2023 Glad Sport no Max Tow - how to make it tow-worthy and what to tow with it?

[yngwiegibbons]

Have a 2023 Sport with the Off Road package, but NOT Max Tow. What can I do to make it a safe tow vehicle for a decent small bunkhouse travel trailer? What won't break the bank? Be helpful, please.

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[NOTJeepBeerSleep]

is yours an automatic? does it have a tow package? the auto is rated to tow 6k lbs. my small 174BH trailer is about 3k lbs. i put some wireless cameras on the trailer and a monitor in the jeep. also a brake controller will do you well.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Did it come with the a Factory installed Tow package? Max Tow is a specific package available that provides greater towing and payload capacity than the standard Tow Package. If you don't have a factory installed Tow package, then your towing capabilities are limited.

 

[yngwiegibbons]

3.6L w/ Auto trans and factory tow pkg. NOT Max Tow, so rated tow cap is 4500# and max payload is 1175#.
Family of 3; two average adults and a teen-aged boy (total weight around 450#). Two kayaks (total 80#), food for a weekend (20#?), beer for a weekend (1800#...)...
Average dry weight for travel trailers we're considering is 3500#. Cargo-loaded, it may hit 4000#.
What am I looking at; what do I have to do to the Gladiator to make it a sound towing vehicle for something like what I've blathered on about here?

 

[Hootbro]

Need to look at the tow rating charts again in the owners manual.

Sport Automatic without tow package = 4500'

Sport Automatic with the tow package = 6000'

Sport Automatic with the "Max Tow" package = 7650'

Given what you stated of having the tow package and being a automatic, you should be rated for 6000' GTW, not 4500'.

 

[Jaxmax]

You are probably fine and can tow what you are thinking about, just spend some time researching, what others are comfortable towing, learn about Weight Distributing hitches ( that are required), and you will be fine! Staying at you loaded 4,000 pounds will make the experience more enjoyable.
…..Jack

 

[Mr._Bill]

You have a sound towing vehicle for what you have described. You just need to add a trailer brake controller.

 

[Sandevino]

I’ve got a 2023 Rubicon with the tow package and my results vary depending on the trailer. The most recent U-Haul 6 x 12 utility trailer I rented seemed like a wheel bearing was failing as I spent most of my time in 6th gear. The one before that (same trailer different unit) rode like a dream. Both weigh in around 2200# unloaded.

Maintain your trailer and you’ll be fine with your setup.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’ve got a 2023 Rubicon with the tow package and my results vary depending on the trailer. The most recent U-Haul 6 x 12 utility trailer I rented seemed like a wheel bearing was failing as I spent most of my time in 6th gear. The one before that (same trailer different unit) rode like a dream. Both weigh in around 2200# unloaded.

Maintain your trailer and you’ll be fine with your setup.

Very true words. It's not all about weight, it's about the trailer itself.
Factors such as how far back the wheels are from the ball hitch, weight distribution (keep weight LOW in the trailer) and other things.

Anyway, the OP will tow 4,000 pounds fine with a decent trailer and hitch setup.
Get a good trailer brake controller.
Keep in mind trailer tongue weight counts against payload so if the payload is 1175, and the trailer tongue weight is 400 pounds, (10% of the total trailer weight) that leaves 775 pounds for you, family, kayaks (might want to trim the beer weight just a little bit)
But don't max things out, either. Try to stay under the payload and under the 6,000 pound towing ability for safety and allow for errors in numbers.

 

[bd100]

"(keep weight LOW in the trailer)" meaning keep the weight near the floor of the trailer, not referring to carrying something in the first place.

And try not to load too much near the back of the trailer either. You don't want it to get too tail heavy or it will want to sway left/right as you tow. If it is swaying, shift some cargo forward in the trailer. Had to do this once.

I have a manual transmission with the regular tow package, and does fine towing 2000lb, except that it struggled in the steep mountain passes. Yours has two more gears so it will probably do better. The Max Tow and a few other packages have 4.10 differential gears which should help as well. (Although in my case, in the mountain I could max out 2nd just fine around 45MPH but 3rd wouldn't hold speed. If I changed to 4.10 gears then it's possible third STILL might not be enough in which case I might be stuck at 40MPH instead of 45!)

Just tow a modest trailer and be happy. Some form of pop up is even happier because of less wind resistance.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

"(keep weight LOW in the trailer)" meaning keep the weight near the floor of the trailer, not referring to carrying something in the first place.

Exactly - whatever you carry in the trailer, try to keep it placed as low as possible in the trailer. Don't stow heavy stuff up high in the trailer, leave it sitting in a low spot in the trailer.

Good catch - likely was confusing originally.

 

[yngwiegibbons]

Thank you all so far. Wife and I are "minimalists" with respect to what we take with us when we head out (save for the beer). The boy only wants his video game bits and his phone. Along with a brake controller, a better hitch receiver and sway control / weight distribution hitch are a must, I think.
Anyone have recommendations for specifics for those items?

What about beefing up rear stabilizer bar, front / rear sway bars, etc.?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thank you all so far. Wife and I are "minimalists" with respect to what we take with us when we head out (save for the beer). The boy only wants his video game bits and his phone. Along with a brake controller, a better hitch receiver and sway control / weight distribution hitch are a must, I think.
Anyone have recommendations for specifics for those items?

What about beefing up rear stabilizer bar, front / rear sway bars, etc.?

Naw. Don't mess with the sway bars.

 

[Blade1668]

I'll agree with "ShadowsPapa" on swaybar in most cases. Some small, lightweight T.T. with single axle and small tires, though can make some sway control necessary on I-State driving. If you have substantial winds or larger SUV's trying to see how close they can get to you and T.T. when passing. I have experienced that many times with my 16ft Scamp, it's probably around 3500 lbs. If it didn't have roof mounted A.C. maybe not as bad.
Otherwise as noted keep weight low mostly centered on axle with at least 60/40 split on trailer load 60 forward. If you hang a bunch of S### off back it can or will induce sway. A bike rack hitch racks ect.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

i assume from this he was talking about the truck's sway bars. No, don't mess with those.

What about beefing up rear stabilizer bar, front / rear sway bars, etc.?

I'll agree with "ShadowsPapa" on swaybar in most cases. Some small, lightweight T.T. with single axle and small tires, though can make some sway control necessary on I-State driving.

Trailer sway control is different. The truck handles most of that, but it can't hurt to have a load leveling hitch with trailer sway control which is often just cylinders or pads with brake lining to mitigate the trailer swaying back and forth - which it should not do when properly loaded (see the multiple videos I've posted on that science)

The truck - leave the suspension as it is as far as towing those light loads talked about.
You don't need to mess with the suspension of the TRUCK at all.
If you towed a heavier load, then air bags in the rear springs can help but if you use a load leveling hitch setup, you likely won't need air bags or added spring support.

A properly set up trailer and hitch will pull itself out of sway with just one very slight back and forth after a truck passes on a 2 lane highway. The trailer will tend to pull back straight by itself.
If it feels goofy, you can apply trailer brakes only if you have a GOOD trailer brake controller by pressing the button on the brake controller - that applies only trailer brakes and pulls things straight again.

With the rigging being talked about - a good weight distributing hitch with some sway control - combined with the Gladiator's built-in sway control, you'll be fine.

There is no need to change anything about the truck's suspension - leave the truck's sway bars and such alone.

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