Good Tow rig??

93redzj

93redzj

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Location
Albemarle
A friend of mine has almost paid of his Cherokee and is looking at getting a vehicle to tow his cherokee back and forth to the trails. He wants something that will get the job done but not have him paying on it forever, any suggestions?? Also would a Grand Cherokee with a V-8 be powerful enough to haul the cherokee around? Thanks for any advice
 
Honestly, towing a Jeep on trailer is pretty minor in the towing department. I see lots of guys with F-350 and Dodge/Chevy 3500's, big diesels, huge gas engines, etc. towing Jeeps. But honestly, if you're just occassionally towing your Jeep, virtually any fullsize V-8 truck/SUV will be just fine. If you're towing more or towing often, maybe it is worth it to get a stouter rig. It's just that I've seen my parents '94 350 powered Suburban pull 13,000 lbs. and more many, many times. They have a 29 foot camper they pull regularly (probably 10,000 fully loaded) and when we were showing cattle we pulled 13k+ several times a year. Not flat land either. Up 181 to Linville, up 226 out of Marion, up Black Mountain on I-40, even out in the Rockies. The Suburban now has over 200k on it and still does it with no major problems ever (I think they had to replace an alternator). Now I have an '01 Tahoe that pulls my Jeep around just fine. My point is that if you only tow a Jeep and only tow occassionally, don't waste a ton of money on a ton truck or a big diesel unless you just want one. In that case - go for it!
 
yeah, go for it.


if I had to buy a tow rig, it would prob. be a PSD. But right now I use the v6 KJ for the buggy. its light enough not to worry about it right now. Plus, I haven't taken it on too many long trips yet, caus its not done :D



But, once its done, its a PSD for the tow rig, and I'm not using the darn work truck. That thing sits at 15K (tools and such) without a trailer...
 
True, you can tow with just about any half ton truck or bigger. I do, I use my 79 j-10 to tow with. But in my opinion, it's just not rated to tow with. The issue is not JUST pulling the load, it's also stopping the load and keeping it behind you. Brakes are a biggie when it comes to towing. The smaller axles just do not have the stopping power, and the brake surface. Brakes may wear fast depending on where and how much you tow. I do recomend having brakes on both axles of your tow trailor.
And, just for the record my vote would be a Dodge with a cummings engine. Further, it would be a five or six speed. I have seen and heard of too many auto trannys giving up and puking fluid. And it's really expensive to repair or replace.
Just my .02
 
good point chip.

On the contrary, I've had the auto behind the PSD last 186K of extremely hard, poorly maintained miles before it puked. Thats on a 15K# truck on a daily basis and pulling at least 7K# half the time. We give these work trucks hell and maintain them poorly. I'm surprised they've lasted half of that. But I guess everyone has their own experiences.

aboard.marlincrawler.com_Smileys_marlin_twocents.gif
 
93redzj said:
A friend of mine has almost paid of his Cherokee and is looking at getting a vehicle to tow his cherokee back and forth to the trails. He wants something that will get the job done but not have him paying on it forever, any suggestions?? Also would a Grand Cherokee with a V-8 be powerful enough to haul the cherokee around? Thanks for any advice
Click to expand...


First off, how often and how far do you need to tow? A buddy of mine used to tow with a V8 Grand Cherokee Limited from Cincinnati,OH to Jellico, TN and the only problem he ever had with it was it got hot. He towed it at night to keep the temps down and never had a problem since. He did have brakes on BOTH axles on his trailer, though. I would recommend both axles have brakes with such a light tow rig. Also, a weight distributing hitch will help to keep the swaying down. Emergency stopping would be the only other issue, but if you keep the speed down and keep a good clear watch ahead of you, you should be fine.

Matt
 
ManglerYJ said:
First off, how often and how far do you need to tow? A buddy of mine used to tow with a V8 Grand Cherokee Limited from Cincinnati,OH to Jellico, TN and the only problem he ever had with it was it got hot. He towed it at night to keep the temps down and never had a problem since. He did have brakes on BOTH axles on his trailer, though. I would recommend both axles have brakes with such a light tow rig. Also, a weight distributing hitch will help to keep the swaying down. Emergency stopping would be the only other issue, but if you keep the speed down and keep a good clear watch ahead of you, you should be fine.

Matt
Click to expand...
Well Im not exactly sure about how far he would be towing, but he does visit URE frequently and we went up to tellico for the dixie run this year as well so I guess he might want to venture up that way.

As for the rest of the responses Ive got so far, thanks for the advice and info
 
A 3/4 or 1 ton diesel is the only way to tow, IMO. Thats what those vehicles are designed and built for from day one. A half ton is what it is, it would most likely handle the load, but hills will be slow, breaking will be an issue and fuel mileage will suck. If your rig is lightweight, id say a half ton would be fine. If its a bit on the heavy side you better step up on the truck. Remember, your not the only one on the road, safety is an issue. I could pull my buggy with my zj, but id much rather have my PSD tugging it.
 
If he is going to BUY a vehicle, there really isn't much reason to buy the ZJ instead of a stronger tow rig. As the guys have said, find a 3/4 ton or 1 ton Dodge, with the Cummins and 5 spd, 2wd, reg cab...(it will be cheap in this config) and he will be pleased.

That said...I towed for a year or so with my ZJ, if he is using a trailer, make sure it is LIGHT and have weight distributing hitch AND brakes...and even then I personally would be worried.

So...if he already owns the ZJ...maybe, but if he is gonna spend cash, no way, spend the exact same cash to buy an older 3/4 ton. (Even a gasser would be fine, just budget that in)

Sam
 
linvillegorge said:
my parents '94 350 powered Suburban pull 13,000 lbs. and more many, many times.
Click to expand...

Sure it isn't a 2500 'burb? That thing would be MUCH better equipped to tow those kinds of weights.

Think about it from a legal point of view too.. Don't tow overweight.

Is that story about the XJ taking that grand cherokee for a ride when it was being flat towed and started to swerve still on here?

I still laugh about Nissan rating the Titan/Armada for 9,000+ tow rating with a Dana44 rear axle.. :rolleyes:
 
Nope, it's a 1500 'burb. It has all the towing packages though. 3.73 gears, auxilliary transmission cooler, and electic fan. Proper cooling is extremely important in a towing vehicle and that's where alot of the 1/2 tons fall short. Most all of the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks come off the lot ready to tow, few of the 1/2 tons do, they're hard to find. Of course, comparing a 1/2 ton, well-equipped Suburban to a ZJ isn't fair at all.

Note: I'm not suggesting people go out and do what I've said that I've seen a 1500 Suburban do. It's just that when the vehicle is well equipped with towing packages and cooling equipment and a weight distributing hitch, it can be done. Technically, it's not legal, but they've never had a problem with anything.

If you're going to be doing alot of heavy towing - get a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton, you'll be better off in the end!
 
towing

The "other" strong reason to go with a diesel is the difference in fuel milage while towing. Gas powered runs around 8.5 compared to most diesels towing that weight at 14.5 to 16 mpg, plus a lot more power. It adds up over time, plus more durability.
 
SHINTON said:
(Even a gasser would be fine, just budget that in)
Sam
Click to expand...

I agree with that - you can but a gasser for way cheaper than a diesel. See if the fuel mileage of the diesel will benefit your friend, and if he will be towing often. If not, get a cheaper gasser.

Will his tow rig be a daily driver too?
 
BlueRidgeRunner said:
Is there another truck other than a Ford? :D
Click to expand...

Well.....Since you asked...Sure there are other trucks besides a Ford...Just not nearly as UGLY and Slow as the PSD... :D
 
Back
Top