Need help choosing Tow Vehicle

[jkatz41]

HI everyone. I am so new to RVing, I dont even have my RV or a decent TV yet. I am planning to get a Jayco 19XUD travel trailer, which has a max gross weight of 4250 lbs. Was hoping someone could offer an opinion on the following ideas/questions:

- Thinking of getting Jeep Grand Cherokee with max tow rating of 6200 lbs, with class IV tow package (V6). Would this be reasonable to tow this trailer?

- Would you upgrade to a V8 engine ? The Tow rating goes up to 7200 lbs, and the torque is almost 130 ft-lbs more).

Thanks !
JK

[ib516]

How much (how often) do you tow?

If it's frequent, get the V8. If not, the V6 will do just fine.

[whitecloud]

I have a Jeep with a Pentastar. It seems like a reliable and economical engine. I wouldn't make it a first choice for towing. If I were purchasing a new tow vehicle, a half ton pickup would be where I would start. I can tell you that your towing loads may grow especially if your wife likes it. I went from a Toyota Tacoma V6 to a Ram 3500 Cummins because this. 🙂 It would have been a lot cheaper to get an adequate tow vehicle to begin with.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

You can also get the Ecodiesel in the GC and would be a perfect fit for that RV. Check out the the Jeep Ecodiesel forums to get and idea what it is capable of.

Don

[109rfan]

I have a v6 grand Cherokee. Im not new to towing campers but I haven't towed one with my jgc yet. I have however towed a 12 foot snowmobile trails towing about 2k. I just actually went camper shopping already and settled for a rock wood popup at around 2k dry. In your shoes my first choice would be a half ton crew. If your set on the jgc id do the v8 and remember payload does come into play. My train of thought is the max weight of trailer should never exceed 2/3rds max tow capability.

[Samsonsworld]

The wife has a GC Limited with pentastar. It's a nice engine for economy but I don't particularly like the thought of towing anything behind it. The wheelbase is too short for me. I'd suggest a full size SUV or truck. It'll handle better and based on what I gave, you won't spend much more. My $.02.

[jerem0621]

TNRIVERSIDE wrote:
The dry weight of my TT is just over 4,000 and I'm not happy with my F150 with a 5.4 V8. We just returned from a 6,600 mile trip out west. Big mountains. Engine turns too many RPMs for me. Get the V8 if your only going a 100 miles or so. Otherwise get a Eco-boost truck.

Your 5.4 behaved exactly as designed. 100 mile max for a V8...that is an inaccurate statement and it sounds like you do not understand how these things are supposed to operate.

I owned a 97 F150 with. 5.4 and once I got over my RPMphobia it was a great tow vehicle...lugging is not good for these beasts while towing..

Let the V8 rev it's designed to do so...that's how it makes power...

Newbies do get surprised by the rev's when they first start towing with their V8's because it's a different experience from prowling the local supermarket parking lot or accelerating on the expressway.

Let it rev...the motor doesn't care as long as it's within operating parameters.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[ugh]

I would get the V8. The torque can make a big difference on hills.

[TNRIVERSIDE]

The dry weight of my TT is just over 4,000 and I'm not happy with my F150 with a 5.4 V8. We just returned from a 6,600 mile trip out west. Big mountains. Engine turns too many RPMs for me. Get the V8 if your only going a 100 miles or so. Otherwise get a Eco-boost truck.

[donn0128]

For towing purposes a person can never have too much, but I sure have seen my share of not enough.
The Jeep may be a decent match for your current choice with only you on board. But what happens when you add family and lots of gear to the Jeep? Or heaven forbid next year you decide you want more trailer? See, it is not just about the numbers, rather long term plans too.

[jerem0621]

I pull 3,000 lbs with a Pentastar V6 (similar to the one in the Jeep) and its fantastic.

Have not found a grade yet that this Pentastar could not maintain speed or even accelerate while towing. Plus the engine braking is fabulous.

I have no regrets with my V6...I am starting to look for a truck for me as the Van is my DW DD and am really considering a V6 Pentastar powered Ram 1500 Crew Cab.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[ChooChooMan74]

The Jeep will do it, but I recommend a good weight distribution hitch with built in sway control. My Liberty performed well towing my 2 Roos. But, in my opinion, it was good for trips of less than 4 hours. I did 2 trips in 2 weeks this summer, totally 3500 miles, and we decided it was time for a truck.

As for the engine, the 3.6 is not a bad engine. Seems like it has some decent power for the size. Of course, you will have happier with the V8 if you plan on towing in mountains. (Of course, you will be smiling more with the EcoDiesel). The V6 will be better on fuel economy for daily driving.

Edit: Looking at your floor plan, I would just like to mention the front part was similar to my Roo 21BH. I hated having to crawl over the table to get in and out of bed. If it was for a kid or 2, then I think it is easier for a kid to do it. As for me, going to the bathroom a few times a night, it got old quick!