GVWR?

[Colliemom]

Whoops, sorry Laura, my brain must not have been awake yet

But I agree on the tow vehicle comments. The sales people want to sell them and sure, many of the vehicles out there can tow a trailer, but it doesn't mean a travel trailers. More like maybe a little utility trailer or boat trailer etc., Different dynamics. And I agree with BJ. I rarely see a Jeep towing a travel trailer. Trucks are your go to vehicles. I have a neighbor who's son traded in his TT for a newer, bigger bunk house one, think around 26-28 ft., Came in to store it in dad's place over here, hitched to a Chevy Tahoe. I thought, oh oh. I've had Tahoes and they are great vehicles, but wouldn't want to tow that big of trailer. Trailers GVWR was over 7,000 pounds. Put him, the wife, the kids an assortment of "stuff" in the Tahoe and you have overload. I was skeptical when I asked him if he was going to tow the trailer with it and he said yep. After a couple trips out with it last summer, I noticed they now have a truck.

We aren't trying to discourage you or frighten you, just want to make sure you stay safe. Do your homework, ask all you want about the subject and before you know it, you will be living your dream.

[Azusateach]

We aren't trying to discourage you or frighten you, just want to make sure you stay safe. Do your homework, ask all you want about the subject and before you know it, you will be living your dream.

Frankly, I AM trying to discourage you, Barbie, from trying to tow the kind of trailer you want with your Liberty. And I AM trying to frighten you when it comes to thinking of the potential for an accident and hurting others. let alone yourself.


There. I talked turkey.

Please, Barbie. Listen to those of us who have been there and towed many, many different rigs. If you're dead-set on getting a trailer like you've mentioned above, you need a different tow vehicle, no matter what a Jeep dealer says.

[MelissaD]

Since I am planning to finally get myself a travel trailer after the house sells, I have some questions. One of which is how much can I really pull with my Jeep? My Jeep is rated to pull 5600 pounds but I know I can't realistically pull that much. Would GVWR 4500# still be too much?

I can go into a long list of reasons but the short answer is, the Jeep is a poor choice for a tow vehicle. It was designed for another purpose. If you want to tow a trailer, do yourself a favor and get a vehicle designed to tow a trailer. Listen to Laura and buy a different vehicle. Tow a Jeep, Don't tow with a Jeep.

Also a travel trailer is the hardest trailer to tow. It has a large frontal area (high wind resistance), long length (wag the dog effect) and is often loaded poorly resulting is poorer towing performance.

These might help

Choosing the Right Tow Vehicle http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-how-to/trailer-tech/choosing-the-right-tow-vehicle/

Trailer Towing Guides http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/

This shows what happens when you go from a short trailer to a long trailer "wag the dog" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFzrWHTG5e8

Just want people to be safe.

[longdog2]

Several other things to think about when choosing an RV. If you buy a motorhome, you will be maintaining two vehicles and two insurance policies. Of course, even with a travel trailer, you will need insurance on both the tow vehicle and the trailer. And money for maintenance for both. Some will tell you that the trailer is covered under the tow vehicle but that doesn't insure it like an RV which should have coverage for the RV and everything in it. Other things to plan on.....you mentioned moving back to California. You will almost certainly have to plan on paying for storage for the RV and California in general is very high cost. I would do some checking on whatever location you think you will live. RV parks in California are generally higher too. Just some ideas of things to be thinking about before making the buy.

[Redetotry]

Barbie, Have you considered buying a small class C, like a 24'-26', one that you wouldn't need to have a tow vehicle but would give you enough room to live in it if you wanted. Just thought I would confuse you a little more.

[gingerK]

I love my 20 foot Class C. I can park her in a regular space. She's quite big enough for me or me and my DH but add in our big dogs and things get too cramped. I'd like to go with a 24, still small enough to make me comfortable driving, but a little more room for "extra" bodies.

[BirdbyBird]

So much comes down to your preferences. But you can also, cost wise, compare the cost of purchasing an upgraded Tow vehicle plus the cost of the TT with the cost of a used MH and the money to prepare the Jeep to be towed....... So much to consider.

[monik7]

I find that mine at 25' is perfect for me, 2 dogs and a cat. I could easily full time in it. I sure wouldn't want to tow a trailer. Granted mine runs on the expensive side, but there are less expensive 23 to 25 foot rigs. I'm also in California and my storage is currently $109/mo.
Sandi