Towing TJ 600 miles

[JS52]

Wanted to get some opinions of whether it is worth towing my TJ with my JT on a 600 mile trip or if it would be best to just pay a shipping service. I'm a bit on the fence due to payload and towing capacity. We won't be towing regularly so I don't want to invest in a ton of equipment.

The drive is primarily flat highway with about 15 miles of climbing (23% grade).

I would be towing it with a JT Overland with a 3" lift on 35's - additional weight to consider (me, wife, dog, 1 50 lb. suitcase).

The TJ is a stock Rubicon and we will likely use a UHaul Auto trailer. It has some issues so we will not be using a dolly.

Also, open to recommendations if you have a car shipping service you recommend.

Sponsored

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Is it this U-Haul trailer you'd be using?

https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/16ft-Flatbed-Utility-Car-Trailer-Rental/TH/

If so, that trailer weighs 3,165 lbs empty.

Your TJ Rubicon is around 4,000 lbs if it's stock.

 

[professorkx]

I’ve flat towed jeeps all over the country and coast to coast, from my little CJ2a truck conversion to my JK, and I will be flat towing my new Gladiator. Buy a $100 tow bar from Harbor Freight, follow the owners manual for flat towing and you will be fine.

On shipping, this isn’t a cheap option. I was traveling when I bought my Gladiator in Texas during the big jeep sale and had it shipped home…cost me $1400 for shipping. I was already towing my JK behind the motorhome, and it was going to be a while before we got back home, so driving the Gladiator wasn’t a good option.

 

[Lost1wing]

I wouldn't even think twice about doing it myself. You will need a brake controller. Curt echo bluetooth is a nice controller, no wiring. Then again, the last time I used a U-haul trailer, It only had a 4 wire connector ( no brakes).

 

[JS52]

Is it this U-Haul trailer you'd be using?

https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/16ft-Flatbed-Utility-Car-Trailer-Rental/TH/

If so, that trailer weighs 3,165 lbs empty.

Your TJ Rubicon is around 4,000 lbs if it's stock.

It would be this one: https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Auto-Transport-Rental/AT/

 

[JS52]

I’ve flat towed jeeps all over the country and coast to coast, from my little CJ2a truck conversion to my JK, and I will be flat towing my new Gladiator. Buy a $100 tow bar from Harbor Freight, follow the owners manual for flat towing and you will be fine.

On shipping, this isn’t a cheap option. I was traveling when I bought my Gladiator in Texas during the big jeep sale and had it shipped home…cost me $1400 for shipping. I was already towing my JK behind the motorhome, and it was going to be a while before we got back home, so driving the Gladiator wasn’t a good option.

We would typically flat tow it but its stuck in 4WD and has a blown trans so we are trying to avoid any additional damage so we want to trailer it.

 

[JS52]

I wouldn't even think twice about doing it myself. You will need a brake controller. Curt echo bluetooth is a nice controller, no wiring. Then again, the last time I used a U-haul trailer, It only had a 4 wire connector ( no brakes).

Do you think that is necessary if the trailer has hydraulic surge brakes?

 

[DylanM]

We would typically flat tow it but its stuck in 4WD and has a blown trans so we are trying to avoid any additional damage so we want to trailer it.

Just remove both drive shafts. You can then flat tow or haul with a dolly for any distance you wish without worry about damage to the transmission or transfer case.

 

[Lost1wing]

If they work. You are talking about a zero maintained trailer. I'd take it slow. You are going to have to watch your tongue weight. You don't want the JT squatting but you want to have some weight of the trailer on it. Easy on lane changes and dasy on the brakes. Plan ahead, way ahead looking for potential hazards.

 

[Zachanadandy]

We would typically flat tow it but its stuck in 4WD and has a blown trans so we are trying to avoid any additional damage so we want to trailer it.

Pulling both driveshafts takes all of 15 minutes and then you could flat tow without worry. Personally I'd rather throw it on a trailer and call it good. Towed 8200lbs with the surge brakes and no brake controller no problem with my JT.

 

[professorkx]

Just remove both drive shafts. You can then flat tow or haul with a dolly for any distance you wish without worry about damage to the transmission or transfer case.

Good call. Remove at the pinion and wire the driveshafts to the frame and flat tow or dolly…

 

[yoda13]

Do you have the overland that goes 4000 or 6000 pounds? If it’s the 6K tow, I’d pull it myself.

 

[DylanM]

Good call. Remove at the pinion and wire the driveshafts to the frame and flat tow or dolly…

I prefer to take out all the bolts and remove the driveshafts entirely. Only takes a couple minutes, and no worries at all about the shafts possibly dropping to the pavement that way.

 

[yoda13]

I have flat-towed my jeeps well in excess of 100K miles over the years, and have never disconnected a driveshaft…you absolutely can though…

 

[ShrimpHappens]

Lots of uninformed advice in here.

1. UHaul generally maintains their trailers pretty well.

2. Surge brakes are built-in. No controller needed for your JT.

3. You have no options for weight balance and where you put the TJ on the UHaul "auto transport" trailer. You must drive it all the way forward to get the front wheels in place to strap them down. As such, those UHaul "auto transports" tend to overdo it on tongue weight compared to how you'd load a typical flat, wide-open car hauler trailer. You'd have that flexibility with that "toy hauler" trailer someone else linked, but it weighs 900lbs more.

Sponsored