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Flat towing behind an RV

36K views 124 replies 15 participants last post by  RGWILL 
#1 ·
One great advantage of the Active Drive II and the Trailhawk is the neutral that allows the Cherokee to be flat towed (i.e. with all wheels on the ground.)

There are a lot of simple aftermarket products for Wranglers to connect tow bars but on a vehicle with a front fascia, an attachment called a base plate must be bolted onto the front frame area. On most cars, that means the front fascia must be removed to access the bolt points and sometimes trimmed before re-attaching. Several companies including Roadmaster and Blue OX make the baseplates. You might have seen them on GJ's.

I started this thread to gather comments on experiences in fitting the base plates to a Cherokee and to discuss flat towing in general.

I have been towing a 2005 Honda Element. It has 95,000 on the ODO and at least another 75,000 of towing miles not registered. Nothing wrong with the Honda but the technology and comfort of the Cherokee just blew me away (as I'm sure it did to a lot of you.)
 
#2 ·
Spoke to Doug at Blue Ox on 12-16-13 and was told they just did a test fit on the Limited. I was told the base plates should be ready in a few weeks. You might want to call them about your concerns. I have a Trailhawk and was hoping the base plates would be the same fit but they aren't. Still waiting for a Trailhawk to be done as a test fit. I would do it but time and distance are a concern.
__________________
 
#3 ·
I'm getting edgy now. Roadmaster how has the baseplates on its site for the Trailhawd WITHOUT adaptive cruise. No indication of what happens with the Limited. The method used for the Trailhawk (as reported on an RV forum by a user) cannot be applied to the Limited or lesser models.

If it turns out we can't tow ours flat because of all the wonderful options up front, I'm going to have egg running down my face. We were within 2 minutes of committing to an Edge Limited AWD and the dealer was going to install the baseplates. We decided against it as we felt Ford did not deserve the biz given how it treated Escape owners. I sure hope we don't find ourselves wishing we'd purchased the Edge. If we had, we'd have been through all this nonsense in August.

Fingers crossed for sure.

GR
 
#4 ·
I have a Trailhawk with adaptive cruise control ordered. It is sitting in Winnipeg on its way to B.C. I am confident Roadmaster will have a bracket for my Trailhawk in the next short while. They are asking for both a Limited and Trailhawk with adaptive cruise control to come to their headquarters to be fitted for a bracket. See link
Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories
Check out the instructions for installing on the Trailhawk without adaptive cruise control.
http://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521446-4.pdf
I will be having the dealer install this.
My install for my Honda Fit was just as complicated, the dealer did a great job.
Be interested to see what Blue Ox comes up with.
 
#5 ·
I did look at the Roadmaster instructions - very messy. We (meaning a son with is an BEng (Manufacturing) and MEng (Mechanical) installed them on our last two toads (well, I supervised :). Tahoe was very easy other than one Blue OX screw up and we had to trip around the tow hook area, but the Escape took longer and we had a lot of parts laid out on the floor of the garage. The frame of the Tahoe is so strong it didn't need the cross support and that made things much easier - pull out the tow hooks, drill one extra hole on each side, slide in the baseplates and bolt in with Loctite, then put safety cables on and that was it.

My son was in Japan on behalf of Ford working with Mazda for six weeks when they designed the common product so he was somewhat familiar with it. He is NOT volunteering for this one. If BO comes through we are going to Pender in May and will let them do it. We contacted them last summer (when it looked like we'd get an early delivery - ha ha - and agreed we'd head right to their plant as soon as we got our car. That meant a free installation and a free tow bar.

Frankly, I'll be happy with a good clean installation and a fair price. We'd also like to sightsee for a few days in Nebraska.

GR
 
#7 ·
On one of the RV forums it was reported that Demco has one for a Limited - and it was developed on a loaded version like mine. The fellow reporting stated that Demco is ahead of the others since it has one design that covers all variations of the Limitied. I think he was off base because Blue Ox did one on a "unloaded" Limited and is still asking for a Loaded Limited to work on. No doubt in my mind they will have one version after they do a loaded Limited.

I asked the fellow who reported on Demco about the cross member. He said there isn't one. I don't believe that statement because both the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler require a cross member. I just can't image that the Cherokee frame is that much stronger. Our Tahoe LTZ did not require a cross member (these can be seen on the Demco and Blue Ox sites) because it had two very large frame rails.

GR
 
#9 ·
If that is the case I'd almost get excited. :)

It would sure be a major statement about the strength of the frame.

It sure would be a clean install. Our Tahoe was a piece of cake "except" for a small screwup by Blue Ox. GM made a minor change and BO didn't catch it. They said no cutting necessary. We had to saw out a small section of the fascia where the two hooks came through.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for this one for sure. Might not even bother driving to Pender NE if that is the case.

GR
 
#10 ·
As Steve would say, one more thing. I also hope the installation can be done by simply driving the front end up on ramps and working from below (like the Tahoe). If the front end has to come off, from our experience with the 2011 Escape, that is a HUGE PITA and we had parts laid out all over. I also watched an RV dealer do our 2004 Colorado and he suggested I not watch - kind of like the "you don't want to watch sausage being made" comment. It too was messy.

GR
 
#12 ·
I just took a look at the Roadmaster instructions for the 2014 Trailhawk - and ...................NO CROSS MEMBER.

Is that making me feel good - YES. Of course, they went in where the tow hooks are - but on the Limited???

http://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521446-4.pdf


GR
 
#15 ·
I just took a look at the Roadmaster instructions for the 2014 Trailhawk - and ...................NO CROSS MEMBER.

Is that making me feel good - YES. Of course, they went in where the tow hooks are - but on the Limited???

http://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521446-4.pdf


GR
Roadmaster eliminated the tow hooks and has a very complicated install.....I'll wait to see what blue ox comes up with.....
 
#17 ·
OK, so the question now is does this factory cross member exist on the Limited and Latitude? Or is it just factory installed on tow-hooked Trailhawks? IIRC, AD II is required for flat towing, and that's not available on the Sport, but is an option on the Limited and Latitude. {Corrections and further information welcome!!!}

Desert Hiker
 
#20 ·
Here are some comments I just posted on an RV forum where the same discussion has been ongoing:

---------------------

Possible reason for cross member being eliminated for the Cherokee.

My son is an engineer and he does a lot of front end parts. Thus, he is involved with crash testing periodically. When I mentioned that the cross member had been eliminated by Demco and Road Master he asked me if I'd looked at the IIHS crash testing. He gave me a bit of an education this evening.

You can see the overlap front crash testing here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ5c1cePvcc


Note how well the Cherokee stood up. When I showed him the Demco and Roadmaster instructions and he got a look at the front end parts in the photos, he said that it might well be that Jeep built a very strong front end in order to get a good rating in the IIHS tests - and so much so that it eliminated the need for the cross member.

Also interesting to note the overall rating of the IIHS for the Cherokee- top safety pick in its class. Very nice to see that rating.

Vehicle details

And as Steve would say, there is one more thing. Here is the side impact test - also a good result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoKdZiRZDvY


Needless to say, I've made a point of showing my wife the really safe car I picked for her. :D
 
#23 ·
#24 ·
Have to hold back on the joy. They are still only commenting on Trail Hawk and we've got a Limited.

I'm hoping the front ends on all of them are identical.
 
#25 ·
Has the steering wheel lock be eliminated?

Do new cars still have a steering wheel lock?

I don't have my Cherokee yet so need to ask about the sterling wheel lock that is on my old car. To flat tow, you need to have a key in the ignition and turned to disable the steering wheel lock. I can't find anything about having to do this in the on-line owners manual.
 
#26 ·
Re: Has the steering wheel lock be eliminated?

Do new cars still have a steering wheel lock?

I don't have my Cherokee yet so need to ask about the sterling wheel lock that is on my old car. To flat tow, you need to have a key in the ignition and turned to disable the steering wheel lock. I can't find anything about having to do this in the on-line owners manual.
It is fully documented in the User Guide and Owners Manual (p514). Here is what the User Guide states and it should answer all of your questions (note key fob is removed is you don't have keyless):

Recreational Towing — 4WD Models with 2-Speed Power Transfer Unit
• The power transfer unit must be shifted into NEUTRAL (N) and the transmission
must be in PARK for recreational towing. The NEUTRAL (N) selection button is
adjacent to the power transfer unit selector switch. Shifts into and out of
NEUTRAL (N) can take place with the selector switch in any mode position.
CAUTION!
• DO NOT dolly tow any 4WD vehicle. Internal damage to the transmission or
power transfer unit will occur if a dolly is used when recreational towing.
• Tow only in a forward direction. Towing this vehicle backwards can cause severe
damage to the power transfer unit.
• The transmission must be in PARK for recreational towing.
• Before recreational towing, perform the procedure outlined under “Shifting
into NEUTRAL (N)” to be certain that the power transfer unit is fully in
NEUTRAL (N). Otherwise, internal damage will result.
• Failure to follow these procedures can cause severe transmission and/or power
transfer unit damage. Damage from improper towing is not covered under the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
• Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on tow bar on your vehicle. The bumper
face bar will be damaged.
Shifting Into NEUTRAL
• Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for recreational towing.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop and shift the transmission to PARK.
2. Turn the engine OFF.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position, but do not start the engine.
4. Press and hold the brake pedal.
5. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
6. Using a ballpoint pen or similar object, press and hold the recessed NEUTRAL (N)
button (located by the selector switch) for four seconds. The light behind the
NEUTRAL (N) symbol will blink, indicating shift in progress. The light will stop
blinking (stay on solid) when the shift to NEUTRAL (N) is complete.
7. After the shift is completed and the NEUTRAL (N) light stays on, release the
NEUTRAL (N) button.
8. Start the engine.
9. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
UTILITY
126
10. Release the brake pedal for five seconds and ensure that there is no vehicle
movement.
11. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
12. Apply the parking brake.
13. Shift the transmission into PARK, turn the engine OFF and remove the key fob.
14. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using a suitable tow bar.
15. Release the parking brake.
NOTE:
• Steps 1 through 5 are requirements that must be met prior to pressing the
NEUTRAL (N) button, and must continue to be met until the shift has been
completed. If any of these requirements are not met prior to pressing the
NEUTRAL (N) button or are no longer met during the shift, then the NEUTRAL (N)
indicator light will flash continuously until all requirements are met or until the
NEUTRAL (N) button is released.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position for a shift to take place and
for the position indicator lights to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take place and no position indicator lights will
be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light indicates that shift requirements
have not been met.
 
#27 ·
Thanks for posting all this detail. I have read it several times in the on-line manual --- BUT --- my question is different and is really independent of flat towing.

Does the Cherokee have a lock that prevents the steering wheel from turning unless the ignition key is in and turned - or the keyless ignition put in a similar state?
 
#28 ·
Do you think that one could turn the ignition off and take the key out and flat tow if it had a lock? I kind of doubt it since the toad front wheels turn when going around corners.
 
#31 ·
hooking up tail lights - anyone done it yet?

Anyone hooked up connections to the existing tail lights? I'm not keen on being the first one to take apart the tail light housing to fit in diodes and wiring.

Tow Daddy doesn't list a product to fit the Cherokee and they haven't answered my email regarding if and when.
 
#112 ·
Re: hooking up tail lights - anyone done it yet?

Anyone hooked up connections to the existing tail lights? I'm not keen on being the first one to take apart the tail light housing to fit in diodes and wiring.

Tow Daddy doesn't list a product to fit the Cherokee and they haven't answered my email regarding if and when.
@Larry111: Do you have the info about wire color codes? I ran the wires to the back taillights and now am trying to figure out which wires I should use without poking thru insulation or cutting what doesn't need to be cut.
 
#32 ·
We had separate bulbs put in our 2004 Colorado. Worked fine. A dealer did the baseplates and lights.

For our 2007 Tahoe LTZ we did the baseplates (once again "we" means my son and I supervised) and I decided to go with a light bar that fit into the receiver on the back.

I switched to mag lights and then used them on the Escape as well. Frankly, they worked so well and were no trouble and we are going with them again with the Cherokee.

GR
 
#34 ·
#36 ·
I'm a newbie with lots of questions. Haven't bought a Cherokee ... yet but it's at top of our shopping list. Want to be sure I have all the proverbial ducks in a row... Toad-wise here.

Three major towbar baseplate manufacturers that keep getting mentioned here and elsewhere. Has anyone done an evaluation of baseplate offerings for the Cherokee? [BlueOx, Demco, Roadmaster] I've browsed their websites and looked over some of the install instructions.

Neither look terribly more complex that baseplates I've installed on other toads I've had... but there's nothing like actual real experience. Anyone that has done the install... BlueOx Demco or Roadmaster, please comment here.

.. RP
 
#37 ·
I'm a newbie with lots of questions. Haven't bought a Cherokee ... yet but it's at top of our shopping list. Want to be sure I have all the proverbial ducks in a row... Toad-wise here.

Three major towbar baseplate manufacturers that keep getting mentioned here and elsewhere. Has anyone done an evaluation of baseplate offerings for the Cherokee? [BlueOx, Demco, Roadmaster] I've browsed their websites and looked over some of the install instructions.

Neither look terribly more complex that baseplates I've installed on other toads I've had... but there's nothing like actual real experience. Anyone that has done the install... BlueOx Demco or Roadmaster, please comment here.

.. RP
I installed the BlueOx baseplates and really liked them. I towed my Cherokee Trailhawk for over 3,000 miles in May/June and did not have any problems. The steering definitely turns when being pulled. I could see and verify that when turning sharp corners and looking in mirror. I detailed my install in a different post and also have a bunch of pictures in one of my albums here.

Here is the link to the post I am talking about.
http://www.jeepgarage.org/f216/blue-ox-baseplate-for-trailhawk-74437.html
 
#38 ·
My BlueOx baseplates are still sitting in the box unopened. Hopefully my son will have time to install them in the next two weeks. I'll report back after the event.
 
#39 ·
My BlueOx baseplates are still sitting in the box unopened. Hopefully my son will have time to install them in the next two weeks. I'll report back after the event.
Hopefully he gets them installed soon. Mine worked like a charm with no problems. I would recommend them for anybody for sure.
 
#43 ·
In process now. For BO installers - step 4 is removing rivets and they don't say how. My son (B.Eng Manufacturing, MEng Mechanical) wondered why they didn't issue instruction on how to remove them (says no way he wants to drill them out - he removed one side and went home to get another tool to work on the other side) or provide instructions for the replacement of the rivets when reassembling.

Any comments on the rivets from those who have done this? Rather than print the instructions we have them up on the computer screen next toys and can blow them up which has been helpful.

BO should not do the instructions until they get feedback from a couple of cold installs.

Thanks

GR
 
#44 ·
Have them installed - plates themselves were a piece of cake. Cables were a PITA.
Instructions are missing one step with a screw on each side in the wheel wells and we confirmed that by looking at the Demco instructions which have more clarity and are much more complete. Spent an hour measuring and contemplating the cut-outs in the honeycomb and that too was a PITA. Not the same position as the TH photos and also not the same as in the BO diagram since it was the first one done and likely varied a bit.

Now my problem will be where to put the breakaway mount. Have to think about that for a while It is all going back together now with not too many problems.

No question. This is just like making sausage - you don't want to watch the process if you plan to eat them.

Next step is replacing the four rivets that we pulled. The Demco instructions at least said drill them out. BO was silent. Clearly BO is far too silent on too many things - such as where to wrap the safety cables that Demco and Roadmaster don't use.

Well, back to work. That is a lie - back to watching the guy doing the work.

GR
 
#46 · (Edited)
I tried plastic rivets but they did not hold well so I went with small small machine screw with phillips head and nut and lock washer, it is underneath where don't see anyways
 
#48 ·
Two of those chintzy plastic types they provided broke and my son used small bolts and nuts as well.

Overall it went pretty good. BO missed a step involving one screw in the wheel well on each side and we found it interesting that Demco highlight it so well. One could have done a bit of damage trying to pull the fascia off without taking those screws out.

We fell the baseplates are VERY strong and with five bolts in them with RED Loctite my son and I wonder why BO provides the security cable to wrap around them when it appears that neither Demco nor Roadmaster provides such cables. I was really tempted to say lets not put them on when we found the BO's instructions as to where to run them were terrible.

We sat and deliberated as to where to cut through the honeycomb. That wasted some time but it worked out reasonable well.

I had called BO several months ago and asked how much to put on their plates that I'd already purchased - $500.

I decided that my son and I have no retired from the baseplate installation biz. First set on our Colorado was done by a dealer. Second on Taho we (meaning "he") did and they were the easiest since not fascia to remove - did it all from below. Only issue was BO screwed up when it said no cutting involved and we had to do some trimming. The Escape was a PITA and this one was somewhere between the Tahoe and Escape. I've told DW that she is going to keep this car until our RVing days are done (we are both over 70).

GR
 
#47 ·
Yes I agree the safety cables were a PITA and BO was not great on how to install the safety cables
 
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