Hauling with a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited

[bhecketh]

My wife and I have been looking for a TT for a while now. In fact, we bought a truck thinking we'd haul a TT, then decided we'd buy an RV to haul a Jeep - so we got a Jeep... Then we realized the Jeep was too small for us, so we traded it in for a Wrangler Unlimited. But now, we really don't want to haul the Jeep with an expensive RV, so we were thinking smaller... super small, but able to carry two adults, two kids (under the age of 10) and perhaps a dog.

We have a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited (4-door) and being completely new to the TT/RV scene (if you couldn't tell already), we're looking for advice on what TT might fit us best given we're not trading in the Jeep again. 😉

So far, we've looked at (online), a 2015 Coachmen RV Clipper Ultra-Lite 17BH Travel Trailer... and a 2014 KZ Sportsmen Classic 16BHT Expandable. We're heading to an RV dealer this evening to look at them both in person, but we don't plan to buy today.

If anyone has had experience hauling with a Jeep, great. All other advice welcome too! Thanks in advance.

~brian

[JnJnKatiebug]

Good looking rig. You will not have any problem with that setup. Just be careful the first time you hit the interstate until you see what happens when a truck passes you. That was the only problem I had but I was pulling a bigger trailer with a shorter wheelbase 2 door Jeep Wrangler.

[bhecketh]

Well, after some research (and I appreciate all the advice I got), we took the plunge...


So, here's the setup:

- Removed the stock hitch and replaced it with a Class III receiver
- Installed an adjustable 600# weight distribution system
- Installed a sway friction bar
- Installed a electronic trailer brake controller
- Towing a Coachmen Clipper 15RB hybrid

Here we are pulling it out of the shop:

Jeep and Clipper

Again, thanks for the advice. I must say, my wife and I are already talking about selling everything (house and all) and buying a 5th wheel and truck and just go full time on the road. But this is a good step in that direction; for now.

~Brian

[johntinacamping]

This is what we have and we love it. It can sleep 5 comfortably if you include making the dinette into a bed. KZ Sportsmen Classic 19BH (bunkhouse)

[coolbreeze01]

There are several choices. Have fun :C

[rexlion]

I believe you have a 3500 lb tow rating. If that's correct, you want something under 20' overall length, and about 2500 to maybe 2700 lb dry weight. It's very easy to have such a trailer weigh nearly 3500 lb in real life, once you add LP, battery, water, and gear. Also it becomes difficult to keep hitch weight under 350 lb, so you want something with a dry hitch of 250 or less.

The Wranglers are not noted for great handling because their center of gravity is a rather high (or at least they used to be that way) and the wheelbase isn't very long. So they are not the greatest tow vehicles. But they can work. Really, if I had a Wrangler, I'd be looking at small popups. They have plenty of bed space.

[ryanw821]

You need to let us know what your Jeep is rated for, Carrying capacity and tow rating, we can't guess at this because its different with trim and option differences between vehicles, there should be a label in drivers door jamb with all the info you need for towing abilities.

I tow a Coachmen Viking 16FB (same as Coachman Clipper 16FB other than decals) with our Jeep liberty, so depending on your weights, it could be done.

Our Libby has a carrying capacity of 1150#, -600# for Myself, Wife, and dog, -400# for tongue+hitch, leaves us 150# for gear IN the Jeep, which we try not to use, short of the wife's purse, everything gets packed in the camper. You will hit your carrying capacity well before towing capacity in a Jeep, so you have to be mindful of that. For what its worth our libby is factory rated to tow 5000#, but that would be like a flat-bed trailer tow, it could NEVER take the tongue weight of a 5000# camper.

EDIT: Also, never trust a camper dealer, most of them would tell you a geo tracker could tow it if it got them a sale, lol. DOUBLE check weights yourself, and don't forget extras, weight wise, like you will NEED a weight distributing hitch to tow a camper with a Jeep (and you will probably want sway control), that will add about 80-150lbs of hitch weight, so that 406# tongue weight of the 17BH becomes 486-556# instantly, you need to have the carrying capacity to handle that!

[JnJnKatiebug]

Your Jeep will probably have a 3500# towing capacity. I love these trailers. If I was looking for a small trailer to tow with a Jeep, this would be the one.

Others will say you need a 1 ton truck but I would not be afraid to tow one of these with a Jeep.

Escape Trailers

[djsamuel]

Not sure of the actual towing limits on the Wrangler, but you will be limited. You may want to check out the smaller Camplite trailers:

CLICK HERE

The 13BHB for instance has a GVWR of 3,000 pounds

[bhecketh]

Note: No modifications made to the Jeep. Purely stock. Though we did buy it with the tow package.