Towing capacity -- aftermarket hitch vs. factory tow package?

[squareback]

I have purchased a number of Wranglers over the years. I purchased one in 2008 and it did not have the factory tow package. I had the dealer install it. One summer day, while towing my trailer with a load of stone on it up a grade, the transmission overheated setting off an alarm. The next year in the winter, I was in some very grainy deep snow and the tires had to work their way through it and the transmission overheated again and the alarm went off again. Two years later, the main shaft in the transmission twisted in half while driving down the road at 55 mph with no trailer. Coincidence? I don't think so. I was told by several people that there are differences in cooling systems for both the engine and transmission when you get the factory tow package when it is built. I never researched it any further and have gotten the factory tow package on my Jeeps ever since. I have a 2023 Gladiator now and tow with it with no issues.

Thanks for that information. I am definitely looking for a unit with a tow package now.

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[PuddleJumper]

The max towing package is a upgrade to cooling system any gladiator can tow 4000 to 5000 pounds you can add a 2 inch receiver hitch that’s good for 4000 lb for $100 on Amazon it easily installed I had dealer install a break controller as part of my he purchase of my gladiator sport with manual transmission they told me it could tow 5000 lbs

Your max is whatever is stated in your door jam sticker. Doesn't matter how much equipment you install. You could put your gladiator cab on a peterbuilt frame and powerplant and legally your towing max would be whatever the manufacturer set to your vehicle vin when they made it. Now i'm not saying you can't tow over your max, you absolutely can. But it is illegal and can be held against you. you get in a wreck and they found you were towing a couple hundred over your max (and they will find out) your automatically at fault. just FYI

 

[PuddleJumper]

Towing with a JT,,,??? think about how it will feel and do when going down a steep grade with some sharp turns. Then something unexpected happens right in front of you!!! You better be able to control that trailer. I see the Gladiator very good on its own but you hook 5,000 to its rear and good luck.

It does just fine

 

[PuddleJumper]

Diesel issues aside, their are the transmission issues. The diesel has the HD transmission which doesn't hold up towing less than half the stated tow rating. With your trailer that loaded probably skirts the top of the limit, I'd be concerned with the light duty transmission behind the gas engine. Lots of transmission failures gas and diesel in Jeeps, plenty of them documented on this forum. Like I said dealer told me ALL my issues are due to towing and the transmission isn't up to the task, they have issues in the Ram 1500 also with trans. With the gas drivetrain being 60/60 I'd be sure to get the MaxCare warranty soon if you plan on keeping it past 60K. My Wranglers transmission went south 300 miles before the warranty expired, then it sat 2 months in the shop waiting for the new one. No rental because they don't have to give you a rental unless you have a MaxCare with optional rental car coverage so keep that in mind.

The ram 2500 and 3500 have the same trans as well. ZF 8 speed. HD variant too. They have a bit more cooling capacity and do just fine. The main issue here is QC and overheating neglect. If you overheat your trans and then just let it cool down and forget about it. Your asking for trouble. Anytime you transmission overheats, it has already BURNT THE FLUID. It had degraded and will continue to do so at a far more rapid rate than when it wasn't burnt. This means your just cycling burnt gunk and failing hydraulic fluid through your trans. Of course its gonna fail if you keep chugging it through another 20k miles. The more you tow the more should up your transmission fluid change interval. Lifetime fluid means lifetime of the warranty, not your truck. ZF literally states fluid change after 40k to 60k depending on use and asap fluid change if it ever overheated. Your not supposed to keep driving on fluid you cooked. Just FYI

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