Towing a Jeep

rk911 wrote:


second, most newer models that can be flat towed will not require a key to be left in the ignition or the key turned to the 'on' position. this eliminates the need to pull fuses to avoid battery drain or to run a charging line from the MH to the toad battery. again check the owner's manual.

True about some models not requiring the key in the ignition to be towed. Keep in mind, that if you're using a towed vehicle braking system that requires 12V DC power to function (aka, the auxiliary braking system is powered by the towed vehicle's battery, like the Blue Ox Patriot II) you might want to consider running a battery charging link from the towing vehicle to the towed vehicle, to keep your braking system working, and to keep the towed vehicle's battery charged.

Keep in mind that older Jeep Wranglers (2006? and earlier) have an "OFF, not locked" position in the ignition switch. the switch does not have to be "ON" for towing. I towed a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited for many miles.
If I were to get another Jeep, it would be a 2003 to 2006, preferably a Rubicon.

Bears Den wrote:
I am currently a TT owner and have noticed a lot of MHs towing Jeeps. I am considering a MH purchase and am trying to find out what the advantage is to having a Jeep as your toad. DW is all for owning a Jeep so that helps in the grand scheme of things. Thanks for your help and remember, there is no substitute for experience.

first, not every jeep model in every model year can be flat towed. in general if the 4-wd model has a manually selectable neutral position in the transfer case then you should be able to flat tow it. do not trust the sales critter to know or be truthful...check the owner's manual under recreational towing or contact the factory. jeep has all of their owner's manuals on-line.

second, most newer models that can be flat towed will not require a key to be left in the ignition or the key turned to the 'on' position. this eliminates the need to pull fuses to avoid battery drain or to run a charging line from the MH to the toad battery. again check the owner's manual.

third, unlike many other vehicles jeep has no time, distance or speed restrictions when towing. at least this was true when we bought our current toad in 2010. but be sure to double-check. other makes will limit your speed or require you to stop every X-miles or X-hours to start the toad and run thru the gears. PITA.

fourth, jeeps are just plain fun to drive. we have three.

as a side note before you buy a MH and a vehicle to tow be sure you understand the various weights and weight ratings of both the MH and toad. in general, the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

- the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (includes fuel, fresh water, food, clothing, people, pets, supplies, etc.)

- the weight rating of your tow bar

- the weight rating of your hitch

this is why it's vital to know what your MH weighs as it is loaded and configure for travel before choosing a toad. Your MH will not collapse if it is overloaded but you will experience handling issues as well as longer braking distances and accelerated wear on suspension, brakes, steering, etc.

flat towing any vehicle adds negligible weight to GCWR.

good luck and safe travels!

We tow an 02 Wrangler. I've owned several Jeeps over time. As for towing them, it was easy to:
1. install the wiring myself to save money
2. install the tow hooks myself to save money
3. buy a good used Towmaster tow bar from Craig's List
4. tow back there, it's very light, the MH doesn't know it's there
5. park at the camp ground, short, and hard to get stuck
6. go see a lot of off-road country in it
7. take the rear seat out, have lots of storage
8. mount a bike rack on
9. do a lot of your own maintenance on
10. hook up, the bumper is at a decent height, no bending over
11. get in and out of, not some low slung car for old knees
12. see out of - it has good straight windows all around for back up
13. use the manual transfer case for towing

Bill

The wife would like a jeep too, but she doesn't want to pay for one. We got a cheep used 2 door standard shift that can be pulled 4 down easily.

We tow a 07 Wrangler, back seat out, it is easy to hook up, it is fun to drive, it isn't hard to pull, the coach doesn't know it is back there.

Something in jplante4's post reminded me of what it was like towing our 2011 Chev Traverse (I see I need to get that off my signature). We had to pull a fuse (I installed a switch), and worry about starting it every so many miles. Worked ok, but the Jeep is much more straight forward and simpler. Both work(ed) just fine with our Brake Buddy.

If it fulfills your need when you reach your destination then there is no reason not to. No hidden issues that I can think of. Is our daily driver at home. Roadmaster All-Terrain. As soon as it gets off of back order, we will put a Rock Hard bumper on our 2014 Unlimited Sahara to raise the tow point a bit. Have towed a Jeep since 2012 just fine with the Roadmaster baseplate, but it pulls a bit low for the attachment point on our MH. I'd like it to pull straighter, hence the Rock Hard. Started out with a Jeep Sport, but are much happier with the Sahara. Renegades are pretty and all, but the $$$$ were too rich for our blood.

EDIT:I guess I meant Rubicon, not Renegade.

Agree with "magicbus" on ease of towing, depending on model. Check with FCA/Jeep or the Motorhome Magazine Dinghy Guides for basic towing info on the various other Jeep branded models. They don't all tow the same.

We tow a 2016 Wrangler Sahara Unlimited, and they're probably one of the simplest to tow, from the setup perspective, using Blue Ox equipment. The steering doesn't lock, so no key in ignition issues. It does track well. We had the base plate and wiring installed professionally, and everything works including towed battery charging from the tow vehicle. The Patriot II brake system seems to work well and responds well to input from the towing vehicle.
Other reasons - fun to drive, Sahara is well equipped fromm the factory, 4X4 is nice if/when needed, convertible top/removable doors if desired, lots of after market and OEM equipment mods available, wife liked it and wanted one.

The biggest advantage IMHO is that you can put the transfer case in neutral and forget the transmission altogether. My unofficial poll of toads (looking to see what everyone else was pulling while on the road) showed that CR-Vs and Jeeps were the most popular. The trouble is that these vehicles command a higher price on the resale market and IMHO it's too much for what you get. Around here $18k gets you a 10 year old CR-V with 200,000 miles and a beat up interior. That's what I paid for my 3 year old Equinox and it's towable 4 down.