Towing RV with my 22 Sport ?

[Steelglad]

Hello all. 2022 Gladiator Sport. The wife and I have been tent campers for many years and still are. We are going to an RV show today to look at teardrops. The one we are scoping out is only about 2200 lbs dry. We have no kids, pets or toys to add weight, so I am very comfortable with that. I will not be lifting this vehicle. It has 33's but otherwise stock. What are the things that I might need/want to do to make a safe towing scenario from central Oregon to the coast. That is our most common trek. 4 hours. My mind tells me that a shock swap would be beneficial, but that was from my Ford Ranger days.. TIA!

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[Labswine]

It's simple. Yes, the trailer you're interested in is fairly light but, I would still get a weight distributing/sway control hitch and electronic brake controller. That'll make towing much easier and give you peace of mind that things are more under control.

Your Jeep is more than capable to tow that trailer. I tow a 27', 5,100 lb (with all we want or need) travel trailer with my stock Overland. I do have the electronic brake controller and a weight distribution/anti-sway hitch set up and it tows admirably.

 

[KVJ]

I've been towing a Scamp 16' fiberglass trailer for years with both my Gladiator I got in June 2019 as well as two Tacoma's before that. It has a tongue weight of 249# and camper weight is 2200#. I have never used a WDH just hook & go. Talk to people that have them and see what they say.

I did put Suma Springs on it. Link https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=59384

 

[Snake Eyes]

Our Grand Design Imagine AIM15rb. Dry is 3500. GVWR 4700. Hitch dry 380. Length 20 ft total. Get a trailer brake controller. That is madated in most every state. Also get a sway control/WD hitch. Will make more comfortable. Have fun buying all the stuff you need to RV!

 

[KVJ]

@Steelglad

Electric brake controller for sure.


Do I really need a weight distribution hitch?

The best rule of thumb is to compare your trailer and vehicle weights. You will need a weight distribution hitch if what you are towing starts to outweigh your vehicle's weight by one-half. For a 5,000-pound truck, that would be around 2,501 pounds.

 

[Jaxmax]

He is looking at a camper with a dry weight of 2200 pounds, if GVWR is under 3,000 it might not come with brakes, so see what your trailer has and what the hitch weight is , which could be around 300 lbs. , a weight distributing hitch can weigh up to a hundred pound by itself. Your Jeep is a Sport S, what equipment does it have, heavy tow package? Brake controller? Auto tranny? Gas or diesel , all play into it , but the weight you are talking about every Gladiator can tow it, hope it went well at the show, do a lot of research and think about all the options is tear drop what you want, pop-up? Small travel trailer? ……Jack

 

[KWin]

probably the only trailer thread where everyone knows you'll be fine!
enjoy it, get an outdoor rug, and tiki torches! get all the things you don't bring tent camping
I recommend the pop up gazebo tents for eating outside too.

as for brake controller, if the tear drop has brakes, I recommend the curt echo

 

[bd100]

We're doing fine with a 2000lb folding trailer without a distributing hitch. Just make sure there is enough weight on the tongue to fight sway. If the trailer sways then shift cargo in the trailer forward, or empty a water tank if it's near the back of the trailer.

A teardrop would be great, especially if it's not full height. There are ones which are taller than the truck, and those may become more of an issue in cross winds. Traditional tear drops which are lower should be easy.

Also watch the overall cargo weight as well. Too much can make it a struggle to climb the mountains.

Trailer brake controller is essential. Spend the $ on a better one with inertial sensing.

You may need to get a longer hitch to get the ball far enough away from the bumper to be able to lower the tail gate while hooked up. First time you try it be ready to grab the tail gate as it falls to avoid damage. For example, on my trailer it's ok so long as I hold the crank upright while lowering the tailgate past it.

 

[bd100]

And get a hex key (6mm if I remember right) to adjust the headlights, which may be necessary when you add the trailer and cargo weight.

 

[Steelglad]

Post RV show update with questions. We started out looking at true teardrops. After looking at 100's of units, my excellent wife who makes our money magic happen, has decided she needs a "few niceties". Short story...Winnebago Micro Minnie 1808FBS is her dream rig. No kids, pets or toys, so as is towing. Anybody see a problem with my Gladiator pulling this rig? I will certainly get brake controller and sway hitch etc. Whatever keeps it safe.

https://www.winnebago.com/models/product?GroupID=GROUP260&ProductID=PROD609&VariantID=1808FBS

 

[Labswine]

You'll have no issues towing that. It's well under the towing limit of 6K Lbs and being dual axle, it'll handle better. Yes, get the WDH and electronic braking and you'll be very happy.

It's smaller than my trailer, Venture Sonic SN220VBR, 27' and around 5,100 lbs (with all we want or need) and my stock Overland handles it quite nicely.

 

[bd100]

Bigger trailers are better if you will go somewhere, park for days or weeks, then go home. Smaller trailers are better if you move around a lot. Even better if it's lower or folds down. Crosswinds can be an issue as well as weight and drag.

Slide outs add some weight and complexity in exchange for more floor space. Do you really need the empty floor space?

Watch the water tank levels. If you have all those tanks full at the same time it's another 700ish lbs of liquid to haul up and down the mountains. At some point you exceed the max combined weight rating for truck plus trailer. Dump before you haul, but of course you have to be able to refill when you arrive somewhere.

If you choose a trailer with the black water and holding water tanks, you then have to do the dump station thing. With a smaller trailer and a porta potty or a cassette toilet you can just walk it to a pit toilet or the restroom once a day.

 

[Jaxmax]

The Minnie -Winnie’s were tops on our list when looking, the seven foot width is a huge thing people don’t consider, less frontal area when towing is great plus better visibility, Tandem axles do tow better and having a flat is not as bad. They seem well built and we looked at a lot. My wife Pat and I looked and searched on line for all kinds and then she saw a walk around front queen bed, and the rear dinette with windows on all three sides, that went to top of list, bump outs were not on our list as weight was a big concern, as they weigh about 500 pounds more with slide device and additional structure. I really wanted the seven foot wide Winnie with tandem axles and no slide. We ended up with a Vista Cruiser 19ERD , 24’ long, rear dinette, single axle, 7.5 feet wide and 3,100 pounds dry weight and 4,100 GVWR. We love it tows great and being able to walk around the bed is great along with having an open view from dinette, instead of one window.
You did great went with an idea what you wanted ,looked around realized that perhaps a bit bigger is better, standing inside when cooking in the rain is a nice thing too. Your Jeep will tow it, do you really need the bump out like another has asked, adds weight and perhaps $3,000 to cost. We have no regrets with our choice, look around a bit more research more, then make your choice. I tried to no end to talk my wife into the Vista Cruiser 17’ version which still had the rear dinette but sideways bed like your model but was under my goal of 3,000 pounds by a bunch at about 2,600 pounds, every time I head up a hill I think about that 500 pounds , but Happy Wife Happy Life!

Ours.

 

[HappyGladiator]

Great looking combo. The slide will give you room to move around inside in bad weather. I have a Ram Diesel 2500 and tow a 31 ft TT at 8500 loaded. There are times I just used the JT and a small TT.
Wise choice on the dual axle as it will be much more stable. Much better if you get a flat. Keep the tt tire psi at max and get a TST tire TPMS. Get a good WD hitch with sway control. Carry the heavy stuff in the bed of the JT next to the cab. A Honda 2200 watt gen will power that TT and only weighs about 60 pounds, $1300. Best batteries are 6V golf cart, 2 in series will be more than enough power but weigh about 90 pounds each, $150 each. Look at the tires and try to get Goodyear Endurance made in USA. China tires bad. Get a real good brake controller. Getting everything set up correctly is very important.

 

[the hiking viking]

I've tent camped all my life, still do when with friends. Wife & kids plus the Labrador tent camped with me until 2014. That's when the wife finally got tired of 'fighting' off skunks, possums, & raccoons while trying to make it to the campground restroom. ? We bought a new 2014 Coachman 16' (about 3k in weight) travel trailer (TT) and my 2011 JKU towed it just fine with the WDC hitch, E-brakes, and sway bar controller.
In 2020 we were ready for a slightly bigger TT (had two dogs now plus us) and got a Wildwood 171 RBXL. Too big & heavy for my old 2011 JKU to two so I picked up a used F-150 to tow it.
December 2022, got rid of that F-150, sold my 2011 JKU, and picked up a used 2022 Gladiator Overland, ? I realized that they were never going to make me a 2 Door Jeep Scrambler truck, my 2011 JKU needed work, and I didn't want to drive a Ford everyday.

I've only towed my Wildwood (4k in weight loaded) once so far this season to camp with my Gladiator. 40 miles each way. The Mopar E-brake controller worked fine. The Gladiator Pentastar was awesome pulling it. WDC & sway bar controller made towing it a breeze. I'm happy, no complaints. I've dubbed my Gladiator the "Dragen Wagen" It 'drags' my camper. First trucks 100+ years ago were called wagons. And 'Drage' in Norwegian is Dragon.

Also, we've been members in camping clubs and I'd say 75% of the members I knew complained about or had problems with slide outs in their campers; leaks, track issues, ripped covers, extra weight, mice getting thru, and more. My current Wildwood TT has a murphy bed system and we love it. Bed at night, love seat & floor space by day. EZ switching between.

Enjoy the sweet amenities of TT camping. You'll never have to worry about the weather again! Lol.

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