Seeking opinions on towing this TT with a Max Tow

[AmishMike]

The Max Tow is the way to go. At least then you get the numbers from the factory to back up any warranty claims. The fact that you are concerned, tells me that you should be a consciences driver. ie. no Jack-Rabbit starts, high speed turns, etc.. Have you towed anything close to the limit on your current JT? That would give you a decent idea.
The biggest difference with those low-optioned F-150's etc. is that they typically have more mass and a broader footprint than the Gladiator. Therefore getting pushed around less, I don't worry about how long it takes to get up to speed but what happens on the brakes or in a turn or in bad weather.
Not sure what your towing experience is. Being a farmer in the trucking industry, I am used to big trucks from F-250's up to 18 wheelers, tankers etc.. I like a lot of truck in front of a trailer, but now pull with my JTR. I took @Gren71 's advice and added air-bags and I love them; check out his write ups about tires etc.. I would say that a WDH is a necessity.

Sounds excessive but reading something like a CDL manual can help anyone brush up on techniques like snub braking etc. that can all come to your aid.

Don't be in a rush, taking your time to travel can avoid a lot of frustrating moments. Remember, the adventure is in the journey not the destination.

(That trailer looks beautiful!) Enjoy!

Sponsored

 

[Jaxmax]

We just sold our old, old Prowler 19' camper which weighed 3500 pounds, and are looking for a Vista Crusier 19ERD, dry weight of about 3100 pounds, hitch weight 360 pounds, checks a few of our requirements, no slides, rear dinette with all around windows, large refrigerator two doors, bed that you don't have to climb over someone to get in, and between 7' to 7'6" wide. I have towed my Boston Whaler weighing about 5,000 pounds, dry fuel tank, and it brings you back to reality we are still driving a narrow jeep with a six cylinder. I feel a camper at around 3,000 dry will top out at max of 4,000 for us and I always figure a tank of fresh water in the calculations, as it is needed sometimes for remote camping. Look around some more, look at same line of camper but smaller, life on the road will be more comfortable. The Vista crusier 17 foot version, lacks the big fridge, and walk around bed, but comes in at 2560 dry weight, that is pretty impressive for a camper with a rear dinette and dry bath......Jack

 

[Hobie1]

My 2 cents is coming from years of experience towing campers with Tacoma’s and now with my JT. If the OP‘s going to be towing primarily for short hauls on flat land (east coast), he will be ok but is going to feel underpowered if towing over any mountains. A weight distribution hitch capable of at least handling 10k is a necessity and a 12k hitch will help even more with keeping the truck and camper level. Notice I said “ok”, not fine, not great. Personally, I would get a smaller camper.

 

[Josh00333]

So much bad advice my God, jeeez.

Some good as well.

Yes your Jeep is a decent tow rig.
To your question OP; I personally feel that’s to big of a rig.

I think that on any 20+’ long 8’ WIDE trailers w slides.

The width is a big issue, and even w max tow your probably over the frontal area rating.

You can tow that rig.

However.

You may be more comfortable, safer and tow better with something in the sub 20’ sub 7.5’ wide trailers. Trailers with out slides are lighter as well.

I practice what I preach, the trailer I have ordered is 16’ long, 7’ wide. It will be a heavy rig when loaded w water and motorcycle, but smaller over all.

 

[KVJ]

No worries!

 

[Gren71]

Im in a wilf pup 18toBL

love this thing with me+wife+2 kids+2 dogs

 

[Blackjeepjk]

I only tow a boat or flat trailer so no experience with towing an rv with jt.
I do however tow a Jeep, (jk or jt) behind a motor home. My advise would be from personal experience on loading for trips. My family is somewhat of prepers.
we seem to always overload and it makes driving miserable. Just know your weights and how they affect.

 

[Caraholic]

The peace of mind with the right tow rig is worth more than you know.
to answer your question- search the threads. You need to understand gvwr, gawr, gcvwr and payload ect…
as an always rule you want more capacity left over than bumping next to the limits- think of it as a safety buffer.
all rigs will tow straight. Maybe they’ll even stop straight. But can it handle a situation in a corner, near a merge, or navigate a road hazard?
SAE J2807 provides the metrics to which makers assign a tow rating.
the right tool is best, but with that said
if you well within your metrics, not planning on use better served by a HD truck- you can likely “get by”.
id think if your uwr for the trailer is 3500-42/4300 you’ll be in a comfortable window…. Maybe. Depends on your comfort level and abilities. please look deeper into YouTube videos and forum threads about towing. It’ll help. Yes you can tow- but how much under/near the ratings will you really be ok with?
it’s always better to buy the horse then the cart rather than the other way around….

 

[wannajeep]

the last thing I would want is to go through the hassle of trading out for a Max Tow and then discovering it's inadequate.

Add to that: You will have also lost money in the trade-in process.

I tow a 3,500 lb trailer (typical loaded weight) with my manual transmission JTR and it's not horrible but certainly not great. I love the short first gear for tow/haul though.

5,200 lb unloaded? I wouldn't do it with the Gladiator.

I don't have experience with Max Tow but you're still talking about the same tq/hp from the motor; that doesn't change, and that's where I think the JT falls short for this application.

Before the JTR, I towed the same 3,500 lb setup with a 5.7L Hemi Ram. Night & day. This is what made me realize the importance of just "doing it right."

my wife and I both loathe full-size trucks and love the Gladiator; getting a full-size isn't an option at all.

Since a full size isn't an option, then your best option in my opinion is a lighter trailer, and you could keep the Jeep.

Have you considered a "small" full size? My Ram was a 1500 with a single cab and short bed; it felt compact for a full size. While the Ram felt bigger, the wheel base and overall length were the same as the JT's.

 

[John Hursh]

Towing a lighter TT without Max Tow. 3,400 pounds dry with 350 pounds at hitch. Mopar brake controller, Equalizer weight distribution / sway control hitch, and Gladiator tow package. Have towed 3,400 miles with no problems and good control. Even survived a near-death experience when a jackalow in an RV pulled in front of me on I-70 from a dead stop. I cruise at 60-63, leave plenty of space to stop, and travel with empty water tanks. You should be fine if you use common sense.

 

[brianinca]

You should see the Tow Police on Reddit, you can almost see the spittle on the screen.

FOR US, the empty weight for your selected trailer seems like pushing it.

Our 24' travel trailer does have a max gross of 7,000 but the empty weight was 4400 lb before we renovated (my wife did) to a two person setup. With only a few gallons in the black tank and ready to roll for a long weekend, including propane genset and dual propane tanks full, we were at 5,670 on the trailer scales. Anything much past 6,000 I would feel funny with, mainly because a 12% hitch weight is 720 lbs. 350 lbs (40 gal) of water is something we top off when we get near where we're going, dry camping is our thing.

Having all the NF's shut right now is sad making.

Ease up, man. While all very true and important, I addressed each of these in my post.

I'm not talking about loading up for a two-month multistate Rocky Mountain boondocking excursion. I'm talking about long weekends to RV parks and improved campgrounds in the vicinity of northwest Alabama.

 

[ShrimpHappens]

You should see the Tow Police on Reddit, you can almost see the spittle on the screen.

Oh yeah, I wasn't about to post this on an RV forum, either. Seems like everyone there recommends a 3/4-ton to tow pop-ups.

Our 24' travel trailer does have a max gross of 7,000 but the empty weight was 4400 lb before we renovated (my wife did) to a two person setup. With only a few gallons in the black tank and ready to roll for a long weekend, including propane genset and dual propane tanks full, we were at 5,670 on the trailer scales. Anything much past 6,000 I would feel funny with, mainly because a 12% hitch weight is 720 lbs. 350 lbs (40 gal) of water is something we top off when we get near where we're going, dry camping is our thing.

Thank you, that's really good info.

 

[jonaandcaleb]

@ShrimpHappens - I tow a 7x16 enclosed trailer that's rated at 7K# with tandems. It is never loaded up to that point, probably in the 4-5k range. I have no issues. I have a JT Overland with Standard Tow Package.

A few points I'd note for you:
*Speed-I would not run 70 mph down the interstate with it (I think you have already said this was a no go)
*WDH-Weight Distribution Hitch is a must. I ran the trailer to a local shop for maintenance and was too lazy and didn't hook the WD bars. It does make a difference.
*Extended Mirrors-you will want some extended mirrors to see around that 7' wide trailer. I can't see a thing around them without it. Rampage Mirrors for the JK with adaptors that a forum member (@Thorn-Engineering) developed are awesome. (Another option is a trailer wireless camera)
*Electric Brakes-You will need electric brakes (which I assume the TT has) along with a brake controller (I used Redarc). All JT's have it prewired, so it's a easy hook up.
*MPGs-Gas mileage will be horrible, it will never shift out of 5th or 6th gear. If going up a hill it you will hear the ponies come alive and they will not calm down until you get to the top.
*Good Idea to use the off road pages when you are using the JT extra hard, like going up inclines, just to monitor all the temps.

it really all depends on your comfort level. I have seen people towing stuff that is way over the limits, but if they take it easy and go slow, they usually make it ok. Lighter is always better, if it still meets your needs. Worse case, you get the TT and it doesn't work well for you, you can sell and get a bigger Truck, or get a smaller TT.

Good Luck!

 

[Jack'D]

Everyone has there own comfort level, and it seems you've done your research so you probably already know the answers to your questions

So I will only offer up my experience.
I do not have a MaxTow, so I do run 3.73 gears, I've got about 4200 miles pulling my KZ 181BH under my belt.
In my humble opinion it isn't the gears alone that make this truck an undesirable tow rig, it's the lack of torque, poor aerodynamics of the rig itself, and its size. 4.10 gears wont change that it's a mid-size truck that gets pushed around on the freeway, and, 4.10 gears doesn't change that peak torque on our trucks comes in at 4400rpm, which can be a little unnerving when gowing up long inclines, even if they're not steep.

Having said that, I do love my Jeep, and I love my trailer, but I'm not about to lie to myself that when I go on a 1500mile round trip to Windrock that the drive wont suck and that I wont need a vacation when I get back lol

I always say the Gladiator is like a swiss army knife, none of the blades are the best, but it's great to have all of them. The Gladiator isn't the best Jeep for off-roading, it isn't the best truck for towing and hauling, but it's an awesome Jeep Truck! lol
HappyTrails!

 

[AmishMike]

@jonaandcaleb Great point about the 'Off Road Page'
I have mine as a quick button on the bottom of my screen (8.4") so that I don't have to search for it.

Sponsored