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Old 10-18-2015, 06:56 PM   #21
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Common sense goes a long way when towing with a little undersized TV.. But your talking too a fellow who use to tow 8000 lbs with a VW thing..

Real world events will tell you a safe travel speed.. In most cases trying to run with traffic is just a waste of fuel. We generally run around 63 mph with our rig and gain around 4mpg trying to run 73 mph..

Guess what??? you get to see a lot of things other people miss going a tad slower and in 90% of the cases,, you will see the same cars passing you 4 times in a 300 mile trip running 15 mph faster.

Enjoy what you got,, and run what you got. The little hemi is a wonderful engine and can give you many trouble free miles pulling your A$..

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Old 10-18-2015, 07:11 PM   #22
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Check out " where did you wake up this Sunday morning". Hook it up and go. The Jeep will not be an issue. Jim


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Old 10-18-2015, 08:35 PM   #23
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Thanks Jim. Still checking out the AS, but getting lots of good information in this form. Greatly appreciated from all.

Regards, Jim

Ps, Loved the VW story!
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Old 10-18-2015, 09:43 PM   #24
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I had a similar problem earlier in 2015 when we bought our 23FB. We preferred the 25 but we loved our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel Summit for comfort and economy reasons after 25,000 miles of non/towing trips. We compromised and bought the 23FB because the tongue weight was at the limit (actually would have been over limit after the hitch weight is added). The dealer tried to sell us on the 25 for obvious reasons saying it was ok.
Our experience:
We completed a 95-day, 13,700 mile round trip from Seattle to Newfoundland in all kinds of weather and terrain from April-July and the Jeep was fantastic. We used an Equalizer hitch and never had any sway problem whatsoever. Wheelbase did not seem to be a problem. We averaged 16.4 mpg overall. Our tow capacity is identical to the 5.7 l hemi engine - 7,200 lbs with 720 tongue weight. Four wheel drive is rated 200lbs less than 2 wheel drive.
The Jeep is great when you are off on day trips! I would do the Overland next time because if the wheels. We have 20" alloy semi-low profile wheels, which are not as good as the smaller Overland wheels that are not low profile. We bent a wheel in a bad pothole on Newfoundland. Had to order a replacement from Toronto subce neither Jeep dealer had it in stock.
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Old 10-18-2015, 09:51 PM   #25
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Forgot to mention that we did carefully measure our tongue weight, axle weights, GVW, and GCVW using a CAT scale. All were within limits. We used a Tekonsha P3 brake controller and Millenco mirrors.
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Old 10-19-2015, 06:55 AM   #26
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Wheelbase

I went from a full sized Chevrolet Blazer (108") to a Chevrolet Suburban (130") and the towing control of the vehicle was markedly improved. Both were Chevrolet truck platforms and had no lift kits, oversized tires of any other modifications that would affect handling. I would say a 130" wheelbase or better is a good towing platform. I now have a Ford F150 with a 156" wheelbase and it tows quite well.
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Old 10-19-2015, 07:47 AM   #27
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I tow with a 2012 Dodge Durango, which is the same vehicle as your Jeep. I tow my 25' just fine. I've taken it to the scales and it's all within limits.

Although the 25' has a 7300lb rating, ours -fully loaded- weighs 6600.
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Old 10-19-2015, 08:47 AM   #28
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Jim, you are going to like the 25FB. I have a 2006 and tow it with my half ton Tundra. As many have stated, your only real issue is how you will manage the tongue weight.

I have weighted mine a couple of times now and I roll down the road at about 6000 but my tongue weight is a tad over 900. Don't have the figures in front of me but the TW is the big issue. The 25FB has two propane tanks, two batteries and a spare tire all on the front of the trailer. We travel with about a third of the FW tank full and pack lightly.

Get a good hitch, we really like our Equalizer, a good brake controller and set everything up properly. Drive sensibly and you will be fine.
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Old 10-19-2015, 09:05 AM   #29
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You have many good and thoughtful responses in this thread. Now you must answer the question, "How good will I be at constraining the load I put in my tow vehicle and my Airstream?"
I could never do what you are contemplating because I want a wide margin of reserve towing capability. But others seem to love and enjoy towing the the most with the least.
Whatever you do, stay with a simple weight-distribution hitch. (I love Equalizer and Reese).
Avoid those heavy hitches that others will insist you buy: Hensley, Blue Ox, Pro Pride. You simply can't afford the additional weight they add to a rig.
Happy Trails!
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Old 10-19-2015, 09:11 AM   #30
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Westhouse, good info. my wife is from Seattle. We are still considering the 25FB as I continue to research the pros and cons.
NMEngineer, a truck is always a good alternative or bigger SUV, still like the GC for run ning around when the AS is parked, we'll see.
Wayne&Sam, good info. right up the alley we are considering going, thanks.
Aftermath, the hitch and controller are a big part of this set-up, appreciate your input.

Thank you all for helping me figure this out. Jim
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Old 10-19-2015, 09:24 AM   #31
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Alumaholic, you are spot on, I have alot to consider and I too like to have some margin when it comes to weights and specs. I passed up a 2010 Safari FB close by because of a 847 tongue weight, but have found a 2007 25FB with a tongue weight of 720, rignt on the money, but again no margin. Hence, I must assimilate all the comments made to me in this forum and make a decision. Winter is coming on and I am in no rush to purchase the AS, if it sells, there are many more out there. Thanks for your input. Jim
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Old 10-19-2015, 09:54 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nmengineer View Post
I have towed a similar trailer with one of the old 4x4 full size Blazer. All was good until i got into the Colorado mountains. The trailer was trying to steer the truck especially going down the steep curvy roads.
That is what the Trailer Brake Controller is for.
Yes, he could get an F-350 Diesel and hurtle up and down the mountain side with abandon. The reality is that getting into towing a camper requires the development of driving skills especially downhill. Using the trailer brakes in combination with TV brakes and trans gearing for a controlled decent. You let it get away from you downhill it won't matter what you are driving you will end up in a bad way.
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Old 10-19-2015, 10:23 AM   #33
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Thanks Frank, this will all be a learning process for me, but this input is valuable in that process.

Thanks, Jim
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Old 10-19-2015, 10:47 AM   #34
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I agree with Franklyfrank - driving knowledge and skill is critical. I really like the paddle shifters on the Ecodiesel and rarely use tv brakes downhill, preferring to maintain a reasonable speed with engine braking and occasional trailer brakes for steep and/or curvy downhills. Driving considerably "out front" of the usual distance is important, especially in moose (or deer) country. Of course, that is most of North America.

It is preferable to have a highly skilled person with mediocre tools/equipment to having mediocre skills with the best equipment. A knowledgeabke, skillful, and prudent person will make the best use of the limitations of any equipment.
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Old 10-19-2015, 11:29 AM   #35
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Jim, you are not going to know if the GC is going to be sufficient unless you actually tow something with it. See if you can rent a SOB there in Bend and do your own version of the Oregon Gauntlet. Take a road trip to Salem then the I-5 toward Gresham and then back to Bend on the 26/97. Obviously the SOB is not an Airstream, but you can get a good idea about how well your GC will handle the load. Take the time to load things into your TV and the rental to approximate a normal load for your family. There are plenty of scales on the route so you can weigh the test setup and compare that to your desired Airstream. If you are diligent in how you perform the test trip you should get a good idea about your comfort levels. Just my 2 cents.
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Old 10-19-2015, 12:16 PM   #36
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Tuco suggested a useful test. A few considerations: (1) cost and liability - consider insurance as the Oregon Gauntlet may not be the best route for a first trial, (2) tongue weight comparison - that is a critical limit for the Jeep GC (720 lbs, including hitch weight), (3) because if the rounded corners the frontal surface area is effectively much less for Airstream (a plus). The Jeep is limited to 55 sq ft frontal area.

The wd hitch must be correctly adjusted for the vehicle to provide a good test.
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Old 10-19-2015, 03:04 PM   #37
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Tuco, good point, I will look into the rental possibilities in the area.

Thank you, Jim
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Old 07-24-2016, 10:21 PM   #38
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Tow Vehicle Questions resolved.

After much consideration and a trial run pulling the AS with the Jee4p Grand Cherokee, I traded the Jeep for the new 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 Eco Diesel. it has a longer, more stable wheel base, and the little 3.0 ltr turbo diesel puts out 420 ft. lbs. of torque. I pulled the 25 ft Safari AS over Mt. Hood (Oregon) like I was on a Sunday drive. Now that the TV is no longer an issue, I need to decide if I want a canopy or a tonneau cover, such a deal!

Thanks to all who replied to my questions, very much appreciated.

Jim
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Old 08-01-2016, 03:34 PM   #39
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You are overloading the jeep. You must take into consideration the GVWR which take into account all the weights of the vehicle, the load in the vehicle and the towed weight. Not everybody knows but in most case the max towing capacity is with only the driver in the tow vehicle and a half tank of fuel.
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Old 08-01-2016, 05:01 PM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alumaholic View Post
-- snip -- (I love Equalizer and Reese).
Avoid those heavy hitches that others will insist you buy: Hensley, Blue Ox, Pro Pride. You simply can't afford the additional weight they add to a rig.
Happy Trails!
The Blue Ox Sway Pro weighs about 80 lbs(see shiping weight 89 lbs). Believe that is about what the Reese and Equilizer weigh as well. Be careful where you get your information. Look it up and verify yourself. Travel Safe. Pat
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