2014 Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel

[idroba]

An isolator automatically disconnects the 12 volts of the TV from the trailer even if the power cord is left connected. That keeps any possibility of running down the TV battery when using the Airstream. They are not really necessary in my opinion, just pull the umbilical cord when you stop overnight but do not unhitch.

They have a diode in them which also reduces the already poor charging characteristics of the TV to trailer, so that is another disadvantage. They work well on motorhomes but are not so useful on TV's and trailer combos.

In addition, some TV manufactures already include a charge disconnect relay in the charge line to the umbilical plug. I don't think that Jeep does, at least it does not on my 2012 Grand Cherokee.

[Jim Flower]

OK. No isolator so it is possible to discharge the Jeep battery via the Airstream's electrical needs. How about the reverse? Am I charging the Jeep batteries via the Airstream's solar system when it is connected via the umbilical cord? Jim

[idroba]

Originally Posted by Jim Flower

OK. No isolator so it is possible to discharge the Jeep battery via the Airstream's electrical needs. How about the reverse? Am I charging the Jeep batteries via the Airstream's solar system when it is connected via the umbilical cord? Jim

Yes, to the slight extent that the solar will get to the TV battery. The run is long, and the wire and plug and cord socket resistance will limit the amount going that way, but some will.

[ggoat!!!]

Originally Posted by Jim Flower

That REALLY looks good!

[Bigventure]

Hey Jim Flower, How does the GC tow the 30?

I am worried about putting my 25 on the GC because the tow rating is 7400 and the trailer loaded is 7300 with an 800 hitch.

[Jim Flower]

I towed a 25 Safari 350,000k with various GCs with no negative performance issues. I used a Reese Dual Cam hitch which I found to be excellent. I towed the 30 Signature 50,000 k with my 2008 GC Diesel and again, no negative performance issues. I used a Hensley. I have not had enough experience with the 2014 GC Diesel (150k) with the Hensley. My initial reaction is "wow! This is really excellent. Better than the previous Jeep". I am going to put 4500 k on it next week so I will have a little more experience to report on. L

[Jim Flower]

Fingers too big for my iPhone. L was a mistake. Jim

[Bigventure]

That's a lot of miles. I'm surprised that you tow your 30 that much. A lot of people just park them and move maybe twice a year.

[Jim Flower]

Airstreams are made to roll. Jim

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by idroba

Yes, to the slight extent that the solar will get to the TV battery. The run is long, and the wire and plug and cord socket resistance will limit the amount going that way, but some will.

Than you for this. You have been not only informative on this issue but also on several of my former queries regarding issues related to electricity. It is appreciated very much. Jim

[Dot Dave]

We did it! We finally towed (for the first time) to our first camp of the season. The JGC Diesel pulled her quite well. Full disclosure: We only towed about 40 miles. Baby steps for us newbies. Follow up to the brake controller and isolator -- we had our Jeep dealer install them. Not quite ready to try those things ourselves yet. But we'll get there. Especially with all the wonderful help and advice from everyone on this thread.

We had no problems towing to or from the CG. She was an easy tow, and if I didn't see her in my mirror, I would have forgotten she was back there. A huge thank you to everyone for all the input on this thread. You all helped us a great deal when making our decision to buy the Jeep. We are very pleased with our decision.

Many thanks!

David

[Bigventure]

Your photo is like my old rig. 2012 GC forest green & 2011 20 Safari that just got sold yesterday. The new rig is 2014 GC diesel and 2013 25 foot international

[Jim Flower]

My trip to Fort Lauderdale (5800 K) in my new Diesel GC Overland towing the 2012 30' Airstream was mostly uneventiful. The Diesel performed flawlessly and I now understand why Chrysler is going to have it available in a Ram truck. The Airstream had its normal load of my wife's shoes and was full of water and propane so it weighed about 7600 lbs. The highest oil temp (125 F) and transmission temp (90 F) was achieved going north up into Virginia on I 77 at 105 K/hr in 6th gear. I never touched the paddle shifters since the 8 speed transmission needed no encouragement to work perfectly. I did not even take it off cruise control. The water temp was slightly higher than normal. The Jeep was very quiet and smooth, and maintained directional stability with no additional effort on my part. The hook up procedure was also painless. I turned off the air suspension and adjusted the weight distribution to maintain the unloaded Delta at the wheel wells. That's it and the settings on the Hensley were identical to my previous 2008 Jeep GC Diesel. This Jeep is better. Each one has been better than the previous one, and my sons are really happy with my previous ones. Keep your eyes peeled on 95 for a 2003 Jeep and a 20' Globetrotter heading north. Now the eventful part and it is not a Jeep thing but an Airstream thing. The water heater has now had its third failure, two of which are related to really sloppy installation techniques by the factory as in cross threaded fittings on the flex by pass hose, and flattened threads on the short radius brass 90 fitting on the hot water outlet nozzle. Both situations led to nasty leaks into the interior and should have been easily caught by QC. Jim

[Jim Flower]

The fleet in Fort Lauderdale

[Jim Flower]

Now I understand how the "Gimili Glider" became the "Gimili Glider". Temperatures reported are in degrees C not F. I will report on the normal towing and not towing temps later. Jim

[terryg]

I now have close to 15,000 miles on my Ecodiesel. I've consolidated some information I posted in other threads/forums for easier viewing.

I posted this one early in January:

I think I finally have the Propride hitch and Direclink brake controller dialed in. It was a bit of a wrestling match with the Air Suspension, but I followed JamuJoes advice to overcome the Jeep's "Hal 9000." With the 2014 you disable the Air Suspension through the Uconnect soft keys by placing it in "tire jack mode."
Everything else is pretty much the same as the 2012 model.
Here are my stats after weighing, tweaking, weighing again, etc...
GAWR Front 3200lb Actual w/trailer 3140lb
GAWR Rear 3700lb Actual w/trailer 3700lb
28' FB Classic attached to jeep 6600lb
Max combined 6800lb + 7200lb = 14000lb
Actual combined = 13440

Jeep loading (driver and 1 passenger, full fuel, 1/2 tank DEF, no cargo)
Trailer loading (full propane tanks, full fresh water tank (54 gal), empty gray and black water tanks, full refer, cargo for 5 days dry camping).

Here's a recap of my towing experience to and from Las Vegas:

- Engine performance
-- It out pulls my 2011 Grand Cherokee Hemi
-- Oil and Coolant temps were a concern on long uphill pulls. Slowing from
55 mph to 50 stabilized oil temp at 257 and coolant temp never went into the
red zone
-- fuel consumption averaged 19.5 mpg Las Vegas to Pasadena and 18.4 mpg
on return trip
- Transmission performance
--Smooth and appropriate shifts. Transmission temp hovered around 195 and
never climbed above 203
- Direclink brake controller worked extremely well with my electric/hydraulic
brake system.
- Propride hitch worked as advertised. Big rigs passing me at 75 mph while I was
doing 55 were no problem.

I posted this after completing my second trip with the Airstream last week:

Sandpoint, ID to Las Vegas via Hwy200 and 93 (lots of winding roads, hills, mountain passes, etc..) with some city driving in Vegas
- no trailer, OAT 30-70 F, speed 70-75 mph when possible
- 1292 miles, 46.2 gal DSL, avg. mpg 28.0
- ECO mode on, Transmission Oil Temp mostly 195, Engine Oil mostly 203

Las Vegas to Sandpoint via the same route in reverse
- with 6600 lb Airstream in tow, speed 60 mph when possible
- 925 miles, 56.6 gal DSL, avg. mpg 16.3
-ECO mode off, Trans Oil Temp max 199, Engine Oil Temp max 256

The highest pass I went over was 7800 Ft. On grades I spent a lot of time in 7th gear, less time in 6th, and the steepest grades were in 5th gear at 45 mph. I've towed the Airstream over the same route with my 2004 Duramax and averaged 12 mpg with a minimum speed of 55 mph for comparison.

[Bigventure]

Great report!

Why do you think the oil temp was so high? It doesn't seem out of range though.
The jeep GC has an oil cooler. I had the service tech show it to me. It is part of the radiator, if you look close the fins are different on the lower section.

[Bigventure]

FYI there is an update out for the 8.4 radio.

[gmw photos]

Regarding oil temp, do these engines come factory fill with synthetic ? At those oil temps, I would think full synthetic would be a good idea.

[terryg]

Originally Posted by Bigventure

Great report!

Why do you think the oil temp was so high? It doesn't seem out of range though.
The jeep GC has an oil cooler. I had the service tech show it to me. It is part of the radiator, if you look close the fins are different on the lower section.

I'm still in the learning mode regarding the VM 3.0 diesel. I believe this motor is designed to run much warmer than we're used to seeing with our Duramax's, etc.. The coolant thermostat doesn't even start to open until 208 F. It's fully open at 228 F. During long hard pulls the coolant temp gauge will steadily climb to within 1 bar of the red zone and stay there. Likewise, the engine oil temp will climb to around 256 F and stay there. I haven't yet learned at what temp the PCM software is programmed to turn on the cooling fan, but based on what I'm seeing on the gauges, I'd say it's a pretty high number. The turbo is water-cooled, and the pistons are oil-cooled (engine oil is circulated through the piston).

The engine does require a special low ash, synthetic oil that's designed to withstand high operating temperatures and not plug the DPF.

I've been told by a Chrysler Tech who recently attended Chrysler training on the VM 3.0 that the PCM will "self-protect" the engine when it actually begins to overheat, i.e., you'll slow down. I have yet to test that feature