JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

i have a v6 jgc and to be honest I would stay under 3500. I tow loaded snowmobile trailer at around 2400 and I wouldn't tow much more. 5k is half ton truck territory

Had an older JGC that had it's quirks but was a great vehicle.

" I tow loaded snowmobile trailer at around 2400" <<<< did precisely that too and I would not have wanted to tow much more weight or length with the JGC...just a mismatch that doesn't work.

IMO, it is silly to say the limit of a Grand Cherokees towing abilities is 2500 pounds. For many years I towed a 5500 pound boat and it did great. I do understand the difference between towing a TT vs a boat, but I also know that it is a capable tow vehicle.

My SIL has a ecodiesel grand Cherokee and she loves it. Says it is the best vehicle she has ever had.

I have a 2014 diesel GC, and love 95% of it.

I tow a ~3600 lb TrailManor, which is an expandable, so it tows like a popup. My only trips towing the TM have all been round-trips from Denver into the mountains - Telluride, Grand Junction, Fairplay. My round-trip fuel economy while towing is 21.5 mpg on every one of those trips. Without the TM, same trips are about 29 mpg.

Goes great on the flats and uphill. Not lacking for power (again, I am not towing a barn, though). I have gone off-road with it, and it does great in low-range, crawling up or down the hills, yes, while towing my TM.

My only dislike is towing downhill. Diesels, by their nature, are poor at engine-braking. So, I have to tap the brakes regularly going downhill. Pickups can get exhaust brakes, and they don't have to use the brake pedal on downhills. Just be aware that the diesel won't hold you back on downgrades.

Trailer Life had a great article using the diesel GC to tow a full-height ultralite. They got 12.4 mpg towing the barn. They were impressed with the GC. It is a good read.

I have the new EcoD in the Ram. So far, love it. Highly recommended the GDE tune. I towed around 3500 mokes this summer with a Liberty Diesel. Decided it was too tight for the 4 of us and the pup. Probably would not have gotten the Ram if I was travelling less than 4 hours.

We had a 14 hemi Durango (on same platform as the grand cherokee) that we towed our 15 passport bullet 2300bh. It weighs in under 5,000lbs and although the Durango had the power I just didn't feel the most comfortable towing a 27' (hitch to bumper) trailer with the short wheel base with the family. Now we have a 13 crew cab Silverado. That's just my experience.

I had a Touareg. It was one of the most comfortable vehicles but not reliable. Shop time was lengthy when it went down. Currently have a GC and it has been much more reliable. It's been in the shop once in 50,000 miles for a sensor related to the keyless start. It's also very comfortable. No towing experience to share. Good luck with your decision.

The 2015 JGC is a very capable tow vehicle. 7200 pound capacity with a 55 sq-foot frontal area limitation, and a 720 lb max tongue load. Because of the relatively short wheelbase I always recommend a true sway control hitch like the Hensley.

FCA Jeep Engineer...

Bionic Man wrote:
IMO, it is silly to say the limit of a Grand Cherokees towing abilities is 2500 pounds. For many years I towed a 5500 pound boat and it did great. I do understand the difference between towing a TT vs a boat, but I also know that it is a capable tow vehicle.

My SIL has a ecodiesel grand Cherokee and she loves it. Says it is the best vehicle she has ever had.

O boy now we're bringing our SIL into the picture! A bit hypocritical if you ask me. :R

When I say #5500 max I mean total weight with the trailer loaded. I fully understand the length limitations. I definitely don't want the tail wagging the dog. I want to keep total length with the tongue at 25 foot max.

The trailers are out there, just have find a lite weight unit that meet the wife's criteria for floor plans. Plan on going to the Pomona RV show to do some research.

Were in no big hurry and can wait till next spring if needed. My main reason for the post was getting input on the JGC. Looking for more replies. Thanks

Wireman