IS MY JEEP SAFE TO TOW A CAMPER????
We own a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4x2 3.7L V6. It is rated to tow 6,200lbs. We are looking to purchase a camper with a "loaded" weight of 6,090lbs or a dry weight of 4,590. They say for our Jeep t...
Forum Discussion
If you can stay within weight limits of the Jeep with your paasengers, cargo and hitch weight, and use a properlly set up weight distributing hitch with sway control, trailer brakes connected to a good controller, and you learn how to drive towing, and don't try to drive too fast, yes probably safe. Power is not a safety issue, but weight of tow vs weight of tow vehicle is, and you are pushung limits for someone new to the experience.
But it is not going to be a lot of fun, towing at maximum combination weights with a relatively small high output V-6 that has to spin to high RPM to get the power needed for acceleration and grade climbing. I've had 4.0-4.2 sixes, 5.0. 5.4, 5.7 and 6.5 V-8 engines with similar HP ratings to Chrysler's do everything V-6, but the bigger the engine, the lower the RPM needed to get this power, and the wider the RPM range over which pulling power is available.
With a late model Grand Cherokee and the 3.7, I'd be trying to stay under 4500 pounds loaded, which is my target weight for towing behind a 6300 pound van with nominal 6700 "towing capacity" because I know how it feels empty, how it feels loaded to 8000 pounds, and the maximum combined rating (13,000 in this case) is really stretching things for a 5.4 V8.
But it is not going to be a lot of fun, towing at maximum combination weights with a relatively small high output V-6 that has to spin to high RPM to get the power needed for acceleration and grade climbing. I've had 4.0-4.2 sixes, 5.0. 5.4, 5.7 and 6.5 V-8 engines with similar HP ratings to Chrysler's do everything V-6, but the bigger the engine, the lower the RPM needed to get this power, and the wider the RPM range over which pulling power is available.
With a late model Grand Cherokee and the 3.7, I'd be trying to stay under 4500 pounds loaded, which is my target weight for towing behind a 6300 pound van with nominal 6700 "towing capacity" because I know how it feels empty, how it feels loaded to 8000 pounds, and the maximum combined rating (13,000 in this case) is really stretching things for a 5.4 V8.
