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Towing thread

86K views 290 replies 116 participants last post by  67426 
#1 ·
Let's see what you guys/girls tow with your Jeep. I was gonna get my boat outta storage today but the weather is not cooperating.
 
#262 ·
Anyone know if the Hellwig rear sway bar (#7732) can be used on a Summit with quadra-lift? I have been towing our 25' hybrid camper around quite a bit since getting it in late June and would love the extra stability. Not to mention that when not towing I drive like a bat out of h3ll anyway and miss the cornering capability of my old vehicle. :D
 
#266 ·
Yes, there is no "factory" Weight Distributing Hitch. Jeep does require one for loads where the tongue weight exceeds 350 lbs...per the manual, even with QL and the factory tow option which is also a necessity to tow over 3500 lbs.
 
#267 ·
Got 3.6 and I tow this toy almost every weekend since summer is short up here... Went up north in NH for few days.


Our home for few days... the driveway was like 90 degree hill... so front yard it is.




cruising back to home on 495




One thing is that i dislike to see 190-195 degrees on trans temp dash... and rpm was hitting high and temp increased... but all of them was on hill roads.
 
#270 ·
So you're telling me jeep rates a V8 tow limit at 8000ish, requires a WD hitch for over 350 lbs tongue weight, but doesn't have one? Hard to believe... 350 lbs won't even move the suspension.
Yes, they don't sell a WDH. I don't believe any vehicle manufacturer does, but I certainly could be wrong. That said, it's not about "moving the suspension"...the QL or just load-leveling shocks on the regular springs will keep it "level". That's not what the WDH is for. WDH is for weight balance.

As tongue weights increase there is a need to shift some of that forward to the front axle in order to avoid potential issues with steering, braking and other general handling factors. Please trust me, when you get over a certain point, the tow vehicle can get pretty squirrelly. The Jeep 3500 lb line for requiring WDH is a little conservative...depending on the type of load being towed...but it shouldn't be surprising, either. Even pick-em-up-trucks should use WDH for towing bumper-pull loads when they get over a certain weight for the exact same reason...weight balance. The need is more pronounced on shorter wheelbase vehicles like the JGC.
 
#274 ·
From the graphic I posted above I think that the factory hitch is weight distributing hitch, otherwise it would not be listed as available. I believe the 350 tongue weight figure is for A) for cheap $50 uhaul hitched that have minimal mounting points (class 1 or 2), B) due to the non tow package suspension not being able to handle the load, or C) both.


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#271 ·
My point is that to pull 7000 you'd need more than 350 lbs tongue weight to keep it straight down the road, so the numbers don't match up. According to Jeep even the V6 has a class 3 hitch (class 3 is discerned as 600 lbs max tongue). V8 is listed as class 4. Diesel has class 3. Text Font Website Design Screenshot



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#272 · (Edited)
Pulling a streamlined boat down the road is a far different experience than pulling an 11 foot tall slab sided 30 foot long box down the road. The wind effects them vastly different. As for using weight distribution systems and air bags, saying we are "outside the factory towing recommendations" is simply silly. The sole reason I decided to add the airbags to the rear of my Cherokee is when you are driving down an interstate highway at 65 mph and hit a dip in the road, it's not a comforting feeling to have your suspension bottom out and have the 6,000 pound trailer behind you begin a porpoising effect. It's not merely for "supporting the load".

As for the sway issue, you take a 53 foot long semi-truck trailer being pulled by a semi-truck and have them passing you at 70+ mph and it will want to suck you into it like a vacuum. And it will cinch you up so tight you can't pass a mustard seed if you don't have the correct setup for your towing situation. Thus, dual sway bars and peace of mind, along with confidence to take my trailer anywhere I want knowing I can handle what the highway dishes out.

The fact of the matter is: If you have no experience towing a travel trailer WITH A CHEROKEE, don't comment on what people should or should not be doing.

I don't make decisions based on someone's opinion on an internet forum. I do what is right for me and my situation, in the real world where my tires meet the road. Enjoy your Jeep.
 
#273 ·
Why so salty Big John, I was just asking a question... You know, since you clearly know everything. I didn't realize this thread was only for CHEROKEE's towing TRAVEL TRAILERS. My mistake, thought I was in the GRAND Cherokee forum.

I questioned the issue people were having and in case I had it later with a different trailer. I then came with information from Jeep as to not misinform people of what their Grand Cherokee is rated for, not to hear your internet power trip, Sir CHEROKEE towing expert.


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#283 · (Edited)
The hitch receiver class doesn't reflect the vehicle's towing capacity...that involves a lot more. Jeep happens to equip JGC with factory towing with a class IV hitch receiver, but the max rating for a 4x4 with the Hemi or EcoDiesel is 7200 lbs. While the hitch receiver can handle more than that, the JGC cannot. As already noted, they also require a WDH for towed loads over 3500 lbs. (although a WDH cannot be used when a trailer has inertial/surge brakes) Many folks do tow higher than 3500 lb loads without a WDH, but it's not the best idea for safety. Jeep does not provide WDH...they need to be sized for the specific trailer load and characteristics.

One other important thing...JGC cargo capacity isn't high and tongue weight is subtracted from that to determine what is left for passengers and "stuff".
 
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#290 ·
Towed a 4200lb camper all over this summer with WDH and got 9mpg at best and some hills would spike trans Temps to 190 and runs at like 3k almost always. They do it and feel safe but man I feel I'm killing this thing.....

What engine do you have? I towed my 28ft Jayco from Utah to Mt. Rushmore and back and averaged 13.?? the entire 2000 mile trip. I have the EcoDiesel. Great motor for my needs.
 
#291 ·
Its been almost a year since I got the 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited 3.0 Diesel. We've towed our Evergreen i-Go trailer (4300lbs) on five trips around Maryland, Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia on 3-5 day trips and the Jeep pulls this trailer without any issues. I have a ProPride 3P hitch setup and yes its expensive but 18 wheelers passing me or me passing 18 wheelers, is not an issue. One of the trips was to Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and going up to Manning PA, the jeep pulled very well. Average consumption for the this trip was around 15mpg over ~500 miles round trip just towing. Overall for all 5 trips I got around 16-17mpg average and traveling between 58 and 63 mph.
The Jeep is my wife's daily ride which is mostly in town, the consumption is ~21mpg. On longer trips (say 40 to 60 miles), I can get 25-26mpg. On a day trip to Cumberland MD and back, the consumption averaged 31mpg!
 
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