2013 Jeep Wranger 3.6L V6 (trailer towing)

[utahoutdoors]

I bought a 2013 jeep wrangler with 3.6 L V6 and am trying to purchase a trailer that it can handle. I know the jeep can pull 3500 lbs but i do not want to over load the jeep. I am struggling to find the right trailer that is around 3500 lbs or lower possibly a hybrid since the living space can be larger when you get to your destination.

I would like to get a 15-18 foot trailer that is light enough that it wont put too much stress on the jeep. I have looked around some of them are extremely small and not a fan of the A frame type. I would love to find one that sleeps 4-6. I know the ultra light campers are out there i just dont know where to start. Can anyone recommend where to look? Can you help me to find a good brand that is durable...i know nothing about hybrid trailers other than a friend suggested it due to weight restrictions.

I will have to install air shocks in the jeep cause the springs in the rear of the jeep seem to be soft.

[PAThwacker]

jeeps and towing? not too many on the interwebs. Why? vehicles designed for off road use are not tow vehicles. Does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Comparing a Liberty to JKL????

[PAThwacker]

anyone with half a brain knows liberty with towing package is rated to 5000lbs. that information is widely known for the past decade or more. choo choo has a crd liberty diesel. I had one of those too.

Pups: 12ft w slide have tongue wt around 400 to 450....trust me: owned one!
Had jeeps: 83 cj8, 97/99/02 tj and 05 crd. Not a jeep in the fleet now!

[ChooChooMan74]

poppin_fresh wrote:
I dont want to get too far off on a tangent, but I was next to a guy at a CG last year towing a 28ft bunkhouse TT (no slides) with a diesel Liberty. He had to be several thousand pounds over max weight, but he claimed it towed great. That is saying something since we live in northern New England, which isn't known for its flatness. (Please note, just telling about an encounter, I'm not condoning the behavior).

For the OP, only having 3500lbs towing capacity makes me agree with what has been said, maybe a popup is for you. Even my small hybrid Starcraft 18SB would be a stretch for your vehicle, especially since it is definitely over the 350# max tongue weight.

That dude is insane. Even if you went with the European tow rating over the North American, I wouldn't do it. I rented a 24 footer and this 21 footer is a decent match for a diesel liberty.

[smccollamjr]

FWIW...OP said he has a Wrangler Unlimited which is a 4-door. It has a wheel similar to a Cherokee.

[poppin_fresh]

I dont want to get too far off on a tangent, but I was next to a guy at a CG last year towing a 28ft bunkhouse TT (no slides) with a diesel Liberty. He had to be several thousand pounds over max weight, but he claimed it towed great. That is saying something since we live in northern New England, which isn't known for its flatness. (Please note, just telling about an encounter, I'm not condoning the behavior).

For the OP, only having 3500lbs towing capacity makes me agree with what has been said, maybe a popup is for you. Even my small hybrid Starcraft 18SB would be a stretch for your vehicle, especially since it is definitely over the 350# max tongue weight.

[ChooChooMan74]

utahoutdoors wrote:
Choo choo man, you pull a 21 ft roo with jeep liberty?....PA Thwacker.....Pups???

Yes. Scaled it fully loaded and with the family to see how close I was. I did a solo trip from RI, to DC, up to Rochester NY, and back to RI and had no issues. 55 to 60mph over the hills from Williamsport north towards NY, 3rd gear at 2700 RPMs. The engine purred along the Susquehanna, 1700 in 4th. EGTs never exceeded 1300 degrees.

[llowllms]

bikendan wrote:
utah, i don't think you're going to get any of us seasoned hybrid owners to agree with you towing a hybrid with your Jeep.

the only one i would agree to, is a Camplite 11FK with the optional hybrid bunk end. but they are not cheap.
GVWR is 2700lbs. and a "dry" hitch weight of 140lbs.

any other hybrid in your towing capacity, will always be at the 3500lbs. weight, because of their poor CCC numbers and probably will exceed the Jeep's max hitch weight.

and then there's the Jeep's very short wheelbase.:E

your biggest mistake was buying the Wrangler for a towing vehicle.

My opinion as well. Wrong choice for a tow vehicle.

[bikendan]

utah, i don't think you're going to get any of us seasoned hybrid owners to agree with you towing a hybrid with your Jeep.

the only one i would agree to, is a Camplite 11FK with the optional hybrid bunk end. but they are not cheap.
GVWR is 2700lbs. and a "dry" hitch weight of 140lbs.

any other hybrid in your towing capacity, will always be at the 3500lbs. weight, because of their poor CCC numbers and probably will exceed the Jeep's max hitch weight.

and then there's the Jeep's very short wheelbase.:E

your biggest mistake was buying the Wrangler for a towing vehicle.

[utahoutdoors]

Choo choo man, you pull a 21 ft roo with jeep liberty?....PA Thwacker.....Pups???

[PAThwacker]

10ft popup w/slideout MAX. I had a 12ft classic pup w/slide and it was 3200lbs. That was ideal for a 6100lb rated trailblazer v8. WE were at GCWR!
you need to understand tonque weights, payload limits, and jeeps towing limitations.

[PAThwacker]

ryanb-72 wrote:

kvangil wrote:
FWIW, if I was towing with a 3500-lb limit, I'd go with a pop-up with a slideout. It would give you more space than a 15' hybrid, which is likely as big as you can tow with the Jeep.

X2

The wind resistance from a hybrid travel trailer would put a huge strain on the jeep.

Another alternative might be to look at a Trailmanor a hardside alternative to a pop-up but still keeps the wind resistance down. the downside is they are a bit pricey.

X3

ex 15 year jeep owner chiming in.
The jeep only has a 350lb max tonque weight. That rules out a ton of options. sends you to pups, and then run into other challenges. some pups do not allow wdh hitches,others are too large for jeeps spec.

[ChooChooMan74]

Believe me, wind resistance is HUGE. When I have to stay in the throttle downhill, going by runaway truck ramps, you know that wind resistance is overcoming gravity.

[ryanb-72]

kvangil wrote:
FWIW, if I was towing with a 3500-lb limit, I'd go with a pop-up with a slideout. It would give you more space than a 15' hybrid, which is likely as big as you can tow with the Jeep.

X2

The wind resistance from a hybrid travel trailer would put a huge strain on the jeep.

Another alternative might be to look at a Trailmanor a hardside alternative to a pop-up but still keeps the wind resistance down. the downside is they are a bit pricey.

[utahoutdoors]

I forgot to mention it is a jeep wrangler sport unlimited. http://www.jeep.com/en/jeep_capabilities/towing/#WranglerUnlimited1Tab*