My 2012 Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7 Hemi did not come with the factory towing package. I am having the local Jeep dealer install OEM towing hitch and wiring for a brake controller. What will I not have that is included in the factory tow package. Transmission cooler? Larger radiator? Any other mechanical upgrades needed?
Yes, you will not have any added cooling, additional alternator capacity nor the load-leveling shocks. Also, your towing limit will be 5000 lbs, rather than 7200 lbs. But doing the OEM hitch receiver is absolutely the way to go as it has a fully integrated look and is actually a very high quality arrangement.
My 2012 Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7 Hemi did not come with the factory towing package. I am having the local Jeep dealer install OEM towing hitch and wiring for a brake controller. What will I not have that is included in the factory tow package. Transmission cooler? Larger radiator? Any other mechanical upgrades needed? Thanks for any input on this.
what's the price of the hitch and labor from the dealer if you don't mind me asking? I also didn't have a hitch when I bought the car but looking to add the OEM hitch. Thanks!
what's the price of the hitch and labor from the dealer if you don't mind me asking? I also didn't have a hitch when I bought the car but looking to add the OEM hitch. Thanks!
I am having the install done on Monday so I'm not sure what the total cost will be. I was told that making the cutout for the hitch in the bumper and installing the bezel will take some shop time and also running the wires and installing the trailer brake controller will take some time. I'm estimating it will be close to $1,000 by the time they get done.
I picked up my Jeep this afternoon and the dealer did a first class installation of the hitch receiver, trailer plug wiring and brake controller. It is all OEM Mopar equipment including the brake controller and it looks factory. As Dave in PA mentioned, the wiring for the brake controller and trailer hookup were already there. They just had to plug in the new parts. All together with tax it was just under $650.
We bought a Lance travel trailer on Saturday and now we are just waiting for it to be built and delivered. I can't wait to try out towing my new trailer with the GC.
:thumbsup: I think that was a reasonable price for being done at a dealership; any issues and they should stand behind it also. So what is the gross weight of the Lance Trailer that you have purchased? I have been towing a 21 foot boat with my V-6, not sure the weight (I'll check) but it is not a problem for the Jeep. Dave
The dry weight of the Lance 2285 is listed as 4,150 pounds. I don't know what the actual towing weight will be but water and beverages weigh something.
No sense carrying water - there's always a hose where you're going, save 8.33 lb/gal in tow weight and tow dry.
MAKE SURE the receiver is rated for a weight distributing hitch setup. I can't recall off the top of my head. But if it says it isn't designed for WD...DO NOT USE weight distribution. You will twist expensive, important pieces of your Jeep if you use it and it is not designed for it.
Trans cooler is definitely worth it. NEVER tow in overdrive / top gear. Use regular ol' Drive (or "tow/haul" if there's a button for it), especially if it is hunting back and forth, up and down. Hunting = heat. Heat = dead transmission.
And food for thought (from a guy who sells RV's for a living) - "dry weight" does not include LP or LP tanks, or a deep cycle battery. Add about 100 lbs for those. That puts you at 4,250 for shell, frame, suspension, furniture, appliances, battery, and LP. Not a lot of room (750 lbs) before you hit the weight rating of an aftermarket (not factory installed) receiver setup.
Thanks for the information Racer-Excerols. Very good to know about what's in and what's out of the factory rating. I plan on loading as much as possible of the heavy items in the Jeep (without overloading it).
Thanks for the info on the OEM hitch Jim. This is why I had an OEM hitch installed by the dealer.
Today I am going to pursue having a transmission cooler installed.
Dirt', keep in mind that what you put "in" the Jeep still counts relative to your maximum load, including affecting tongue weight. The latter is very much helped with a WDH for both tongue weight and overall stability, but the weight of the passengers and gear still are very much a factor.
I understand you there Jim. However, within weight limits I believe the more the tow vehicle weighs and the less the trailer weighs the more control the tow vehicle will have over the trailer. Am I thinking right?
There is a rating - the gross COMBINED vehicle weight rating - for any tow vehicle. You can move weight back and forth between tow and towed...but only as far as the individual capacities of each vehicle, and only within the total weight limits of the GCWR. More-dog-less-tail can still overload the dog...and not make the tail behave any better at all. A super light trailer can actually behave WORSE depending on front-back weight distribution/loading, road conditions, and crosswinds.
Physics is physics and it is a law for a reason - there's no cheating or changing it. Weight limits are limits. Force is force, brakes are brakes, cooling is cooling, handling is handling. Tugging dead weight from a stop or up a hill is only a fraction of the scenario.
racer' is correct...for every "give" there is a "take" relative to weight. "Balance" is the name of the game and thou shalt not exceed the ratings for both safety and other reasons.
Within weight limits notwithstanding, more truck/less trailer does not empirically mean easier/better towing or control. As noted above, BALANCE is key.
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