So one of the reasons I bought this Jeep was to tow my track car to and from the track and I have to say that it was basically flawless. I could accelerate up the grapevine (steeeeep incline, for any of you in SoCal you'll know what I mean) on Interstate 5 no problem. Could even lug it around in eco mode once moving on the highway without traffic. Sick truck!!
Question I have...many trucks with tow capability have a "Tow Mode" and this one does not from what I can tell. Only time it was an issue, was down hill where if I didn't down shift with the paddles the car would accelerate down the hill, rather than hold speed. Am I missing something here? Is there a setting somewhere that i haven't discovered? It has Tow Package 4 from the factory. I have seen Jeeps with Trailer Brake options and this one does not have it installed...just as a side note.
I have a 2014 HEMI 2wd and tow a boat weighing about 6000 lbs and agree with your comments that the Jeep tows very well.
As for your question about using the engine to assist with braking, I found that taking it out of "Eco" mode provided this assistance. In addition, if you are coasting downhill, a quick tap of the brakes and the Jeep would downshift.
I found that the Jeep would downshift enough to hold the RPMs at about 3000. Usually that was enough to do the trick. Any more braking needed, I would need to use the brakes, but just making sure not to ride them.
A brake controller is only required if you are using electric brakes on a trailer. The uhaul trailer you show has surge/inertial brakes so a brake controller in your JGC isn't needed.
the 8 speed does a fantastic job at keeping in the right gear while towing.
I believe that was one of the benefits of this transmission is it knows the incline/decline and how much resistance is on the powertrain and adjusts accordingly
Personally I would turn eco mode off and enjoy. if you need extra downshifting in downhills, you could put it in sport mode as mentioned, or use the paddle shifter
Use sport mode for downhill or the paddle shifters, those are the only ways to get the engine braking you desire. You might be able to set the cruise and that might help it hold gears but that is honestly a guess.
I agree that the HEMI does a good job towing. I have a boat with an all in weight pushing 6500-7000 lbs. I can definitely feel it behind the Jeep much more than behind my Tundra. I know its within limits and the Jeep can handle you just need to be safe and know what you are doing with plenty of stopping distance etc...
Moral of the story is the same as everything. Don't push the limits and use common sense and everything will be great
Bill, weight distributing hitch (required by Jeep for over a certain load anyway) provides for better tow vehicle balance (shifts some of the tongue weight to the front axel) and most also provide additional sway control which is helpful with large and/or very heavy loads.
You can get WDH from RV dealers, online stores like eTrailer and Amazon, direct from the manufacturer, etc. If you need installation services, either because you're not comfortable with that or because you need special accommodations for your particular trailer, then buying from the local RV dealer is probably a good idea.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Jeep Garage - Jeep Forum
1.7M posts
176.2K members
Since 2009
Jeep Garage is where you can talk about all your favorite jeeps including the Cherokee, Liberty and Grand Cherokee.