We`re looking at a 19` bambi or a 20` Safari SE ( 280lbs weight difference )
I`ve been unable to find folks who tow with Jeep GC ( has tow package )
Is this a good length to tow or would the 16`DWR be better? I know lighter is better but we really like the floor plan of the 20` Safari SE but we want to be safe to ourselves and others! Please advise
Thanks
I have the 4.7 MPI V8 with the Quadra Trak full time system. The Jeep weighs 4988 lbs UVW. I have the Trailer Group IV package with the upgraded transmission cooler. In all likelyhood, we`re going to go with the 16` unless one of the experienced members ( perhaps you ) tell us no problem with the 19 or 20`
I'm not really sure if going with a 19' or slightly larger is a good idea.
One of the reasons one member has seen one on it's side was most likely due to the short wheelbase (and of course user error). I think if you go by the weights alone, sure it can move it, but I would be really careful due to the short wheelbase. I'm not saying you need a 3/4 ton truck for a 19 through 23', but I would feel much better at 20' or larger with a longer wheelbase.
I towed a 19' Bambi with a Chevy sedan that had about 118". It did fine, but I will say that they the Chevy has a lower center of gravity than the GC, FWIW.
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Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq and millions of others are by far the most popular with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. -NY Times 1991
We tow a 19' 2002 Bambi with a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 Hemi engine. Previously we towed the same trailer with a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the precursor to the engine in yours. Both Jeeps have/had the factory Class IV trailer package. Both have been great vehicles for towing the trailer. We do have a Hensley hitch purchased at the time we bought the trailer (new). We had never towed a trailer before and wanted to have the experience be as pleasant as possible. There had been some internet warnings about the relatively short wheelbase of the Jeep, so the Hensley was our response to that. The setup has been very successful for us.
I am not that experienced a member i'm new new too, But my concern would be the short wheel base, but Tim A seemed to do fine with his and the "Hensley" not sure how that works? (have a link?) Just keep it at he speed limit i would say....
anything bigger than a 16 foot garden trailer with maybe some brush on it is more than I would ever tow with a jeep of anykind. I dont care what they say. I know someone that was involved in an accident with a jeep the safety belts are held in by nothing more that a diaper pin. They know this problem exists and wont fix it. You would be better off in a crown vic or a grand marquise over a jeep between the center of gravity and the short wheel base. I have 1 thing to say BE CAREFULL
The Hensley is a phenomenal hitch, without question.
One thing that I was not aware of was that the Hensley hitch was ever designed to make up for short wheelbases. At 19' with about 4500lbs of RV, you wouldn't see many physics issues come up, but I can assure you that once you get beyond what the Jeep can safely handle, say much further than maybe a 20', the Hensley, though it may minimize the accident outcome, it won't prevent it. The only solution to a short wheelbase that I am aware of is a vehicle with a proper wheelbase.
I think you could tow a 19' if you were careful, very careful. 20', it might do it safely if you were very, very careful. I could not see a 23' or larger though. I do tend to agree though that there are better TVs out there than the GC. There was a Chrysler engineer here on the forum a few years back and said that the Durango was far better suited to tow compared to the GC and that the GC tends to hold onto it's heat, which in towing isn't always a good thing.
__________________
Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq and millions of others are by far the most popular with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. -NY Times 1991
We tow a 19' 2002 Bambi with a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 Hemi engine. Previously we towed the same trailer with a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the precursor to the engine in yours. Both Jeeps have/had the factory Class IV trailer package. Both have been great vehicles for towing the trailer. We do have a Hensley hitch purchased at the time we bought the trailer (new). We had never towed a trailer before and wanted to have the experience be as pleasant as possible. There had been some internet warnings about the relatively short wheelbase of the Jeep, so the Hensley was our response to that. The setup has been very successful for us.
It was previously reported by a towing professional that the Grand was a better TV than it's spec would suggest.
A few years ago Trailer Life mag did a detailed review of an older Grand and had it connected to a 25' Sportsman TT (5,800lbs dry). They raved about the way it towed and thought it was very stable with a conventional WDH. The Hensley would be icing on the cake and having a stable Airstream in tow would be, well.... a very nice ride.
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I really, really do not want to get into the endless discussion about the merits of a Hensley hitch, but one of its advertised effects is that locks the trailer and tow vehicle into a single unit controlled by the tow vehicle's movement and not by trailer movement. That appears, while towing, to be correct. Assuming it is correct, then the expectation would be that the Hensley will compensate for a shorter wheelbase.
For those who are more interested in the physics than I am, today's Durango has a wheelbase of 119.2", a Chevy Tahoe 116", and the Jeep Grand Cherokee 109". The rear overhang of the Durango and Jeep are almost identical.
I am sure no one wants Mustang to try towing with a Jeep GC. I just wanted to say that we have done so successfully for 6 years and, in that time, have had enough difficult situations to know that we are not operating a death-trap that reacts poorly. If the Hensley is primarily responsible for that, good. Then it was definitely worth the money.
I agree wholeheartedly with Silvertwinkie about the need to drive carefully. I sincerely hope that all members of this Forum tow that way, no matter what tow vehicle they use.
I really, really do not want to get into the endless discussion about the merits of a Hensley hitch, but one of its advertised effects is that locks the trailer and tow vehicle into a single unit controlled by the tow vehicle's movement and not by trailer movement. That appears, while towing, to be correct. Assuming it is correct, then the expectation would be that the Hensley will compensate for a shorter wheelbase.
Correct!
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