Towing car

[tbill48]

Has anyone pulled a travel trailer with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi 5.7L? Comment will be appreciated

[DocBrown]

Welcome!

That's a pretty open question. How big of a trailer? Are you asking in relation to your post that you have a 2011 Jayflight 24RKS?

We also don't know a lot about your vehicle. Towing capacity as equipped, payload (on the weight sticker in the driver door jamb), tongue weight limits, rear axle gearing, to name a few things.

[tbill48]

Thanks DocBrown...I have the info you gave. I am hoping to hear from someone who has actually pulled a TT with a Jeep Hemi. My wife will not drive the high dollar diesel pickups. Therefore, the Hemi.

[DocBrown]

I do understand that. But a lot folks here have many years of towing experience. And while I haven't towed with that specific truck, the dynamics of towing are applicable to all towing situations. Knowing more about your truck and trailer, we can give you a fair idea what to expect. I doubt power is going to be an issue for you, it's all the other things that you have to factor in. The size of the trailer in this case being a big factor. That's a short wheel base SUV. You don't want to end with a situation of the "tail wagging the dog".

[GoldDog]

I have a 2011 Grand Cherokee and I just got a 2015 Jay Feather, 23ft.
I have the tow package for the a Jeep and the dealer installed a weight distribution hitch and sway control and brake controller.
The Jeep has load leveling and with the hitch, it tows the approximate 5000 lb trailer great. Only thing to get used to is the 5.7 is very thirsty!

[need-a-vacation]

As mentioned, you will have planty of power! It will be the short wheelbase of the GC, and the limited payload of the GC.

If possible, best thing to do is post the info of the GC, and of the trailer:

GC:
GVWR
GCWR
Payload- per the yellow sticker in the drivers door jamb. Will state "Passengers and cargo not to exceed (x)xxx lbs". This is for that specific vehicle and will get you in the ball park of the GC's weight as it sits. Need to subtract all passenger weight, any additional accessories and cargo weight, and the hitch weight (distribution hitch) from the payload number. This gives an idea what is left for the loaded tongue weight (tw) of the trailer.

Trailer:
GVWR
CCC
Dry weight: from the yellow sticker on each trailer- it will list the exact ccc of that trailer, just subtract the listed amount from the gvwr of the trailer and that gives us the unloaded weight for "that trailer"
Brochure listed dry tw: this number will go up as you load the trailer, and add the full propane tanks and battery (about 100lbs for 20lb tanks and battery, almost 150lbs for 30lb tanks and battery) to the trailer tongue weight. Most say to add at least 1k lbs to the dry weight, and estimate the tw at about 13% of that "loaded weight" (estimated) of the trailer to estimate the tw. You want the tw to be at least 10% of the trailer weight, but MOST trailers like at least 12%, possibly as high as 15% tw for a stable tow.

I highly suggest buying at least a Reese Dual Cam, Reese SC system, or the Equal-I-Zer 4 way system because of the short wheelbase the GC has as mentioned. These hitch systems have sway control designed into the hich, so no need to add a side friction sway bar model which in most cases needs to be removed when backing up The Reese ans Equal-I-Zer systems allow reversing without any removal of equipment before doing so.

GoldDog, please list your exact trailer model, and if you have weighed the trailer, post those numbers also.

[GoldDog]

My new trailer is a 23RLSW Jay Feather SLX, 2015.
I just picked it up yesterday so I haven't weighed it yet.
It figured that as soon as I pulled onto the highway to come home (120 miles), the clouds opened up and I couldn't even see the lines on the highway. Thankfully it only lasted about 10 minutes.
I agree the short wheelbase and load capacity of the GC it the limiting factor.
But it is just my wife and pomeranian and german shepherd and not much stuff...yet.

[Cheetah053]

I had a RAM 1500 with the 5.7L before I upgraded to a fifth wheel and a bigger truck. The Ram crew cab has considerable more wheel base than the Jeep GC, but I believe if you are not towing anything longer than 23 feet like GoldDog then you should be fine as long as you are hitched correctly with a good weight distribution hitch with sway control. I was towing 8,000 pounds (3.90 rear axle) and had an Equalizer hitch with 1200 pound bars. It did a great job, but the Hemi can't stand to go by a gas station. 8.5 mpg towing at 60-65 mph. Ouch!!

[skylarkva]

We tow with a 2011 Durango, 5.7 Hemi, essentially a GC with a bigger rear end. Power isn't an issue as others have said, and with a good hitch setup it does fine even with a longer trailer. We pull a 264BH, and use the ProPride hitch. Spendy, but there isn't anything else like it. (Except the Hensley, but they are essentially the same design)

Watch your weights, get a good hitch, don't pass too many gas stations.. you ought to be happy.

[ctbailey]

Originally Posted by GoldDog

My new trailer is a 23RLSW Jay Feather SLX, 2015.
I just picked it up yesterday so I haven't weighed it yet.
It figured that as soon as I pulled onto the highway to come home (120 miles), the clouds opened up and I couldn't even see the lines on the highway. Thankfully it only lasted about 10 minutes.
I agree the short wheelbase and load capacity of the GC it the limiting factor.
But it is just my wife and pomeranian and german shepherd and not much stuff...yet.

Wait... You have a Pomeranian and a Shepard. THAT must be fun to watch! We have a Tibetan spaniel, about a 25 pound poof-tail long hair.