First toad verdict! 🐸 (1992 YJ with the 2021 Willys)

[MudderNuker]

Today, I towed my '92 YJ with the Willys. First time towing with the JTW. My impression is that it did much better than I thought. I kept it at 65MPH on the highway and speed limit everywhere else. Total distance was 160 miles and the indicated MPG was 13. One thing I didn't like was that it wanted to keep the RPMs pretty high and low gearing if left in auto. On most flats I kept it at around 2,500 rpm in manual mode. Seems to do better. I estimate that the total weight was around 5,700 lbs (including Wrangler, trailer and household items being moved to our new place in the mountains north of Ruidoso, NM. Elevation chance was 4,000 ft. Didn't really notice any power loss as we were climbing.

Before the JTW I had a '21 Sierra AT4 3.0 Duramax diesel. I was certain I was going to notice a huge difference when towing with the JTW vs the AT4.

The verdict is two parts:

The AT4 tows better but not by much (200 lbs extra torque) and may be a little more stable.

The JTW is capable as is and will satisfy my towing needs without much issue.

The trailer is a GR Trailers 18' tandem axles with one brake axle. About 2,000lbs weight.

I used a Redarc trailer brake controller which I installed yesterday and it worked flawlessly. I order a trim parte for the lower center console from an Etsy seller JA Garage Designs.

Overall, I'm liking my JTW. A lot.

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[danimal2000]

I had a very similar experience with our camper, about 4800lbs loaded. Rpm high in auto but JT had little issue. From reading other posts on these forums, that high rpm is by design and shouldn't be a concern, let it spin. I'm no mechanic but my understanding is it's better for the engine and transmission to let the engine do the work not the transmission. Better for longevity and wear n tear.

 

[MudderNuker]

Our Geo Pro 19BH is around 3,500lbs., dry weight. We usually travel with empty tanks. I think with gear and food we should be around 4klbs. JTW should handle fine. Tomorrow we are driving back to our other house and I will let the engine and transmission do its thing to see how it goes. We will take several trips moving our belongings this coming week since the sale of our house should close at the end of the month. For sure I get some seat time behind the JTW towing.

 

[SD Rider]

Nice! You're probably towing about 4-5k. What is the tow limit of the JTW?

 

[MudderNuker]

6k as far as I know.

 

[danimal2000]

Yes 6k with auto transmission and factory tow pkg. 600 max tongue weight

 

[Chunky White]

Nice YJ!! I had a 94' YJ as my first vehicle and would like to have another one some day as a project vehicle

 

[trust]

Ruidoso is a beautiful area, you should have plenty of choice opportunities for enjoying both of your jeeps

 

[AstroZombie]

Mine does the same thing with my popup and it weighs like 700lbs. I just pop it into manual and leave it in 8th but I also watch my instant mpg sometimes I get better mpg in 6 or 7. It’s definitely a little extra work when towing but pays off. I can maintain 65 and 14-16 mpg

 

[SandSurfer]

Towed this 49' Willys to my brother in central Florida from Houston, 3.6L, Auto, 37's, 4.10, 1100 miles avg. mpg 10.5, never saw 7th or 8th gear. The little V6 just goes and goes!!!!

 

[MrClortho]

I had higher hopes for the towing ability of my Gladiator, but then my other rig is a Ram 1500 Hemi e-torque with a 12klbs+ rating that tows like a beast. I tow a $4k TT about twice a month with the JT and it does 'accomplish' the task...

I would be completely comfortable to tow the trailer from Texas to Alaska with the JT and not worry about it, but you are not getting anywhere in a hurry, and pack a healthy bag of patience. The 8 speed in the JT does not seem to know how to tow, so I manually shift it, and it does much better. If Jeep would have installed a 'towing' software package and setting for the transmission, it would make a big difference I'll bet. I am using the Mopar brake controller and it works great. I'll set the cruse at 65mph and that is pretty much all it will do without downshifting and running a lot of RPMs.

In contrast, my Ram will tow my other 7klbs+ trailer at any speed. At 80mph, if windy, the trailer begins to wag a little so I usually set the cruse at 77mph and relax. The 8 speed in it knows what it is doing, shifts perfectly and downshifts perfectly while towing. I just put it in drive and go. Even with the 7k trailer and loaded with gear, it will pull long, steep hill country hills and only lose 1-2 mph.

2024 might include a Hemi swap.

 

[Stan H]

Towed this 49' Willys to my brother in central Florida from Houston, 3.6L, Auto, 37's, 4.10, 1100 miles avg. mpg 10.5, never saw 7th or 8th gear. The little V6 just goes and goes!!!!

Rear to 4.63 or 4.88 and 7th and 8th will come back

 

[MudderNuker]

Nice YJ!! I had a 94' YJ as my first vehicle and would like to have another one some day as a project vehicle

Thanks. It is the 4 banger but I have done many things to it. When I bought it it was a total mess, dirty with a lot of wear and tear and slow as hell. I installed almost everything new back in 2017. New seats, seat belts, door panels, top, shifter boot, gender flares, tire carrier bumper, winch, LED headlights, fixed all gages, new stereo with speaker pods over the rear fender bumps, roll bar passing, new engine sensors, 4 hole injectors, 4.0 throttle body, headers and full exhaust, new brakes (rotors and drums), new steering linkage. After the engine mods, I was able to do 70 MPH with the 33" BFGs it came with. Before that I could hit 63 in a good day. Then I went ahead and had the gears upgraded to 4.88s and Detroit TrueTracs. With the same tires I am able to hit 80 mph (I don't recommend doing 80, pretty sketchy) on flats. I don't find my self down shifting as often as I used to.

I really like my YJ. Sounds cool too.

 

[MudderNuker]

Ruidoso is a beautiful area, you should have plenty of choice opportunities for enjoying both of your jeeps

We love it here. Our house sits on 18 acres and it is peaceful and quiet. We also have a little cabin that we need to finish the interior. It will be our little guest house/AirBnb. The extra income would be nice since I retired last month.

 

[MudderNuker]

I had higher hopes for the towing ability of my Gladiator, but then my other rig is a Ram 1500 Hemi e-torque with a 12klbs+ rating that tows like a beast. I tow a $4k TT about twice a month with the JT and it does 'accomplish' the task...

I would be completely comfortable to tow the trailer from Texas to Alaska with the JT and not worry about it, but you are not getting anywhere in a hurry, and pack a healthy bag of patience. The 8 speed in the JT does not seem to know how to tow, so I manually shift it, and it does much better. If Jeep would have installed a 'towing' software package and setting for the transmission, it would make a big difference I'll bet. I am using the Mopar brake controller and it works great. I'll set the cruse at 65mph and that is pretty much all it will do without downshifting and running a lot of RPMs.

In contrast, my Ram will tow my other 7klbs+ trailer at any speed. At 80mph, if windy, the trailer begins to wag a little so I usually set the cruse at 77mph and relax. The 8 speed in it knows what it is doing, shifts perfectly and downshifts perfectly while towing. I just put it in drive and go. Even with the 7k trailer and loaded with gear, it will pull long, steep hill country hills and only lose 1-2 mph.

2024 might include a Hemi swap.

My previous truck was rated at 9k towing but the diesel made it feel effortless. The JT does better than I thought it would.

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