pic of the front bumper:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nSNfTdp6qXsC1hGk7

You will get many recommendations for a tow bar. My jeep mechanic suggested the Ready Brute Elite. I so glad he did. Easy peezy hook-up and with self braking. Light on dash lets me know when the Ready Brute is braking.

https://www.readybrake.com/store/p4/...V_Tow_Bar.html
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLoMXNU4jRzW9TJH9

No need (in mine) for key or anything. Lights powered by MH. 2010 does not have locking steering wheel. Place transfer case in neutral and gear shift in third and start towing.

Topsail · 07-08-2019, 09:12 AM

Jim, Rich and Rodesaz this is some good stuff. Thank you for taking the time for some detailed information. I've done some screen shots to study and study some more. I want to have a solid plan before I hook up and go and these comments are helping more than you may know.

Our Winnie came with a tow bar that the owner used for his Honda CRV. I am glad to have it, but doubt it's suitable for a jeep. Also, I will verify the RV hitch assembly for its rating. It's a little sad that we can buy a monster truck rated to tow 5 tons, but the factory hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs. Buyer beware!

I do not want to be "that guy" with a runaway jeep!

The links and attached pictures help. Those quick release bumper hitches seem like the way to go.

Now I need to find a local weigh station. Those Liberty's are nice and even the jeep unlimited editions. I like the shorter jeeps, but there are a lot of unlimited jeeps on the market. I could go that route for the right package and price. I guess the scales will determine what we can choose with our loaded RV.

GPanek · 07-08-2019, 12:30 PM

We have a 2018 JKU that is rated around 4300 lbs, well within the 5000 lb hitch rating. We tow it behind our 2006 Itasca Sunova 26P (27') with the 8 liter workhorse engine. I use a Demco Commander tow bar and RVi Brake 3 braking system. I couldn't be more pleased. Easy to hitch up and break down. The RVi Brake system is so easy to set up, takes minutes to install. I highly recommend the setup. Towing a vehicle was new to us and after this experience our fears were alleviated.

rk911 · 07-08-2019, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topsail

Jim, Rich and Rodesaz this is some good stuff. Thank you for taking the time for some detailed information. I've done some screen shots to study and study some more. I want to have a solid plan before I hook up and go and these comments are helping more than you may know....

you’re quite welcome. after you determine what your rolling weight is and you know how much you can safely tow be sure the jerp you select can in fact be flat towed. not all can. the last time i looked, and it has been a whilw, the only models rated for flat towing were the wrangler, cherokee and grand cherokee. and some models within those name plates may not be flat towable depending on the tranny, txfr case, etc. best way to know? read the owner’s manual specifically the recreational towing section. if the vehicle does NOT have a manually selectable neutral position or its an AWD (all wheel drive) or a CVT (continuously variable transmission) it may not be flat towable. but check the owners manual. do not trust the sales critter to know.