Jeep Wrangler too much Stress for Itasca Navion?

[Alto_Flyfisher]

We have just purchased a 2014 Itasca Navion IQ and are in the market for a dinghy. We are interested in the Jeep Wrangler but are wondering if it will be too stressful for the Navion. GVWR for the Navion is 11,030 and GCWR is 15,250 which leaves 4200 pounds for the dinghy. The two door Wranglers are about 3800 pounds. Have any Itasca or Winnebago View owners towed the Wrnagler?. Woudl appreciate any comments.

[Alto_Flyfisher]

Thanks for all the comments. At this point we are leaning towards a Honda Fit or CRV. We are expecting to do some very long trips and we don't want to stress out our Navion.

[dleslie125]

Dakzuki wrote:

ron.dittmer wrote:
My mother is turning 90 this summer. Back in 2002 she wanted to buy a vehicle that she could get in and out from, and fell "In-Love" with a loaded silver 4-door Chevy Tracker ZR-2 4x4 all decked out with a sunroof, power this & that, but it just had to have the gray/black plastic fenders. I don't think her Tracker today has but maybe 12,000 miles on it. It looks brand new inside 🙂 but has the original tires:( and the alloys wheels are messed up from salt:( She is not ready to say good bye to it. She hasn't been able to drive it for two years now so the family switches vehicles and takes her around in it whenever she needs a ride. It is hilarious that she still loves it that much to keep it. Whatever makes Mom happy!

It weighs 2,987 pounds according to HERE.

I figure one day she'll be asking me to sell it. I keep thinking it would make the perfect tow vehicle, especially for a Sprinter-based motor home.

It looks just like this one in color & style, made for Chevy by Suzuki. Suzuki is written all over it under-hood.

You may find that is was actually made in the GM Canada/Suzuki owned plant in Canada.

Ah yes, built at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll along with the Suzuki Sidekick. When they were discontinued the plant started making the Equinox. I think originally the GEO name was stuck on the Trackers sold in the US but Chev in Canada. They even put the GEO name on our 2006 Equinox insurance registration and it would drive me nuts.

[Dakzuki]

ron.dittmer wrote:
My mother is turning 90 this summer. Back in 2002 she wanted to buy a vehicle that she could get in and out from, and fell "In-Love" with a loaded silver 4-door Chevy Tracker ZR-2 4x4 all decked out with a sunroof, power this & that, but it just had to have the gray/black plastic fenders. I don't think her Tracker today has but maybe 12,000 miles on it. It looks brand new inside 🙂 but has the original tires:( and the alloys wheels are messed up from salt:( She is not ready to say good bye to it. She hasn't been able to drive it for two years now so the family switches vehicles and takes her around in it whenever she needs a ride. It is hilarious that she still loves it that much to keep it. Whatever makes Mom happy!

It weighs 2,987 pounds according to HERE.

I figure one day she'll be asking me to sell it. I keep thinking it would make the perfect tow vehicle, especially for a Sprinter-based motor home.

It looks just like this one in color & style, made for Chevy by Suzuki. Suzuki is written all over it under-hood.

You may find that is was actually made in the GM Canada/Suzuki owned plant in Canada.

[Dakzuki]

Mich F wrote:

dleslie125 wrote:
Silliness?

I assume Dakzuki was referring to your issue with "tongue weight", which started this thread going off track.
Regardless of which Jeep is chosen, it will be near, at, or above the Navion's tow rating.

Correct.

[hpdrver]

You might consider 2 dr Wranglers made before 2007. They weigh around 3000 lbs.

[j-d]

dl, Yes, agree with the what-when-not-towed question. If OP wants to tow a Jeep to go rock crawling in the mountains, then needs to be prepared to pay that particular piper. I can't prove it but I believe some tow a Jeep for The Look. Again, there's a price if it takes the RV to or beyond its max.
Like you, I've become very skeptical of Ford's automatic transmissions and towing. We're fortunate to like manual shift anyway, so that opened us to vehicles we otherwise like. Specifically, that automatic versions of our Nissan Frontier (current 4000-lb toad) and Toyota Corolla (2500-lb potential toad) are not towable. While we're talking about it, I don't trust the lube pump idea either. And I understand that many do well with the pumps. I just don't feel that lucky.

[dleslie125]

j-d wrote:
What CAN it do and what SHOULD it do are not the same questions. Max everything out and you'll feel it. Load the RV and select a toad that reduces GCWR to say a ton or so below max and you'll like it. We towed an older mini-pickup that weighed about 2500. Replaced with one that weighs about 4000. Still within our 5000 towing but we can feel the difference. We only have been going locally on flat ground so it's OK. If we planned on long trips I'd want to set up our Corolla that weighs about the same 2500 as the old truck did.
Where will you be going? Short trips flat ground, maybe OK to max out. Long trips and steep grades, better think twice.

I think a point that is critical is "what will the toad be used for when not being towed."

If it is just a toad then I'd be prepared to go small like an older Tracker. BUT, if it is a vehicle I have to use daily NOT A HOPE. DW has the same view.

We dumped our Escape because all we did was worry if the transmission was going to go (but we did EVERYTHING by the book - it didn't but SanGauge showed transmission fluid temp of 220 deg when towing (engine off and no torque going through)). It was a nice weight for the Navion - but just a PITA because of the worry. DW loved it and the ONLY reason it went was to get something with a transfer case with NEUTRAL. Our Colorado towed fine, as did our Tahoe. Escape towed fine but the worry was just not worth it. We were going to put in a lube pump but Ford really screwed us on that one. They took over the REMCO pump for the Escape and Fusion and wanted over $5,000 installed. NOT A HOPE.

Ford does have some smaller cars that are towable and would be fine BUT we have to have at least one large vehicle (and the T&C has been perfect for that role) and DW will not drive a large vehicle anymore nor anything where you sit down low. End result is choice is limited - especially since my desire was to have a transfer case with N. We were within 2 minutes of signing a deal for an Edge AWD Limited (no transfer case) and then concluded that Ford didn't deserve the biz from us.

To the OP, good luck in your search.

[j-d]

What CAN it do and what SHOULD it do are not the same questions. Max everything out and you'll feel it. Load the RV and select a toad that reduces GCWR to say a ton or so below max and you'll like it. We towed an older mini-pickup that weighed about 2500. Replaced with one that weighs about 4000. Still within our 5000 towing but we can feel the difference. We only have been going locally on flat ground so it's OK. If we planned on long trips I'd want to set up our Corolla that weighs about the same 2500 as the old truck did.
Where will you be going? Short trips flat ground, maybe OK to max out. Long trips and steep grades, better think twice.

[dleslie125]

Mich F wrote:

dleslie125 wrote:
Silliness?

I assume Dakzuki was referring to your issue with "tongue weight", which started this thread going off track.
Regardless of which Jeep is chosen, it will be near, at, or above the Navion's tow rating.

I'd have no problem going with their lightest version and a Navion. I must say that when making our decision on the Cherokee we "thought" about a Wrangler, but just sitting in it we concluded it is a limited purpose vehicle and not for us (actually for DW since I have a T&C).

The new Renegade will be interesting IF it is towable flat. At this point I haven't seen anything on any forum that is definitive on this issue.

[ron_dittmer]

duplicate

[ron_dittmer]

My mother is turning 90 this summer. Back in 2002 she wanted to buy a vehicle that she could get in and out from, and fell "In-Love" with a loaded silver 4-door Chevy Tracker ZR-2 4x4 all decked out with a sunroof, power this & that, but it just had to have the gray/black plastic fenders. I don't think her Tracker today has but maybe 12,000 miles on it. It looks brand new inside 🙂 but has the original tires:( and the alloys wheels are messed up from salt:( She is not ready to say good bye to it. She hasn't been able to drive it for two years now so the family switches vehicles and takes her around in it whenever she needs a ride. It is hilarious that she still loves it that much to keep it. Whatever makes Mom happy!

It weighs 2,987 pounds according to HERE.

I figure one day she'll be asking me to sell it. I keep thinking it would make the perfect tow vehicle, especially for a Sprinter-based motor home.

It looks just like this one in color & style, made for Chevy by Suzuki. Suzuki is written all over it under-hood.

[Mich_F]

dleslie125 wrote:
Silliness?

I assume Dakzuki was referring to your issue with "tongue weight", which started this thread going off track.
Regardless of which Jeep is chosen, it will be near, at, or above the Navion's tow rating.

[dleslie125]

Silliness?

I'm at my Jeep dealer right now. Just reached for a Wrangler brochure.

Rubicon curb weight tops out at 4543 lbs. Lowest is Sport with a manual transmission at 3882.

Should be something in that lineup that works. Our Cherokee Limited is under 4200.

[Dakzuki]

All the silliness above aside, the Jeep plus a fully loaded View/Navion will be at or in excess of the max combined weight. There are people pulling Jeeps but I wouldn't want to be one of them. My toad weighs in a little under 3000 lbs and that's plenty. I would suggest a lighter toad. Jeep has a little one (Renegade) coming out next year.

[mrkoje]

dleslie125 wrote:

Mich F wrote:

dleslie125 wrote:

Mich F wrote:

eric1514 wrote:

Alto Flyfisher wrote:
... GVWR for the Navion is 11,030 and GCWR is 15,250 which leaves 4200 pounds for the dinghy...

No, that leaves 4200 for everything. Dingy, tow bar, driver, passenger, water, propane, clothes, etc. But I've seen it done.

yes assuming you haven't exceeded your 11,030# GVWR with driver, passengers, water,propane,clothes,tongue weight, etc. that leaves 4,220# for your dinghy, tow bar and everything else in, or on, your dinghy.

Pardon me but "tongue weight" for flat towing? Not really.


Don

I included "tongue weight" as minimal as it is, only because someone else would have come along to tell me I hadn't included "tongue weight". 😉

Well, ZERO is a number. 🙂

Well if you are going to be the weight police you better count on accounting for the weight of the hitch setup for flat towing as well as any additional accessories for flat towing. I guarantee the hitch setup for towing the Jeep is indeed greater than ZERO POUNDS. :S