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Old 10-02-2018, 04:19 PM   #1
GCL12377
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Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7L

Looking to purchase our first TT. 2019 Keystone Bullet 248 rks 29 ft 5160lb dry. Interested in purchasing 2019 Grand Cherokee 5.7L V8 as our tow vehicle with a tow capacity of 7400 lbs. Is this a good match? Very new to this. I do understand that a truck would always be a better option but just curious about experiences with Cherokees and advice. Thanks
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Old 10-02-2018, 05:02 PM   #2
66joej
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Short wheelbase! Have towed with one your TT is too long for a Grand Cherokee. YMMV
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Old 10-02-2018, 05:02 PM   #3
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I hope others will chime in with their thoughts but I do not believe this is a combination you would be happy with. The wheel base on the GC is too short. I'm thinking even with a good WD hitch you will still be all over the road.
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Old 10-02-2018, 05:06 PM   #4
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Check the payload numbers on the JGC (yellow sticker), but I can almost assure that you will be over payload with that trailer. Plus, as others have mentioned, with that very short wheelbase you will likely not have a good experience. Save the cash and get a truck- for the price of the 5.7 JGC you can get a properly equipped truck that will give you a far better towing experience and maybe even save some cash.
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Old 10-02-2018, 06:33 PM   #5
fjr vfr
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Be aware that any cargo including you and wife subtracts from the tow capacity.
For example, if your tow capacity is 7400 lbs that is with the tow vehicle completely empty.
If the two of you weigh 300 lbs and you have another 300 lbs of cargo your tow capacity drops to 6800 lbs.
Also your hitch weight counts against cargo capacity.
One other point, empty trailer weight is a meaningless number. The only weight that matters is the trailers gvwr fully loaded. That's what you are towing.
I very much agree with the others. You need a heavier duty tow vehicle.
One other word of advise. If you think you need something to tow 7000 lbs then buy something that is rated for 10,000 lbs.
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Old 10-02-2018, 07:22 PM   #6
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Lots of folks have made the mistake. Take the advice given and either buy more tow vehicle or a smaller trailer and enjoy your "hitch itch".
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Old 10-02-2018, 07:26 PM   #7
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I will have to chime in here as well. The GC is not a tow vehicle per se when speaking of a travel trailer of any size. The wheelbase is far too short for a longer trailer and the vehicle itself is just not built to haul that kind of load. The only reason it has any sort of higher tow limit is the 5.7 hemi. The rest of the vehicle is not up for it.
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Old 10-03-2018, 01:35 AM   #8
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I can't speak to towing a trailer that long or heavy with a newer Grand Cherokee, but our combination is a 2004 Grand Cherokee Overland coupled to a 2019 Passport 197RB. The Overland had the most powerful engine available that year, and came from the factory with the "tow package": extra cooling for both engine and transmission, and with a factory installed hitch, light plug, etc. It even had the wiring installed for electric brakes up under the dash right to the trailer plug, but not the brake controller itself. The RV dealership installed a controller.

Our trailer is about 5 feet shorter (23'11''), and 1300 lbs lighter, than what you are looking at.

We purposely went with something smaller and lighter to match the vehicle we already had, and our circumstances. It's just my wife and I (New "empty nesters" this year). We've had a Class C motorhome for 15+ years, but this is our first towable together. Our goal was to have something easier and quicker to set up, with a bit more comfort (well, a LOT more comfort), than the Jeep/tent camping we used to do a lot of, but still get close to the backcountry dirt roads so we could take off to explore in the Jeep. We didn't want something too big. We looked at many models, and initially thought we were going to go with something even smaller, but couldn't find the features we wanted in a smaller unit. We kind of hit on the features we wanted in the smallest and lightest trailer we could find, and stopped there.

Our towing experience, so far, has been great. The Grand Cherokee pulls the trailer easily, and it's rock solid on the road. The Husky Centerline TS "spring bar" type weight distributing anti-sway hitch we use seems to do it's job well. The trailer is dual axle. No sway or bouncing around felt in the vehicle. At highway speed..60-65...I hardly even feel it back there. I've pulled a few grades in Colorado with no problem, either uphill or down. Plenty of power, and plenty of braking it seems. It is recommended to turn off the overdrive when towing, less wear and tear on the tranny, but I must be honest and say that since the default is "on", I've forgotten to turn it off from time to time. I usually notice it when it's started shifting around in hilly terrain and then turn it off. On level ground, when it's not shifting around, I've not been worried about it. Even with overdrive off, I still seem to be averaging around 14 MPG towing the trailer. Not bad at all considering we were getting 6 MPG out of our old Class C.

We're a long ways from any interstates, so I haven't done any interstate towing yet. Just two and four lane state and county roads.

So far, my experience with the tow vehicle has been exemplary. I feel the Grand Cherokee is plenty capable for my purposes, pulling my trailer. The trailer itself? Well, I've related some of my experiences with that in other threads. Let me just say: It's a work in progress, and I'm glad it still has a warranty.

There's a lot of folks on Jeep forums who've related their experiences with towing various travel trailers with newer Grand Cherokees (I was surprised to learn that the new Grand Cherokees have a wheelbase about 9 inches longer than mine). Some with trailers up towards the length and weight you are looking at. Overall, experiences seem favorable, even on cross-country trips. Maybe do a few searches of dedicated Jeep forums, if you haven't already, and read their first-hand accounts.
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Old 10-03-2018, 04:09 AM   #9
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The first season I towed our 195RB with a Ford Explorer Sport. The Sport has the EcoBoost 3.5 V6 and a heavier suspension than the "regular" Explorer.
It had plenty of power and if all we were going to do was visit campgrounds a few hours away I most likely would have kept it. But we don't.
We usually put around 9k miles a season visiting middle America and on interstates and complex highways there just wasn't enough *** to the Explorer for me to feel comfortable and I'm pulling a shorter lighter TT.
I'm sure the JGC will pull the TT you are thinking about but will you be happy and comfortable doing it? Will you be safe?
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Old 10-03-2018, 05:57 AM   #10
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If you ask the Jeep salesman, he'll tell you, "Sure, the numbers are good, it'll tow great."

If you ask the Keystone salesman, he'll tell you, "You said you've got a Jeep GC? It'll tow anything on the lot, go look and take your pick."

If you ask the people here, you'll get a couple who will say, "Sure, no problem" the vast majority will, based on their experiences towing (not selling) tell you their experience with similar sized rigs. Keep in mind, some will want to justify their own mistakes, some will admit they made a mistake and upgraded their tow vehicle, some will, based on never towing anything but their one rig, honestly feel that they have a "good towing rig" when they have nothing to compare it against. They aren't giving you bad advice, just advice limited by their experience.

Take all the advice, base your decision on what you find credible not on what you want to hear.....

As for me, the Jeep GC is a good tow vehicle for smaller trailers, and for flatbed trailers up to the weight rating. Travel trailers are a "different beast" and the large sidewall area (not found in flatbed trailers) is the "deal breaker" for towing with short wheelbase vehicles, regardless of their "numbers"...

Once you've towed a "white knuckle rig" and then tow a "properly sized rig" you'll know the difference and very few (only those with a death wish) would return to a short wheelbase vehicle with a 30' travel trailer.
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Old 10-03-2018, 09:08 PM   #11
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You guys forgot to mention comparing the dry listed weights of a a RV is not how to see if XX can tow it. Use the GVWR of the trailer and tongue wt for the GVWR not dry.
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Old 10-04-2018, 06:09 AM   #12
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As others have already mentioned, there are 2 significant deficits when towing with a midsize SUV.

First is payload. JGCs average around 1300 lbs of payload from the factory. More optioned trims will be less. When loaded up and "ready to camp", the tongue weight on the forementioned trailer can be as high as 975# (6500x15%). Throw in a 100 lb WDH and nearly 1,100 lbs of payload has already been accounted for. Not much reserve payload left over.

The second limiting factor is the inherent short wheelbase of "any" midsize SUV. The "tail wagging the dog" or however one says it, is the downfall of towing any large trailer. Short wheelbase vehicles will always be at a disadvantage when it comes to control of the trailer behind them. Passing semi's, crosswinds, and the descents on hill crests will become tiring on long commutes. Control should come natural without frequent steering corrections. This won't be the case with a SUV wheelbase at 114 inches pulling a 29 ft high profile travel trailer.

Last summer, I camped next to a man (and his family) with the same 35 foot trailer I had. His TV was a late model Dodge Durango. A slightly larger vehicle than the JGC with a wb of 119". We struck up a conversation. This was his first trip out with his trailer after buying it new 1 month earlier. He told me that he was very disappointed in the Durango's control of the coach. He was using a 2 point sway control WDH. He stated he had a 200 mile ride home and wasn't looking forward to it. Then he asked me how my Ram 2500 Mega cab towed this trailer. Let's just say, by the end of our discussion, he was a "future" RAM owner.
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Old 10-04-2018, 06:22 AM   #13
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Speaking from experience my passport is 28feet 11inches and is about the same dry weight as yours. I tow with my F-150 with little trouble. We also own a Nissan Armada that is built on the Titan truck frame with a 5.6L V8 with factory rear airbags that level the unit out when the rear sags, we tow with an equalizer 4pt distribution hitch and I can tell you that the few times we have used the Armada it will pull it and has the cargo capacity but by no means would I use it as my primary tow vehicle and it has a towing capacity of over 9000lbs. I only use it if my F-150 is in the shop and we need to move the trailer. My advice as many others have stated is that the JGC is great vehicle you are pushing beyond its intended use.
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Old 10-04-2018, 06:52 AM   #14
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This is one of those...
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
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Old 10-05-2018, 05:49 AM   #15
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I tow with a body-on-frame SUV with no issues, but my RV is a little smaller (25'). I get why someone would want to use an SUV. If that's the case, you might want to look at the Expedition. It is rated to tow over 9000# and unlike the unibody Cherokee, is a body-on-frame design. The wheelbase is almost exactly the same as the F-150 with a 6.5' bed. The V6 generates 470 ft-lb of torque with a 10-speed transmission. The "max" Expedition has a longer wheelbase than the F-150 6.5' bed. The tow package includes an integrated brake controller and the trailer backup assist.
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Old 10-05-2018, 01:05 PM   #16
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This is a decision you will quickly regret if you get in some wind. You will also feel the weight in braking and any maneuver requiring quick direction changes. The bigger machine will win.
Better to have the righttool for the job. And if you are looking at a 19 grand cherokee, it doesnt appear $ is driving the decision. Get a tow vehicle. Save the grand cherokee for the jet skiis.
Ive had 3 grand cherokees, 1 Ford ranger, 1 F150, several 3/4 chevys and dodges, a newer F250 and many trailers of different sizes. The jeep would be my last choice if doing any towing.
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Old 10-05-2018, 01:37 PM   #17
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If you have to have an SUV body, Yukon/Suburban/Expedition would be better options.
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Old 10-05-2018, 03:13 PM   #18
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I'll chime in on this. First to clarify a misconception, it's the DRIVETRAIN that matters not necessarily the engine size. JGCs with the factory tow package are rated the same with the exception of 2WD vs 4WD. WDHs are required over 3500 lbs.

I have a 2014 3.0L and I tow a Passport Elite 27RB. I agree it's not the best combination but I'm willing to compromise for the offroadability. Yeah, sometimes it's a case of the tail wagging the dog but not often and not to the white knuckle level.

Myself, the wife, and the dog are the only cargo in the Jeep, the rest is in the trailer - we don't pack a lot of stuff, we're not fulltimers. It would be much different if we were.

Is it the best? NO. is it capable? Yes

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Old 10-05-2018, 03:37 PM   #19
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Don't do it. Unless it's a set of jet skis or something like it. I saw a salesman at Camping World in Birmingham Alabama sell a guy a trailer that just looking at it you could tell it was way too heavy & an accident waiting to happen. I asked him what the hell you doing? They only care about the sale. I bought a 35' 5th wheel Montana. But I pull it with a 3500 Dodge 4x4. This guy had a Chevy Tahoe & the rear end looked liked a low rider. It's just too dangerous when driving down the highway. I'm a demo contractor & I know a little bit about weights. I have bobcats & John Deere 710 backhoes driving around So.Cal. everyday. The last thing you want to do get in a accident or worse killing somebody.
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Old 10-07-2018, 02:16 AM   #20
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I like the last post, SOCOINC1984. Know what you're talking about, be blunt, be concise, be accurate.
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