2020 JT Sport Towing

[Babo21]

Hey All, Im sorry if this has been asked already but looking for a little guidance and ive searched pages and pages of threads and wasnt able to clearly find the answer to my question.

so long and short of it is Im trading in a beater dodge ram 1500 for a 2020 Gladiator Sport from carvana and is set to arrive 2/27/2021. i dont do a whole lot of towing, and most pick up stuff i do is hauling things from menards/ikea but I do move a boat for a family member to and from the lake twice a year (lives in the lake during boating season). before pulling the trigger i did some light googling and saw tow rating of 7,650 (Keep reading before you rip me a new one lol) and was like COOL im good the boat is 4,000lbs and the trailer is ~800 lbs. as my delivery date drew near my nerves were ticking i researched a little more and saw my trim level and options were NOT able to tow what i thought. its a sport auto with the 24S package so no tow.

Based on everything ive read the options are:
no tow = a class 2 ball hitch rated for 4500
trailer tow options = a class 4 hitch, upgraded fan, upgraded alternator and 6,000 lb tow rating
max tow option = upgraded gearing, beefier axles, upgraded fan, upgraded alternator and a tow rating of 7,650

so i guess the question is can i get away with just adding a class 4 hitch for this twice a year activity (roughly hour each time) or should i bite the bullet and swap it for a version that does have the trailer tow option. bear in mind im in chicago area so not particularly hilly.

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[WXman]

If it's literally only twice a year, throw a Class IV receiver hitch on there in place of the Class II hitch and call it a day. Keep in mind that without trailer brakes you'll technically be illegal so do not wreck.

 

[Babo21]

If it's literally only twice a year, throw a Class IV receiver hitch on there in place of the Class II hitch and call it a day. Keep in mind that without trailer brakes you'll technically be illegal so do not wreck.

Yeah its getting it out of the storage yard TO the lake at the beginning of the season and then again at the end of the season getting it out of the lake and into storage... roughly a 45 min to a hour drive each time. I do have trailer brakes installed on my ram and was planning on getting an aftermarket one installed.

as long as there isnt going to be much issue getting it OUT of the lake i was thinking id be ok ..... spend 300 bucks on a reputable class 4 receiver would be better than spending another 4k on literally the SAME gladiator with the trailer tow package and a few less miles but thought id throw the question out to those who know more than I do, after reading some of the threads here its clear theres some knowledge.

the wife says i gotta get rid of some toys so consolidating my ram 1500 and 97 TJ, and the love child of both seemed like the right fit. Im not huge into off roading so im not terribly concerned with some of the other features and for what its worth my TJ is a "mall crawler" that barely sees use since my commute to and from work is 90% highway

 

[fun2drum]

I’m trying to think about how I would handle that situation so here’s my thought process. Would I be compliant with towing limits to do so? No. Would it be smart to tow like that as a general practice? No. Do I condone non compliant towing? Once again no. But twice a year to get my boat to the lake? Yeah I’d do it and not worry.

If I already had the truck and brake controller installed, I would tow that boat on flat land to the lake as you described. If the load made the rear squat then I might add a cheap Harbor Freight weight distribution hitch and get the boat down the road.

 

[KVJ]

Boat trailers that are equipped with brakes are usually hydraulic surge so you would not need the electric brake controller. There are hydraulic disc brakes on some boat trailers and they can be surge or electric over hydraulic brakes. I doubt you would every run into them.

 

[Babo21]

Boat trailers that are equipped with brakes are usually hydraulic surge so you would not need the electric brake controller. There are hydraulic disc brakes on some boat trailers and they can be surge or electric over hydraulic brakes. I doubt you would every run into them.

now that you mention it I do know that there are hydraulic lines on the trailer. I had a brake controller on my truck so I figured go just get another

 

[Babo21]

I’m trying to think about how I would handle that situation so here’s my thought process. Would I be compliant with towing limits to do so? No. Would it be smart to tow like that as a general practice? No. Do I condone non compliant towing? Once again no. But twice a year to get my boat to the lake? Yeah I’d do it and not worry.

If I already had the truck and brake controller installed, I would tow that boat on flat land to the lake as you described. If the load made the rear squat then I might add a cheap Harbor Freight weight distribution hitch and get the boat down the road.

I see you and I are going through the same thought process here lol

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