JLU pulling a travel trailer? No problem!

[PhoenixM3]

Up to a 25’ Airstream - 835 lbs tongue weight and maximum trailer weight of 7300 lbs. The strengthening of the receiver allows the use of a weight distribution hitch which will transfer about 275 lbs to the front axles and 275 lbs to the trailer axles.

I thought the reason the Wranglers were limited to 3500 towing was due to the relatively soft suspension, which would cause stability issues. Are you on stock suspension, or have you done some modifications?

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[Adventure.AS]

I thought the reason the Wranglers were limited to 3500 towing was due to the relatively soft suspension, which would cause stability issues. Are you on stock suspension, or have you done some modifications?

The stock suspension is fine. Evasive manoeuvre testing done. Jeeps in Europe and Australia have higher tow ratings withe the same suspension.

 

[OilBurnerHoldOut]

Suspension being too soft and flexy was just the jeep reps's scapegoat. A couple of them cited that bein the issue when they did all those release vids for the JL, and even stated the only reason the JT had higher tow rating was because of the rear suspension being the same as the Ram 1500. Doesn't completely add up when euro spec has the same suspension.
That being said, it wouldn't hurt for some beefing up of rear components.

 

[DesertRat]

Up to a 25’ Airstream - 835 lbs tongue weight and maximum trailer weight of 7300 lbs. The strengthening of the receiver allows the use of a weight distribution hitch which will transfer about 275 lbs to the front axles and 275 lbs to the trailer axles.

With the GVWR of 5800 on a Rubicon, and 5300 on a Sport, can this possibly be prudent? Plus the GCWR is about 8100 pounds.

 

[moab19]

Hey, Y'all!
I just got a 2020 Forest River Geo-Pro G15TB to tow behind my 2019 JL MOAB. Dry weight - 2360 lbs.
I love the weight distribution system shown at the top of this thread...gonna check that out given that this rig will be towed all over the US.

 

[Buttercup 3.0]

I would second the notion that you can definitely tow with a JL.

I bought this 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe back in January and have towed it from VA to PA, WV, and to Moab and back..(2000 miles each way). It is 2450 lbs dry weight with a hitch weight of 365 lbs. I use an Anderson weight distributing hitch to help with the weight which does sag the back end if you don't.

The JL has 3.5" Metalcloak lift with 37s. I regeared to 4:88 before I went to Moab last month. That definitely helped, though it did ok with the 4:10s before that. Gas mileage was about 13 mpg whilst towing.

On steep "hills" in auto it usually gets to about 3500 rpms to maintain 60-65 mph. It was definitely interesting going east back over the Rockies (not hills) where I had to hang in the right lane with the semis. Through all of it the transmission held up great and never had issues, always staying under 215 degrees.

If anyone wants a great little travel trailer, the Casita is awesome. Fiberglass top and bottom has fewer odds of leaks. They got better reviews than every other little trailer I researched.

This is good news we just ordered a JLUR diesel with max tow fully loaded no leather we plan on the EVO Coilover kit with heigh clearance long arm 37s and beads we live in Texas and take our current jeeps to Moab but getting this one so it’s just one Jeep and our new T@B 320 Boondock Edge at only 1900lbs. The black one is set up to tow it’s the wife’s the yellow one is mine and then we have our set up for Moab Truck and double towing it’s just to much lol.

 

[LUV2JEEP]

Here's a E-Pro 16BH. I did a test drive in. It pulled great. Ultimately I decided on a Geo Pro 19FD. It was so difficult to pick a floor plan. I wanted the largest dinette, largest bed, largest kitchen (which means you get 4cf fridge over 3 cf and oven), largest bathroom, most storage, no slide-out preferably (just soon not have to mess with them). Unfortunately there is no one floor plan that gives you it all.

My plan is to leave the cargo area of Jeep empty and maybe even take the spare tire off and toss all of that into the trailer for trips. It only takes 2 minutes to take tire off and 2 to put it back on, but saves over 100#.

Send me a PM if you have questions about the Geo-Pro/E-Pro line. I researched them to death.

 

[JRMedic19]

Forgive me if this has been asked before but im tired of looking through the posts here. Has anyone tried using airbags in the rear to bolster up the weight carrying capacity?? It's my understanding - from what i've read - that airbags would be a good option because you can air up when towing and air down to standard to achieve stock flex and ride.

 

[Adventure.AS]

Forgive me if this has been asked before but im tired of looking through the posts here. Has anyone tried using airbags in the rear to bolster up the weight carrying capacity?? It's my understanding - from what i've read - that airbags would be a good option because you can air up when towing and air down to standard to achieve stock flex and ride.

Airbags will help level your rig, but will not help in proper weight distribution.

 

[THEREED]

Here's a E-Pro 16BH. I did a test drive in. It pulled great. Ultimately I decided on a Geo Pro 19FD. It was so difficult to pick a floor plan. I wanted the largest dinette, largest bed, largest kitchen (which means you get 4cf fridge over 3 cf and oven), largest bathroom, most storage, no slide-out preferably (just soon not have to mess with them). Unfortunately there is no one floor plan that gives you it all.

My plan is to leave the cargo area of Jeep empty and maybe even take the spare tire off and toss all of that into the trailer for trips. It only takes 2 minutes to take tire off and 2 to put it back on, but saves over 100#.

Send me a PM if you have questions about the Geo-Pro/E-Pro line. I researched them to death.

Airbags will help level your rig, but will not help in proper weight distribution.

Hi - I just ordered a geo pro 16BH which is 2993 dry and TW around 320. Need help on what WD hitch to get. Only towing about 150 miles each way a few times a year. Been looking at this: https://www.fastwaytrailer.com/e2-hitch

the specs match what I need but wasn’t sure if I should get a higher capacity WD hitch or if this is fine. Has sway control built in. Looking for any guidance on what WD hitch to get. I don’t need the best but looking for ease of use and intended performance but not overkill. What are some models of WD hitch models people are using on TT around 3k lbs?

 

[Goheels050917]

This is the one I have

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dis...zPOJplZv20ZBV95-dCGCOLZ5pw6dO-eIaAi8BEALw_wcB


Also, since my travel trailer was a little too low for my liking, I added a 3.5 inch lift kit. Took 1 hour to put on. Now I have room to put totes underneath and overall a perfect driving experience with the tow. (the WD made all the difference in towing, but this certainly helps too!)

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessorie...cjKa-giQ68tficeG5BFJw5t18AuCR4gsaAqGnEALw_wcB



Hope it helps!

OP

 

[nickharder]

I've been debating between a teardrop like a T@B, a Falcon F-Lite 14 or 18, or the GeoPro 15 or 16. I'm curious, with the height of some of these they are pretty much all over the recommended surface area. Does anyone have any issues with that? Has anyone else debated between these 3 types and decided one way or another? Curious as to thoughts as I want something that we can quickly just hook up and go travel anywhere in with fairly not much hassle. The bigger and longer they get, it just starts to seem more daunting and limiting as for where we go and possible ease in towing/safety. Just hoping to hear some thoughts as I am sure you've all had similar thoughts. Thanks!

 

[LUV2JEEP]

Lately it has just been me going on offroading trips so I haven't towed my Geo Pro 19FD. I'm using a Runaway RangeRunner 6x8 camper. Love it. Last year's model was made out of 3/4" plywood and I loved it. The new one is made from a fiberglass/plastic material almost like the material under RVs but on steroids. Nothing to rot!! This trailer will last forever and when the A/C goes out I just swap it out for another $150 unit instead of the $1500 RV rooftop A/Cs and we all know the level of reliability the $1500s buys you in the RV world.......I swear those rooftop units are the first item to go out.

 

[Badweissenbier]

I've been debating between a teardrop like a T@B, a Falcon F-Lite 14 or 18, or the GeoPro 15 or 16. I'm curious, with the height of some of these they are pretty much all over the recommended surface area. Does anyone have any issues with that? Has anyone else debated between these 3 types and decided one way or another? Curious as to thoughts as I want something that we can quickly just hook up and go travel anywhere in with fairly not much hassle. The bigger and longer they get, it just starts to seem more daunting and limiting as for where we go and possible ease in towing/safety. Just hoping to hear some thoughts as I am sure you've all had similar thoughts. Thanks!

Im pulling an rpod 190 with my manual jlur through the hills of wv. Have no problem pulling. In fact most of the time on a flat area I have to slow myself to 60/65. It pulls to 70 no problem. I would say you’d have no problems with any of those.

 

[tmcarr]

Greetings all, just thought I would add my experience. This is not a scientific experiment, just real life experience. I have a 2018 JLUS, bone stock, except as noted. I added inside-the-coil airbags that I inflate to 35# while towing a Jayco Hummingbird 16MRB. Just returned to KY from two trips. One a 700 mile one-way 9 day to Avon, NC, the other a 300 mile one-way 5 day to Pigeon Forge, NC. I have an Andersen WD hitch and a Curt Mobile Echo brake controller. The Avon trip, due to the Covid19 thing, we packed ALL our food for the 9 day trip. A Yeti 65 full of frozen meats (rode in the JL), the camper fridge full, a large box of dry goods, a large box of canned goods and pots, pans, spices, etc. Camper weight, according to CAT scales 3105#. (NC trip was lighter) WV I-64 Turnpike (Avon trip) was a non-issue, maintained 65 mph throughout. TN I-75 Jelico Mtn. (NC trip) was also no problem. Easily maintained 65 mph up the mountain. Passing large rigs, or them passing me resulted in no sway at all. We did experience some 30-40mph crosswinds (as reported by Weather Channel App) that did result in some noticeable sway, but mild enough that no steering correction was required, but you could feel it. So, overall the towing experience was uneventful. Plus we had the JL for driving on the beach in Avon and exploring the mountain and forest service roads around Pigeon Forge and Maggie Valley. I've heard people say about towing, "I couldn't tell it was back there". I could tell it was back there, obviously in the mountains the JL switched to lower gears on the uphills and the complete white-out in my inside rear-view mirror was a constant reminder. Again, uneventful.
It did take a few trips to get the tire pressure and WD hitch settings correct. Factory tire pressure was above 40 psi, which for some reason caused additional swaying on our first trip. 36psi is the sweet-spot for my towing setup. Also it took a couple trips to get the correct WD hitch tension. Six threads showing (Andersen users will know what I'm talking about) is the correct tension for me. And this is close tolerance, 5 was not enough and 7 was too much. And I make sure I inflate the air bags prior to hitching and then follow Andersen's hitching instructions exactly in order.
Sorry this was so long winded and this is just my experience and my results my not transfer to any other user or equipment.
I am a non-attorney spokesperson, results may vary, do not reproduce without the expressed written permission of major league baseball, void where prohibited by law, not valid in Rhode Island or the Xiang Province of China. (Sorry, my attempt at humor)

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