GVWR?

[BarbaraRose]

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 have seen some layouts that I really like in the past but having trouble now remembering what kind they were and the new ones don't seem to have that layout. I am thinking of an 18 ft trailer, give or take a couple feet with a separate bed, a slide out with a couch instead of a dinette. I know Forest River made one like that a few years ago. I am finding that most of the new trailers now have bunk beds and I don't want that. They also have dinettes in the slide outs and I also don't want that. I want to have something comfortable to relax on and read or use my laptop. I can eat on a tray table. Not expecting to travel with anyone else. Also want a separate shower, not a wet bath.

If you have ideas on what brands, models, years that would be similar to this, let me know. Thanks!

[JudyJB]

I can't answer your questions about tow weight, but don't forget that you can remove a dinette if you buy one that does not have storage underneath. I took out my front dinette and put in my big leather recliner from home. The only thing underneath mine was a small speaker and the inlet for my fresh water fill, which does not take up too much room and is not in the way.

So when you shop, look under dinettes and see if they can be removed.

[BarbaraRose]

Thanks Judy! I was gonna ask about that. Good to know.

[Azusateach]

You're correct about the weight ratio. However, I'd be worried about your wheelbase length. Jeeps are not very long, and the shorter the wheelbase, the more you'd be likely to experience a "tail wagging the dog" situation.

Also, whenever you've got a slide that adds a considerable amount of weight to the rig. I had a 19' Hideout (19flb -- look them up) with no slide, a couch, dinette, separate shower/tub combo, and a corner bed. It was a super little trailer. But I was nervous about pulling it with my V-6 Explorer and moved up to a V-8. And I don't think your Jeep has any more power than my V-6 did.

Personally, I wouldn't be looking at anything much longer than about 16'. You can browse RV.net and see what people have said about Jeeps being used as a tow vehicle. Lots of opinions over there.

And remember, an RV dealer will sell you anything if they think they can. Sure doesn't mean you'd be safe pulling it.

[Acadianmom]

I don't know anything about the weights but I saw Lyn's trailer at the GTG. She has a Lance. What I liked was she has 2 chairs on the side instead of a sofa. I don't know if they recline but they had high backs. There was a bed across the front which may be a dinette but I didn't ask.

Martha

[Bethers]

A slide adds a lot of weight, as said. It's why you rarely see one in a lightweight trailer. And if you do, you'll likely exceed your high weight with almost nothing going inside.

[Liz]

I loved Lyn''s Lance with two comfortable looking chairs with table between: http://www.lancecamper.com/travel-trailers/1475/

[BarbaraRose]

Thanks for the link Liz. There is one a little larger than that one with a slide out dinette at the same weight but looks like if the slide was in, you couldn't get in the bathroom.

Thanks for the input so far. These are things that you "experienced" ladies know a lot more about than I do, so I welcome your ideas!

[gypsyrose1126]

I just bought (last Oct) a 2014 Forest River Rockwood Mini Light, 18' with a bed in the bed (not a walk around) and slide out with couch. Weight listed at 3522-- I also bought a jeep gr. Cherokee to pull it with -- I will be having a weight distribution & sway bar installed prior to taking it out this year. I have not used it yet, as I worked until Feb. but will be going on my maiden voyage next month to NC.

[Cougarfan]

I towed a 19' trailer with a GVWR of 4500# with a 2012 Jeep Liberty. I was coming home from a camping trip in a rainstorm with fairly gusty winds. I was on a winding road so each time I went around a corner, the wind would hit the trailer from a different direction. There were about 4 times the trailer wheel went off the pavement towards a pretty deep ditch. I was scared to death. I made it to a town for gas and thought about dropping the trailer in the parking lot and calling a friend with a 1-ton truck to tow it home for me from there. I sucked it up and did get the last 30 miles without dying. I was done towing. I was done camping. All the way home I was on the verge of tears. I never towed that trailer with the Liberty again and ended up trading the Jeep for a full size truck about a month later.

At the time, I had previously towed a 19' boat*, a 24' travel trailer*, a 16' travel trailer and then this 19' trailer so I wasn't new to towing (*I towed the boat and the 24' trailer with a 1/2 ton, full size truck). I cannot recommend the Jeep Liberty for anything but a toad behind a motorhome. If you really, really want to tow a trailer with your Liberty, I would stay at 16' or shorter. The short wheelbase and narrow body of the Jeep does not give you any control over a 19' trailer. You will get whipped around in any wind and there isn't anything you can do about it. I was using a weight distribution hitch with TWO sway controls and still had the near-death experience. And I don't care how aerodynamic the trailer looks, you're still pulling a parachute down the road.

I'm just sharing this with you Barbie so you can make an informed decision. Just because a certain vehicle is rated to tow a certain amount of weight is only one small piece of the puzzle. You are doing the right thing by asking good questions, so please keep asking them!

Laura

[Colliemom]

Laura, did you have a sway control on that trailer? I agree with the short wheelbase. You need the stability of a longer frame. But, the right size trailer with the proper hitch and related equipment could work. You need to remember that the Jeeps rating is for an empty vehicle with nothing in it. For every pound you add of "stuff", you deduct from the towing capacity. You can probably haul a trailer with say a 3500 pound GVWR as it will give you some leeway. Also, depending on where you plan to go, you need engine power for steep hills, grades etc. A friend of mine pulled hers with a Dodge caravan,GVWR of 5,000, trailer GVWR of 3000 pounds, plus the van loadd. Did okay, but found out was not good for steeper hills and mountain grades. Now has a Honda Ridgeline with 5000 pound GVWR. On first trip with it, so haven't heard how it went. Once you get your money from house, might be good to get a good tow vwhicle and a trailer. if you can find the threads from when OTW was asking all those questions as there's a lot of good info in there.

[Azusateach]

Laura, did you have a sway control on that trailer?

Sue, go back and look at what Laura wrote. She had TWO sway control bars on her setup.

I knew that someone on here had towed with a Liberty -- just couldn't remember who it was. Thanks for piping up, Laura.

If you look around, apart from the Grand Cherokee (and then not very often) you don't see Jeeps being used to tow trailers. They are far more often used as tow-behinds because of the true neutral in their transmission.

It frustrates me to see people think that just because they've been told they can tow something with their car that they should. Same thing happened to my sister-in-law. She desperately wanted a trailer, but has a Rav4 with a V-6 engine. Sure, there's enough pulling power for an adequate trailer, but her wheelbase is way too short to do much more than pull a smallish pop-up, or maybe a 13' TT. Fortunately, I could talk turkey with her, and she listened.

Barbie, I hope you're listening. Your Jeep is a great car for a tow-behind, but not for towing what you'd like to get. As Sue said, if you're coming into money with the sale of your dad's house, then think seriously about getting the safest car you can get to tow the type of trailer you want.

[Cougarfan]

Laura, did you have a sway control on that trailer?

Sue, I had a weight distribution hitch and two friction sway controls, one on each side, set as tight as I could get them because I knew it was going to be breezy driving home. The Jeep just wasn't stout enough to control that size trailer in those conditions.

Barbie, you also need to check the payload capacity of your Jeep. It should be on the door frame inside the driver's door. You have to count yourself, anything you put in the Jeep and the hitch weight of the trailer. Most people run out of payload before they ever get close to maxing out the towing capacity.

I agree with Sue that you could use some of the money for a larger tow vehicle. If you're set on a Jeep, the Grand Cherokee is a better option but make sure you check the payload sticker and you are still using a vehicle with a short wheelbase. Also, the more options the vehicle has, the lower the payload. A full size truck is just a better tow vehicle for trailers IMHO. For comparison, the payload capacity of my Ford F150, extended cab, XLT, 4WD is 2098# per the sticker inside the driver's door. I looked at a truck with the Lariat package (more goodies) and the payload dropped to about 1700#. I wanted a bigger safety margin so I went the the lesser equipped XLT.

Laura

[mitch5252]

I LOVE the Lance that Lyn has (1475). I want one really bad!

Yes, Barbie, you're right - the next size up, there is NO WAY to get into the bathroom with the slide in, even by crawling around on the dinette. And the salesman (owner's son) told me you can put the slide out a few inches to slip in the bathroom and then retract the slide. That is a complete falsehood and I have emails from Schwintek that prove it. He and I argued back and forth. I can't believe the misinformation these salespeople hand out!

The Lance 1475 is a perfect little trailer...sigh. Pricey little buggers, too, but seem so well made.

[Redetotry]

Have you read the latest reviews on Jeeps. Several of them are on the worst car lists. I know people have a thing for jeeps but seems like they are not built like they used to be. I'm not sure what you have now but if older, how long would it hold up with the strain of towing? Have you thought of buying a newer, used trailer?