Flat-tow Set-up

[Hgrace]

I can add that I have the Rockhard 4x4 Aluminum Patriot full size bumper and love it. It is solid a rock and light as a feather. It holds my 10,000lb Warn vr10s discreetly and accommodates my Brake Buddy Stealth system.
I have towed it 1000s of miles on mountain and desert roads both rough and smooth. It's been great. I'm going to put the rear on in a couple of months. I use a Blue Ox toe bar I have had for a few years.
For those of you who believe the Blue Ox baseplate is infallible you probably haven't seen one break off if a Saturn Vue. Wasn't mine but was at my dealership.
I'm a happy customer

Sponsored

 

[ROCK HARD 4X4]

I can add that I have the Rockhard 4x4 Aluminum Patriot full size bumper and love it. It is solid a rock and light as a feather. It holds my 10,000lb Warn vr10s discreetly and accommodates my Brake Buddy Stealth system.
I have towed it 1000s of miles on mountain and desert roads both rough and smooth. It's been great. I'm going to put the rear on in a couple of months. I use a Blue Ox toe bar I have had for a few years.
For those of you who believe the Blue Ox baseplate is infallible you probably haven't seen one break off if a Saturn Vue. Wasn't mine but was at my dealership.
I'm a happy customer

THANK YOU for the very kind words.

 

[lightsout]

I can add that I have the Rockhard 4x4 Aluminum Patriot full size bumper and love it. It is solid a rock and light as a feather. It holds my 10,000lb Warn vr10s discreetly and accommodates my Brake Buddy Stealth system.
I have towed it 1000s of miles on mountain and desert roads both rough and smooth. It's been great. I'm going to put the rear on in a couple of months. I use a Blue Ox toe bar I have had for a few years.
For those of you who believe the Blue Ox baseplate is infallible you probably haven't seen one break off if a Saturn Vue. Wasn't mine but was at my dealership.
I'm a happy customer

Look, as you can see in the picture above the tow bar connection is only supported by 2 bolts, those are only attached to the lower side of the JL bumper frame connection with will produce un-even stress on the bumper frame plate.

When I discussed this with Mopar while they do not endorse ANY bumper tow connections they really frowned on those that connection like the above as it is putting uneven stress on the bumper frame base plate which is a thin light weight sheet metal welded to the end of the frame.

Per Mopar "Jeep does not recommend towing the Wrangler with any bumper because it was not designed to pull the weight of the vehicle"

It is not so much about the Bumper as it is the Bumper connection and wrangler frame. If you do tow via the bumper at least get something that connects to all 4 Points of the Bumper Frame plate...

It makes me wonder if these small fabrication shops like RH and LOD have robust Liability insurance that would cover a catastrophic failure for a feature that the actual car manufactures frowns on and does not authorize or endorse for the above reason...

To each their own, however for me safety 1st................

Oh for those that say they have been towing for 1000's of miles without incident, I doubt actual safety statistic is based on a few hundred thousand miles testing. I would assume though that the bumper manufactures have had documented lab testing to the equivalent of 100's of thousands of stops (including hard stops) and starts as well as turns in both directions to validate their claims of safety... If so this would be valuable marketing info to shut up naysayers like myself.

Also what is often overlooked is weight, just had my Sahara weighed after adding KO 35's Fuel Aluminum wheels, Aluminum Bumper, winch, Tow plate. With full fuel I was 4900lbs, Many would say perfect I am under the 5000lb which is where most if not all gas Class A and Class C motorhome receivers are rated for. It is important to understand that rating means nothing if your RV is at or near max gross vehicle weight many Class A's for example are on the Ford 22,000 GVRW frame and max out with Towing at 26,000lbs. For example we have a 2017 35" Bounder with the 22K frame 26K max so if the RV is loaded with water gas, propane, food and all the camping gear and is at or near the 22K (which is easy to do) you can now only tow 4K. When we tow any distance we have 1/4 tank water or less as well as Black and Grey tanks always empty. My point is load your RV up and have it weighed before you tow your Wrangler.

Also Note Most Rubicons especially with 37's will likely exceed the 5k weight limit. Whereas Diesel pushers will likely have it made, although we looked at several 35' and under Diesel pushers and most were under powered for towing.

 

[RCH]

I am working on setting up my 2018 JL Rubi 2 door 2.0L. The only real decision I have made is Not to use a base plate. My jeep came with the steel bumper option. I am down to the Maximus-3 tow loops with my Steel Bumper and the Rock Hard Patriot full width in steel or aluminum (leaning toward the aluminum.

I want to ask about the skid plates that I currently have in place. Will I have to lose them? It looks like there is some bottom protection built into the RH Patriot, but, is it show only? (no offense intended). I need all the protection I can get.

Does anyone have any guess on the lead time to get a RH delivered? I need to be tow ready in five weeks.

I guess this thread may have pushed me to the RH Bumper. steel or aluminum, steel or aluminum.

v/r rch

 

[Jondrew]

Look, as you can see in the picture above the tow bar connection is only supported by 2 bolts, those are only attached to the lower side of the JL bumper frame connection with will produce un-even stress on the bumper frame plate.

When I discussed this with Mopar while they do not endorse ANY bumper tow connections they really frowned on those that connection like the above as it is putting uneven stress on the bumper frame base plate which is a thin light weight sheet metal welded to the end of the frame.

Per Mopar "Jeep does not recommend towing the Wrangler with any bumper because it was not designed to pull the weight of the vehicle"

It is not so much about the Bumper as it is the Bumper connection and wrangler frame. If you do tow via the bumper at least get something that connects to all 4 Points of the Bumper Frame plate...

It makes me wonder if these small fabrication shops like RH and LOD have robust Liability insurance that would cover a catastrophic failure for a feature that the actual car manufactures frowns on and does not authorize or endorse for the above reason...

To each their own, however for me safety 1st................

Oh for those that say they have been towing for 1000's of miles without incident, I doubt actual safety statistic is based on a few hundred thousand miles testing. I would assume though that the bumper manufactures have had documented lab testing to the equivalent of 100's of thousands of stops (including hard stops) and starts as well as turns in both directions to validate their claims of safety... If so this would be valuable marketing info to shut up naysayers like myself.

Also what is often overlooked is weight, just had my Sahara weighed after adding KO 35's Fuel Aluminum wheels, Aluminum Bumper, winch, Tow plate. With full fuel I was 4900lbs, Many would say perfect I am under the 5000lb which is where most if not all gas Class A and Class C motorhome receivers are rated for. It is important to understand that rating means nothing if your RV is at or near max gross vehicle weight many Class A's for example are on the Ford 22,000 GVRW frame and max out with Towing at 26,000lbs. For example we have a 2017 35" Bounder with the 22K frame 26K max so if the RV is loaded with water gas, propane, food and all the camping gear and is at or near the 22K (which is easy to do) you can now only tow 4K. When we tow any distance we have 1/4 tank water or less as well as Black and Grey tanks always empty. My point is load your RV up and have it weighed before you tow your Wrangler.

Also Note Most Rubicons especially with 37's will likely exceed the 5k weight limit. Whereas Diesel pushers will likely have it made, although we looked at several 35' and under Diesel pushers and most were under powered for towing.

Ultimately the responsible individual is the owner operator of the vehicle. We all have to decide what risks were gong to take. Sure, RH and Lode are assuming some liability here if they say their bumpers are tow rated. And FCA certainly has the deepest pockets. I suppose if your Jeep breaks off and derails a train that crashes into an oil refinery there will be claims well in excess of the million dollars most small companies would carry for something like this.

I’m curious who at Mopar you spoke to? I think all Whoever you spoke to is saying is Mopar does not bless these other tow systems because they have not done any analysis of them. It seems to me you are marking claims of uneven loading on these other bumpers based on how they look and not on any quantitative data. You do not pull the full weight of the vehicle since you are not driving straight up. There will certainly be tension loads during acceleration. These will be surges, not constant. I’d think the greatest stresses would be in compression during heavy braking. The fact is, now the of us know for sure since we did not do an analysis, and even if we did run the math, unless you are a licensed professional engineer in the field, your analysis would probably not stand up in court of it came to that.

I doubt a bumper would just decide to snap off one day. Most likely the failure would occur over time, and a visual inspection of the tow gear and bumper mounting bolts would reveal a problem was developing. Like the other poster said, even BlueOx and other “approved” tow plates have broken off.

I think the key in any of these applications is to attach the safety cables to something on the Jeeps frame other than the bumper, no matter what tow plate you’re using. It’s really the only way to provide redundancy in the event of a bumper failure. I’d note the BlueOx plate I installed on my Honda had redundant cables between the plate and the car frame, which is a definite plus.

We’re still trying to decide if we are going to keep our coach. I’ve put an OEM bumper on with a winch because my wife likes the look better than the RH or LOD alternatives. If we do go with a tow setup it’ll probably be a BlueOx plate even though I don’t care for that look and don’t like the ground interference potential of the connect points.

I guess my summary here is safe operation is up to us as operators. BlueOx and roadmaster make adapters for RH, LOD and Smittybuilt bumpers, so they have some confidence in them. FCA is just covering their butts by not officially recommending these other bumpers. Make sure your installation is done right. Inspect the entire tow system regularly, or have an RV shop do it at least annually.

 

[RCH]

Anybody have experience with the Rock Hard Aluminum Mid Length Patriot lowered winch bumper? I would get the blue ox tow points and put a "rope" winch in the hole. I would mount it on my 2018 JL 2 door Rubi (2.0 turbo). I will use as a toad behind my 28' Class C. Running a V10 ford E-450 cut away chassis. 7500 lb tow rating.

Note, I have ruled out a tow plate installation so please don't advise me to buy a tow plate for safety. All other advice, experience, observations, or opinions on the MID LENGTH aluminum Rock Hard would be appreciated.

v/r rch

 

[Budagreg]

My RockHard has been great for thousands of miles also!
Buy what you want, but don't come up with stress on frame "stories". Just buy and DRIVE!

 

[Jondrew]

Anybody have experience with the Rock Hard Aluminum Mid Length Patriot lowered winch bumper? I would get the blue ox tow points and put a "rope" winch in the hole. I would mount it on my 2018 JL 2 door Rubi (2.0 turbo). I will use as a toad behind my 28' Class C. Running a V10 ford E-450 cut away chassis. 7500 lb tow rating.

Note, I have ruled out a tow plate installation so please don't advise me to buy a tow plate for safety. All other advice, experience, observations, or opinions on the MID LENGTH aluminum Rock Hard would be appreciated.

v/r rch

Sounds like you like the RH mid. My advice is go order it!

Curious. Sounds like you’ve discarded the Maximus 3 tow loops idea. May I ask why?

 

[ROCK HARD 4X4]

I am working on setting up my 2018 JL Rubi 2 door 2.0L. The only real decision I have made is Not to use a base plate. My jeep came with the steel bumper option. I am down to the Maximus-3 tow loops with my Steel Bumper and the Rock Hard Patriot full width in steel or aluminum (leaning toward the aluminum.

I want to ask about the skid plates that I currently have in place. Will I have to lose them? It looks like there is some bottom protection built into the RH Patriot, but, is it show only? (no offense intended). I need all the protection I can get.

Does anyone have any guess on the lead time to get a RH delivered? I need to be tow ready in five weeks.

I guess this thread may have pushed me to the RH Bumper. steel or aluminum, steel or aluminum.

v/r rch

RCH,
I just replied to your PM, and tried to leave you a VM, thank you for providing your phone number in your PM. Makes contact much easier.

The front bumper air dam/skid you have will go away, but you gain our built in, 1-piece 1/4" thick skid included in our bumper. It comes all the way back and under the lower radiator support stanchions. Plus, with our built in skid plate, you gain 2x laser cut square Hi-Lift jacking points. You can lift your front end with our bumper using a farm jack for trailside repairs.

I can hit your April 1st deadline with time to spare.

I'll say that 9 out of 10 folks that flat tow go with our aluminum bumpers.

Jason

 

[ROCK HARD 4X4]

My RockHard has been great for thousands of miles also!
Buy what you want, but don't come up with stress on frame "stories". Just buy and DRIVE!

Holy smokes - great looking set up!

 

[Budagreg]

Holy smokes - great looking set up!

Thanks, Retirement July 1st is coming fast with a 6k mile trip planned for 2 months Austin to the Black Hills, NP's in Wyoming, Utah, Cal.then Moab, Colorado, and back home!
Now if I could just get a deal on your PATRIOT SERIES REAR BUMPER...

 

[RCH]

Johndrew: the maximus 3's just look like my connect point would be a bit lower than I wanted. I believe I would need a drop hitch on my RV unless I bumped up the tire size. The RH gives me a choice of the upper or lower connect points on their bumper.

Budagreg: That is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks for the pictures.

ROCK HARD: Thanks for the reply. I missed your call. I was at my local Brick and Morter truck center trying to contact their jobber to order through their supplier. There is a central atlantic snow storm (northern Virginia definition of a snow storm) today. Nobody is connecting.
After seeing Budagregs post, I am convinced. I will give my local shop first try for a couple of days, then, I will just try a direct order and drop ship to their location.

Thanks to all who make this forum great.

v/r rch

 

[Jondrew]

Johndrew: the maximus 3's just look like my connect point would be a bit lower than I wanted. I believe I would need a drop hitch on my RV unless I bumped up the tire size. The RH gives me a choice of the upper or lower connect points on their bumper.

Budagreg: That is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks for the pictures.

ROCK HARD: Thanks for the reply. I missed your call. I was at my local Brick and Morter truck center trying to contact their jobber to order through their supplier. There is a central atlantic snow storm (northern Virginia definition of a snow storm) today. Nobody is connecting.
After seeing Budagregs post, I am convinced. I will give my local shop first try for a couple of days, then, I will just try a direct order and drop ship to their location.

Thanks to all who make this forum great.

v/r rch

I’d think the Maximus 3 would be the same height as say the BlueOx tow plate. I’ll have to measure my neighbors Jeep as he has a BlueOx setup. I’ve already invested in the OEM bumper.

I’m sure you’re going to like the RH.

 

[jeepixel]

I’d think the Maximus 3 would be the same height as say the BlueOx tow plate. I’ll have to measure my neighbors Jeep as he has a BlueOx setup. I’ve already invested in the OEM bumper.

I’m sure you’re going to like the RH.

For what it's worth, I have a Rubi with stock tires / rims and it is a little over 19" from ground up to the center of the Maximus tow loop hole. Attached (hopefully) is a quick pic of my front bumper setup. I centered the 6-pin and breakaway connections between the loops. And yes, I need to plasti-dip the 6-pin black.

 

[RCH]

Has anyone used the MOPAR 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL Accessories - Tow Vehicle Wiring Harness - 82215382AB? It is about $750 installed.

Here is the blurb from the MOPAR sight: "Tow Vehicle Wiring Harness enables towing a vehicle behind a truck or an RV. Harness allows for brake, turn signal and running light operation. Fits Jeep Wrangler (JL). This wiring harness connects the vehicle to the towing vehicles 7 way trailer connector. Includes a under hood wiring disconnect and is engineered to work with your vehicle's body computer and operates the taillights."

The price installed is from my Jeep Dealership.

Again, looking for opinions or experience.

v/r rch

Sponsored