Can my Jeep tow the 174BH

[CaroleM]

Hello,

I have a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with the V6 and Tow package.
It says it has a tow capacity of 4500 lbs. I'm considering purchasing a 2021 Jay Flight 174 BH, but want to make sure that it's not too much. I heard the fiberglass models are heavier so would get the aluminum one.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[Midnightmoon]

Welcome to JOF. I hope that you find your time here friendly and informative.

The first question to consider for your tow vehicle may not be the manufacturer's tow rating but rather the cargo capacity. What is the listed cargo capacity of your Cherokee? It should be listed on a sticker inside the drivers door jam.

[CaroleM]

Huh. In the door jam it says GVWR 5500 lbs.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by CaroleM

Huh. In the door jam it says GVWR 5500 lbs.

You should have a sticker that looks something like this. It will tell you your cargo capacity.

[RogerR]

I have a 2014 Jeep Grand Overland, v6 and tow the 195RB fully loaded.
I use the Andersen Hitch and love it.
That said, my mileage, Illinois to Florida averaged 12.4 MPG at 65 mph with 2 of us and a moderate load in the Jeep. I would prefer the V8 as merging and going up hills it shifts down and revs up to 4500RPM.
I have driven into the Rockies 2 times and mileage dropped to 9 climbing mountains.

[CaroleM]

On that sticker it says cargo and passengers shouldn't exceed 900 lbs

[CaroleM]

So if the GVWR for my Jeep is 5500 lbs. Are they deducting the 900 lbs from the cargo and passenger load capacity when they say my Jeep has a towing capacity of 4500 lbs?

[CaroleM]

Thank you

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by CaroleM

So if the GVWR for my Jeep is 5500 lbs. Are they deducting the 900 lbs from the cargo and passenger load capacity when they say my Jeep has a towing capacity of 4500 lbs?

Leave the 4500 lb towing capacity out of the conversation for a second. Many tow vehicles run out of payload capacity before they ever reach their manufacturers listed towing capacity.

The 5500 lb GVWR of your Jeep is the max weight listed by the manufacturer that it can weigh when loaded with people and cargo (also the tongue weight of a towed trailer). The listed cargo capacity (in your case 900 lb) is the GVWR minus the listed curb weight of your Jeep. Keep in mind that the only way of actually knowing the true weight of your vehicle is to visit a certified scale such as a CAT scale. But, for now, we can work with the manufacturers listed numbers.

Now the 174BH has a listed GVWR of 3750 lb and a manufacturers list dry tongue weight of 300 lbs. However, manufacturers listed dry weights are inherently inaccurate. A better calculation is to use 12%-15% of the trailer's GVWR to give you a closer guess as to the true tongue weight of the trailer (again, the only true way is to visit a scale). So, using those percentages, the tongue weight will likely be in the 450-560 lb range.

Getting back to the potential combination. With a listed cargo capacity of 900 lb, and subtracting 450-560 lb for tongue weight, that leaves you with 340-450 lb of remaining cargo capacity for additional passengers and cargo in your tow vehicle when traveling.

On paper, it looks like it will be close depending on the amount of people and items you plan on taking with you. Again, the only true way to know these numbers for sure is to visit a scale. But, this should give you a rough idea.