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Keith S · 06-06-2021, 03:48 PM

Hello Folks,
A friend was asking me today about purchasing a 30' Airstream and if he can tow with his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The Jeep has a 6 Cylinder Eco Diesel motor.

I suggested he join the forum and ask the same question. However, he is not too computer "savvy" and I am posting the question on his behalf.

I believe the Jeep is not capable of towing a 30' Airstream as the trailer GVW may exceed the Jeeps 9000 Lbs tow rating.

My wife and I currently tow our 2019 23' FC with a Ford F150 5.0 V8. Seems to do the job very well and I suggested to my friend he may want to consider a smaller trailer or a larger TV. The Local Dealership will probably say that the Jeep can do the job without any problems. However, I know from first hand experience that towing on a level surface and towing in the mountains is a very different experience. I have had a great deal of experience towing my previous 25' AS in Colorado and I know the difference between level surfaces and mountains. Not to mention braking and tongue weight.

My suspicion that the Jeep will not be safe and having read several members comments recently on towing a 30' AS with a Navigator, I believe my friend will face safety issues.

I fully understand the tongue weight considerations, vehicle capacity and payload etc. However, I would like some other members to weigh in here and comment. I would personally not tow a 30' with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel.

What say you folks?
Regards,
Keith S.

uncle_bob · 06-06-2021, 03:57 PM

Hi

I'm guessing that this is a 2018 AS rather than the yet to be released 2108 version

There are several 30' Airstreams he *could* be looking at. The Classic at 10,000 pounds would be the heaviest of the bunch. Knowing which one he's looking at probably would help fine tune the answers.

There also are a range of "limits" on various Jeeps. Knowing a bit more about the one he has probably would help as well ( like what's the hitch rated for ....).

Indeed, if it's just him traveling in a completely empty Jeep, that's *very* different than the normal case. If he plans to bring along a family of six, that's different, but in another direction ....

I think he will quickly find that things like the tongue weight of the AS also are a bit much for his vehicle. I also think that in the mountains on winding / steep roads he will be more than a bit challenged safety wise.

Bob

GetawA-S · 06-06-2021, 04:06 PM

I ‘m guessing he’s not particularly trailer savvy either. There are things experienced people get away with... Others learn from the regrets, heartbreak or tragedy, depending on how busy their guardian angel is that day.
Your friend is lucky to have a friend like you. Tell him his options are bigger TV, smaller trailer, or camping in his backyard.

Keith S · 06-06-2021, 04:16 PM

Thanks Bob,
I just took a look at the trailer he is considering. Sorry, not 2108 Stupid me....
Its a 2018 AIRSTREAM FLYING CLOUD 30RBQ at CanAm in London Ontario.

The JGC is a 2014 and has a 9,000 lbs towing capacity. The motor is a 6 cylinder Eco Diesel. It has air bag suspension.
There is an aftermarket brake controller installed and he has towed a trailer with three large motor cycles from Ontario to Florida.
However, towing a trailer with bikes vs towing an Airstream is chalk and cheese.

I am going to suggest he join the forum. His name is Jim and he may be able to post his questions. I will provide a little training as to how etc. if necessary.

Personally as I said earlier, I think he is "pushing it".
I offered to hitch my 23' FC FB to his Jeep for a test tow and he can then compare it to the 30' which he is to view on Tuesday.

As far as load in the Jeep it would just be him and his wife no kids etc.

I would hate to see him make a dangerous decision as I tried to explain its not just being able to tow, its the GVW, Axle weight, TW and many other factors. The 30' AS has some pretty large tanks and if they are filled and he loads up with groceries he could be over the limit.
Again thanks for your reply.
Keith S.

oldenavy · 06-06-2021, 04:22 PM

We own a 30' AS Flying Cloud that we tow with a RAM 2500 diesel. We also own a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. We would NEVER consider towing our AS with the Jeep. I think the towing capacity on the Jeep should be more like 6200-6500#. I've never seen a Jeep GC with that high of a towing rating. Even if it's within the overall tow rating, you'd probably be over the rear axle limit of the Jeep with the trailer's tongue weight.

AKNate · 06-06-2021, 04:26 PM

I used to have a Grand Cherokee and I currently have a 30’ Airstream and I agree that your friend needs either more TV or less AS.

uncle_bob · 06-07-2021, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith S

Thanks Bob,
I just took a look at the trailer he is considering. Sorry, not 2108 Stupid me....
Its a 2018 AIRSTREAM FLYING CLOUD 30RBQ at CanAm in London Ontario.

.......

Hi

Ok, that's most of what you need to know. If he wants to "hot rod" the Jeep so it will tow the trailer, those are the people who specialize in doing this sort of work. Have them do the mods when the trailer is picked up.

Bob

Keith S · 06-07-2021, 09:33 AM

Thanks, my friend is actually a fellow in our neighbourhood and over the years we have become pals.
We are both he same age (72) and he often comes over to look at the AAS sitting on our driveway.
When he showed up yesterday, he mentioned going to see the 2018 30 FC RQB on Tuesday and then he began asking me about his Jeep. I looked at the vehicle and yes it does have a 2" factory receiver, a 7 way and 4 way plug and an after market brake controller fitted.
I tried to explain the various aspects and considerations when towing a travel trailer and what can happen in an emergency situation.
Frankly, I am concerned that due to the scarcity of used Airstream trailers right now that he will buy this trailer tomorrow.
I have recommended that he do a "test tow" while at the dealership and see how the Jeep behaves with a 30' trailer. I think the dry weight is about 6300 lbs but I may be wrong. My 23' FC FQB has a dry weight of about 4600 lbs and my F-150 seems to handle it without any issues.
Regards,
Keith S.

jimfa440 · 06-07-2021, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith S

Hello Folks,
A friend was asking me today about purchasing a 30' Airstream and if he can tow with his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The Jeep has a 6 Cylinder Eco Diesel motor.

I suggested he join the forum and ask the same question. However, he is not too computer "savvy" and I am posting the question on his behalf.

I believe the Jeep is not capable of towing a 30' Airstream as the trailer GVW may exceed the Jeeps 9000 Lbs tow rating.

My wife and I currently tow our 2019 23' FC with a Ford F150 5.0 V8. Seems to do the job very well and I suggested to my friend he may want to consider a smaller trailer or a larger TV. The Local Dealership will probably say that the Jeep can do the job without any problems. However, I know from first hand experience that towing on a level surface and towing in the mountains is a very different experience. I have had a great deal of experience towing my previous 25' AS in Colorado and I know the difference between level surfaces and mountains. Not to mention braking and tongue weight.

My suspicion that the Jeep will not be safe and having read several members comments recently on towing a 30' AS with a Navigator, I believe my friend will face safety issues.

I fully understand the tongue weight considerations, vehicle capacity and payload etc. However, I would like some other members to weigh in here and comment. I would personally not tow a 30' with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel.

What say you folks?
Regards,
Keith S.

Yes, everyone has an opinion. Here's mine. I had a 30' Excella and aRam ECO diesel 1500 and it didn't have what it takes to go downhill, it pushed me all over the place. I did however have plenty of power to pull up the mountains. I upgraded to a Nissan Titan XD diesel. It has the power to pull and the hefty chassis to handle it downhill. I since traded for a 25', no regrets. You might be able to get away with a ProPride 3P hitch and the Jeep. The hitch will be much less than a new TV.
Jim

Ken G · 06-07-2021, 05:33 PM

My 2015 JGC with ecodiesel tows our 23 FB nicely and a Airsream salesman says it will tow a 25 but the payload and hitch weight numbers on the jeep just don’t support his claims so we chose the 23 footer.

tjdonahoe · 06-07-2021, 07:02 PM

Not me..our 13 31’ Classic has 7800 on the axles..1050 tongue weight...we like our 17 ram 4x4 6.7 cumalong...short bed

Trowbridge · 06-07-2021, 08:33 PM

That trailer is way too big for a Grand Cherokee...

Lynntalsma · 06-08-2021, 05:12 AM

I towed my 1964 Overlander 26 footer with my Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 Diesel, air suspension as well. Sounds like my Jeep is the same as your neighbor's. This is my experience towing a trailer that had a dry weight of 3875 and a mostly loaded, tanks empty weight of 4500 lbs. The diesel motor was great for towing, even in our area of the blue ridge mountains. Please note this is a very light trailer compared with modern rigs. Gearing down on descents was easily done. Our set up has WD and sway via an Andersen hitch system. The rig was very stable. What was not good was the feeling that despite using transmission to gear down on descents I often felt the rig pushing me ahead and needed to supplement with a lot of braking. This is not a comfortable feeling. In my estimation the suspension on the Jeep is also inadequate. It was discovered after 3 years of towing this rig that my Jeep rear tires were seriously bald on the inner surfaces while the outer and mid tire tread appeared to be fine. This was hard to spot until the jeep was on a rack. We replaced the tires, sold the Jeep and now tow my rig with a 2021 Ram 1500 gasser. The new set up with the Ram 1500 is wonderful. I say no to the Jeep.

uncle_bob · 06-08-2021, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith S

Thanks, my friend is actually a fellow in our neighbourhood and over the years we have become pals.
We are both he same age (72) and he often comes over to look at the AAS sitting on our driveway.
When he showed up yesterday, he mentioned going to see the 2018 30 FC RQB on Tuesday and then he began asking me about his Jeep. I looked at the vehicle and yes it does have a 2" factory receiver, a 7 way and 4 way plug and an after market brake controller fitted.
I tried to explain the various aspects and considerations when towing a travel trailer and what can happen in an emergency situation.
Frankly, I am concerned that due to the scarcity of used Airstream trailers right now that he will buy this trailer tomorrow.
I have recommended that he do a "test tow" while at the dealership and see how the Jeep behaves with a 30' trailer. I think the dry weight is about 6300 lbs but I may be wrong. My 23' FC FQB has a dry weight of about 4600 lbs and my F-150 seems to handle it without any issues.
Regards,
Keith S.

Hi

If he takes it slow and has a proper hitch, he'll get the trailer home. Limit speed to < 80 KPH and avoid going over the Rockies. If the wind is blowing >30 MPH, wait a day for it to calm down ....

Bob

Keith S · 06-08-2021, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimfa440

Yes, everyone has an opinion. Here's mine. I had a 30' Excella and aRam ECO diesel 1500 and it didn't have what it takes to go downhill, it pushed me all over the place. I did however have plenty of power to pull up the mountains. I upgraded to a Nissan Titan XD diesel. It has the power to pull and the hefty chassis to handle it downhill. I since traded for a 25', no regrets. You might be able to get away with a ProPride 3P hitch and the Jeep. The hitch will be much less than a new TV.
Jim

Jim,
I tied to explain this exact phenomenon to him. It’s going downhill and stopping.
Today, he went to view some trailers and I have not heard from him.
He was also going to view a Lance. From what I know the Lance has a very heavy tongue weight. I saw a fellow weight his Lance that was shown as 650 Lbs and it weighed in at over 900lbs without water in the tank. He filled the water tank and as it is so near the forward axle it barely made any difference.
Therefore, if he decided on the Lance, he could have a huge problem with tongue weight.

Regards,
Keith

Keith S · 06-11-2021, 07:18 AM

Hello Folks,
Well after all my questions and advise my friend and neighbour went and viewed the 30’ Airstream and he also viewed a Lance.
I have followed a couple called Travels with Delaney as I used to own a T@B 400. This couple now have a Lance and weighted the tongue weight which was stated at 600lbs. It came in at over 900lbs on their YouTube video.

My friend has backed off. I think he realizes that the JGC cannot tow the 30’ Airstream and Probably not that Lance either.

He is in “rethinking” mode
Stay tuned, there may be more.
Regards,
Keith S.

Overstreet · 06-16-2021, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith S

Hello Folks,
............

I believe the Jeep is not capable of towing a 30' Airstream as the trailer GVW may exceed the Jeeps 9000 Lbs tow rating.

.................

I think y'all got the towing capacity wrong on the Jeep.
The only specs I could find on a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee showed 6200 pound towing rating. The best towing I found was on a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Track Hawlk at 7,200 pounds. The average Jeep Cherokee, and there are lots of models, was only 3500#
https://www.jeep.com/grand-cherokee/specs.html

dvgofaz · 06-16-2021, 11:44 AM

I had a Grand Cherokee years ago, V8, all wheel drive, and I towed a 3500 lb bass boat around with it. It was all good until the transmission died, twice. Turns out the tranny was the same one they used in dodge caravans...for soccer moms. Not up to the task.

They may be better now but I'd go with a proven rig before I'd try to 'get by' with the Jeep.

Spamcan · 06-16-2021, 12:11 PM

This is an easy one: HARD NO.

ForestStranger · 06-16-2021, 05:28 PM

[QUOTE=Keith S;2502245]Hello Folks,
A friend was asking me today about purchasing a 30' Airstream and if he can tow with his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The Jeep has a 6 Cylinder Eco Diesel motor.

We still have our 2014 JGC diesel. We towed a 25' box trailer with it from 2015-2018 and, although the fuel mileage was great, the trailer at 6,000 was too much for the Jeep. Side winds were very dangerous and many times 45mph still felt too fast for safe control. After market brake system (Chrysler's) still gave us the trailer-wagging-the-Jeep feeling. When we bought out 2018 27' FC we bought an F150 Ecoboost with a HD tow package and connect both with a ProPride hitch. If a 30' is in your friend's future, I'd go with a 3/4 ton diesel. With a ProPride. If he stays with the Jeep, best to buy a large boat anchor and heavy chain for downhill stopping emergencies.