towing with a wj

[mcguyver_xj]

there used to be a tow rig thread but i dont see it anymore...friend and i are looking to use his 2000 wj 4.7 awd to tow a car trailer with his built xj on from MA to NC and back (roughly 700 miles one way)...looking for advice for those who tow with wj's or people who just generally know a lot about towing...thanks


i'm trying to get him just to drive the xj

 

[87manche]

WD hitch is mandatory.
trans cooler the size of a house is mandatory.
properly functioning trailer brakes mandatory. If you hit the emergency brake button on the controller they should lock up if you're going slowly. (you do have brakes and a brake controller right? Don't even consider this if you don't.)
change the ATF before and after the trip.

You'll likely be exceeding all of the manufacturers recommended trailer weight/frontal area guidelines. chryco trans is going to hate you.

personally, I'd look for a dolly with brakes and do that. Save the 1500lbs of a trailer behind it.

 

[Boss Cherokee]

I dont really know what the gvwr on the wj is but if it came with a tow package and the V8 Id say you would be alright. A dolly would be lighter but may be more of a hassle if the towed rig is only flat towable. If you rent a trailer from u haul they have surge brakes not needing a brake module. I have all three surge, electric, and a dolly. The dolly is too narrow now the surge can be touchy and the electric works best if set up right. 700 miles would be nice splitting the gas, even though you will burn more, its nice to load up a dissabled car and split 10 or more hours of driving!!

 

[shortxjdoug]

I have towed with one... It is very possible but it is not an ideal situation. A light trailer is a must as is proper weight balance. Stay sharp too, a fat trailer and jeep will push it around pretty good in certain situations. We got some scary trailer sway coming down a steep grade but other than that incident it performed very well.

 

[Cottontail]

A WJ is rated right about 5000-5500 lbs depending on the engine/transmission/drive train. Assuming a 4000 lb XJ (which mine is- mildly built) and about a 1000 lb trailer, which I would guess is a light one, you are right on, if not over the rating.


I wouldn't do it.

 

[mcguyver_xj]

well we opted to use a dolly trip aint for a while...i just went through the wj two heater hoses looked close to popping, all new coolant, new fan clutch, tranny service, and top end engine service...we are also going to stick stock tires on the back of the xj and take the rear driveshaft out (it has sye) wj in question is a 1999 wj laredo 4.7 45rfe np247 d30 and d44a 3.73 gears...i feel a little better about using a dolly so is it doable safely trailer is out of the question i wouldnt risk it

 

[Stukboy]

I argue the weight that can be towed. It is 6500#. I have towed both a YJ and XJ with the 4.7 using both an open and closed deck from PA(Lancaster) to NC(Tellico). It towed very well. We did a convoy one year and we had a 5.9ZJ and it only did better on the steep hills. I use a brake control and distribution hitch with sway control. We did between 65 and 75mph most of the way.

 

[xDUMPTRUCKx]

i watched a member, immortal aka ken, tow a stripped parts xj with his wj on a dolly for a few miles.......he went from the slow lane to the fast lane and back a few times before doing a 2 wheeled 360 jackknife, it was awesome.

ive towed an old xj of mine, on tons, with a stock xj before........it will do it. but every mile probably felt like 500 to the poor thing.


every spec and bit of intelligent folk on here will say.....no.

it will probably do it okay though. plan accordingly.

 

[Smash Hole]

I tow with a WJ. My 4.7 HO is rated at 6500lb with the tow package. My Jeep on the trailer is right about that.

Brakes are a must. Tongue weight is extremely important. Get an aluminum trailer if you can. Upgrade the sway bars and get some helper springs for the back.

Tow in third, I eventually killed a trans towing in OD. The power is there to do it, but the trans did not like the heat.

I get 11.5 mpg at 65 mph

 

[mcguyver_xj]

I tow with a WJ. My 4.7 HO is rated at 6500lb with the tow package. My Jeep on the trailer is right about that.

Brakes are a must. Tongue weight is extremely important. Get an aluminum trailer if you can. Upgrade the sway bars and get some helper springs for the back.

Tow in third, I eventually killed a trans towing in OD. The power is there to do it, but the trans did not like the heat.

I get 11.5 mpg at 65 mph

well what are your thoughts about doing so with the dolly that might have surge brakes better or worse than a trailer and the wj we are using has factory tow package as well

 

[Smash Hole]

well what are your thoughts about doing so with the dolly that might have surge brakes better or worse than a trailer and the wj we are using has factory tow package as well

Full trailer with surge was better than dolly with no brakes

 

[macgyvr]

John Bjorm (96classic) tows his ls1 powered XJ on a trailer with a WJ from Michigan to all over the United states.

I'm not sure which motor he has, but he makes it work.

mac 'I've towed with the wife's 5.9' gyvr

 

[shortxjdoug]

well what are your thoughts about doing so with the dolly that might have surge brakes better or worse than a trailer and the wj we are using has factory tow package as well

Towing full trailer is always better than a dolly. It may be heavier but set up properly is a much more predictable and easier to manage.

 

[1-tonxj]

A U-hual trailer with surge breaks and a WJ with v8 will be fine the trailer is 1000lbs tops . Select a hitch/drawbar that gives you a level trailer coupler/hitch set up and you will be fine . the 4.7 will not be winning any hill speed contests but it will do it without falling apart the 45rfe will be fine it will have no issues pulling that load ...lol...it would be much more fun to pull it with a Turbo Diesel I mean it's pretty fun to be able to 0-70 in a 1/4 mile towing 6,000 lbs .

 

[MrSimon]

A U-hual trailer with surge breaks and a WJ with v8 will be fine the trailer is 1000lbs tops . Select a hitch/drawbar that gives you a level trailer coupler/hitch set up and you will be fine . the 4.7 will not be winning any hill speed contests but it will do it without falling apart the 45rfe will be fine it will have no issues pulling that load ...lol...it would be much more fun to pull it with a Turbo Diesel I mean it's pretty fun to be able to 0-70 in a 1/4 mile towing 6,000 lbs .

Uhaul car trailers weigh between 2,300 and 2,500 lbs. They are marked clearly on the sides. They are heavier than they look - very overbuilt.

You would be MUCH better off borrowing a truck from a friend for the trip. Even a half ton pick-up would tow better and be safer than the WJ.

 

[87manche]

Empty weight: 2,210 lbs.

http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/EquipmentDetail.aspx?model=AT

uhaul trailers are heavy pigs. I also wouldn't count on the brakes working well.

they also have some stupid rules, I'd be surprised if they'd rent it to you wit a grand and an XJ onthe trailer.

Must weigh at least 3,500 lbs. (curb weight), and must equal or exceed 80% of the combined weight of the trailer (2,210 lbs.) and the vehicle being towed (up to 5,290 lbs.).

this is what you get if you put a WJ and XJ in the "will this work" widget.

The Auto Transport is not recommended for this towing combination.

if you lie and get in an accident you're going to pay the tab.

 

[IllianaXJ]

FWIW I towed a XJ on a Uhaul car hauler with a '01 Durango 5.9 RT and it sucked. Find a heavier duty tow rig or drive the XJ.

 

[1-tonxj]

Uhaul car trailers weigh between 2,300 and 2,500 lbs. They are marked clearly on the sides. They are heavier than they look - very overbuilt.

You would be MUCH better off borrowing a truck from a friend for the trip. Even a half ton pick-up would tow better and be safer than the WJ.

There is no way a U-haul car hauler weighs 2,500lbs ...My trailer now has a 17 foot deck with two 17 footlong C5 6.7 main rails ...3 C-4 5.4 cross member 6 C-3 x 5 crossmembers...one rear crossmember consisting of 5x2 box tube .188 wall set inbeteen main rails to stiffen them up ...4x3 angle full wrap tongue which i bent so I sleeved with some c 5 6.7 channel ...widened deck made of 2x2 1/8th tube gussteted with 1/4 brackets and drive over fenders made of 1.5 square skinned in 1/8th inch sheet and a heavby 15k bulldog couple so I don't bend it on rough bumpy trails again...lol...this trailer is constructed way heavier than a short U-haul trailer and much longer ,and still weighs only about 1,200lbs just simply by calculating what the steel used to build it weighs per foot and adding in about 125lbs of axle weight per axle and about 100lbs for 4 tires ...lol...guarantee you if I go grab a U-houal trailer it weighs only about tops 1,500 but probably no more than 1000-ish ...if you want to bet me the cost of rental I'll go pull one to the local cat or dot scale to get the numbers ,but simply knowing what steel weighs per foot there is no way there is 2,500lbs into a shot u-haul trailer...LOL>.. I could be wrong ,but if they do weigh 2,500lbs they must pack the tires full of sand B/C I just don't see where the metal is in the build that could weigh over a TON empty ...I guess I need to go look at one a little closer before I make such a bet ...LOL


That being said I can't see towing a moderately built XJ that can hold good highway speeds and drive well with a sktchy tow rig being more comfortable than driving it since ease and comfort is usually the reason for towing ...example my XJ is in the slow semi truck lane 4-ways on making a steep mountain pass at 35-40 , thus the reason MR. Cummins now pulls it .

 

[87manche]

There is no way a U-haul car hauler weighs 2,500lbs

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/tow-rigs-trailers/797264-u-haul-car-trailer.html

people that work there say that uhaul's weight estimate is realistic.

have you ever towed one? They are big fat heavy pigs because they're built to survive being rented to morons.

 

[Hillbilly XJ]

My "Overland" 4.7HO does fine have towed as far as 450mi so far with without any issues on my race car trailer. The trailer does have brakes on both axles I added the second set they help.

As far as my 04 GC no mods at all stock and trans has had no problems just watch what gear I'm in, mileage average towing 13-14 on a good day.