Flat towing Jeep Cherokee

2gypsies wrote:
We have a couple friends towing a Jeep Cherokee with no issues and they love them. If we were in the market we would definitely get one. They are gorgeous! They also do very well off-road.

X2 Had mine off road many times

Actually the curb weight is a little over 4,000 pounds

The transmission option Active Drive II so you can tow four down is about $995

The Trailhawk comes with this transmission standard

I have towed my 2012 over 25,000 worry free miles

Whatever model of jeep you are looking at, check out remcotowing.com application charts. You can pinpoint by year, make, model, engine, transmission and it will tell you if it can be towed 4 down with or without any alteration.

We have an older cherokee with an automatic transmission but it does have a neutral setting for the transfer case so it can be towed 4 down.

We have a couple friends towing a Jeep Cherokee with no issues and they love them. If we were in the market we would definitely get one. They are gorgeous! They also do very well off-road.

We bought a 2916 Cherokee Trailhawk for a toad and did some research beforehand. Not all Cherokees can be towed - it must have Active Drive II. It also needs to have a Mopar wiring harness installed - we are currently negotiating the installation of this with our dealer.

As far as the vehicle goes, it is quite nice. Lots of electronics to drive you crazy. Also, if you have a bad back, check it out to make sure you can get in/out easily. My DH is having trouble with this because the front roof line is quite sloped and low over the entry. Might also cause problems if you are over 6 ft. tall.

We tow a 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited. Your salesman recommended the Trailhawk because it has the Active Drive 4x4 system that has a transfer case neutral. We got our Limited with the same 4x4 system so it is flat towable. We have towed ours about 15,000 miles without incident. The only caveat is that Jeep now recommends a modification to power the electric power steering while towing as some people have had a problem with the Jeep swaying uncontrollably. This modification is not normally free so tell the salesman you want it as part of the deal. Our Cherokee weighs about 3800 pounds ready for towing. Like others, we had a Grand Cherokee but they have gotten too big.

Abqtiger wrote:
We are considering purchasing a Jeep Cherokee for flat towing. The dealer recommended the Trailhawk. I need an SUV for business. Does anyone have comments pro or con re the Cherokees? Is there a better SUV option of similar size?

be certain that the vehicle can be flat towed. that is not accomplished by asking the sales critter. check the 'Recreational Towing' section of owner's manual for that specific model to be certain. if still unsure contact the manufacturer.

next, be aware of the curb weight of the Cherokee. that's the weight of the vehicle with a full tank of gas but otherwise empty.

then you need to know just how much weight your MH can safelytow. in general, the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

- the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (includes fuel, fresh water, food, clothing, people, pets, supplies, etc.)

- the weight rating of your tow bar

- the weight rating of your hitch

this is why it's vital to know what your MH weighs as it is loaded and configure for travel before choosing a toad. Your MH will not collapse if it is overloaded but you will experience handling issues as well as longer braking distances and accelerated wear on suspension, brakes, steering, etc.

good luck. jeeps are great!

I have a 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. I replaced a very sexy 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee HEMI Overland for the Trailhawk. I love the GC, but they are so darn heavy and expensive. I like the size, weight, and MPGs on the smaller Trailhawk. No problems at all with it. Easy to park, 3.2 has good performance. All in all, a better choice to tow than the expensive GC.

WW

Most all of GM's SUVs are 4-down towable along with some Ford's. Read Consumer Reports for those that have the better repair and customer satisfaction records. Personally, I love the Grand Cherokee SUV looks, but alas, it's repair records are not all that great. Of course, I've read the same about my Terrain, but I can honestly say that I have not had one problem with it in the past six years and 100K miles. Maybe mine is just an exception to the case.

Ron

Mr. B.,

I, too, liked the Jeep Cherokee as it's towable four wheels down as I'm thinking of changing toads (my sister wants my Honda). I've had two Jeep Grand Cherokee's in the past with less than stellar performance but that was in 1996 and 1999 (both bought new). My thinking was that they have improved quality in that amount of time.

Anyway, my direction has been diverted to the Lincoln MKX (the Ford Edge sister). I was hoping the Lincoln MKC was towable but it is not (Ford Escape sister). Other Fords are towable too as many GM vehicles. You can check the towable guide through Motorhome Magazine on the Internet.

The only con about the Jeep that I've seen is that there were reports of steering problems when being towed. I'm not sure if that has been corrected or if it was just an isolated incident.

Good luck and safe travels,
MM.

I tow a Jeep Wrangler 1999.

That said the dealer recommends the trailhawk because he is probably making more money on it. But I too like the Trailhawk options on the Jeeps.

I think most Jeeps through the various models can be towed 4 wheels down the transfer case is what makes some of them not recommended for towing. I think it is the automatic or electronic transfer cases that can not be towed 4 down whereas the manual ones can. i.e. the new Renegade can not be towed 4 down.

I do think the Jeep Cherokee is an OK vehicle.

But be sure to read the owner's manual about recreational towing not emergency towing there is a difference do not listen to the sales folks on this it would be a shame to get the vehicle home and discover that the vehicle can not be towed 4 down.

Good luck with your new Jeep and do hit a few trails or at least some back country roads.

JimR