Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

[bigD1031]

What does everyone think of towing about 4000lbs (boat, trailer, engine, etc.) with a 2001 jeep grand cherokee? I have a V8, all time 4 wheel drive, tranny cooler, but stock shocks. Anybody done this? It will be a one time 500 mile trip and about 150 miles a few times a summer moving the boat from home to a couple of different lakes.

Thanks for your help.

D

 

[donnymac]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Can you put air bags on the rear suspension? Does your Jeep have a frame? 4000# is heavy.

Don

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

To be legal in most states the trailer needs brakes but other than that should be no problem. Shocks by themselves do not support any weight - they dampen suspension motion so as long as they are in good shape that's not a problem either.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

I towed a boat that weighed roughly 3600lbs with a Grand Cherokee for 5 years. Even drove from Maryland to Lake Ontario and back several times in that period. The Grand pulled the boat well but you knew it was back there.

I then bought a new boat that weighed roughly 4500lbs. I used the Grand to tow the boat back to Maryland from Jersey and while it pulled it OK, it was pushing the tail wagging the dog syndrome pretty heavily. It was time for a bigger truck.

 

[bigD1031]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

4000lb may be a little heavy, was trying to guess on the side of heavy. NADA lists the boat's net weight as 2350, it lists an engine in the description but don't know if it is included in the weight, anybody know?

Thanks

 

[donnymac]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeeps and most SUV's are notoriusly soft on the back end. Nothing looks worse than a tow vehicle with it's back end lower than the front while towing. Air bags do allieviate that. Shocks are called shocks because they do just that, absorb shock. Overload springs work also, but I don't like 'em.

Don

 

[arks]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

I towed for years with a V6 Cherokee, and now have a '98 Grand Cherokee 5.9.
Your Jeep should be able to do the job, but there are some things to consider:
- does the trailer have brakes, and are they properly adjusted?
- are the Jeep brakes in good shape?
- how 'bout the tires? Spares for both?
- booster springs or air shocks should be installed.
- do you plan to tow thru mountains? IMO it's a bad idea with that combo because even with good brakes the trailer could be very difficult to stop safely going downhill. Also, the transmission will have to work extra hard.
- has the Jeeps cooling system been overhauled recently? Towing that load will stress all components and overheating is a real concern.

It should go without saying that both the Jeep and trailer need to be in top shape to be reliable. In addition, any weight you can remove from the boat will help- for example, tow with the boats tanks empty and the anchor(s) in another car.

If you decide to give it a try, drive carefully and allow PLENTY of room for braking. Carry jacks for both and have spare trailer bearings with you.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

If the boat is an outboard, no -- its weight is not included for the boat for the simple reason the boat manufacturer has no idea what engine is being installed. With an I/O, then the weight would include the engine and stern drive.

The current Grand Ch has a 3500# tow rating with the 3.7 V6 so the V8 in your vehicle would work fine. Properly equipped, a current Grand Ch has up to a 7200# tow capacity.

 

[orion25]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

The only thing I would do is change your diff fluid (rear diff for sure, front would be a good idea) with 75-140 fluid. It is what Jeep recommends for towing.

 

[KM2]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

I towed my 3500# setup with the JGC with trailer tow package and the 4.0 6cyl. It handled it ok, but it needed more horsepower for sure. Also good trailer brakes are a necessity. Jeep brakes are not great to begin with, I warped a set of rotors even with the trailer brakes.

I don't remember it sagging the rearend that much. If it is a problem the air bags that go inside the coil spring work good and I liked that you could adjust them. Also check out Jeep accersories, I think the overland model came with stiffer springs for off roading. You could swap a set in.

 

[bigD1031]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Thanks for all the replies and help. I'm going to swap the differential fluid front and back, has all time 4 wheel drive, and change out the transfer case fluid, do this and all the fluids will be less than a year old. The brakes should be good to go, switched out the rotors and pads with some aftermarket pads and rotors and they have not given me any sort of issue since then. The jeep has the class IV tow package so it is rated to 6500lbs. Only thing I am a little worried about is the sag in the back, debating on if I should wait and get the air bags for inside the coils or just order them and install them after I pick it up and see how it sits. Had over a 1000lbs of pellets in it one time and it sagged pretty good so we will see.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[orion25]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Thanks for all the replies and help. I'm going to swap the differential fluid front and back, has all time 4 wheel drive, and change out the transfer case fluid, do this and all the fluids will be less than a year old. The brakes should be good to go, switched out the rotors and pads with some aftermarket pads and rotors and they have not given me any sort of issue since then. The jeep has the class IV tow package so it is rated to 6500lbs. Only thing I am a little worried about is the sag in the back, debating on if I should wait and get the air bags for inside the coils or just order them and install them after I pick it up and see how it sits. Had over a 1000lbs of pellets in it one time and it sagged pretty good so we will see.

Thanks again for all the help.

Kinda of off topic but what color are your front brake calipers? If they are not silver your rotors are probably going to warp again. There was a change late in the 2002 model year that upgraded the calipers.

 

[bigD1031]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Still have the stock calipers, so it may be an issue. But I can tell you that the upgraded rotors and pads sure have helped out so far.

 

[scottfromoz]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

In Australia Jeeps do not tow...its pretty odd to see one towing anything more than a small box trailer - the usual tow vehicles are Land Rovers, Toyotas and Nissans. The Jeeps (even the latest ones) cannot do deep sand work here because of the autos - they overheat badly. They also crack around the firewalls in our country roads.

I would have thought that 4000 pounds would be ok to tow though - its less than 2 tonn, but overall it would be a struggle and a pain on longer trips. I have a similar sized rig and tow it with a Land Rover Discovery V8 and it does it well, but I wouldnt want to go much heavier without air bags/stiffer rear springs. The LR has live axles front and rear and has a tow capacity of over 8000 pounds so the brakes and drive train and suspension are well up for it.

In Oz any trailer with a gross mass of over 750 kg requires brakes - up to 2000kg mechanical override (one axle) and over that full electric/vac breaking set up. I have mechanical on my dual axle boat trailer and it works well. One day I might stick on electric - it would be a little better with more control from the brake controller in the cab.

Good luck.

 

[c130herc]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

You should be fine towing with it.
Grand Cherokees Maximum Gross Trailer Weight (lbs.)
4WD - 7200 lbs.

Good specs on the JGC
http://jeephorizons.com/news/2005gc_specs.html

 

[bigD1031]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Hey all, went and got the boat and it towed just fine, I was actually a little surprised at how peppy the 4.7 liter v8 was. Only down size was coming back 600 miles through that crappy weather in texas last weekend and into new mexico, was not happy.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

I've got a 98 grand cherokee, with a 5.2 liter, I tow a 4,000 lb travel trailer with it, and have never had a problem in 100,000 miles, so you'll do fine, I've been from Oregon to Minnesota and back and not had a problem, other then the gas millage sucks, I get about 20 mpg when I'm not towing anything and I've seen it drop down to as low as 6 mpg on a tank of gas when fighting a bad head wind. how ever, the last trip out I did over heat, but that was due to a pluged radiator, I replaced it and have not had a problem since, stay on top of the cooling system, and you will do fine.

 

[bigD1031]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

^^^^^Very true about the gas mileage. On a flat road with no wind I got around 12-14, head wind it dropped to 10, and uphill with a head wind it was hovering around the 6-8 area. Oh well, do get 18-20 around town.

 

[jester137]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

I have a 02 grand with the 4.7 H.O with upcountry springs and tow package. I tow (Believe it or not) a 95 22 foot celebrity cuddy thats rated with the trailer over 6000#'s. I take it over 200 miles every year through the bluffs and it does just fine. Just keep the OD off otherwise it hunts for gears. I have NO sag, though it may be because the boat is balanced very well on the trailer. Keep testing other drop-bars if you sag or bounce.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee

I have a 2004 and apparently the power steering is also cooled through the radiator --like a transmission cooler.

Factory recommends replacing power steering seals with high temp seals. Only reason I can think of is that added temp of radiator and tranmission during towing damages the regular ones.

Haven't needed the jeep for towing yet so have not tested the theory.