decisions on tow vehicle - Jeep liberty

sch911 wrote:
Make sure it's a 4WD with a Neutral setting on the transfer case. Otherwise it cannot be towed 4 down.

an emphatic X2 on that! we have a 2010 liberty and at the time we bought it there were two variations of the 4WD model. the first was a 4WD model with a manually selectable 4WD and neutral positions. the other was an all-wheel drive (AWD) version that was more like a 4WD on demand system...it kicks into 4WD when it sensed the need. the first model can be flat towed...the other must be trailered. be certain before you buy.

but I must also comment that it seems you're putting the cart before the horse. not all motorhomes will be rated and/or have a hitch that is rated to tow the weight of the liberty. our '10 model, which has all the goodies, weighs in at 4200-lbs. some smaller motorhomes have a hitch rated for 3500-lbs, others for 5000-lbs and still others for 10,000-lbs.

but hitch ratings are not the only chapter in the story. beyond the hitch on the MH there are three weight ratings that you need to be familiar with:

- GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating): this is the total weight that the MH chassis can support including itself. this weight would include everything that is placed, stored or carried inside or on the MH.

- GCWR (gross combination weight rating): this is the total weight that the MH can propel forward and includes the GVWR plus the gross weight of the vehicle being towed.

- GAWR (gross axle weight rating): this is the total weight that each axle can support. each axle will have a different GAWR. usually, but not always, the sum of the GAWRs will equal the GVWR. it is very important to know the GAWRs because it is possible for the MH to weigh less than the GVWR but be overweight on one of the axles. I know this from experience.

some people tend to overload their motorhomes figuring that if they have storage space left it must be OK. many smaller motorhomes are so close to being overweight when they roll off the factory line that they are essentially useless.

in general the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

- the GCWR minus the actual weight of the MH (includes fuel, fresh water, LP, food, clothing, supplies, pets, people and other stuff). at a minimum get individual axle weights and, if none are overweight, add together to get the total weight.

- the weight rating of the hitch

- the weight rating of your tow bar

let's say your liberty weighs 4200-lbs, your MH has a GVWR of 20,500-lbs, weighs in at 19,200-lbs, has a 5000-lb rated hitch and has a GCWR of 26,000-lbs. with these numbers the most weight you can safely tow would be 5000-lbs, the weight rating of your hitch. the GCWR minus the actual weight of the MH (26000-19200) is 6800-lbs but the hitch is rated for only 5000-lbs so that's your limit.

some folks will state that they don't know what their MH's weigh and don't care to know or that they've been running overweight for decades with no ill effects. that's their choice but IMO it's unsafe both for them as well as the rest of us sharing the road. overweight vehicles will have longer stopping distances and suffer pre-mature failures of shocks, springs, steering, etc.

the weight ratings are there for a reason so be sure you understand the relationship between actual weights and weight ratings before you plunk down your money on a toad and MH. good luck to you.