Tow rigs?

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

I drive my XJ to and from the trail, But in june im going to make the trip to NWfest, Roughly 175mi Each way and i just think for safety sake i am going to Rent a trailer and tow it..
My XJ is not huge, Pretty basic stuff really, 31" or 33" tires.. etc. I dont see it weighing more then 3200-3400lb range.

My rig, 2001 Durango 4.7HO, on 32" tires, i just had the trannny serviced. I feel this rig is very capable of doing the job. But i wouldnt make it a weekly habit. I expect my Fuel mileage to suffer, i average about 14mpg anyway, so 7-10mpg would be acceptable as i wont be fueling two rigs.

anyone else used a first generation durango to haul? How does 5k Lbs affect the handling of the Durango? I used to be a tow truck driver so "Towing" is nothin new for me.. but this isnt exactly a full size rig...

[FlexdXJ]

I think you'll be alright the 4.7 has plenty of power. My cousin has a 99 dakota 5.2 5 speed regular cab and the guy who owned it before him pulled a 30ft boat with it!

[ILLXJ]

I know a few on here have towed with the 4.7. I don't think power was a problem except in hilly areas. When I hooked mine up to a 2000 Durango first thing I noticed was that it needed air bags badly. I never towed long distance, all my trips were less than 50 miles. JIM.

[Darky]

I drive my XJ to and from the trail, But in june im going to make the trip to NWfest, Roughly 175mi Each way and i just think for safety sake i am going to Rent a trailer and tow it..
My XJ is not huge, Pretty basic stuff really, 31" or 33" tires.. etc. I dont see it weighing more then 3200-3400lb range.

My rig, 2001 Durango 4.7HO, on 32" tires, i just had the trannny serviced. I feel this rig is very capable of doing the job. But i wouldnt make it a weekly habit. I expect my Fuel mileage to suffer, i average about 14mpg anyway, so 7-10mpg would be acceptable as i wont be fueling two rigs.

anyone else used a first generation durango to haul? How does 5k Lbs affect the handling of the Durango? I used to be a tow truck driver so "Towing" is nothin new for me.. but this isnt exactly a full size rig...
Unless you've lightened your XJ, or it was exceptionally light to start with, you're probably closer to 3600-3700. Mine was 3400lbs stock except for a boost and 30s.

[1985xjlaredo]

Well you should be fine but you will be squatting in the rear very badly. Try to get the tounge as light as possible. A helper spring or air bags would help alot. And what load rating do those tires of yours have?

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

i think i will get the Shackle/Tbar lift done before hand.

The tires are Load range D. So they should be just fine to haul the load. Sure an E would be best. but i like how Flexible these are, they do great in the sand at 10psi..

Im thinkin i'll have to have the back end of the Jeep facing the back end of the durango..

[superdave]

One thing, you need to LIE to the rental place about what you are towing and what with. If you tell them the truth they won't rent you a trailer. U-Haul has a book with a bunch of vehicles, weights and such and they will refuse you if it is beyond their specs. Tell them you are putting a MG on the trailer.

[IslanderOffRoad]

I'd just drive it. I drove my XJ from So Cal to Moab for the 25th anniversary, 750 miles each way. You'll get better mileage driving the XJ on 31's than towing it with the Durango. Spend the trailer money on basic maintenance before the trip.

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Im bringing the durango anyway as it serves as my tent. and the jeep is my kids tent.

And i dont plan to actually "rent" a trailer, at this point i might be Barrowing one..

Its just a safety thing, Im bringing 2 kids with me, and would rather not have a headache at the end of the weekend.

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

One thing, you need to LIE to the rental place about what you are towing and what with. If you tell them the truth they won't rent you a trailer. U-Haul has a book with a bunch of vehicles, weights and such and they will refuse you if it is beyond their specs. Tell them you are putting a MG on the trailer.
Curiousity got to me, Called U-Haul, they say the durango pulling a full car trailor (not a dolly) can pull the Cherokee.. so that helps assure me that it should do the job even more.

not that i would base my decision on U-hauls Computer system:gag:

[Darky]

They're pretty picky, if they think it'll do it, chances are you should be safe...they err on the side of caution cause if they rent it to you and you get hurt because the vehicle can't handle it, they can get sued. Stupid, yes, but that's the court system we have.

[DrMoab]

Im thinkin i'll have to have the back end of the Jeep facing the back end of the durango..

I wouldn't do this if I were you. Pull it on, you want more weight to the front than the back, even if it's a little squatty. You are asking for a serious accident if you put too much weight to the back.

If you pull it on you can still load it toward the rear but its a lot more controlable.

Another thing you would probably not think about is a rock breaking the back window. When I used to haul cars we had a lot of problems breaking back windows out of vehicles that were backed on the truck. The tempered glass in a back window just isn't made to take a rock like a windshield is.

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

I wouldn't do this if I were you. Pull it on, you want more weight to the front than the back, even if it's a little squatty. You are asking for a serious accident if you put too much weight to the back.

If you pull it on you can still load it toward the rear but its a lot more controlable.

Another thing you would probably not think about is a rock breaking the back window. When I used to haul cars we had a lot of problems breaking back windows out of vehicles that were backed on the truck. The tempered glass in a back window just isn't made to take a rock like a windshield is.
:cheers: good points