Towing 20' camper with Jeep Liberty

As you can see from the replies there is only one reply from someone who has actually towed a similar setup with a Jeep Liberty. Based on that reply it seems you will be OK provided your hitch is setup and your weight in the trailer is distributed properly.

An Andersen Hitch would be perfect for weight distribution on this setup.
You do need to find the payload rating for the Jeep. It’s on the tire sticker on the door jamb. It says something like, Total Cargo shall not exceed xxxx pounds. This number helps you set up the whole shebang.

There's a YouTube channel called Slim Potatohead and he tows an Aliner A-Frame trailer with a Jeep Liberty. Check him out, maybe ask him about it. He just got a new trailer but hasn't revealed it on his channel yet, but he's a minimalist so it's gonna be small. By the way, he makes very interesting videos.
JK

Naturist has it right. No need for a massive truck to pull the trailer. 2500lbs dry will be around 3500 lbs max loaded for a trip. Use a quality WD hitch with built in sway control. The 3.7 has more than enough power for that size trailer. Yes it’s wheelbase is short, but so is the trailer. The ratio would be similar to a 1/2 ton crew cab short bed and a 32ft TT! Which works just fine.

"And then you dropped a valve."

The OP especially asked for input from folks actually towing with a Libby. I am such a person. Until it dropped a valve at 200,000 miles, I towed a 21 foot overall, 5,000 lb gross weight, 3680 lb dry weight TT with a 2005 Liberty. Mine was the 2.8 liter 4 cylinder diesel, rather than a gas V6. It towed just fine.

I dragged that trailer from Virginia to Seattle, down to LA, then back to Virginia. A couple years later, I dragged that same trailer from Virginia through Denver to Las Vegas, then in a circle around the Grand Canyon back to Vegas, before returning to Virginia.

I can tell you that I found it very helpful to use a WDH and to tow in AWD (aka “full time 4 wheel drive). Those two made it very directionally stable. I understand the OP’s Libby is 2wd, so AWD isn’t an option. I can’t comment on the gas engine, but the diesel did have a tendency to overheat, crossing mountains in the summer, so that even though it had the pull to keep up with traffic, it definitely could have used a much better cooling system.

Most of the time I had a wife and 80 lb dog in the Jeep, too. It had the payload capacity, not a problem.

Payload will be your limiting factors by the numbers. I'm guessing depending on how you pack you will be ok. Wheelbase is not what I would want. I pulled my old setup with a grand Cherokee and it was borderline. liberty would have been worst (I owned one) expect the tail to wag the dog.

So, bring it home empty and decide for yourself how the experience is/was.. If it works for you, then great.. Figure in some additional weight after you get it home, but in the end, it's still YOUR rig... You either like how it tows or not..

Won't know until you do it, so there you go.. Tow ratings, payload and all the solar you have won't change how it actually tows for you, so there you go..

Hope it works out for ya.. Good luck!

Mitch

You have all the capacity you “need” to pull that trailer from rear axle rating to tow rating and with the brake controller you’re fine stopping the train too.
As long as the Jeep is in good mechanical order I wouldn’t hesitate making the trip.

However after a couple full days at the wheel, you may find out it’s not the ideal tow rig from power in the hills to getting blown around some with the short wheelbase if you encounter cross winds. Or it may meet your expectations depending on what they are
Either way, go get your new camper!

opnspaces wrote:
Is there a yellow sticker on the door frame that lists the cargo capacity? Also you might need to check the owners manual for the actual towing specification. You might have already posted it, but what year is the Jeep. Also what's the trim package?

Max curb weight for the Liberty is 4290 so they have at least 1,310 payload with is probably plenty if you aren't putting a family of near-adults in the Liberty. I'd be much more worried about the short wheelbase (104"), a 20' trailer isn't massive but between the trailer weighing as much as the tow and the short wheelbase it probably won't be a fun experience.

It's like when I tried using the minivan to tow my trailer, I was within GVWR, gcwr, tow rating, etc and the minivan had a long wheelbase and big brakes, but it still was so sucky experience that I knew driving the trailer home I was buying a truck.