Would you tow a jeep with an xj?

[zachandandy]

The wd hitch doesn't apply when flat towing a vehicle as there is virtually 0 tongue weight. His brakes are far better than stock with the discs in the rear. Towing would be both legal and possible. I don't understand the idea that some of you would do it if it was the next state over but not cross country? My jeep doesn't run any different after 3 days than it does after 3 hours doors yours?

 

[Tim_MN]

The XJ is simply too light for towing at or near its full rated 5K capacity. A CJ or a loaded trailer tends to wag the Jeep, and even moderate gusts of wind on the open road add to the action. The XJ driver must keep their full and undivided attention on the task. Driving for long distances is mind numbing and a split second of inattention could cause both rigs the crash and roll. If you run off the road without a trailer, chances are you will be just fine. If you run off the road with a trailer or flat tow, chances are you won't be fine.

With all the better and more suitable tow rigs, or other transit options, flat towing or even trailer towing with an XJ is not worth the minor savings in time or money. I know a guy that got shot, and didn't die, but I still am not interested in trying that.

 

[TRCM]

The wd hitch doesn't apply when flat towing a vehicle as there is virtually 0 tongue weight. His brakes are far better than stock with the discs in the rear. Towing would be both legal and possible. I don't understand the idea that some of you would do it if it was the next state over but not cross country? My jeep doesn't run any different after 3 days than it does after 3 hours doors yours?

It's legal and possible for me to sit down and eat a 15 lb turkey for lunch.....but I ain't gonna do it. The sickness and misery that follows ain't worth it.

The OPs question was, would we do it. We answered NO, and gave justification as to why we answered that way.

If you don't like our answers, then answer how you want, and give reasons, but don't make fun of or ridicule us for our choices.


Disc brakes ain't all that. Better, maybe, but adding discs isn't enough to overcome more than 2.5x the weight the braking system was designed for. And oh yeah, you forgot the trailer brakes that are required to tow 5k behind a jeep per the manual. Flat towing you could get away with no WD hitch if you are careful, but you can't get away from no additional brakes on the trailer.

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

The wd hitch doesn't apply when flat towing a vehicle as there is virtually 0 tongue weight. His brakes are far better than stock with the discs in the rear. Towing would be both legal and possible. I don't understand the idea that some of you would do it if it was the next state over but not cross country? My jeep doesn't run any different after 3 days than it does after 3 hours doors yours?

It's not about the jeep running different, it's about how worn out I am behind the wheel after fighting it for 3 days

 

[WyoCherokee]

If both of you are going to be in the moving truck, I would tow the scrambler behind the moving truck, and then both you fly back and drive both the XJ and VW back to Colorado. Or, have one drive the moving truck and one drive another vehicle, then one of you fly back and drive the remaining vehicle to Colorado. Chances are with the lower gas prices today, you can fly and drive cheaper than you can pay to have a vehicle moved, by probably at least $500-750. Do not tow with the XJ. Even if the motor in the XJ can pull the VW, the weight of that trailer will seriously tax your suspension and as others have said the brakes are not up to it, even with whatever gizmos (like inertia brakes) the trailers may come with. A stock XJ probably shouldn't tow anything more than a 5x8 or 5x10 utility trailer with a mower on it.

What he said. Just dont do it. Plus with no Solid frame, you will lose allot of stability and control when you get a swaying trailer.

 

[mrtoyota]

There's no doubt that towing that much weight with sn xj is possible, I wouldn't do it simply because driving in windy (60 mph) conditions at highway sports in sn xj without towing anything is terrifying enough, i wouldnt want to do it with a trailer loaded to capacity. I faced a similar dilemma a year ago. I left my xj (just an offroad and hunting toy these days) parked at my in laws house and when my wife and I flew back to our old home to visit family and friends a few months later we just drove the xj home instead of flying.

Parking it at a good friends house is a good excuse to visit in couple months to pick it up.