Tow Me About It (The Towing Thread)

[_olllllllo_]

We have a 2019 JLUR with 135,000+miles on it. We have a 3.5" Rock Krawler X-factor No Limits lift with 4.5" rear springs to account for extra trailer tongue weight.
- Engine/transmission combo: 3.6 with manual 6-speed with Centerforce Dual Friction clutch and Centerforce hydraulic throwout bearing. 5.13 gears and just switched from 35" KO2s to 37" KO2s
- Hitch used: CU Offroad Max Coupler
- Brake controller: Redarc Tow Pro Elite with dial controller in place of 12V adapter
- Remote or wired camera systems: None
- Trailer manufacturer and model: Off Grid Trailers Expedition 2.0
- Weight of your trailer: 2800 lbs loaded with gear and 31 gallons of water
- How well it tows said trailer: Fantastically
- How far you have gone: Towed almost 18,000 miles since December 2021
- Issues or things you would have done differently: Installed mudflaps before going through the Black Rock playa mud (6-8" deep) as it threw 300 lbs of playa mud on my trailer
- Modifications to the Jeep to improve towing experience: Replaced the OEM radiator with all-aluminum Cold Case radiator (OEM had not failed), replaced the OEM grill inserts with Gladiator grill inserts for less restrictive air flow to radiator, installed an external 16-row oil cooler to help with oil temps, replaced 600W fan with 850W fan (part of Gladiator Max-Tow package), and installed RPM Extreme fan controller. These upgrades were done over time to improve cooling capacities while towing during Arizona summers (going to Flagstaff I pass through Phoenix at 1800' (easily 105˚+ and ends at 7000'). I have reduce peak coolant temps from 237˚ (with AC off) to 219˚ (with AC on) and peak oil temps from 260˚ to 228˚.
- Anything else you want to add: The trailer fits in the garage, which has allowed us to go camping at a moments notice. We don't have a bathroom in the trailer, which the wife brings up but have a Go Anywhere portable toilet which is far nicer than any pit toilet. The trailer can go almost anywhere the Jeep can. We towed it 200-miles completely off-road while doing the Jeep Jamboree Emigrant Trail outing as its maiden off-roading trip and it performed flawlessly.

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[AndySpill]

The link took me to the category I posted in. Was there a specific thread you were referencing?

I was trying to consolidate down searches. I’ve been through a lot of those threads over the past year, but none that i saw boiled down what you were towing, how you were towing, and specific equipment utilized. I also figured that this would be a great thread for those showcasing what they were towing with pictures. If I missed one that already covered this let me know.

No, not at all Tom.

Just putting it out there that that's a subforum (as I now know you're aware of) in case you or others want to research topics that may have already been covered.

Sometimes, not in your case, forum members (this one included) post stuff in the General sub forum Category that the moderators then move to the appropriate sub forum so I wasn't certain how your thread was correctly bucketed: by your or moderator action.

Tow away!

 

[Grateful1]

We have a 2017 Forest River Flagstaff Hard Wall, and have only towed it once with our jeep We have 3 more trips planned soon though! The red truck, Frontier, was replaced by the Jeep.

weight?
Electric brakes?
Milage?
Which Jeep?
There are several model w/ different engine & tranny setups.

 

[aeonixx1001]

2.0T AT, 4.56 gears, 315 tires.

Trailer is 2491 lbs fully loaded with gear and water. Manufacturer claim UVW is 2020 lbs and trailer sticker dry weight is 2275 lbs so it is important not to base your weights from the listed figures, but from what the scales say.

No weight distribution hitch. No sway hitch (but trailer has Tucson sway control). Using mopar brake controller.

Tows very well. No sway even in strong side winds. Plenty of acceleration - 45 mpg to 85 mpg is pretty rapid for overtaking. Uses 8th gear 95% of the time. Main effect I feel is aero drag and I limit the speed to 60-65 mph. Fuel economy is 13 - 14 mpg, but then it is only 16.5 mpg without a trailer (but at higher speeds).

What I would change is getting the 2.5' longer trailer which has a north south bed (but is 600 lbs heavier). My conclusion is the weight is not as much of a factor as the aero drag. I do consider the rear final and what temps it must run on longer trips, so try to keep speeds down to keep the temps down.

I have a wireless backup camera but found it more of a pain that it was worth, so use the 'goal' approach. Get out and look.

My Daughter just bought one she pull behind her 4 door Rubicon. She loves it. Now I want one, how would it tow behind a 2 door JL? 3 ½ lift running 35's.

 

[m416]

M416A1...it comes with surge brakes and a parking brake. The lighting has been upgraded to LED, but is still in the original housings and looks original. I also just put new tires on it. I took the original safety chains off (to keep to restore as needed) and went with some longer chain due to the extended hitch needed to clear the tire mounted on the back of my Jeep. Next, a locking roll top goes on it that will be covered by the period correct tarp.

I am also thinking about putting a spare tire carrier from a Willys M38A1 on the front of the trailer.

Weight is 590 lbs.

 

[Bulletbill]

We have a 2019 JLUR with 135,000+miles on it. We have a 3.5" Rock Krawler X-factor No Limits lift with 4.5" rear springs to account for extra trailer tongue weight.
- Engine/transmission combo: 3.6 with manual 6-speed with Centerforce Dual Friction clutch and Centerforce hydraulic throwout bearing. 5.13 gears and just switched from 35" KO2s to 37" KO2s
- Hitch used: CU Offroad Max Coupler
- Brake controller: Redarc Tow Pro Elite with dial controller in place of 12V adapter
- Remote or wired camera systems: None
- Trailer manufacturer and model: Off Grid Trailers Expedition 2.0
- Weight of your trailer: 2800 lbs loaded with gear and 31 gallons of water
- How well it tows said trailer: Fantastically
- How far you have gone: Towed almost 18,000 miles since December 2021
- Issues or things you would have done differently: Installed mudflaps before going through the Black Rock playa mud (6-8" deep) as it threw 300 lbs of playa mud on my trailer
- Modifications to the Jeep to improve towing experience: Replaced the OEM radiator with all-aluminum Cold Case radiator (OEM had not failed), replaced the OEM grill inserts with Gladiator grill inserts for less restrictive air flow to radiator, installed an external 16-row oil cooler to help with oil temps, replaced 600W fan with 850W fan (part of Gladiator Max-Tow package), and installed RPM Extreme fan controller. These upgrades were done over time to improve cooling capacities while towing during Arizona summers (going to Flagstaff I pass through Phoenix at 1800' (easily 105˚+ and ends at 7000'). I have reduce peak coolant temps from 237˚ (with AC off) to 219˚ (with AC on) and peak oil temps from 260˚ to 228˚.
- Anything else you want to add: The trailer fits in the garage, which has allowed us to go camping at a moments notice. We don't have a bathroom in the trailer, which the wife brings up but have a Go Anywhere portable toilet which is far nicer than any pit toilet. The trailer can go almost anywhere the Jeep can. We towed it 200-miles completely off-road while doing the Jeep Jamboree Emigrant Trail outing as its maiden off-roading trip and it performed flawlessly.

Those are some great pictures and looks like an amazing time!

 

[Bulletbill]

Thanks for all the posts. This thread definitely shifted my wife and my views on what we wanted. With that said, we put money down on a camper and will be going to verify it’s what we want this weekend. I don’t want to give any details yet since it’s not a done deal, but will update if we pull the trigger.

 

[UTME]

Would like to see if anyone has a black bean trailer and their experience with it. Thanks!

 

[dstevens]

My Daughter just bought one she pull behind her 4 door Rubicon. She loves it. Now I want one, how would it tow behind a 2 door JL? 3 ½ lift running 35's.

Pretty easy to find out - borrow your daughter's trailer.

What I found with the travel lite trailers is that the white sticker has the actual dry weight of the trailer on it, and that sticker can be found in many of the listing photos. So add battery, propane and water (170 lbs) and you'll end up with a fairly accurate weight. There are 14' trailers which are about 200 lbs lighter (2100 lbs dry)

In any case the weight of the trailer is not a big factor I believe. With the 2 door you're mainly concerned about the short wheelbase and sway. With mine I've never felt even a hint of sway. Passing semis, cross wind, braking - nothing seems to affect it. The Jeep has electronic anti-sway and so does the trailer, but I don't think they are kicking in.

 

[aeonixx1001]

Pretty easy to find out - borrow your daughter's trailer.

What I found with the travel lite trailers is that the white sticker has the actual dry weight of the trailer on it, and that sticker can be found in many of the listing photos. So add battery, propane and water (170 lbs) and you'll end up with a fairly accurate weight. There are 14' trailers which are about 200 lbs lighter (2100 lbs dry)

In any case the weight of the trailer is not a big factor I believe. With the 2 door you're mainly concerned about the short wheelbase and sway. With mine I've never felt even a hint of sway. Passing semis, cross wind, braking - nothing seems to affect it. The Jeep has electronic anti-sway and so does the trailer, but I don't think they are kicking in.

She lives in California, I live in Arizona or I would for sure drag it around for a test. Might go down to the dealer and check them out.

 

[RubiBlueJLU]

Some Really great setups here!

Ours:
2021 JLURD / Hard Top / tow package
3.0L Diesel / H8P75
35's, winch, 1" spacers up front.
Factory 2" receiver.
Mopar brake controller.
Weight distribution hitch/anti-sway
(trunnion style - solid square bar)
Rear air bags.
Wireless remote rear camera.
Towing:
2020 Mallard M85 camper. 22' ball to bumper.
8' wide x 11' tall to top of AC. Rounded front.
Queen bed and Twin bunks.
Electric brakes. Self contained.
Sticker says:
GVWR = 4450 lbs. Tongue weight = 484 lbs. (a bit high)
I believe it!

The rear air bags help push the rear end up. With the air bags inflated, the Jeep will handle the trailer/tongue weight without the WDH, but the WDH really smooths out the ride, adds stability and improves the overall handling. The electric braking and controller make it stop very well, with minimal effort, even in "OMG" situations. The rear camera is primarily used for driving down the highway to have a better view of what is behind me, especially when passing. As far as backing into a spot, it lets you see what is there, but the mirrors and a spotter are better.

Towing fuel economy averages 13-14 mpg at 65 mph. This includes flats, hills, mountains and gravel. Maintains speed well, though a few mountain passes brought it down to the 35-45 mph speeds. Watching the gauges (off-road screen) helped keep the temps at bay and no overheat/derates occurred. Manually downshifting gears, ahead of impending climbs, helps maintain speed and temps. This is a diesel, not a gasser. Just putting your foot to the floor doesn't work.
Non-towing fuel economy averages 22-25 mpg at varying speeds.

The JLURD pulls the trailer really well and handles great with better stability than without the trailer. 11,400 miles total towing, including 5,000 mile with a smaller box trailer. This trailer, Missouri to Florida and back, via the east coast. 4 weeks in Utah at National parks and Moab. Zero issues, except a punctured tire on a Elephant Hill Trail in Moab, but that is another story (no trailer attached).

We got this camper to fit into "tighter" spots than our "home", a 1998 Overland Larado 42' diesel pusher with an 8.3L Cummins, Alison 6-spd, super slide, fully self contained with an 8.5KV generator. It pulls the JLURD using a Ready-Brute (obsolete) tow bar with integrated surge braking system (cable), a Rock Jock base plate and additional breakaway setup and a "brake" monitor. You only know the Jeep is there when you look at the feed from the rear camera. We have a towing cover for the Jeep that goes on for every tow.
As far as fuel economy, the RV gets about 8 MPG, towing or not, but them we are driving a "house" down the road. All the creature comforts and your own "normal" bed to sleep in. It's all there, all the time.

To summarize: The JLURD pulls our trailer just fine.

 

[JLJKLJ]

- Engine/transmission combo.
2.0 turbo/auto

- Hitch used
B&W Tow&Stow

- Brake controller
none

- Remote or wired camera systems
stock backup

- Weight of your trailer
1,987lbs fully loaded

- How well it tows said trailer
surprisingly well

- How far you have gone
500miles round trip

I'm running 35s and a Clayton 1.5" Overland+ lift with stock gearing.

I built this off-grid trailer so my wife and I can just hit the road and camp wherever. It has 800W of solar panels and 7200W/hr worth of battery capacity with a high efficiency inverter air conditioner. The trailer was 760lbs empty and with the mattress, camping gear, and power setup it's just below the 2000lb tow rating of my 2 door Rubicon. We took our first trip last weekend and put about 500miles on it with no issues including pulling some decent grades in the Ouachita mountains. The 2.0 turbo is quite impressive.

 

[Bulletbill]

Some Really great setups here!

Ours:
2021 JLURD / Hard Top / tow package
3.0L Diesel / H8P75
35's, winch, 1" spacers up front.
Factory 2" receiver.
Mopar brake controller.
Weight distribution hitch/anti-sway
(trunnion style - solid square bar)
Rear air bags.
Wireless remote rear camera.
Towing:
2020 Mallard M85 camper. 22' ball to bumper.
8' wide x 11' tall to top of AC. Rounded front.
Queen bed and Twin bunks.
Electric brakes. Self contained.
Sticker says:
GVWR = 4450 lbs. Tongue weight = 484 lbs. (a bit high)
I believe it!

The rear air bags help push the rear end up. With the air bags inflated, the Jeep will handle the trailer/tongue weight without the WDH, but the WDH really smooths out the ride, adds stability and improves the overall handling. The electric braking and controller make it stop very well, with minimal effort, even in "OMG" situations. The rear camera is primarily used for driving down the highway to have a better view of what is behind me, especially when passing. As far as backing into a spot, it lets you see what is there, but the mirrors and a spotter are better.

Towing fuel economy averages 13-14 mpg at 65 mph. This includes flats, hills, mountains and gravel. Maintains speed well, though a few mountain passes brought it down to the 35-45 mph speeds. Watching the gauges (off-road screen) helped keep the temps at bay and no overheat/derates occurred. Manually downshifting gears, ahead of impending climbs, helps maintain speed and temps. This is a diesel, not a gasser. Just putting your foot to the floor doesn't work.
Non-towing fuel economy averages 22-25 mpg at varying speeds.

The JLURD pulls the trailer really well and handles great with better stability than without the trailer. 11,400 miles total towing, including 5,000 mile with a smaller box trailer. This trailer, Missouri to Florida and back, via the east coast. 4 weeks in Utah at National parks and Moab. Zero issues, except a punctured tire on a Elephant Hill Trail in Moab, but that is another story (no trailer attached).

We got this camper to fit into "tighter" spots than our "home", a 1998 Overland Larado 42' diesel pusher with an 8.3L Cummins, Alison 6-spd, super slide, fully self contained with an 8.5KV generator. It pulls the JLURD using a Ready-Brute (obsolete) tow bar with integrated surge braking system (cable), a Rock Jock base plate and additional breakaway setup and a "brake" monitor. You only know the Jeep is there when you look at the feed from the rear camera. We have a towing cover for the Jeep that goes on for every tow.
As far as fuel economy, the RV gets about 8 MPG, towing or not, but them we are driving a "house" down the road. All the creature comforts and your own "normal" bed to sleep in. It's all there, all the time.

To summarize: The JLURD pulls our trailer just fine.

Now that’s RV living! Your MPG while towing really makes me wish I had the 3.0

 

[Bulletbill]

- Engine/transmission combo.
2.0 turbo/auto

- Hitch used
B&W Tow&Stow

- Brake controller
none

- Remote or wired camera systems
stock backup

- Weight of your trailer
1,987lbs fully loaded

- How well it tows said trailer
surprisingly well

- How far you have gone
500miles round trip

I'm running 35s and a Clayton 1.5" Overland+ lift with stock gearing.

I built this off-grid trailer so my wife and I can just hit the road and camp wherever. It has 800W of solar panels and 7200W/hr worth of battery capacity with a high efficiency inverter air conditioner. The trailer was 760lbs empty and with the mattress, camping gear, and power setup it's just below the 2000lb tow rating of my 2 door Rubicon. We took our first trip last weekend and put about 500miles on it with no issues including pulling some decent grades in the Ouachita mountains. The 2.0 turbo is quite impressive.

I was looking into solar today. Love to know more about your set up. Also, any picks of the inside of your trailer? I wish I had the time and skill set get creative like that.

 

[JLJKLJ]

I was looking into solar today. Love to know more about your set up. Also, any picks of the inside of your trailer? I wish I had the time and skill set get creative like that.

I'm using 4 200W Renogy panels feeding a Litime inverter/charger with 2 12V 300Ah Eco-Worthy batteries wired in series. I also have 4 100W folding panels from Harbor Freight that I can deploy if needed.

I can run the AC indefinitely at 78 degrees without plugging in to shore power. Or indefinitely at 68 degrees with the additional panels deployed.

Here's a few pics from the build.

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