I once towed our 9000# boat with the 2014 JGC because my truck was in the shop. It was only a few miles to take it back to storage but it towed just fine. The only thing making it unsafe was you really don’t want to be that outweighed by a trailer that heavy but power wise it didn’t struggle at all.
Thanks for the video! And thanks for all the comments from everyone below :) I just got a 2018 Limited with IV Tow Package and am actually going out West... but the RV I am getting is about 2000 lbs lighter than what you have so I'm hoping that will work out just right! I got a lot of flack for choosing this car but seeing it in action (and hearing from others below) and the best items to purchase to maximize it's handling is very reassuring! P.S... Ironically I used to live in Tampa when I was in school (USF) and drove that bridge all the time! THanks again!!
Hi Heather and thanks for watching! That would put you at a loaded weight of 3500-4000 lbs and a tongue weight of 350-400lbs. I believe this is the sweet spot for the GC. Invest in a quality WD hitch like the equalizer 4 point anti-sway, or really go big and get the Hensley or Pro-pride to manage sway. You will need to have a brake controller installed. Good luck on your travels!
Amazing info. I purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk with the 5.7L this past February and pulling a camper was always a curiosity of mine. I knew it had the power to tow it but the tongue weight had me concerned along with long distance towing. Great video. Thank you!!
@@jordanisaac2980 the camper itself was a 30 footer and weighed around 7000lbs, fully loaded. It pulled it like a champion. One thing I'd recommend is getting a brake controller installed right away. Other than that, it pulled it just fine. No issues.
@@jordanisaac2980 Good choice on the Trailhawk. I have a 17 GC Trailhawk with the V6 and tow a Starcraft Satellite trailer of about 18' and 3,500-4,000lbs. I usually pull it up to 7,000' elevations from the Phoenix area and love the 8-speed trans. I keep it in Sport mode and it automatically selects gears very well. On the steepest grades I use 3rd gear at 50-55mph. Since I like to use the cruise control I often shift manually. A nice feature of the Trailhawk is the Off Road Pages application that, besides giving some nice info on the drivetrain for 4-wheeling, also has a page with 5 electronic gauges to show all the important info such as water/oil temp, trans temp, battery voltage and oil pressure. In gears 6-8 the oil pressure is 30psi, but for 5 and under it is boosted to 75psi. Nice thinking, Jeep. It also has the air suspension that auto-levels when you hook up a trailer. Nice. The V6 has good power and gets to 60 in the same time as the V8 thanks to different gearing. And, I drove to Yellowstone from AZ right after I bought it and was traveling on county roads with a friend who was pulling a trailer and doing mostly 50-60mph. At those speeds I consistently got 30-33mpg. Coming home, I filled up in Utah and did about 30+ miles on the freeway at 80, then county roads to the Phoenix area...on one tank...just over 600 miles. It's also comfortable and handles well. Really like it.
I’m glad I found this video. We have a 2019 JGC L 4x4 with the tow package, engine cooler etc. we wanted a lighter RV to tow and traded our 2017 motor home in for a 2022 Rpod 196. Dry weight 3600 lbs. CCC -1160 lbs, making it less than 5000 lbs. I had some anxieties about this but after watching quite a few RUclips videos, especially yours, I’m feeling ok about it. Tow weight for my jeep is 6200 lbs.
Good call on upgrading to a 3/4 ton truck when you come out to the west. Your video caught my eye because I have the smaller version of the Rockwood (2109s) and was amazed that you can tow with the jeep. I'm originally from Tampa, now in Colorado. The altitude makes the steep grades even more challenging. And the roads are rough compared to Florida for sure.
My 2005 V8 4X4 Grand is at 138,000 miles and still towing strong, knock on wood. Tow package is the best. I've always held trucks for three years or so, until I drove this Jeep.
Thanks for watching the video. The Titan XD is is a beautiful truck. Thanks for the info. We will add it to our research list. We love this kind of feed back!
Awesome and thanks for watching. The GC is an under-rated tow vehicle. That being said, it does have its limitations, as do all vehicles. One that I did not cover in the video is that of the mirrors. It is a short coming of the truck and there are few after market options out there, short of buying expensive replacement mirrors. I did find some "universal fit" strap on ones that do ok. Try to stay in the middle-ish of the tow capacity and you should get good service out of the GC. Happy Adventures!
Nice video. We have 2011 ML 350 and Passport 2670, traveled with this setup for 8 years. 140 thousand miles on the clock so far. Only positive impressions. No problems with the mountains (GSM, Catskills etc.). It takes 4th gear, 4000 rpms for 60 mph. ML never overheats, even at 100 degrees with AC on and uphill. Now looking for a late model Mercedes GLS. Because bigger is better, even if driveway is the limit😁.
Sounds like a nice rig! The Catskills are on our to-do-list. If I am not mistaken I think the Mercedes and the Grand Cherokee share the same chassis and suspension or many parts. Save travels.
I was so happy to find your video, as we are planning to use our 2015 JEEP GC as our tow vehicle, and we're new to towing. We have the 4WD 3.6L 6 cyl with the tow package. We've ordered a 2022 Basecamp 20X, which has a GVWR of 4350 lbs, and tongue weight of 535. We DO live in the west, and will be crossing the Sierras and Siskiyous. Sounds like our GC can do it!
That sounds like a good set up. Be cautious in the mountains and don't over use the brakes on downhills. Rule of thumb is to go downhill in the same gear you ended up on going up. Do not ride the brakes down! Safe travels and enjoy!
@@Florida_Man_Robb It's doing great! We've had six trips, including two with mountain driving in the Siskiyous and the Sierra Nevada (in CA). The BC tracks so nicely behind us.
Currently towing a Mini Max (2200 pounds loaded up) with a 2016 Jeep Willys Unlimited, tows good with about 13 mpg. I do have a swap bar. I do pull in the SC and NC mountains with no issues. Just pick up a 2018 Grand Sport Overland 3.6 with HD cooling for towing. Will tow the Little Guy Mini Max but have plans to upgrade to the Max.
Thanks for the comment! The RV I'm getting is slightly bigger than what you have so it's good to hear how well it's doing from someone that is actually using it. Irony #2 (see my original comment)... I now live in NC :)
We are in Pennsylvania and have a 2013 Overland V-8 w/towing package and many of the RV dealers around here shaker their heads at us when we ask about towing anything over 18 feet. I feel like we have the power, built in electronic break controller and everything we need, but they still have their doubts. Based on your video, though, I have no doubt. Do you ever notice any instability due to the shorter wheel base? This would be our first RV and I don't want to make any dumb rookie mistakes and thus far have been relying on the word of the dealers. I work from home and would like to take my work on the road for weeks at a time so I want an RV that's big enough to be comfortable for long periods at a time. Anyhow..excellent video, excellent description & photos! I love when someone can put together a comprehensive and easy to understand video.. Well done sir!!
Hi Sam. Thanks for watching the video. Our goal is to provide info that is helpful for others in their journey. Anyway. I applaud the dealer in one sense and that is being conservative in their estimates about length on RV to tow. Most will sell you a 40 foot 5th wheel and say "yeah that Jeep will handle it". That being said, weight and length do coincide to a degree. I would suggest that if you get a trailer you find something in the "sweet spot" of the Jeep of between 4000 and 5000 lbs loaded. As you said the "weakness" of the GC as with most SUV's is the softer rear suspension and shorter wheel base. We have been able to tow our 25 footer with ours but we are looking to go to a 3/4 ton pick up to increase the safety margins. One concern I have with the GC is dealing with high cross winds. This I believe is a real concern for the short wheel base GC. If I were to keep the Jeep than I would go down to a 21-23 footer to increase safety margins. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the video. I have a 17 JGC Overland 4x4 and has air suspension. Since there is no tow mode I can't turn off the Aero mode on the suspension. This lowers the truck 1/2" at highway speeds for better aerodynamics. I hope this doesn't affect my hitch setup when it moves up and down the half inch as I move in and out of highways. Planning a 9 hour trip from PA to SC this summer.
That is interesting. I do not know the answer to that, but would sure love to hear what happens on the trip. The air suspension, I imagine, would work to keep the truck level to compensate for hitch weight squat. I am curious if it is "smart" enough to not lower the truck when it detects the need to level the truck. I also wonder if with the brake controller plugged into the truck harness, that changes the computers algorithm. Happy and safe trip. let me know how it goes.
well done video , thanks werner pull a 2018 rockwood 2506s with jeep grand cherokee 2018 5,7l sterling for 6 years 13000 mi. on trailer 60000 on jeep. all over the east coast from Maine to the Smoky s,Niagara back to Vermont. no problems. we love it .
Thanks for the video. I found it very informative as I am considering buying. a 5.7 V8 Jeep and a smaller trailer then you hauled so I feel confident that I would have no problem.
I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee 2018 4x4 and a 3800 LB Little Guy Max Teardrop. It has no trouble but my gas mileage dropped from 26 on the interstate to 11-12. I originally drove the Hemi version but went with the 3.6 V6. I wonder sometimes if I should have gone with the Hemi but I love the V6 overall. The Jeep is a refined vehicle. I was going to buy a 4Runner since I love Toyotas but once I got into the Jeep, it was all over. The jeep feels good, looks good, and I love the way the V6 growls. Thanks for the video!
I know 4 years ago but you didn't make a bad decision. I have a 2020 ram 1500 with hemi v8 and towing less than 3k I drop to 7-9 mph on gradual inclines at 70mph..
Thanks for the info! I have a 2017 Durango V6 (sxt AWD) with similar specs to your jeep. That's the exact trailer I'm interested in getting. Your video helped me out alot!
@@OurCoupledAdventure I’ve read that the Durango does indeed share this excellent suspension with the Jeep and Mercedes. I also recently learned it is a Chrysler design. But because of all those legal goings on, it made it under the Mercedes first. Funny that. The Swedes do something called the Moose Test. Basically they overload the vehicle and then do the avoid a moose steering wheel yank at speed. The new Jeep GC performed admirably, so it passed the test. They were impressed.
@@OurCoupledAdventure Yep, good news. I was just clarifying the odd history of the platform being that the merc is actually riding on a Chrysler design :)
Thanks for the video! I have a 2018 GC Trailhawk with the V6 and we are thinking about getting a 20’ camping trailer weighing in at about 3700lbs dry. Was wondering how the Jeep handles a larger trailer but after seeing this, I’m very impressed. You definitely are pushing that Jeep to the max 👍
Yeah we have "pushed" the capabilities of the GC. Our situation was at the extreme end of the GC capabilities, but living in Florida helped. Does your GC have the factory ride leveling rear suspension? We had upgraded our rear shocks to bilstien 4600s with very good results in ride quality. He have a mega journey around the country planned including a lot of time in the Rockies so we have upgraded to a Ford F 250 diesel. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!
@@OurCoupledAdventure Yes it has the ride levelling suspension. I do really love the Jeep! Should be getting our camper trailer soon so I will update on how it tows here in Ontario, Canada. Absolutely would also be upgrading to a larger vehicle if we were pulling something like yours all over the country as well, so I completely get it. 👍. Safe travels to you as well!
This is a great video! As you can see by the name I’m a trucker and move some monster weight somedays. I’m doing research for the Jeep “2015 grand Cherokee Limited 4x4” to haul a enclosed ATV trailer. This is a well done video and it’s great to see what we call a 4 wheeler driver who knows there stuff!
They are; if you are still in the market for s pickup Ram is blowing out the 18’ models. I traded off my 3/4 ton for a 1 ton 2 weeks ago. 17% off MSRP and the base price has increased almost 10%? on the 19’ new body style post tariff units.. just get the Cummins though! We have 2 in our service area for our semis, both are 250k-350k mile trucks and running strong.
They are; if you are still in the market for s pickup Ram is blowing out the 18’ models. I traded off my 3/4 ton for a 1 ton 2 weeks ago. 17% off MSRP and the base price has increased almost 10%? on the 19’ new body style post tariff units.. just get the Cummins though! We have 2 in our service area for our semis, both are 250k-350k mile trucks and running strong.
Were looking at cherokees for towing. Or to tow. Has to be 4x4. We are trying to sell the home and full time a few years, we know we like it cause we have done it . We bought this house so I ( Ken) could recover from 11 months of chemo. Yuck! Now we are trying to get rid of it. Being on the road and having a different front yard each week is great. Our neighbor just bought one just like yours. It’s nice! 😊🤠👍
We love the Grand Cherokee. It has its limitations like anything else. Only being 2 wheel drive it cannot be flat towed. I (George) retire next month and we are looking forward to extensive travel. We have not decided if we will go full time or not. We are Fort Wilderness bound for this coming week. The call of the mouse! Glad to hear of your recovery.
I have a 2015 two wheel drive 4runner and pull a small converted cargo trailer thats 5x10 it pulls the little trailer great until you start going up hills then the transmission has to shift down and will start screaming on really steep inclines . You just have to adjust your speed to not tax your engine and transmission too much when climbing hills.
After learning more about the Jeep Grand Cherokee most have a tow rating of 3500 unless ordered by the consumer or dealer with the tow package which bring the tow rating to 6200 lbs. the tow package includes HD cooling, larger radiator, oil cooler, trans cooler and upgraded rear suspension. A tow hitch can be bought from jeep after market, but the tow capacity remains at 3500 lbs.
It seems to depend strongly on the model. Comparison of GC towing is a bit annoying, but at least the numbers are far better than comparable vehicles at up to 7200 lbs.
Have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, same colour and happened across this video when looking for some tow tips. Good information on the anti-sway of the vehicle and the tounge weight. Also happened to buy the same Tekonsha P3 brake controller call on me if you want to know how to wire tat little guy up in minutes, and I did not have to take it in to get it to recognize the accessory like some, so not sure what's up with that, might be because of the included IV Tow Package. it is working fine. I Have a Jayco Light trailer, 18.5' and it tows steady and well, looking forward to hitting the mountains soon.
Thanks for watching! I bought the "pigtail" for the brake controller when I bought it. It was just plug and play easy. What did you do for towing mirrors? I never could find a set that I was happy with. Your set up sounds well matched. Happy and safe travels.
Thanks for posting..my trailer weight loaded woukd be at 3,500 lbs... I am still looking for the right tow vehicle.. Need to get one that wife can get in and out due to knee replacement ...not to high..
They are awesome SUV's. By biggest gripe is the mirrors are not the best for towing wide trailers and good aftermarket add-ons really don't exist for the GC. Safe travels.
I just got a 2700# camp trailer. My 2015 V6 Jeep did great towing it home, on flat roads. I live in Utah so lots of mountains... I hope it does okay on them.
I would suspect the the GC will be happy towing that load. Keep in mind that non turbo-charged engines, like in the GC, will "lose" power as you gain elevation. So, performance will be better at sea level than at say 10k feet. Enjoy the journey and safe travels!
Very well done and exactly what I was looking for before settling on the V6 for my 19’ hybrid. As an engineer, I appreciate consideration of all the weight limits and accurate measurement. The practical advice about regional terrain you’ll be operating was great.
I have a 2016 GC Limited with the V6 and tow a Cherokee Grey Wolf 18MT which is a 23.5ft trailer and nearly 5,000lbs loaded. We use the Fastway E2 hitch and all goes well until you get any kind of cross wind, then it is white knuckle. I am seriously debating a half ton pick-up for that reason alone. Had a very nasty drive from MN to Rapid City...
What is your tongue weight? The GC is really sensitive to being "out of balance". Ours tows best at about 10-12 percent. The Fastway is a good hitch, but only has 2 anti-sway friction points. Our Equalizer has 4. Going to a bigger truck is never a bad idea. Never heard anybody say "Whoa, got too much truck!". Thanks for watching!
Thanks for doing this video, I learned a lot. I have a similar jeep with the same tow specs. I also have the same brake controller. What brake setting do you use?
That would be an ideal sized trailer for the GC. Thanks for watching and safe travels! Oh, by the way we replaced the rear shocks with Bilstein 4600s and the ride and towing is much better.
I wanted a grand cherokee to tow my 17 ft camping trailer and drive as a daily driver for the decent mpg the V6 gets but i live in a mountainous area in British Columbia so when i do pull the trailer 3-4 times a year im sure id wear out the Jeeps tranny and push it hard at times. The trailer weighs around 3400 pounds. Guess i need a full-size truck or another yukon.
Hello TC and thanks for watching. The GC is a good vehicle for sure. I agree with you that a life of towing in the mountains may be a bit much for it over time. Safe travels.
This was a helpful video. Obviously you can push the limits a little if you are towing in flat and low altitude areas. Some who scoff are probably too over cautious. I have a 2014 GC with a V-8 and tow package and now feel confident I can tow a 21 foot toy hauler/camper with 650 pound tongue and 6500 pound of trailer weight even out west by taking all the measures you took in this video. I’ll probably upgrade to rear air bags too. I would think subtracting 10% of max limits as a good margin of safety and error. What is the total length of the trailer you were towing? I believe the model numbers are for interior length. Thx again.
Thanks for watching. The CG is an awesome vehicle. Safety is always enhanced by increasing margins, but there is a balancing act with what size trailer will work for you! Our Rockwood is 25'11" stem to stern. Airbags are an awesome mod as well as a high quality weight distribution hitch such as the Equalizer 10k we use. Safe travels!
Thanks for a comprehensive and thorough walk through. I’m thinking of buying a JGC with the V6 and hear very very good things about its toughness and reliability. This would be our last vehicle prior to retirement with the eye of possibly towing a travel trailer in the flats at about the same exact weight as you have been towing. Basically I want my cake and to eat it too and this fulfills that in my eyes meaning when we are NOT towing the vehicle gets much better fuel economy than a v8 yet it still has the capability to tow a 25 foot travel trailer within its weight limits. I’m not a fan of these big v8’s as they guzzle fuel. So you have answered a question that was on my mind. This sport Ute would be our Swiss Army knife. BTW does yours have air suspension? I’m getting you don’t need it because of your WDH. Yeah I get a big v8 or a diesel is nicer because the engine is not screaming away at 3000+ rpm to tow but there has to be a compromise for efficiency. I’d far rather have a diesel but having had one I see how fragile their emissions systems are and shy away from them for that reason. It doesn’t help that in the USA there is a 30 cent a gallon premium on diesel.
Hey Steve. Thanks for watching! We really love the GC. If I had to do it all over again, I would have purchased the air suspension. It does not increase payload or tongue weight capacity, but it it will help level the jeep. The factory tow package along with the air suspension make this a capable camper tug. My only real complaint, which I did not cover in the video is the the need for tow mirrors. The factory mirrors are not adequate for towing wider trailers. Aftermarket "clips-ons" like we use are marginally better. If I were to stay with the GC as a primary tow vehicle, I would spend the extra for the aftermarket tow mirrors that replace the OEM factory ones. As I discuss in the video. proper tongue weight is crucial to towing with the jeep. I keep it as close to 10 percent as possible. This requires moving stuff in the trailer to the rear for towing, but it really helps the ride. Tongue weight is sooo crucial to safe towing. Happy Adventures and thanks for watching!
@@OurCoupledAdventure thanks for the detailed reply, if I go that route I’ll definitely get the Tongue scale to accurately load for balanced suspension performance. That is a great tool that I was not aware of.
10 months later...here is a copy/paste of info I left further up: Good choice on the Trailhawk. I have a 17 GC Trailhawk with the V6 and tow a Starcraft Satellite trailer of about 18' and 3,500-4,000lbs. I usually pull it up to 7,000' elevations from the Phoenix area and love the 8-speed trans. I keep it in Sport mode and it automatically selects gears very well. On the steepest grades I use 3rd gear at 50-55mph. Since I like to use the cruise control I often shift manually. A nice feature of the Trailhawk is the Off Road Pages application that, besides giving some nice info on the drivetrain for 4-wheeling, also has a page with 5 electronic gauges to show all the important info such as water/oil temp, trans temp, battery voltage and oil pressure. In gears 6-8 the oil pressure is 30psi, but for 5 and under it is boosted to 75psi. Nice thinking, Jeep. It also has the air suspension that auto-levels when you hook up a trailer. Nice. The V6 has good power and gets to 60 in the same time as the V8 thanks to different gearing. And, I drove to Yellowstone from AZ right after I bought it and was traveling on county roads with a friend who was pulling a trailer and doing mostly 50-60mph. At those speeds I consistently got 30-33mpg. Coming home, I filled up in Utah and did about 30+ miles on the freeway at 80, then county roads to the Phoenix area...on one tank...just over 600 miles. It's also comfortable and handles well. Really like it. I don't use a sway bar when towing the Starcraft trailer and the handling has always been good, even at 80 or with cross-winds.
This was an excellent video, and I too have come to the decision (after towing a 19' airstream) that touring the rocky mountains is not likely to happen. Did you upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck as planned? Also - do you happen to remember what your engine coolant, transmission and oil temperature went up to when you were on the upward climb of that bridge??? Thank you!!
We have not made the truck purchase yet. With travel impacted by it we did not see the need to invest in it at this time. My temps may get to 202-203 on moderate climbs like the bridge. I have not had any temp issues. Thanks for watching.
@@OurCoupledAdventure Thanks for the data points. All 3 of my fluids peak at about 216 degrees during hill climbs. Usually jmy water temperature averages in the high 190's, oil temperature in the 195 to 210 range, and transmission settles in at about 206 - 210 while towing. This in 95 degree heat. Hey, I hope you get to buy your dream tow vehicle soon!! Thanks again for your video.
3/4 Ton PickUp means you will upgrade to a 5th Wheel Camper? I just purchased a 2021 Grand Cherokee to pull an Old 18’ Concord Travel Trailer. I was impressed with your Anti-Sway Bars/Lift Hitch System & Adjustable Ball Mount Receiver. My Trailer currently uses an old Reece Anti Sway Hitch that requires re-welding to adjust. Your Brake Controller Review was informative. I have the Class IV Tow Package on the Cherokee
The 3/4 ton does allow for future upgrades, and made the 12,000 mile trip we just finished all the more comfortable. The GC is a great vehicle and will tow an appropriately sized trailer. Thanks for watching!
@@OurCoupledAdventure My loaded RV BTW is weighing in at around 4700 pounds, just hit the CAT scale last night to find out. The Grand Cherokee's tongue weight max is 620 as you noted...what I don't get is when you noted that tongue weight is 10-15% the weight of the RV, should you go by the 15%? Not sure why a range is noted...? Can you clarify that? In my case 10% puts me under the tongue weight at 470 lbs...but 15% puts me over the tongue weight at 705 lbs! - this exceed the Jeeps tongue weight limit? what are you supposed to go by?!
Awesome that you hit the CAT scales. That is the safest thing to do. The range is what is generally recommended for safety. Too heavy a tongue is not as bad as too light a tongue weight, but is not advisable either. Some tow vehicles have the capacity to handle that tongue weight range for a particular tailer size. The Jeep does not with the size of your trailer. 10% is generally considered the minimum to "balance" the towed load. This makes monitoring tongue weight when towing with the GJ a little more important. As long as you can stay under your GJ max tongue weight and at or above the minimum of 10 %, you should get good towing results.
I have the same vehicle and love it. Pulls my 18' Starcraft trailer to over 7,000' at least several times a year. Also 25+ miles into the desert on unmaintained dirt roads, which sometimes leads to desert travel through washes if the road is washed out. The Trailhawk is an excellent tow vehicle with its higher tow limits, good power, 8 speed trans, auto-leveling suspension and Off Road Pages that include 5 electronic gauges with all the needed info.
Thanks for watching. I tow in automatic. It is nice to have the paddle shifters though! They make for an easy down shift if I want to drop a gear to climb a hill or bridge. Enjoy the GC, it is an awesome SUV.
Good video, just what I was looking for. I have a 17’ JGC V6 Limited 4x2. Thinking of getting a 2019 sunset park sunray 149....very small camper. Any thoughts/recommendations?
Thats a neat little trailer! The GC should be very capable in towing it. Just monitor your trailers gross weight and have the tongue weight set to 10-15 percent of gross. Thanks for watching and Happy Adventures!!
Great video! I current have the same vehicle and I was looking at trailers your size as well. I was wondering, what is the gross weight packed for your trips?
Thanks for watching. When we were using the Jeep to tow, we tried to keep it between 5800-6000 which was a challenge. Now that we tow with an F250 diesel all over the country were run it up to max 6600. I still think the GC is best suited for less than 5000. Mostly due to the short wheel base and the lack of adequate towing mirrors. It is a fine truck for sure and we still have ours.
Love the information like you we are headed west soon. You said the sweet spot for this jeep would be around 4000lb we are looking at a Jayco 17' do you think this vehicle would be alright to pull west, mountains and all. I know there are routes you can take that will keep you from the steepest grades so that's what I would do!
Hello cross9494 and thanks for watching! If you are looking at the Jayco Hummingbird 17, I believe that would be a very good size behind the GC. Its max loaded weight is just under 4000 lbs. I think the GC would easily handle this in most situations. Always be mindful of proper tongue weights to keep the rig balanced correctly. A too heavy or too light tongue weight has a dramatic impact on how the rig handles. Happy and safe adventures!
We towed with a Durango v-8 switched to a f-150 super crew with the long bed ... the power was never an issue with the Durango but what an incredible difference the longer wheel base makes... I didn't feel so at the time but towing with the Durango was unsafe at highway speeds with large trucks passing at 70+ miles an hour.
So I guess size as well as weight have a factor. I have a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 ecodiesel rated at 7200 pounds. I have my eye on a travel trailer but from the spare all the way to the end of the hitch is 33 feet so the rv is probably about 28 feet and dry weight is about 6200 pounds.
In my humble opinion it does. The GC is a short wheelbase vehicle and I I would be concerned that it would not have positive control over a trailer that long in windy conditions or at highway speeds with large trucks passing. Also, at 6200 lbs dry, you could easily exceed the trailer weight of 7200lbs, let alone the tongue weight of 720 . The most important number is on the sticker in the driver door frame, the payload or cargo capacity of the Jeep. Safe travels.
How is your fuel economy with the v6? I have a 2017 GC with the 5.7 engine. I picked up a jayco octane 209 this week, dry weight is 5799 lbs. I towed it 250 miles home through the blue ridge mountains, and had a 20mph headwind. Basically worst case scenario. I used a tongue scale and curt 8k weight distributing hitch to tow as safe as possible. I had no problem maintaining speeds on steep grades, and temps all stayed within a good range. The handling was very good too. The only downside was that I averaged 6.3 mpg, which gave me a range of 155 miles per tank. I am hoping that clicks up 1 or 2 mpg under better conditions. While it handled the mountains ok, I agree that it is hard on the vehicle. Unfortunately, it was the only way to get it home!
Congrats on the new trailer! Yeah with those conditions you did ok getting 6mpg. Around Florida we get about 11mpg. Unfortunately gas motors are also gas hogs because they need to run at higher RPM to get the torque working for you. Happy camping.
I have always been curious about the towing of the JGC. I have a 2017 Ford Explorer Sport and I tow a 5,800lb TT at 23ft long similar to the MiniLite (Rockwood Roo 23FL). Being that the vehicles are similar in class, weight, and wheel base, I am curious why the JGC has such a higher tow capacity to the Explorer. I have about 1600 miles on this rig through the Smokies with no problem. Yes, I drive with the big rigs and I get some trailer sway when they pass me but I think it does a great job towing. What is your average highway towing speed? Thanks for your review and thoughts of the JGC.
Hey Jeff, thanks for watching. Each manufacturer uses their own "formula" to decide towing capacities. Some factors are engine, transmission, rear end gearing, brakes, suspension, class of hitch (GC is IV)etc. or a combo of all of the above. Engine oil and radiator cooling capacity can also come into play. When we used the GC for towing I stayed around 60-65. We now tow with a F250 diesel and tow at 65-67. Safe travels!
I've been pulling a 23' Airstream with a 2023 JGC L (3 row) Overland 4x4 V6. The trailer is 5,900 pounds when loaded. For the most part it has been fine, but the V6 does ramp up the RPM's on steep climbs to over 4,000 RPM depending on speed. Oil pressures and temperatures increased to 81 psi and 254 degrees. On flat roads they would typically be 35 psi and 208 degrees. Transmission temperature is about 10-15 degrees warmer than when not towing. On paper it meets all the requirements for tow capacity, tongue weight, gross vehicle weight rating, gross combined weight, axle ratings, etc. and I've verified everything at a CAT scale. Still a little uncertain about taking it up into the mountains though.
Hello and thanks for watching. Yeah I was able to make the numbers "work" with the GC but is was at the very limit. We have since upgraded to a Ford F250 diesel. Then we took the rig out west. After that trip I stand by my assessment that the Jeep would not have been able to handle it. The Jeep did fine around Florida. But, The ups and downs in the mountains is another story. The short wheel base of the Jeep is also a shortcoming. It would have made dealing with the ever present winds a nightmare and probably unsafe.
The Grand Cherokee has a 6200 lb. tow capacity ONLY on the special HD cooling package. (Heavy Duty Cooling) The standard Grand Cherokee is only 3500 lbs.
That's true, thank you for pointing that out. Have you found out how to tell if your Grand Cherokee has HD cooling or standard? I have looked through my owner's manual and can't figure out whether I have HD cooling..
Did your GC come with factory HD cooling system? Im looking at a used GC (non HD Cooling system V6)and we want to get a camper soon. Probably start out with a smaller camper like a 17' or 20'.
Hi Paul no and thanks for watching! I guess the SD vs HD system would be dependent on the year of the CG. I believe in our 2015 there is no distinction in cooling systems. I believe it is designed to perform max towing at 6200lbs. It is not mentioned in the owners manual about towing limitations if not equipped with an HD cooling system, with factory hitch you can tow up to 6200. We have never had the engine or tranny run hot, but we stay out of the mountains with the weight we do tow, 5800lbs. Towing at near max capacity with any vehicle is not for the faint of heart. Two big limitations with the CG are the mirrors and the short wheel base. Safe travels. Also, we plan on continuing to travel farther and farther from our state so we will be upgrading to a full size 3/4 ton truck. Safety is in the margins you leave yourself before max capacity. Also keep in mind that the CG is sensitive to tongue weight and ours is rated at 620lbs (10% of capacity). With our size trailer it is a challenge to maintain this and requires me to weigh the tongue before each trip. The CG would do well towing a 17-20 footer
I have a 2011 JGC Overland V8 Hemi with a tow compacity of 7200 lbs. I was told that the Rockwood 2506s was too heavy for me to tow because of the hitch weight. I see you towing with a V6. I was going to get a 2109s but wanted to know your opinion with my TV.
The max all loaded up weight of the 2506s is 6600#s. This is below your 7200 pounds. We have towed with the GC (never close to the 6600#), but now tow it with a F250. Not familiar with the 2109 other than it is smaller. I think the GC would do well in the 4000# range. The short wheel base and the small mirrors do hurt its towing suitability for larger trailers. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Hello, thanks for the video, and even the comments, this is a huge help. I wanted to ask if you have the factory tow package or not? I have a 2017 GC 3.6, I had the dealer installed hitch and wiring and towed a uhaul to Arizona from New York then Arizona to North Carolina. We are looking at a travel trailer (how I found your video) and wanted to see how my GC would fare compared to yours. Thanks!
Just keep in mind that if you don’t have the factory tow package you will not have the same 6200lbs tow rating. I believe it’s around 3500lbs without the tow package as the tow package gives you the full size spare tire, the engine cooling system, the larger 180amp alternator and possibly larger brakes. GL and happy towing!
I've been looking at grand Cherokees for a little now and wss curious on towing capacity. I would be mainly towing a fiberglass bass boat or a open trailer with motorcycles on it. Should I have any issues or should I be fine?
Thanks for watching. I would think you would be just fine. Bass boats are not that heavy, 2000-2500lbs max and a lightweight trailer with a couple of average size motorcycles would probably be 12-1800 lbs? I would suggest that you find a CAT scale and weigh the rig. Be sure the trailer sits on it own scale pad.
Hi, great video. I have an 2002 Grand Cherokee 4x4, 4.7L and a 5500lb Searay boat. I'm getting a lot of different opinions on towing that much weight. I'm looking at trailers which will add another 1700lbs. We do have substantial mountain passes that I wouldn't attempt, but would like to pull that up a boat ramp and around 2000ft foothills. I've seen the exact model pull my size boat out of the water and to the dealer but he said he wouldn't attempt the foothills. He has standard hitch. Can the dealer retrofit what this might be lacking? i.e. brakes and hitch. Thanks
Hey Rick, Thanks for watching. I love that generation of GC! The first place I would look is in the owners manual or the internet to try and find the factory towing specs. My guess is that generation max towing is probably 5000#s. The first "weak link" in towing is the capacity of the hitch. Chances are it has a class 3 rated at up to 5000#. Current production GC comes with a class 4 rated up to 12000#, but limited by the manufacture. The next "weak link" will be the transmission. You may end up burning up that tranny. In my opinion, that boat/trailer is too heavy at over 7000#. Just my opinion based on limited info. Good luck and safe boating!
We just got a similar TT 2017 2104s and we have a durango v6 2019. I have had a plethora of people telling me we should get a v8, but wanted to pick your brain and see your thoughts. we got a metal on metal sway dampener and a WDH. What are your thoughts?
The V6 should be capable of towing that TT. Your "traveling" weight is probably going to be close to 5000#. I have never heard any one complain about having too much power! So, going to a V8 just increases your capability margins,
Thank you for this video! The Tow Police believe if you are towing anything larger than a pop up trailer, you better have a F450. I have a question....I am considering a Grand Cherokee V8 with quadra lift air suspension. IF you had the V8 with the extra towing capacity (7,200 lbs/720 tongue weight) AND the factory air suspension to help out with leveling, would you feel like you COULD do the long distance/mountain towing of your 2506s Mini Lite? OR, is it the 26 foot length of the trailer combined with the relatively shorter wheelbase Grand Cherokee that makes you feel you are at the limit for towing in the west? FWIW, I also want a Mini Lite (great trailers!), but am trying to decide on what floor plan. 2205s if I can't go any larger, but there are several of the 26 foot Mini Lites I greatly prefer IF the Grand Cherokee can handle them. ----- I need to tow nationwide and full time, but my wife and I are adventurous. When we get wherever we are going, we want to be able to take our tow vehicle out to explore the offroad trails. Alpine Loop in Colorado etc. Can't do that in a 3/4 ton F250. Or any full size pickup. Thank you for your thoughts, and enjoy your retirement when it arrives!
Thanks for watching and excellent question. As you mentioned, the short comings of the GC are the short wheel base and the lack of adequate towing mirrors. We are now in the Rockies with our Mini Lite. Being here affirms my concerns about towing the larger 2506s with the GC in the mountains. We do have a F250 for this as mentioned in the video. What I have additionally discovered (that we don't contend with in Florida) is the always present WIND. Coming across Iowa, S Dekota and Montana was a treat with a constant cross wind that was in the upper teens/low twenties with gusts into the 30's. It will push the 250 around. It would probably be white knuckle in the GC. When we left Glacier the winds were steady well into the 30's! The GC you mentioned is equipped about as best as it can be to make it a good tow vehicle...with the right trailer. There are after market mirrors to replace the factory, but they are pricey. It all comes down to what you are comfortable with. Being that you are looking to go full time you have to be ready to encounter a lot of adverse conditions that Murphy's law dictates will happen on travel days. Also, IMHO, the majority of the vehicle usage will be for towing, and average driving around. I love my GC, and still have it, But for the 7 months we anticipate being on the road, the larger more capable truck has proven itself. Good luck and safe travels!
This was really helpful sir! I have a 2015 JGC V6 Limited 4x4. I'm thinking about getting a 22' Forest River Micro Lite Travel Trailer Hitch Weight:614 lb. UVW 4841 lb .CCC 1933 lb.- Do you think I can safely tow it with my vehicle up a mountain say 5K elevation gain in California?
You are nearing the limits of the GC. Remember these are normally aspirated engines (non-turbocharged) and lose power as you ascend into thinner air at elevation. It is a personal decision to push the ,limits of the Jeep or not. Nice rig and good luck! We hope to hit the road soon ourselves!
A most excellent video, what do you think about towing a 32 foot trailer that’s about 5000 pounds with a 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee With a V6 all wheel drive
One the one short comings of the GC is its short wheel base. I would be concerned about the trailer having too much influence on the Jeep, especially at the top end of the towed weight limit. Tail wagging the dog so to speak.
@@OurCoupledAdventure Absolutely I was just doing some research for a friend she’s looking for something to tell her 32 again, but you nailed all of the relevant points somebody needs to be looking at, one of the best videos I’ve seen hitting all these marks
Hey my sister has the same jeep and is hauling one of those U-hual trailers. Should she be using the manual gears when driving. Or could she just leave it in Drive?
I wanted to ask what your payload was , most I believe to be 1050 pounds. That may be a deal breaker as we may want to tow with 3 people in the car and that is not really enough with a 610 lb tounge weight. Bummer.
yes, the payload is only 1050 and was huge issue and why controlling tongue weight was so important. I ended up running with only 3/4 tank of gas and nothing in the GC but the two of us. The GC is an awesome SUV, but like all vehicles, even 1 ton trucks, have limits. Tow accordingly and it works well. With any tow vehicle, avoid towing at its max limits to increase safety and durability of the vehicle. Thanks for watching and safe travels!
Thank you so much for the video. Very informative. I have a 1999 v8 GC, Limited. I keep it in good shape. dealers specs are 6500lbs and 750Lbs tongue. I was looking at a 2020 LANCE 1985 TT which is 4300 Dry weight and 450 hitch weight. Obviously, all RV dealers are saying that I'm more than ok to tow it. (I installed electric brakes too). but when I published this question at Reddit RV group. some people started a discussion that 450 to hitch leaves me just 300 lbs for weight inside the jeep. So I'm very confused if they are just hatters or this should be a real concern?
Hi and thanks for watching! There are a lot of "Jeep haters" when it comes to towing discussions. That being said, who cares what they say. Anyway, there is an info sticker on the driver side door jamb that will list gross cargo carrying capacity. This number would also include hitch weight. So take that number and minus hitch weight to see whats left for people, pets and property. Safe travels.
I use the style of WDH shown here. It is set up so that you can back the trailer up without detaching anything. A Big plus. I highly recommend it as well as a good brake controller. I like the Prodigy line. You should be good to go with the GC and Lance. I think the Lance has its own suspension that makes pulling it a whole lot nicer than most travel trailers. The people on reddit are mentioning that you don’t want to overload your GC itself. When adding up the weight of the Jeep itself, you also need to take into account the weight put on it by the tongue weight of the trailer plus yourself and passengers as well as any cargo. Happy Trails!
Better off with a half ton unless you're pulling a mobile home lol. Save a little money and still be able to pull more weight than the Jeep. I had a 2019 Ram Hemi Etorque that pulled really well but traded for Jeep just because we sold our RV trailer and wanted more interior space without needing a bed.
I love the GC. We just wrapped up our 12,000 mile journey around the country. Our Ford F250 was instrumental in our success and comfort. Over the 4 months we encountered many different weather conditions in which the size, weight and strength of the F250 was comforting. Many 1/2 tons would tow our current trailer just fine. But, the 250 gives us extra safety and allows for RV upgrades in the future. Thanks for watching!
Is that a 2506s? We have a 2015 Grand Cherokee Overland and don't want to exceed 5200 dry weight... but are watching the tongue/hitch weight limit of 620lbs as well. thanks for the video
LOL, I cover this in the video. The rig would dangerous out west for sure. We upgraded to a Ford F250 before venturing across the country. We still have same trailer and GC, but no longer tow with the GC.
I have a 2015 Grand Cherokee Overland V6. Do you use Sport Mode or leave it in Regular driving mode. I am towing a 1600 lbs bass boat. When you tow, does your transmission go into 8th gear or do you keep it out of 8th gear and go as high a 7th? Thank you.
I tow with a 2017 JGC Trailhawk V6. I always use Sport mode when towing. My trailer is in the 3,500-4,000lb range and when driving on a level freeway at 70-75 the trans is usually in 6th gear if in Drive. If there is much of an incline it goes into 5th. If all JGC's are the same, the oil pressure increases from 30psi to 75psi when in 5th gear or below. I pull the steepest grades up to 7,000' in 3rd gear at 50-55 with ease. I've noticed the various temps stay lower in 3rd, even if you can pull the hill in 4th. Love the 8 speed trans, and the Trailhawk overall for daily driving and towing.
I know this post is old but i was curious. When you said you weighed the tongue weight with your scale to around 600ish pounds did you then add the weight of the equalizer hitch to the tongue weight, putting you slightly over?
I would consider the 40 or so pounds of the hitch when looking at overall payload on the Jeep, not specifically as tongue weight since it is attached to the tow vehicle with or without the trailer. It was always a very tight balancing act. We now tow the same trailer with an F250. Thanks for your comment. It helps others when working through towing and loading issues.
@@DerStabby Exactly. It has to do with the cooling system, tow package equipment such as the software for shifting points and of course factory tow package. As a general rule, if it doesn’t come with a tow hitch it isn’t meant to tow lol. But, I added the hitch because we have a small boat about 2700 lbs. It tows that just fine.
@@tylerpetit33 For those considering buying a GC Limited for towing, give thought to getting the Trailhawk instead. My '17 tows 6,200lbs, has auto-leveling air suspension, upgraded cooling and good power with the V6. I often tow up to 4,000lbs to 7,000' elevations. The 8-speed trans is very nice. The Trailhawk has an application called Off Road Pages that has nice info about the drivetrain for 4-wheeling, and also has 5 electronic gauges so you can monitor water/oil temp, trans temp, oil pressure and battery voltage while towing. I love having all that info when it is needed most. Not a single day/drive has gone by in 4 years that I'm not thinking "I really like this Trailhawk'. I've owned at least 6 new Toyota's, 3 of them 4x4's, and this Jeep is my favorite vehicle ever.
Hi... mine is a 2021.. and my manual says 6200 lbs if you have the HD engine/transmission cooler.. how true is that? I dont have the tow package. It says only up to 3500 lbs for mine? But obviously it can still tow 6200 lbs!
Hi Buggsy81 and thanks for watching. That is a personal call. All the hard parts; hitch, axle, tranny, engine are capable of 6200lbs. the fluid coolers are just that. I would definitely stay out of the mountains or higher elevations or risk over heating. The coolers can be added though. We have "retired" our wonderful GC. She has been reassigned to grocery getter. We now have a Ford F250 diesel. This move was talked about in the video. We are in the process of prepping for a circumnavigation of the US, which the GC was not up too. Safe travels.
We love our 2019 Nissan titan xd with Cummins turbo diesel. It's called a 5/8 ton. Right in the middle of a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton. Here in Michigan it was anywhere between 9000 and 12000 dollars less then compared option 3/4 ton trucks. My previous truck was a 1/2 ton 2004 gas Nissan titan. We bought it new .It was so reliable we stayed with titan but went diesel for mountain pulling. I figured why spend all the extra money to pull 2 or 3 times what our trailer weighs. Ours is 555 lbs toque Max tow 12400 lbs Trailer is a rockwood ultra 2606ws. empty is 6365 should never weigh 8000 loaded. Tongue weight is 904 lbs. Dont even know its behind me. They say your mileage picks up after 10000 miles and we have just over 6000. Best towing we got is 13.1 mpg lowest was 10.3 mpg. Just retired 1st of January....... You'll love it!!!!!!!!
Hi i have a 2019 grand cherokee laredo didnt came with towing package so i add the class III trailer hitch and wiring. How much is my jeep able to tow?
I would refer you to the owners manual that came with the truck. The v6 GC Cherokee can to up to 6200#s and the V8, 7200, with a class IV hitch. The class III hitch, I believe is rated to 5000#s.
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited owner here - I believe the towing capacity AND maximum tongue weight is severely de-rated if you do not have the OEM towing package - which contains the built-in receiver and a few engine/transmission cooling upgrades.
My husband and I have a 2015 AWD Dodge Durango with a V8 and we want to get the 2506s but we are concerned about the hitch weight. Our max hitch weight is 720 but we’ve seen the 2506s listed at 740. This will be our first RV and people have been telling us we don’t have enough to tow the 2506 but then we saw your video with the Jeep so we are all sorts of confused. Do you store all of your stuff in the back to adjust for the hitch weight of the 2506? I’m kinda curious about how you actually go about adjusting it.
Thanks for watching. We load the trailer in such a way to keep the tongue weight as close to 10 percent as we can get which puts it around 580lbs. The tongue weight scale is very important when near the top of you capacity.
I guess I’m confused the 2506 is listed at a hitch weight of 644. Are you loading the back heavier to alleviate the weight on the front? Forest River told us the 644 hitch weight is with empty propane tanks and no batteries.
@@tinauhlman6118 the weight also depends on how your 2506 is equipped and the year. New ones do not have the outside kitchen and fridge so the base tongue weight is probably heavier. We took our loaded trailer to the CAT scales to weight it. We then load it to get 10 percent of the loaded travel weight on the tongue.
Thanks for making this video. I have a 2015 JGC, 3.6L V6 4x2 and just purchased a TT at 4,100 dry weight. I was considering taking it up into the Smokey Mountain/Blue Ridge Mountain area but you've helped me reconsider and stick to lower elevations. I'm also being told that I should get an external transmission cooler but my local dealership says 1. my car already has one and 2. there is no place to mount one. What has your experience been with an external transmission cooler and do I need one?
I do not have an external cooler and have never had overheating issues. We too are avoiding significant mountain climbs. Mostly to extend the life of the GC. Thanks for watching.
We tow a Winnebago 1808fbs with a dry weight of 3800lbs using our 2014 grand Cherokee 3.6LV6. We live in FL and have been up into the smoky mountains with no issues. I installed a heavy duty radiator since our jeep did not come with towing package and we’ve had no problems since. I don’t believe the transmission cooler is necessary since it already has one and our trans temp is only 5 degrees higher when towing
@@watchgopro5483 I see you noted that your TT dry weight is only 3800 but do you know what your fully loaded TT weight usually is with all your gear and tanks loaded?
Will a 2006 grand Cherokee 4x4 will be good to tow?????? I need answer I have one and it’s my project car and I’m trying to get it ready for the road so I can tow small loads
Hey Dee. Thanks for watching. GC are good towing vehicles as long as they are maintained properly and the towed load is within the manufacturer limits of the GC. Does the 06' have the inline 6 cylinder engine? If so that is one of the all time great and reliable engines! Goof luck!
I don't recall, but I think it was about 6 or 7. We have switched to a Weigh-Safe hitch that has many benefits for us and our rig. We currently tow with a Ford F250.
What kind of tow hitch do you have? Towing package or aftermarket? Have you run into any problems with the tongue weight vs Rockwood Mini Lite? We are looking at the same travel trailer but with a different floor plan and slightly less weight.
The Jeep has a factory class 4 tow hitch. We use an Equalizer 10K weight distribution hitch on the trailer. The Mini Lites do run a little heavy on the tongue. I do weigh the tongue prior to a trip and end up loading "extra" gear we may put in the trailer to the rear to keep it at around 12 %.
We have not. Not to say we won't. If you tow an RV the question is not if, it's when, you will experience sway. Best thing to do to lessen this is mind your loading and the wind. As you tow more you will develop a "feel" for how much crosswind your rig can handle. I found that if we let the tongue weight get too heavy we get pushed around by big trucks a lot more. Thats because the rear of the trailer is light and susceptible to being pushed away from a fast moving truck. As the pressure wave from the truck moves along the trailer and hits the front, the heavy weight of an overly loaded tongue then has greater influence at the pivot point of the trailer hitch and you get the "push" away. Then as the pressure wave moves to the tow vehicle the pivot point of the hitch reacts by bringing the front of the trailer/rear of the truck back toward the passing truck (the sucking in feeling). Just hold the wheel and let your rig react. It can be a little unnerving, but you get used to it. Making sure the weight of the trailer is "balanced" for a proper tongue weight also goes a long way to mitigating sway. While trailering I make it a point to reach down and squeeze the manual trailer brake lever on the brake controller every now and then. This helps develop muscle memory so it is more instinctive to react to sway. If you feel or even suspect a sway starting reach down and activate the brake controller lever. This will help stop the sway oscillation frequency from getting larger. Also, you can not "steer" your way out of sway, so keep the vehicle straight. The trick is not let the swaying oscillations grow larger and larger. I am sure there are towing "pros" out there who might have good suggestions and I hope they chime in.
Mirrors are a short-coming on the GC of sure. I found some "universal fit" add-ons that used hooks and rubber straps to clamp on. They were ok. I was never able to identify a better pair made specifically for the GC mirrors.
I feel like a G. Cherokee is too short of a wheelbase to be comfortable towing this in my opinion. Wheelbase length is often overlooked with towing capability. Handling's much better with a longer wheelbase.
Your opinion is valid. Under perfect conditions the GC "managed" ok. Take it out west with the wind and the mountains and it would be dangerous. We now have a Ford F250.
Hi looking for input I have a 2018 sterling edition GC wk2 all wheel drive with factory tow package, i added a brake controller and an air lift. 1) the trailer i am towing is 27' Has anyone had experience pulling 24' or longer trailers with a setup similar to mine, and did it feel safe and solid? 2)I have the factory tow package, and when i installed the brake controller the installer but a signal tester on the hitch, and the light came on, do I also need to go to dealer and get flashed?
We tow a 25' and if you are experienced and comfortable towing it, as you put, "feels solid". Just keep in mind these are shorter wheelbase trucks and have lousy mirrors when towing larger trailers. If he got a signal it should be good. Back it up to the trailer and plug it in and see what happens. Happy Adventures!
Our Coupled Adventure ya we are using a blue ox sway bar hitch and I installed a air lift system, as well as a prodigy 2 brake controller... driving very solid.. we went thru 45 mile hour winds on the Oregon coast and psychotic big rig drivers on 2 lane mountain rounds, but it never really swayed... one big thing for anyone that reads this is turn if the lane correction if you have the feature, that constant correction back and forth fighting the movement of the trailer feels like away.. when that is off it’s super smooth... also the v6 did great towing we went over huge mountains and are probably at 6000 lbs with people and gear, we were able to accelerate up to 65 on the steepest of hills.. as usual the grand Cherokee is what it is.. an all around do anything well winner... ya there are better cars at towing, luxury, space, and gas mileage, but no vehicle I know of does as well on average across all those things.. love this car
Our Coupled Adventure airlift 1000, I will say as we got to the open planes of Idaho and higher speeds with crossword we did get some sway, had to pull back to the high 50s or so..
You are correct. We have since upgraded to a Ford F250. However, we can only carry a little water with us because the trailer itself does not have the cargo carrying capacity for full water.
What is your GCW (gross combined weight) with a full fresh water tank, both you and your wife in the Jeep while going down the road? Have you found out from Chrysler what the GCWR actually is? I have the same Jeep except 2019 with the Trailhawk package and the V8 Hemi and I'm on the fence about getting a 2511S (about 200 lbs heavier dry weight than yours) but I've done the math and my predicted GCWR by adding the curb weight of the Jeep plus the 7200 lb towing capacity plus 600 lb (driver and passengers) and round down to the nearest 100 lbs. I get 13,000 GCWR (at least that how GM calculate this for their trucks) So if I load the trailer to it's GVWR I come within 97.5% of my theoretical combined weight rating. Even if I play it safe and subtract the 600 lbs for driver and passengers and only add the curb weight and the towing capacity, I get 12,450 and that actually puts me at 99.7% with only me in the Jeep. Of course you have to round down to the nearest 100 lbs so that would take the GCWR down to 12,000 lbs and then I'm overweight. If you have found the actual published GCWR from Chrysler I would be so happy if you could share that with me and anyone else thinking about towing a 6,790 lb trailer with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Of course, you have the V6 so you lose 1,000 lbs in your towing capacity only allowing 6,200 lbs so I'm sure that you cannot ever completely fill your fresh water tank with 58 gallons. That's about 489 lbs. If you had gotten the V8 I'll bet that you wouldn't be thinking about replacing your Jeep with a 3/4 pickup so you could drive in the mountains. With the trailer fully loaded my Jeep would produce 1 horsepower per 34 lbs. at 360 hp. I can't imagine that I'll ever have issues climbing mountains. All the numbers are within the maximum weight ratings, it's just the unknown GCWR that has me questioning this whole idea. Any feedback you can provide me would be helpful. Thanks and keep up the great tips and videos, I'm making a list of all the upgrades I'm going to do!
Thanks for watching and what a well thought out and analytical comment! I could not find a GCVWR for the GC. We do not tow with water. The weights I pay attention to are the axle weights, tongue weight and towed weight. The GC is very sensitive to tongue weight. As with towing anything with anything weights are important. Two things I failed to cover well in the video is the short wheel base and the inadequate mirrors for towing. The GC mirrors are just not suited for towing wider loads like an RV. Even the aftermarket mirrors I put on do not help much. in my opinion no matter what vehicle you tow with if you tow near the upper limits the margins of safety are reduced. The Jeep is a wonderful tow vehicle and like any other truck it has its limits. As long as you respect the weight limits and tow "smartly". the Jeep is a good tow vehicle.
Thanks George, I created a spreadsheet with all the axle weights, GVWR, Trailer GVWR, calculated GCWR, and pretty much anything that changing the load affects in the entire rig. I just change the weight of the actual cargo in the trailer, and the weight of the water level, and I get all the critical information I need and if anything goes overweight, the text turns red. It doesn't know how to handle the weight distribution so the calculation over estimates axle weight by just adding 100% of the tongue weight to the rear axle which gives me a exaggerated safety factor. But all the other factors are 100% accurate. I want to do a lot of dispersed camping which means I have to take as much water with me as I can. So it's a compromise, for every 8.43 lbs of cargo I add to the sheet I subtract 1 gallon of water from my fresh water tank. It's a trade off, but it keeps the rig safe. Happy camping!
Everyone who talks about the 2020/2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee can tow 7500, 6520 or 3500 capacity with the right options. But knowbody including dealers seem to know either. What options along side 4x4 and the tow package and Full size spare MAKES it tow 6200 lbs. can someone answer this please, without saying get upgrade to a V8 hemmi Thanks
It is rather unclear. The manual for my 15 lists 6200 or 7200. The option package for the 15 only lists the full size spare and hitch if I remember right. No sure about 20/21.
"Some people have a sedan, not the best" - Coming to Australia would surprise you, we tow with everything! It's not uncommon at all to tow with a sedan here, many of them are rated to tow 5070lbs.
Your Cherokee V6 produces 295hp at 6350 rpm and 260 ft-lbs torque at 4250 rpm. This means you are probably maintaining a very high rpm in order to tow your camper. About what rpm are you running at 60mph? I'm curious, and comparing other engines and towing capabilities to my pickup truck, which is an '05 Chevy Silverado 1500 (1/2 ton) with the 4.3 V6 and manual transmission. The engine produces 195 hp at 5200rpm and 260 ft-lbs of torque at 2600 rpm. Since the maximum torque is produced at a low rpm, the truck tows my camper very easily at 65 mph at 2400 rpm. The rear axle ratio is similar to yours, at 3.43. Some say that is too high to tow, but it does just fine. I've had this truck for 15 years, since new, and been towing with it the whole time. Right now it has 225,000 miles on it and still doing fine. All of my towing is in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, so there are a lot of very long and fairly steep grades to climb, especially the mountain passes. Anyway, nice video and it was good to hear all the information, hope you enjoy retirement and continued travelling.
Hey Trevor, Thanks for watching. The torque band in the GC is a little higher than your Silverado. However, for "average towing at 60 I am around 2900-3000 rpm. If I need to pass or scale inclines it wants to down shift to get in the high 3's. If a lot of power is need yes it will seek the sweet spot in the torque band which to some can be an unsettling high winding engine! For our towing needs it does the job. We do tow at the high end of the capability of GC which is not the best case scenario for any vehicle. This is why diesel is king, max torque comes in really low at say 16-1700 rpm. I agree with you the gearing is too tall for optimal towing with a gas motor. I would prefer a 3.55 or 3.73 to best balance tow performance with gas mileage (and some would argue for a 4.10 but that would be too high winding for a daily non-towing driving V6). These "light duty" vehicles are geared higher for better gas mileage and a more quiet ride considering most owners never really tow anything beyond a boat, etc. Safe travels!
@@OurCoupledAdventure Thanks for the rpm information on your cherokee engine. I was really curious about that. Well, 2900 or 3000 doesn't sound too bad, actually a little lower than what I was thinking it might be, considering where the max torque rpm is. Sorry for being long winded, but I do enjoy towing, travelling, and knowing the technical details of various engines and trans. Safe travels!
You made a video that makes a lot of sense for 2019 keep up the good hard work
I once towed our 9000# boat with the 2014 JGC because my truck was in the shop. It was only a few miles to take it back to storage but it towed just fine. The only thing making it unsafe was you really don’t want to be that outweighed by a trailer that heavy but power wise it didn’t struggle at all.
Wow!
Thank you for taking the time to do this. God bless you.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video! And thanks for all the comments from everyone below :) I just got a 2018 Limited with IV Tow Package and am actually going out West... but the RV I am getting is about 2000 lbs lighter than what you have so I'm hoping that will work out just right! I got a lot of flack for choosing this car but seeing it in action (and hearing from others below) and the best items to purchase to maximize it's handling is very reassuring! P.S... Ironically I used to live in Tampa when I was in school (USF) and drove that bridge all the time! THanks again!!
Hi Heather and thanks for watching! That would put you at a loaded weight of 3500-4000 lbs and a tongue weight of 350-400lbs. I believe this is the sweet spot for the GC. Invest in a quality WD hitch like the equalizer 4 point anti-sway, or really go big and get the Hensley or Pro-pride to manage sway. You will need to have a brake controller installed. Good luck on your travels!
Amazing info. I purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk with the 5.7L this past February and pulling a camper was always a curiosity of mine. I knew it had the power to tow it but the tongue weight had me concerned along with long distance towing. Great video. Thank you!!
seriously thinking about getting a trailhawk to towe. How big is your camper? How much are you towing etc?
@@jordanisaac2980 the camper itself was a 30 footer and weighed around 7000lbs, fully loaded. It pulled it like a champion. One thing I'd recommend is getting a brake controller installed right away. Other than that, it pulled it just fine. No issues.
@@jordanisaac2980 Good choice on the Trailhawk. I have a 17 GC Trailhawk with the V6 and tow a Starcraft Satellite trailer of about 18' and 3,500-4,000lbs. I usually pull it up to 7,000' elevations from the Phoenix area and love the 8-speed trans. I keep it in Sport mode and it automatically selects gears very well. On the steepest grades I use 3rd gear at 50-55mph. Since I like to use the cruise control I often shift manually. A nice feature of the Trailhawk is the Off Road Pages application that, besides giving some nice info on the drivetrain for 4-wheeling, also has a page with 5 electronic gauges to show all the important info such as water/oil temp, trans temp, battery voltage and oil pressure. In gears 6-8 the oil pressure is 30psi, but for 5 and under it is boosted to 75psi. Nice thinking, Jeep. It also has the air suspension that auto-levels when you hook up a trailer. Nice. The V6 has good power and gets to 60 in the same time as the V8 thanks to different gearing. And, I drove to Yellowstone from AZ right after I bought it and was traveling on county roads with a friend who was pulling a trailer and doing mostly 50-60mph. At those speeds I consistently got 30-33mpg. Coming home, I filled up in Utah and did about 30+ miles on the freeway at 80, then county roads to the Phoenix area...on one tank...just over 600 miles. It's also comfortable and handles well. Really like it.
@@azdp5331 if you have a v6 lets test that 0-60 im in az 5.7 wk2
Thanks! This made me a lot more comfortable with the travel trailer I’ve been looking at
Its all about knowing the towing stats and staying within them. Good luck and safe travels.
I’m glad I found this video. We have a 2019 JGC L 4x4 with the tow package, engine cooler etc. we wanted a lighter RV to tow and traded our 2017 motor home in for a 2022 Rpod 196. Dry weight 3600 lbs. CCC -1160 lbs, making it less than 5000 lbs. I had some anxieties about this but after watching quite a few RUclips videos, especially yours, I’m feeling ok about it. Tow weight for my jeep is 6200 lbs.
Thanks for watching! Sounds like you have done the research and assembled yourself a nice rig! Safe travel!
Good call on upgrading to a 3/4 ton truck when you come out to the west. Your video caught my eye because I have the smaller version of the Rockwood (2109s) and was amazed that you can tow with the jeep. I'm originally from Tampa, now in Colorado. The altitude makes the steep grades even more challenging. And the roads are rough compared to Florida for sure.
Thanks for watching. Spot on, altitude really is a game changer for towing.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Grand Cherokee. We're getting an under 3500 lb trailer and you rated the Jeep well suited in that range.
Thanks for watching and happy adventures!
My 2005 V8 4X4 Grand is at 138,000 miles and still towing strong, knock on wood. Tow package is the best. I've always held trucks for three years or so, until I drove this Jeep.
What makes your truck tow over 3500 lbs?
Thanks for watching the video. The Titan XD is is a beautiful truck. Thanks for the info. We will add it to our research list. We love this kind of feed back!
Get the XD with the Cummins or dodge with the Cummins and engine break. I’ve got one in my 1 ton and love it
Just got a JGC 2020 5.7L V8. Already in the mountains. Going to look at trailers this week. This video was great for comparison.
Awesome and thanks for watching. The GC is an under-rated tow vehicle. That being said, it does have its limitations, as do all vehicles. One that I did not cover in the video is that of the mirrors. It is a short coming of the truck and there are few after market options out there, short of buying expensive replacement mirrors. I did find some "universal fit" strap on ones that do ok. Try to stay in the middle-ish of the tow capacity and you should get good service out of the GC. Happy Adventures!
Nice video. We have 2011 ML 350 and Passport 2670, traveled with this setup for 8 years. 140 thousand miles on the clock so far. Only positive impressions. No problems with the mountains (GSM, Catskills etc.). It takes 4th gear, 4000 rpms for 60 mph. ML never overheats, even at 100 degrees with AC on and uphill. Now looking for a late model Mercedes GLS. Because bigger is better, even if driveway is the limit😁.
Sounds like a nice rig! The Catskills are on our to-do-list. If I am not mistaken I think the Mercedes and the Grand Cherokee share the same chassis and suspension or many parts. Save travels.
I was so happy to find your video, as we are planning to use our 2015 JEEP GC as our tow vehicle, and we're new to towing. We have the 4WD 3.6L 6 cyl with the tow package. We've ordered a 2022 Basecamp 20X, which has a GVWR of 4350 lbs, and tongue weight of 535. We DO live in the west, and will be crossing the Sierras and Siskiyous. Sounds like our GC can do it!
That sounds like a good set up. Be cautious in the mountains and don't over use the brakes on downhills. Rule of thumb is to go downhill in the same gear you ended up on going up. Do not ride the brakes down! Safe travels and enjoy!
How is you grand Cherokee towing that base camp 20X?
@@Florida_Man_Robb It's doing great! We've had six trips, including two with mountain driving in the Siskiyous and the Sierra Nevada (in CA). The BC tracks so nicely behind us.
Great video! Very useful and informative. Thank you!
Awesome! Glad the info was helpful. Thanks for watching!
Currently towing a Mini Max (2200 pounds loaded up) with a 2016 Jeep Willys Unlimited, tows good with about 13 mpg. I do have a swap bar. I do pull in the SC and NC mountains with no issues.
Just pick up a 2018 Grand Sport Overland 3.6 with HD cooling for towing. Will tow the Little Guy Mini Max but have plans to upgrade to the Max.
Thanks for the comment! The RV I'm getting is slightly bigger than what you have so it's good to hear how well it's doing from someone that is actually using it. Irony #2 (see my original comment)... I now live in NC :)
We are in Pennsylvania and have a 2013 Overland V-8 w/towing package and many of the RV dealers around here shaker their heads at us when we ask about towing anything over 18 feet. I feel like we have the power, built in electronic break controller and everything we need, but they still have their doubts. Based on your video, though, I have no doubt.
Do you ever notice any instability due to the shorter wheel base? This would be our first RV and I don't want to make any dumb rookie mistakes and thus far have been relying on the word of the dealers. I work from home and would like to take my work on the road for weeks at a time so I want an RV that's big enough to be comfortable for long periods at a time.
Anyhow..excellent video, excellent description & photos! I love when someone can put together a comprehensive and easy to understand video.. Well done sir!!
Hi Sam. Thanks for watching the video. Our goal is to provide info that is helpful for others in their journey. Anyway. I applaud the dealer in one sense and that is being conservative in their estimates about length on RV to tow. Most will sell you a 40 foot 5th wheel and say "yeah that Jeep will handle it". That being said, weight and length do coincide to a degree. I would suggest that if you get a trailer you find something in the "sweet spot" of the Jeep of between 4000 and 5000 lbs loaded. As you said the "weakness" of the GC as with most SUV's is the softer rear suspension and shorter wheel base. We have been able to tow our 25 footer with ours but we are looking to go to a 3/4 ton pick up to increase the safety margins. One concern I have with the GC is dealing with high cross winds. This I believe is a real concern for the short wheel base GC. If I were to keep the Jeep than I would go down to a 21-23 footer to increase safety margins. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the video. I have a 17 JGC Overland 4x4 and has air suspension. Since there is no tow mode I can't turn off the Aero mode on the suspension. This lowers the truck 1/2" at highway speeds for better aerodynamics. I hope this doesn't affect my hitch setup when it moves up and down the half inch as I move in and out of highways. Planning a 9 hour trip from PA to SC this summer.
That is interesting. I do not know the answer to that, but would sure love to hear what happens on the trip. The air suspension, I imagine, would work to keep the truck level to compensate for hitch weight squat. I am curious if it is "smart" enough to not lower the truck when it detects the need to level the truck. I also wonder if with the brake controller plugged into the truck harness, that changes the computers algorithm. Happy and safe trip. let me know how it goes.
Thanks so much I made it to 100 subscribers with help from people like you, so thank you again
Congratulations! Now you are eligible for the custom YT url!
well done video , thanks werner pull a 2018 rockwood 2506s with jeep grand cherokee 2018 5,7l sterling for 6 years 13000 mi. on trailer 60000 on jeep. all over the east coast from Maine to the Smoky s,Niagara back to Vermont. no problems. we love it .
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. I found it very informative as I am considering buying. a 5.7 V8 Jeep and a smaller trailer then you hauled so I feel confident that I would have no problem.
Glad it was helpful!
I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee 2018 4x4 and a 3800 LB Little Guy Max Teardrop. It has no trouble but my gas mileage dropped from 26 on the interstate to 11-12. I originally drove the Hemi version but went with the 3.6 V6. I wonder sometimes if I should have gone with the Hemi but I love the V6 overall. The Jeep is a refined vehicle. I was going to buy a 4Runner since I love Toyotas but once I got into the Jeep, it was all over. The jeep feels good, looks good, and I love the way the V6 growls. Thanks for the video!
The GC is just a sweet all-around vehicle. My mileage suffers too. Depending on the wind, We average 9-12.
Awesome! Sounds like we have the same Jeep and will have about the same load :) The more I read here the better I feel :) Thanks!
I know 4 years ago but you didn't make a bad decision. I have a 2020 ram 1500 with hemi v8 and towing less than 3k I drop to 7-9 mph on gradual inclines at 70mph..
Thanks for the info! I have a 2017 Durango V6 (sxt AWD) with similar specs to your jeep. That's the exact trailer I'm interested in getting. Your video helped me out alot!
Thats Awesome! We love our 2506s. The Durango and GC share suspension I believe. Monitor your tongue weight and keep at 10%. Good luck!
@@OurCoupledAdventure
I’ve read that the Durango does indeed share this excellent suspension with the Jeep and Mercedes. I also recently learned it is a Chrysler design. But because of all those legal goings on, it made it under the Mercedes first. Funny that. The Swedes do something called the Moose Test. Basically they overload the vehicle and then do the avoid a moose steering wheel yank at speed. The new Jeep GC performed admirably, so it passed the test. They were impressed.
@@snorkfire The Jeep platform is the same as the Durango and MB. It is a great handling SUV!
@@OurCoupledAdventure
Yep, good news. I was just clarifying the odd history of the platform being that the merc is actually riding on a Chrysler design :)
Thanks for the video! I have a 2018 GC Trailhawk with the V6 and we are thinking about getting a 20’ camping trailer weighing in at about 3700lbs dry. Was wondering how the Jeep handles a larger trailer but after seeing this, I’m very impressed. You definitely are pushing that Jeep to the max 👍
Yeah we have "pushed" the capabilities of the GC. Our situation was at the extreme end of the GC capabilities, but living in Florida helped. Does your GC have the factory ride leveling rear suspension? We had upgraded our rear shocks to bilstien 4600s with very good results in ride quality. He have a mega journey around the country planned including a lot of time in the Rockies so we have upgraded to a Ford F 250 diesel. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!
@@OurCoupledAdventure Yes it has the ride levelling suspension. I do really love the Jeep! Should be getting our camper trailer soon so I will update on how it tows here in Ontario, Canada.
Absolutely would also be upgrading to a larger vehicle if we were pulling something like yours all over the country as well, so I completely get it. 👍. Safe travels to you as well!
Love to hear about your travels. We will be updating Facebook and putting out videos of our travels. stay tuned!
This is a great video! As you can see by the name I’m a trucker and move some monster weight somedays. I’m doing research for the Jeep “2015 grand Cherokee Limited 4x4” to haul a enclosed ATV trailer. This is a well done video and it’s great to see what we call a 4 wheeler driver who knows there stuff!
Thanks Trucker Chris. The Grand Cherokee really is a great all-around SUV.
They are; if you are still in the market for s pickup Ram is blowing out the 18’ models. I traded off my 3/4 ton for a 1 ton 2 weeks ago. 17% off MSRP and the base price has increased almost 10%? on the 19’ new body style post tariff units.. just get the Cummins though! We have 2 in our service area for our semis, both are 250k-350k mile trucks and running strong.
They are; if you are still in the market for s pickup Ram is blowing out the 18’ models. I traded off my 3/4 ton for a 1 ton 2 weeks ago. 17% off MSRP and the base price has increased almost 10%? on the 19’ new body style post tariff units.. just get the Cummins though! We have 2 in our service area for our semis, both are 250k-350k mile trucks and running strong.
That is an awesome discount. As we get into August the dealers should start getting hungry and then I will pounce! LOL
Were looking at cherokees for towing. Or to tow. Has to be 4x4. We are trying to sell the home and full time a few years, we know we like it cause we have done it . We bought this house so I ( Ken) could recover from 11 months of chemo. Yuck! Now we are trying to get rid of it. Being on the road and having a different front yard each week is great. Our neighbor just bought one just like yours. It’s nice! 😊🤠👍
We love the Grand Cherokee. It has its limitations like anything else. Only being 2 wheel drive it cannot be flat towed. I (George) retire next month and we are looking forward to extensive travel. We have not decided if we will go full time or not. We are Fort Wilderness bound for this coming week. The call of the mouse! Glad to hear of your recovery.
Great info thank you! 👌🏼
I have a 2015 two wheel drive 4runner and pull a small converted cargo trailer thats 5x10 it pulls the little trailer great until you start going up hills then the transmission has to shift down and will start screaming on really steep inclines . You just have to adjust your speed to not tax your engine and transmission too much when climbing hills.
Great video. Very detailed and very informative. thank You
Thank you for watching!
After learning more about the Jeep Grand Cherokee most have a tow rating of 3500 unless ordered by the consumer or dealer with the tow package which bring the tow rating to 6200 lbs. the tow package includes HD cooling, larger radiator, oil cooler, trans cooler and upgraded rear suspension. A tow hitch can be bought from jeep after market, but the tow capacity remains at 3500 lbs.
It seems to depend strongly on the model. Comparison of GC towing is a bit annoying, but at least the numbers are far better than comparable vehicles at up to 7200 lbs.
All the specifications indicate 6200lbs, but reality is 3500!
Have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, same colour and happened across this video when looking for some tow tips. Good information on the anti-sway of the vehicle and the tounge weight. Also happened to buy the same Tekonsha P3 brake controller call on me if you want to know how to wire tat little guy up in minutes, and I did not have to take it in to get it to recognize the accessory like some, so not sure what's up with that, might be because of the included IV Tow Package. it is working fine. I Have a Jayco Light trailer, 18.5' and it tows steady and well, looking forward to hitting the mountains soon.
Thanks for watching! I bought the "pigtail" for the brake controller when I bought it. It was just plug and play easy. What did you do for towing mirrors? I never could find a set that I was happy with. Your set up sounds well matched. Happy and safe travels.
Thanks for posting..my trailer weight loaded woukd be at 3,500 lbs... I am still looking for the right tow vehicle.. Need to get one that wife can get in and out due to knee replacement ...not to high..
We have a 14 JGC Overland with a Diesel and air suspension. Currently we are towing a 26ft Shawdow Cruiser. It does it quite well.
They are awesome SUV's. By biggest gripe is the mirrors are not the best for towing wide trailers and good aftermarket add-ons really don't exist for the GC. Safe travels.
We have extentions for the mirrors. We find it gets squirrely with any wind though.
Enjoyed the ride. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
I just got a 2700# camp trailer. My 2015 V6 Jeep did great towing it home, on flat roads. I live in Utah so lots of mountains... I hope it does okay on them.
I would suspect the the GC will be happy towing that load. Keep in mind that non turbo-charged engines, like in the GC, will "lose" power as you gain elevation. So, performance will be better at sea level than at say 10k feet. Enjoy the journey and safe travels!
Very well done and exactly what I was looking for before settling on the V6 for my 19’ hybrid. As an engineer, I appreciate consideration of all the weight limits and accurate measurement. The practical advice about regional terrain you’ll be operating was great.
You're welcome and safe travels.
I have a 2016 GC Limited with the V6 and tow a Cherokee Grey Wolf 18MT which is a 23.5ft trailer and nearly 5,000lbs loaded. We use the Fastway E2 hitch and all goes well until you get any kind of cross wind, then it is white knuckle. I am seriously debating a half ton pick-up for that reason alone. Had a very nasty drive from MN to Rapid City...
What is your tongue weight? The GC is really sensitive to being "out of balance". Ours tows best at about 10-12 percent. The Fastway is a good hitch, but only has 2 anti-sway friction points. Our Equalizer has 4. Going to a bigger truck is never a bad idea. Never heard anybody say "Whoa, got too much truck!". Thanks for watching!
Thanks for doing this video, I learned a lot. I have a similar jeep with the same tow specs. I also have the same brake controller. What brake setting do you use?
Thanks for watching. My default setting is 7.
Good info! I’m looking to do the same only with a smaller trailer (under 4,000).
That would be an ideal sized trailer for the GC. Thanks for watching and safe travels! Oh, by the way we replaced the rear shocks with Bilstein 4600s and the ride and towing is much better.
I wanted a grand cherokee to tow my 17 ft camping trailer and drive as a daily driver for the decent mpg the V6 gets but i live in a mountainous area in British Columbia so when i do pull the trailer 3-4 times a year im sure id wear out the Jeeps tranny and push it hard at times. The trailer weighs around 3400 pounds. Guess i need a full-size truck or another yukon.
Hello TC and thanks for watching. The GC is a good vehicle for sure. I agree with you that a life of towing in the mountains may be a bit much for it over time. Safe travels.
This was a helpful video. Obviously you can push the limits a little if you are towing in flat and low altitude areas. Some who scoff are probably too over cautious. I have a 2014 GC with a V-8 and tow package and now feel confident I can tow a 21 foot toy hauler/camper with 650 pound tongue and 6500 pound of trailer weight even out west by taking all the measures you took in this video. I’ll probably upgrade to rear air bags too. I would think subtracting 10% of max limits as a good margin of safety and error. What is the total length of the trailer you were towing? I believe the model numbers are for interior length. Thx again.
Thanks for watching. The CG is an awesome vehicle. Safety is always enhanced by increasing margins, but there is a balancing act with what size trailer will work for you! Our Rockwood is 25'11" stem to stern. Airbags are an awesome mod as well as a high quality weight distribution hitch such as the Equalizer 10k we use. Safe travels!
Thanks for a comprehensive and thorough walk through. I’m thinking of buying a JGC with the V6 and hear very very good things about its toughness and reliability. This would be our last vehicle prior to retirement with the eye of possibly towing a travel trailer in the flats at about the same exact weight as you have been towing. Basically I want my cake and to eat it too and this fulfills that in my eyes meaning when we are NOT towing the vehicle gets much better fuel economy than a v8 yet it still has the capability to tow a 25 foot travel trailer within its weight limits. I’m not a fan of these big v8’s as they guzzle fuel. So you have answered a question that was on my mind. This sport Ute would be our Swiss Army knife. BTW does yours have air suspension? I’m getting you don’t need it because of your WDH. Yeah I get a big v8 or a diesel is nicer because the engine is not screaming away at 3000+ rpm to tow but there has to be a compromise for efficiency. I’d far rather have a diesel but having had one I see how fragile their emissions systems are and shy away from them for that reason. It doesn’t help that in the USA there is a 30 cent a gallon premium on diesel.
Hey Steve. Thanks for watching! We really love the GC. If I had to do it all over again, I would have purchased the air suspension. It does not increase payload or tongue weight capacity, but it it will help level the jeep. The factory tow package along with the air suspension make this a capable camper tug. My only real complaint, which I did not cover in the video is the the need for tow mirrors. The factory mirrors are not adequate for towing wider trailers. Aftermarket "clips-ons" like we use are marginally better. If I were to stay with the GC as a primary tow vehicle, I would spend the extra for the aftermarket tow mirrors that replace the OEM factory ones. As I discuss in the video. proper tongue weight is crucial to towing with the jeep. I keep it as close to 10 percent as possible. This requires moving stuff in the trailer to the rear for towing, but it really helps the ride. Tongue weight is sooo crucial to safe towing. Happy Adventures and thanks for watching!
@@OurCoupledAdventure thanks for the detailed reply, if I go that route I’ll definitely get the Tongue scale to accurately load for balanced suspension performance. That is a great tool that I was not aware of.
10 months later...here is a copy/paste of info I left further up: Good choice on the Trailhawk. I have a 17 GC Trailhawk with the V6 and tow a Starcraft Satellite trailer of about 18' and 3,500-4,000lbs. I usually pull it up to 7,000' elevations from the Phoenix area and love the 8-speed trans. I keep it in Sport mode and it automatically selects gears very well. On the steepest grades I use 3rd gear at 50-55mph. Since I like to use the cruise control I often shift manually. A nice feature of the Trailhawk is the Off Road Pages application that, besides giving some nice info on the drivetrain for 4-wheeling, also has a page with 5 electronic gauges to show all the important info such as water/oil temp, trans temp, battery voltage and oil pressure. In gears 6-8 the oil pressure is 30psi, but for 5 and under it is boosted to 75psi. Nice thinking, Jeep. It also has the air suspension that auto-levels when you hook up a trailer. Nice. The V6 has good power and gets to 60 in the same time as the V8 thanks to different gearing. And, I drove to Yellowstone from AZ right after I bought it and was traveling on county roads with a friend who was pulling a trailer and doing mostly 50-60mph. At those speeds I consistently got 30-33mpg. Coming home, I filled up in Utah and did about 30+ miles on the freeway at 80, then county roads to the Phoenix area...on one tank...just over 600 miles. It's also comfortable and handles well. Really like it. I don't use a sway bar when towing the Starcraft trailer and the handling has always been good, even at 80 or with cross-winds.
This was an excellent video, and I too have come to the decision (after towing a 19' airstream) that touring the rocky mountains is not likely to happen. Did you upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck as planned? Also - do you happen to remember what your engine coolant, transmission and oil temperature went up to when you were on the upward climb of that bridge??? Thank you!!
We have not made the truck purchase yet. With travel impacted by it we did not see the need to invest in it at this time. My temps may get to 202-203 on moderate climbs like the bridge. I have not had any temp issues. Thanks for watching.
@@OurCoupledAdventure Thanks for the data points. All 3 of my fluids peak at about 216 degrees during hill climbs. Usually jmy water temperature averages in the high 190's, oil temperature in the 195 to 210 range, and transmission settles in at about 206 - 210 while towing. This in 95 degree heat. Hey, I hope you get to buy your dream tow vehicle soon!! Thanks again for your video.
Wow...great informative video
Thanks a lot
3/4 Ton PickUp means you will upgrade to a 5th Wheel Camper? I just purchased a 2021 Grand Cherokee to pull an Old 18’ Concord Travel Trailer. I was impressed with your Anti-Sway Bars/Lift Hitch System & Adjustable Ball Mount Receiver. My Trailer currently uses an old Reece Anti Sway Hitch that requires re-welding to adjust. Your Brake Controller Review was informative. I have the Class IV Tow Package on the Cherokee
The 3/4 ton does allow for future upgrades, and made the 12,000 mile trip we just finished all the more comfortable. The GC is a great vehicle and will tow an appropriately sized trailer. Thanks for watching!
Nice video...I tow with my 2017 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk - same, V6. I'm towing an R-Pod 202 25' dual axle...tows like a boss.
Very nice!
@@OurCoupledAdventure My loaded RV BTW is weighing in at around 4700 pounds, just hit the CAT scale last night to find out. The Grand Cherokee's tongue weight max is 620 as you noted...what I don't get is when you noted that tongue weight is 10-15% the weight of the RV, should you go by the 15%? Not sure why a range is noted...? Can you clarify that? In my case 10% puts me under the tongue weight at 470 lbs...but 15% puts me over the tongue weight at 705 lbs! - this exceed the Jeeps tongue weight limit? what are you supposed to go by?!
Awesome that you hit the CAT scales. That is the safest thing to do. The range is what is generally recommended for safety. Too heavy a tongue is not as bad as too light a tongue weight, but is not advisable either. Some tow vehicles have the capacity to handle that tongue weight range for a particular tailer size. The Jeep does not with the size of your trailer. 10% is generally considered the minimum to "balance" the towed load. This makes monitoring tongue weight when towing with the GJ a little more important. As long as you can stay under your GJ max tongue weight and at or above the minimum of 10 %, you should get good towing results.
I have the same vehicle and love it. Pulls my 18' Starcraft trailer to over 7,000' at least several times a year. Also 25+ miles into the desert on unmaintained dirt roads, which sometimes leads to desert travel through washes if the road is washed out. The Trailhawk is an excellent tow vehicle with its higher tow limits, good power, 8 speed trans, auto-leveling suspension and Off Road Pages that include 5 electronic gauges with all the needed info.
Good info! I just picked up a 2017 JGC Limited 4X4 ... Question: Do you tow in "Auto" Mode or manual gears?
Thanks!
Thanks for watching. I tow in automatic. It is nice to have the paddle shifters though! They make for an easy down shift if I want to drop a gear to climb a hill or bridge. Enjoy the GC, it is an awesome SUV.
Good video, just what I was looking for. I have a 17’ JGC V6 Limited 4x2. Thinking of getting a 2019 sunset park sunray 149....very small camper. Any
thoughts/recommendations?
Thats a neat little trailer! The GC should be very capable in towing it. Just monitor your trailers gross weight and have the tongue weight set to 10-15 percent of gross. Thanks for watching and Happy Adventures!!
Good information. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! I current have the same vehicle and I was looking at trailers your size as well. I was wondering, what is the gross weight packed for your trips?
Thanks for watching. When we were using the Jeep to tow, we tried to keep it between 5800-6000 which was a challenge. Now that we tow with an F250 diesel all over the country were run it up to max 6600. I still think the GC is best suited for less than 5000. Mostly due to the short wheel base and the lack of adequate towing mirrors. It is a fine truck for sure and we still have ours.
V6 Grand Cherokee with the 8 speed tows better than my 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 that has a 4.7L V8! Very impressive suvs!
Thanks for watching! They are indeed awesome SUVs. I hope the model change for 2021 does not change that fact! Safe travels.
Don’t feel bad about your Dodge. His manufacturers towing capacity is only 3500 lbs. He is riding dirty with that trailer…lol.
Love the information like you we are headed west soon. You said the sweet spot for this jeep would be around 4000lb we are looking at a Jayco 17' do you think this vehicle would be alright to pull west, mountains and all. I know there are routes you can take that will keep you from the steepest grades so that's what I would do!
Hello cross9494 and thanks for watching! If you are looking at the Jayco Hummingbird 17, I believe that would be a very good size behind the GC. Its max loaded weight is just under 4000 lbs. I think the GC would easily handle this in most situations. Always be mindful of proper tongue weights to keep the rig balanced correctly. A too heavy or too light tongue weight has a dramatic impact on how the rig handles. Happy and safe adventures!
@@OurCoupledAdventure Thanks for the info I appreciate it!
We towed with a Durango v-8 switched to a f-150 super crew with the long bed ... the power was never an issue with the Durango but what an incredible difference the longer wheel base makes... I didn't feel so at the time but towing with the Durango was unsafe at highway speeds with large trucks passing at 70+ miles an hour.
The short wheel base of the jeep is something to consider when towing near its limits for sure.
So I guess size as well as weight have a factor. I have a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 ecodiesel rated at 7200 pounds. I have my eye on a travel trailer but from the spare all the way to the end of the hitch is 33 feet so the rv is probably about 28 feet and dry weight is about 6200 pounds.
In my humble opinion it does. The GC is a short wheelbase vehicle and I I would be concerned that it would not have positive control over a trailer that long in windy conditions or at highway speeds with large trucks passing. Also, at 6200 lbs dry, you could easily exceed the trailer weight of 7200lbs, let alone the tongue weight of 720 . The most important number is on the sticker in the driver door frame, the payload or cargo capacity of the Jeep. Safe travels.
How is your fuel economy with the v6? I have a 2017 GC with the 5.7 engine. I picked up a jayco octane 209 this week, dry weight is 5799 lbs. I towed it 250 miles home through the blue ridge mountains, and had a 20mph headwind. Basically worst case scenario. I used a tongue scale and curt 8k weight distributing hitch to tow as safe as possible. I had no problem maintaining speeds on steep grades, and temps all stayed within a good range. The handling was very good too. The only downside was that I averaged 6.3 mpg, which gave me a range of 155 miles per tank. I am hoping that clicks up 1 or 2 mpg under better conditions. While it handled the mountains ok, I agree that it is hard on the vehicle. Unfortunately, it was the only way to get it home!
Congrats on the new trailer! Yeah with those conditions you did ok getting 6mpg. Around Florida we get about 11mpg. Unfortunately gas motors are also gas hogs because they need to run at higher RPM to get the torque working for you. Happy camping.
I’m looking forward to tow a trailer on my 21 Cherokee lat lux 😊
That's nice a GC. Safe travels.
I have always been curious about the towing of the JGC. I have a 2017 Ford Explorer Sport and I tow a 5,800lb TT at 23ft long similar to the MiniLite (Rockwood Roo 23FL). Being that the vehicles are similar in class, weight, and wheel base, I am curious why the JGC has such a higher tow capacity to the Explorer. I have about 1600 miles on this rig through the Smokies with no problem. Yes, I drive with the big rigs and I get some trailer sway when they pass me but I think it does a great job towing. What is your average highway towing speed? Thanks for your review and thoughts of the JGC.
Hey Jeff, thanks for watching. Each manufacturer uses their own "formula" to decide towing capacities. Some factors are engine, transmission, rear end gearing, brakes, suspension, class of hitch (GC is IV)etc. or a combo of all of the above. Engine oil and radiator cooling capacity can also come into play. When we used the GC for towing I stayed around 60-65. We now tow with a F250 diesel and tow at 65-67. Safe travels!
I've been pulling a 23' Airstream with a 2023 JGC L (3 row) Overland 4x4 V6. The trailer is 5,900 pounds when loaded. For the most part it has been fine, but the V6 does ramp up the RPM's on steep climbs to over 4,000 RPM depending on speed. Oil pressures and temperatures increased to 81 psi and 254 degrees. On flat roads they would typically be 35 psi and 208 degrees. Transmission temperature is about 10-15 degrees warmer than when not towing. On paper it meets all the requirements for tow capacity, tongue weight, gross vehicle weight rating, gross combined weight, axle ratings, etc. and I've verified everything at a CAT scale. Still a little uncertain about taking it up into the mountains though.
Hello and thanks for watching. Yeah I was able to make the numbers "work" with the GC but is was at the very limit. We have since upgraded to a Ford F250 diesel. Then we took the rig out west. After that trip I stand by my assessment that the Jeep would not have been able to handle it. The Jeep did fine around Florida. But, The ups and downs in the mountains is another story. The short wheel base of the Jeep is also a shortcoming. It would have made dealing with the ever present winds a nightmare and probably unsafe.
The Grand Cherokee has a 6200 lb. tow capacity ONLY on the special HD cooling package. (Heavy Duty Cooling)
The standard Grand Cherokee is only 3500 lbs.
That's true, thank you for pointing that out. Have you found out how to tell if your Grand Cherokee has HD cooling or standard? I have looked through my owner's manual and can't figure out whether I have HD cooling..
Type the vin in a vin parts list lookup tool online and it will tell you
Did your GC come with factory HD cooling system? Im looking at a used GC (non HD Cooling system V6)and we want to get a camper soon. Probably start out with a smaller camper like a 17' or 20'.
Hi Paul no and thanks for watching! I guess the SD vs HD system would be dependent on the year of the CG. I believe in our 2015 there is no distinction in cooling systems. I believe it is designed to perform max towing at 6200lbs. It is not mentioned in the owners manual about towing limitations if not equipped with an HD cooling system, with factory hitch you can tow up to 6200. We have never had the engine or tranny run hot, but we stay out of the mountains with the weight we do tow, 5800lbs. Towing at near max capacity with any vehicle is not for the faint of heart. Two big limitations with the CG are the mirrors and the short wheel base. Safe travels. Also, we plan on continuing to travel farther and farther from our state so we will be upgrading to a full size 3/4 ton truck. Safety is in the margins you leave yourself before max capacity. Also keep in mind that the CG is sensitive to tongue weight and ours is rated at 620lbs (10% of capacity). With our size trailer it is a challenge to maintain this and requires me to weigh the tongue before each trip. The CG would do well towing a 17-20 footer
Thanks. I have a 2018 Jeep GC limited and this is very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
I have a 2011 JGC Overland V8 Hemi with a tow compacity of 7200 lbs. I was told that the Rockwood 2506s was too heavy for me to tow because of the hitch weight. I see you towing with a V6. I was going to get a 2109s but wanted to know your opinion with my TV.
The max all loaded up weight of the 2506s is 6600#s. This is below your 7200 pounds. We have towed with the GC (never close to the 6600#), but now tow it with a F250. Not familiar with the 2109 other than it is smaller. I think the GC would do well in the 4000# range. The short wheel base and the small mirrors do hurt its towing suitability for larger trailers. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Hello, thanks for the video, and even the comments, this is a huge help. I wanted to ask if you have the factory tow package or not? I have a 2017 GC 3.6, I had the dealer installed hitch and wiring and towed a uhaul to Arizona from New York then Arizona to North Carolina. We are looking at a travel trailer (how I found your video) and wanted to see how my GC would fare compared to yours. Thanks!
Yes it does
Just keep in mind that if you don’t have the factory tow package you will not have the same 6200lbs tow rating. I believe it’s around 3500lbs without the tow package as the tow package gives you the full size spare tire, the engine cooling system, the larger 180amp alternator and possibly larger brakes. GL and happy towing!
I've been looking at grand Cherokees for a little now and wss curious on towing capacity. I would be mainly towing a fiberglass bass boat or a open trailer with motorcycles on it. Should I have any issues or should I be fine?
Thanks for watching. I would think you would be just fine. Bass boats are not that heavy, 2000-2500lbs max and a lightweight trailer with a couple of average size motorcycles would probably be 12-1800 lbs? I would suggest that you find a CAT scale and weigh the rig. Be sure the trailer sits on it own scale pad.
Hi, great video. I have an 2002 Grand Cherokee 4x4, 4.7L and a 5500lb Searay boat. I'm getting a lot of different opinions on towing that much weight. I'm looking at trailers which will add another 1700lbs. We do have substantial mountain passes that I wouldn't attempt, but would like to pull that up a boat ramp and around 2000ft foothills. I've seen the exact model pull my size boat out of the water and to the dealer but he said he wouldn't attempt the foothills. He has standard hitch. Can the dealer retrofit what this might be lacking? i.e. brakes and hitch.
Thanks
Hey Rick, Thanks for watching. I love that generation of GC! The first place I would look is in the owners manual or the internet to try and find the factory towing specs. My guess is that generation max towing is probably 5000#s. The first "weak link" in towing is the capacity of the hitch. Chances are it has a class 3 rated at up to 5000#. Current production GC comes with a class 4 rated up to 12000#, but limited by the manufacture. The next "weak link" will be the transmission. You may end up burning up that tranny. In my opinion, that boat/trailer is too heavy at over 7000#. Just my opinion based on limited info. Good luck and safe boating!
We just got a similar TT 2017 2104s and we have a durango v6 2019. I have had a plethora of people telling me we should get a v8, but wanted to pick your brain and see your thoughts. we got a metal on metal sway dampener and a WDH. What are your thoughts?
The V6 should be capable of towing that TT. Your "traveling" weight is probably going to be close to 5000#. I have never heard any one complain about having too much power! So, going to a V8 just increases your capability margins,
Thank you for this video! The Tow Police believe if you are towing anything larger than a pop up trailer, you better have a F450. I have a question....I am considering a Grand Cherokee V8 with quadra lift air suspension. IF you had the V8 with the extra towing capacity (7,200 lbs/720 tongue weight) AND the factory air suspension to help out with leveling, would you feel like you COULD do the long distance/mountain towing of your 2506s Mini Lite? OR, is it the 26 foot length of the trailer combined with the relatively shorter wheelbase Grand Cherokee that makes you feel you are at the limit for towing in the west? FWIW, I also want a Mini Lite (great trailers!), but am trying to decide on what floor plan. 2205s if I can't go any larger, but there are several of the 26 foot Mini Lites I greatly prefer IF the Grand Cherokee can handle them. ----- I need to tow nationwide and full time, but my wife and I are adventurous. When we get wherever we are going, we want to be able to take our tow vehicle out to explore the offroad trails. Alpine Loop in Colorado etc. Can't do that in a 3/4 ton F250. Or any full size pickup. Thank you for your thoughts, and enjoy your retirement when it arrives!
Thanks for watching and excellent question. As you mentioned, the short comings of the GC are the short wheel base and the lack of adequate towing mirrors. We are now in the Rockies with our Mini Lite. Being here affirms my concerns about towing the larger 2506s with the GC in the mountains. We do have a F250 for this as mentioned in the video. What I have additionally discovered (that we don't contend with in Florida) is the always present WIND. Coming across Iowa, S Dekota and Montana was a treat with a constant cross wind that was in the upper teens/low twenties with gusts into the 30's. It will push the 250 around. It would probably be white knuckle in the GC. When we left Glacier the winds were steady well into the 30's! The GC you mentioned is equipped about as best as it can be to make it a good tow vehicle...with the right trailer. There are after market mirrors to replace the factory, but they are pricey. It all comes down to what you are comfortable with. Being that you are looking to go full time you have to be ready to encounter a lot of adverse conditions that Murphy's law dictates will happen on travel days. Also, IMHO, the majority of the vehicle usage will be for towing, and average driving around. I love my GC, and still have it, But for the 7 months we anticipate being on the road, the larger more capable truck has proven itself. Good luck and safe travels!
@@OurCoupledAdventure Thank you for sharing your real world experience with a 26' Mini Lite. This is a huge help to me. Safe journey!
This was really helpful sir! I have a 2015 JGC V6 Limited 4x4. I'm thinking about getting a 22' Forest River Micro Lite Travel Trailer Hitch Weight:614 lb. UVW 4841 lb .CCC 1933 lb.- Do you think I can safely tow it with my vehicle up a mountain say 5K elevation gain in California?
You are nearing the limits of the GC. Remember these are normally aspirated engines (non-turbocharged) and lose power as you ascend into thinner air at elevation. It is a personal decision to push the ,limits of the Jeep or not. Nice rig and good luck! We hope to hit the road soon ourselves!
A most excellent video, what do you think about towing a 32 foot trailer that’s about 5000 pounds with a 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee With a V6 all wheel drive
One the one short comings of the GC is its short wheel base. I would be concerned about the trailer having too much influence on the Jeep, especially at the top end of the towed weight limit. Tail wagging the dog so to speak.
@@OurCoupledAdventure Absolutely I was just doing some research for a friend she’s looking for something to tell her 32 again, but you nailed all of the relevant points somebody needs to be looking at, one of the best videos I’ve seen hitting all these marks
@@shockingguy Thank you for watching
Hey my sister has the same jeep and is hauling one of those U-hual trailers.
Should she be using the manual gears when driving. Or could she just leave it in Drive?
Just leave it in drive.
Great video, I only wish speed, distance and weights were also said or put up for Australian measurements.
Thanks for watching!
I wanted to ask what your payload was , most I believe to be 1050 pounds. That may be a deal breaker as we may want to tow with 3 people in the car and that is not really enough with a 610 lb tounge weight. Bummer.
yes, the payload is only 1050 and was huge issue and why controlling tongue weight was so important. I ended up running with only 3/4 tank of gas and nothing in the GC but the two of us. The GC is an awesome SUV, but like all vehicles, even 1 ton trucks, have limits. Tow accordingly and it works well. With any tow vehicle, avoid towing at its max limits to increase safety and durability of the vehicle. Thanks for watching and safe travels!
Thank you so much for the video. Very informative. I have a 1999 v8 GC, Limited. I keep it in good shape. dealers specs are 6500lbs and 750Lbs tongue. I was looking at a 2020 LANCE 1985 TT which is 4300 Dry weight and 450 hitch weight. Obviously, all RV dealers are saying that I'm more than ok to tow it. (I installed electric brakes too). but when I published this question at Reddit RV group. some people started a discussion that 450 to hitch leaves me just 300 lbs for weight inside the jeep. So I'm very confused if they are just hatters or this should be a real concern?
Hi and thanks for watching! There are a lot of "Jeep haters" when it comes to towing discussions. That being said, who cares what they say. Anyway, there is an info sticker on the driver side door jamb that will list gross cargo carrying capacity. This number would also include hitch weight. So take that number and minus hitch weight to see whats left for people, pets and property. Safe travels.
I use the style of WDH shown here. It is set up so that you can back the trailer up without detaching anything. A Big plus. I highly recommend it as well as a good brake controller. I like the Prodigy line. You should be good to go with the GC and Lance. I think the Lance has its own suspension that makes pulling it a whole lot nicer than most travel trailers. The people on reddit are mentioning that you don’t want to overload your GC itself. When adding up the weight of the Jeep itself, you also need to take into account the weight put on it by the tongue weight of the trailer plus yourself and passengers as well as any cargo. Happy Trails!
@@robjohnston2106 Excellent info and points!
Better off with a half ton unless you're pulling a mobile home lol. Save a little money and still be able to pull more weight than the Jeep. I had a 2019 Ram Hemi Etorque that pulled really well but traded for Jeep just because we sold our RV trailer and wanted more interior space without needing a bed.
I love the GC. We just wrapped up our 12,000 mile journey around the country. Our Ford F250 was instrumental in our success and comfort. Over the 4 months we encountered many different weather conditions in which the size, weight and strength of the F250 was comforting. Many 1/2 tons would tow our current trailer just fine. But, the 250 gives us extra safety and allows for RV upgrades in the future. Thanks for watching!
Did you have an extra trans oil cooler installed or has the factory one been sufficient?
The factory cooling has worked fine. I only see a temp. rise of a couple degrees at best. Thanks for watching! Subscribe for future videos!
Is that a 2506s? We have a 2015 Grand Cherokee Overland and don't want to exceed 5200 dry weight... but are watching the tongue/hitch weight limit of 620lbs as well. thanks for the video
It is a 2506s. It did take a lot of work to manage the weight and tongue weight to stay in the GC limits.
Nice on a flat road run it through the mountains and see how well it does
LOL, I cover this in the video. The rig would dangerous out west for sure. We upgraded to a Ford F250 before venturing across the country. We still have same trailer and GC, but no longer tow with the GC.
👍👍😎🇺🇸
I have a 2015 Grand Cherokee Overland V6. Do you use Sport Mode or leave it in Regular driving mode. I am towing a 1600 lbs bass boat. When you tow, does your transmission go into 8th gear or do you keep it out of 8th gear and go as high a 7th? Thank you.
We just put it in drive and go! Thanks for watching.
One other option is to turn off ECO mode while towing, that will hold your gears longer and you’ll get downshifts sooner for engine braking.
I tow with a 2017 JGC Trailhawk V6. I always use Sport mode when towing. My trailer is in the 3,500-4,000lb range and when driving on a level freeway at 70-75 the trans is usually in 6th gear if in Drive. If there is much of an incline it goes into 5th. If all JGC's are the same, the oil pressure increases from 30psi to 75psi when in 5th gear or below. I pull the steepest grades up to 7,000' in 3rd gear at 50-55 with ease. I've noticed the various temps stay lower in 3rd, even if you can pull the hill in 4th. Love the 8 speed trans, and the Trailhawk overall for daily driving and towing.
I know this post is old but i was curious. When you said you weighed the tongue weight with your scale to around 600ish pounds did you then add the weight of the equalizer hitch to the tongue weight, putting you slightly over?
I would consider the 40 or so pounds of the hitch when looking at overall payload on the Jeep, not specifically as tongue weight since it is attached to the tow vehicle with or without the trailer. It was always a very tight balancing act. We now tow the same trailer with an F250. Thanks for your comment. It helps others when working through towing and loading issues.
Just bought a 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited and was wondering about towing
It all depends on how it is equipped. Refer to your owners manual for details. Enjoy and safe travels.
Hello all! The 3.6L V6 has a towing capacity of 3,500 LBS. The upgraded cooling system allows for 6,200 LBS. Be aware of this.
Thank you I've been wondering why people have been saying that some Grand Cherokee limiteds had a much higher towing capacity
@@DerStabby Exactly. It has to do with the cooling system, tow package equipment such as the software for shifting points and of course factory tow package. As a general rule, if it doesn’t come with a tow hitch it isn’t meant to tow lol. But, I added the hitch because we have a small boat about 2700 lbs. It tows that just fine.
@@tylerpetit33 For those considering buying a GC Limited for towing, give thought to getting the Trailhawk instead. My '17 tows 6,200lbs, has auto-leveling air suspension, upgraded cooling and good power with the V6. I often tow up to 4,000lbs to 7,000' elevations. The 8-speed trans is very nice. The Trailhawk has an application called Off Road Pages that has nice info about the drivetrain for 4-wheeling, and also has 5 electronic gauges so you can monitor water/oil temp, trans temp, oil pressure and battery voltage while towing. I love having all that info when it is needed most. Not a single day/drive has gone by in 4 years that I'm not thinking "I really like this Trailhawk'. I've owned at least 6 new Toyota's, 3 of them 4x4's, and this Jeep is my favorite vehicle ever.
Hi... mine is a 2021.. and my manual says 6200 lbs if you have the HD engine/transmission cooler.. how true is that? I dont have the tow package. It says only up to 3500 lbs for mine? But obviously it can still tow 6200 lbs!
Hi Buggsy81 and thanks for watching. That is a personal call. All the hard parts; hitch, axle, tranny, engine are capable of 6200lbs. the fluid coolers are just that. I would definitely stay out of the mountains or higher elevations or risk over heating. The coolers can be added though. We have "retired" our wonderful GC. She has been reassigned to grocery getter. We now have a Ford F250 diesel. This move was talked about in the video. We are in the process of prepping for a circumnavigation of the US, which the GC was not up too. Safe travels.
We love our 2019 Nissan titan xd with Cummins turbo diesel. It's called a 5/8 ton. Right in the middle of a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton.
Here in Michigan it was anywhere between 9000 and 12000 dollars less then compared option 3/4 ton trucks.
My previous truck was a 1/2 ton 2004 gas Nissan titan. We bought it new .It was so reliable we stayed with titan but went diesel for mountain pulling.
I figured why spend all the extra money to pull 2 or 3 times what our trailer weighs.
Ours is 555 lbs toque
Max tow 12400 lbs
Trailer is a rockwood ultra 2606ws. empty is 6365 should never weigh 8000 loaded. Tongue weight is 904 lbs.
Dont even know its behind me. They say your mileage picks up after 10000 miles and we have just over 6000. Best towing we got is 13.1 mpg lowest was 10.3 mpg.
Just retired 1st of January.......
You'll love it!!!!!!!!
Hi i have a 2019 grand cherokee laredo didnt came with towing package so i add the class III trailer hitch and wiring. How much is my jeep able to tow?
I would refer you to the owners manual that came with the truck. The v6 GC Cherokee can to up to 6200#s and the V8, 7200, with a class IV hitch. The class III hitch, I believe is rated to 5000#s.
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited owner here - I believe the towing capacity AND maximum tongue weight is severely de-rated if you do not have the OEM towing package - which contains the built-in receiver and a few engine/transmission cooling upgrades.
@@OurCoupledAdventure What are you towing? I just installed a hitch on mine too. I think it’s actually only rated for 3500?
My husband and I have a 2015 AWD Dodge Durango with a V8 and we want to get the 2506s but we are concerned about the hitch weight. Our max hitch weight is 720 but we’ve seen the 2506s listed at 740. This will be our first RV and people have been telling us we don’t have enough to tow the 2506 but then we saw your video with the Jeep so we are all sorts of confused. Do you store all of your stuff in the back to adjust for the hitch weight of the 2506? I’m kinda curious about how you actually go about adjusting it.
Thanks for watching. We load the trailer in such a way to keep the tongue weight as close to 10 percent as we can get which puts it around 580lbs. The tongue weight scale is very important when near the top of you capacity.
I guess I’m confused the 2506 is listed at a hitch weight of 644. Are you loading the back heavier to alleviate the weight on the front? Forest River told us the 644 hitch weight is with empty propane tanks and no batteries.
@@tinauhlman6118 the weight also depends on how your 2506 is equipped and the year. New ones do not have the outside kitchen and fridge so the base tongue weight is probably heavier. We took our loaded trailer to the CAT scales to weight it. We then load it to get 10 percent of the loaded travel weight on the tongue.
Thanks for making this video. I have a 2015 JGC, 3.6L V6 4x2 and just purchased a TT at 4,100 dry weight. I was considering taking it up into the Smokey Mountain/Blue Ridge Mountain area but you've helped me reconsider and stick to lower elevations. I'm also being told that I should get an external transmission cooler but my local dealership says 1. my car already has one and 2. there is no place to mount one. What has your experience been with an external transmission cooler and do I need one?
I do not have an external cooler and have never had overheating issues. We too are avoiding significant mountain climbs. Mostly to extend the life of the GC. Thanks for watching.
We tow a Winnebago 1808fbs with a dry weight of 3800lbs using our 2014 grand Cherokee 3.6LV6. We live in FL and have been up into the smoky mountains with no issues. I installed a heavy duty radiator since our jeep did not come with towing package and we’ve had no problems since. I don’t believe the transmission cooler is necessary since it already has one and our trans temp is only 5 degrees higher when towing
@@watchgopro5483 I see you noted that your TT dry weight is only 3800 but do you know what your fully loaded TT weight usually is with all your gear and tanks loaded?
Will a 2006 grand Cherokee 4x4 will be good to tow?????? I need answer I have one and it’s my project car and I’m trying to get it ready for the road so I can tow small loads
Hey Dee. Thanks for watching. GC are good towing vehicles as long as they are maintained properly and the towed load is within the manufacturer limits of the GC. Does the 06' have the inline 6 cylinder engine? If so that is one of the all time great and reliable engines! Goof luck!
How many washers are you using on the Equalizer? How do you pull the sway bars off?
I don't recall, but I think it was about 6 or 7. We have switched to a Weigh-Safe hitch that has many benefits for us and our rig. We currently tow with a Ford F250.
What kind of tow hitch do you have? Towing package or aftermarket? Have you run into any problems with the tongue weight vs Rockwood Mini Lite? We are looking at the same travel trailer but with a different floor plan and slightly less weight.
The Jeep has a factory class 4 tow hitch. We use an Equalizer 10K weight distribution hitch on the trailer. The Mini Lites do run a little heavy on the tongue. I do weigh the tongue prior to a trip and end up loading "extra" gear we may put in the trailer to the rear to keep it at around 12 %.
@@OurCoupledAdventure did you ever have any issues with wind/sway?
We have not. Not to say we won't. If you tow an RV the question is not if, it's when, you will experience sway. Best thing to do to lessen this is mind your loading and the wind. As you tow more you will develop a "feel" for how much crosswind your rig can handle. I found that if we let the tongue weight get too heavy we get pushed around by big trucks a lot more. Thats because the rear of the trailer is light and susceptible to being pushed away from a fast moving truck. As the pressure wave from the truck moves along the trailer and hits the front, the heavy weight of an overly loaded tongue then has greater influence at the pivot point of the trailer hitch and you get the "push" away. Then as the pressure wave moves to the tow vehicle the pivot point of the hitch reacts by bringing the front of the trailer/rear of the truck back toward the passing truck (the sucking in feeling). Just hold the wheel and let your rig react. It can be a little unnerving, but you get used to it. Making sure the weight of the trailer is "balanced" for a proper tongue weight also goes a long way to mitigating sway. While trailering I make it a point to reach down and squeeze the manual trailer brake lever on the brake controller every now and then. This helps develop muscle memory so it is more instinctive to react to sway. If you feel or even suspect a sway starting reach down and activate the brake controller lever. This will help stop the sway oscillation frequency from getting larger. Also, you can not "steer" your way out of sway, so keep the vehicle straight. The trick is not let the swaying oscillations grow larger and larger. I am sure there are towing "pros" out there who might have good suggestions and I hope they chime in.
@@OurCoupledAdventure Thanks for the feedback.
I know this a old video but what kind of mirrors did you get and did you put in break control.
Mirrors are a short-coming on the GC of sure. I found some "universal fit" add-ons that used hooks and rubber straps to clamp on. They were ok. I was never able to identify a better pair made specifically for the GC mirrors.
That was a very well done review
Thanks for watching Doug! We really appreciate the support. Happy Adventures!
I feel like a G. Cherokee is too short of a wheelbase to be comfortable towing this in my opinion. Wheelbase length is often overlooked with towing capability. Handling's much better with a longer wheelbase.
Your opinion is valid. Under perfect conditions the GC "managed" ok. Take it out west with the wind and the mountains and it would be dangerous. We now have a Ford F250.
Hi looking for input I have a 2018 sterling edition GC wk2 all wheel drive with factory tow package, i added a brake controller and an air lift.
1) the trailer i am towing is 27' Has anyone had experience pulling 24' or longer trailers with a setup similar to mine, and did it feel safe and solid?
2)I have the factory tow package, and when i installed the brake controller the installer but a signal tester on the hitch, and the light came on, do I also need to go to dealer and get flashed?
We tow a 25' and if you are experienced and comfortable towing it, as you put, "feels solid". Just keep in mind these are shorter wheelbase trucks and have lousy mirrors when towing larger trailers. If he got a signal it should be good. Back it up to the trailer and plug it in and see what happens. Happy Adventures!
Our Coupled Adventure ya we are using a blue ox sway bar hitch and I installed a air lift system, as well as a prodigy 2 brake controller... driving very solid.. we went thru 45 mile hour winds on the Oregon coast and psychotic big rig drivers on 2 lane mountain rounds, but it never really swayed... one big thing for anyone that reads this is turn if the lane correction if you have the feature, that constant correction back and forth fighting the movement of the trailer feels like away.. when that is off it’s super smooth... also the v6 did great towing we went over huge mountains and are probably at 6000 lbs with people and gear, we were able to accelerate up to 65 on the steepest of hills.. as usual the grand Cherokee is what it is.. an all around do anything well winner... ya there are better cars at towing, luxury, space, and gas mileage, but no vehicle I know of does as well on average across all those things.. love this car
@@michaelkhoury6550 Sounds like you have your rig set up just right, which is the secret. Which airlift system did you use?
Our Coupled Adventure airlift 1000, I will say as we got to the open planes of Idaho and higher speeds with crossword we did get some sway, had to pull back to the high 50s or so..
Thanks I have looked at that system and it seems to be an affordable option.
Be careful with hauling out any gray water or hauling in any water. Water is 8 lb per gallon and it adds up quick and you're going to hit your max.
You are correct. We have since upgraded to a Ford F250. However, we can only carry a little water with us because the trailer itself does not have the cargo carrying capacity for full water.
what gear do you tow in? ,my town n country recommended 5th but my limited has a 9 spd.
I have the 8 speed and it usually stays in 6-7 on flat terrain.
What is your GCW (gross combined weight) with a full fresh water tank, both you and your wife in the Jeep while going down the road? Have you found out from Chrysler what the GCWR actually is? I have the same Jeep except 2019 with the Trailhawk package and the V8 Hemi and I'm on the fence about getting a 2511S (about 200 lbs heavier dry weight than yours) but I've done the math and my predicted GCWR by adding the curb weight of the Jeep plus the 7200 lb towing capacity plus 600 lb (driver and passengers) and round down to the nearest 100 lbs. I get 13,000 GCWR (at least that how GM calculate this for their trucks) So if I load the trailer to it's GVWR I come within 97.5% of my theoretical combined weight rating. Even if I play it safe and subtract the 600 lbs for driver and passengers and only add the curb weight and the towing capacity, I get 12,450 and that actually puts me at 99.7% with only me in the Jeep. Of course you have to round down to the nearest 100 lbs so that would take the GCWR down to 12,000 lbs and then I'm overweight. If you have found the actual published GCWR from Chrysler I would be so happy if you could share that with me and anyone else thinking about towing a 6,790 lb trailer with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Of course, you have the V6 so you lose 1,000 lbs in your towing capacity only allowing 6,200 lbs so I'm sure that you cannot ever completely fill your fresh water tank with 58 gallons. That's about 489 lbs. If you had gotten the V8 I'll bet that you wouldn't be thinking about replacing your Jeep with a 3/4 pickup so you could drive in the mountains. With the trailer fully loaded my Jeep would produce 1 horsepower per 34 lbs. at 360 hp. I can't imagine that I'll ever have issues climbing mountains. All the numbers are within the maximum weight ratings, it's just the unknown GCWR that has me questioning this whole idea. Any feedback you can provide me would be helpful. Thanks and keep up the great tips and videos, I'm making a list of all the upgrades I'm going to do!
Thanks for watching and what a well thought out and analytical comment! I could not find a GCVWR for the GC. We do not tow with water. The weights I pay attention to are the axle weights, tongue weight and towed weight. The GC is very sensitive to tongue weight. As with towing anything with anything weights are important. Two things I failed to cover well in the video is the short wheel base and the inadequate mirrors for towing. The GC mirrors are just not suited for towing wider loads like an RV. Even the aftermarket mirrors I put on do not help much. in my opinion no matter what vehicle you tow with if you tow near the upper limits the margins of safety are reduced. The Jeep is a wonderful tow vehicle and like any other truck it has its limits. As long as you respect the weight limits and tow "smartly". the Jeep is a good tow vehicle.
Thanks George, I created a spreadsheet with all the axle weights, GVWR, Trailer GVWR, calculated GCWR, and pretty much anything that changing the load affects in the entire rig. I just change the weight of the actual cargo in the trailer, and the weight of the water level, and I get all the critical information I need and if anything goes overweight, the text turns red. It doesn't know how to handle the weight distribution so the calculation over estimates axle weight by just adding 100% of the tongue weight to the rear axle which gives me a exaggerated safety factor. But all the other factors are 100% accurate. I want to do a lot of dispersed camping which means I have to take as much water with me as I can. So it's a compromise, for every 8.43 lbs of cargo I add to the sheet I subtract 1 gallon of water from my fresh water tank. It's a trade off, but it keeps the rig safe. Happy camping!
Everyone who talks about the 2020/2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee can tow 7500, 6520 or 3500 capacity with the right options. But knowbody including dealers seem to know either. What options along side 4x4 and the tow package and Full size spare MAKES it tow 6200 lbs. can someone answer this please, without saying get upgrade to a V8 hemmi Thanks
It is rather unclear. The manual for my 15 lists 6200 or 7200. The option package for the 15 only lists the full size spare and hitch if I remember right. No sure about 20/21.
"Some people have a sedan, not the best" - Coming to Australia would surprise you, we tow with everything! It's not uncommon at all to tow with a sedan here, many of them are rated to tow 5070lbs.
I have seen videos of towing in Australia and Europe and am always surprised how differnret it is. Thanks for watching.
Your Cherokee V6 produces 295hp at 6350 rpm and 260 ft-lbs torque at 4250 rpm. This means you are probably maintaining a very high rpm in order to tow your camper. About what rpm are you running at 60mph? I'm curious, and comparing other engines and towing capabilities to my pickup truck, which is an '05 Chevy Silverado 1500 (1/2 ton) with the 4.3 V6 and manual transmission. The engine produces 195 hp at 5200rpm and 260 ft-lbs of torque at 2600 rpm. Since the maximum torque is produced at a low rpm, the truck tows my camper very easily at 65 mph at 2400 rpm. The rear axle ratio is similar to yours, at 3.43. Some say that is too high to tow, but it does just fine. I've had this truck for 15 years, since new, and been towing with it the whole time. Right now it has 225,000 miles on it and still doing fine. All of my towing is in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, so there are a lot of very long and fairly steep grades to climb, especially the mountain passes. Anyway, nice video and it was good to hear all the information, hope you enjoy retirement and continued travelling.
Hey Trevor, Thanks for watching. The torque band in the GC is a little higher than your Silverado. However, for "average towing at 60 I am around 2900-3000 rpm. If I need to pass or scale inclines it wants to down shift to get in the high 3's. If a lot of power is need yes it will seek the sweet spot in the torque band which to some can be an unsettling high winding engine! For our towing needs it does the job. We do tow at the high end of the capability of GC which is not the best case scenario for any vehicle. This is why diesel is king, max torque comes in really low at say 16-1700 rpm. I agree with you the gearing is too tall for optimal towing with a gas motor. I would prefer a 3.55 or 3.73 to best balance tow performance with gas mileage (and some would argue for a 4.10 but that would be too high winding for a daily non-towing driving V6). These "light duty" vehicles are geared higher for better gas mileage and a more quiet ride considering most owners never really tow anything beyond a boat, etc. Safe travels!
@@OurCoupledAdventure Thanks for the rpm information on your cherokee engine. I was really curious about that. Well, 2900 or 3000 doesn't sound too bad, actually a little lower than what I was thinking it might be, considering where the max torque rpm is. Sorry for being long winded, but I do enjoy towing, travelling, and knowing the technical details of various engines and trans. Safe travels!
I too enjoy the truck conversations. That being said, I do see a diesel in our future!