JLU pulling a travel trailer? No problem!

[_olllllllo_]

and follows me on the trails

First of all, may I say the color combination on your Jeep is awesome. I am leaning toward an Off Grid Trailers Expedition 2.0 and it has a dry weight of 1800 lbs. I recently brought some items back from my mother's house in Southern California and towed a 5'x8' Uhaul enclosed trailer. I calculate that it weighed 1500-1600 lbs loaded and my 6-speed JLUR towed it with no issues.

Only once on a steeper section did I have to use 3rd gear and I was going 55 mph (official speed limit for Uhaul trailers ). I climbed three 4000' passes (I know it isn't Colorado or Northern Arizona with 7000'+) and it did great. The crazy thing is I averaged 17.6 mpg (real, not the Jeep estimate). I even found a pay phone at a brake check area just outside of Alpine, CA. Now I just have to purchase a trailer.

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[Jgeiken]

Had another question...How are You all getting so much clearance from hitch?
I had to remove the tire and stick it into cargo area!

didn’t try to hitch with tire on but assume it would become a turn bumper if I left on.

Mine is tight also. But it works fine even with very extreme turns. Looks like the spacing is about similar. Mine may be a little closer than yours would be because that’s a 35 on the tailgate.

 

[Fuzzy Dave]

First of all, may I say the color combination on your Jeep is awesome. I am leaning toward an Off Grid Trailers Expedition 2.0 and it has a dry weight of 1800 lbs. I recently brought some items back from my mother's house in Southern California and towed a 5'x8' Uhaul enclosed trailer. I calculate that it weighed 1500-1600 lbs loaded and my 6-speed JLUR towed it with no issues.

Only once on a steeper section did I have to use 3rd gear and I was going 55 mph (official speed limit for Uhaul trailers ). I climbed three 4000' passes (I know it isn't Colorado or Northern Arizona with 7000'+) and it did great. The crazy thing is I averaged 17.6 mpg (real, not the Jeep estimate). I even found a pay phone at a brake check area just outside of Alpine, CA. Now I just have to purchase a trailer.

yes..great color combo !

my trailer is going up for sale if your looking.

 

[Halstem1]

Question for those pulling travel trailers.... When hooked up, I have plenty of room to do sharp turns and maneuver. However, is there anyway to open the tailgate? Originally I had my recover tools in the back of the jeep and realized I can't access with the trailer hooked up. Taking a trip in 2 weeks and taking the dogs. Realizing I can't let my big dog (Mastiff) out of the back end with the trailer hooked up. Does he just have to hold it for 8 hours? haha.

 

[Jgeiken]

Question for those pulling travel trailers.... When hooked up, I have plenty of room to do sharp turns and maneuver. However, is there anyway to open the tailgate? Originally I had my recover tools in the back of the jeep and realized I can't access with the trailer hooked up. Taking a trip in 2 weeks and taking the dogs. Realizing I can't let my big dog (Mastiff) out of the back end with the trailer hooked up. Does he just have to hold it for 8 hours? haha.

Nope!

 

[psdtime]

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.

I wish I could find a little trailer like that for the trip I'm taking next month. That would be perfect.

 

[LUV2JEEP]

I wish I could find a little trailer like that for the trip I'm taking next month. That would be perfect.

Inside has a 40" TV, microwave, blu ray player, (4) 100AH battleborn batteries, 3000 watt inverter with 120 Amp charger, LED lighting, battery monitor and shore power monitor. Love it.

 

[mrmatt14]

I've been thinking of getting a camper to tow behind my JLU Rubicon and setting out on a road trip, so this thread has been a godsend, since I'm a total novice to camper trailers.

One topic I haven't seen covered (I think) is charging a camper's 12V battery bank from the Jeep. I was thinking that a DC to DC battery charger like this one could do the trick to keep the fridge and a few essentials powered on, and to top up the batteries between charging stations. I think the approach would be to wire the inputs to the battery or alternator to supply the juice, and input signal port to one of the Aux switches in the cabin to power the unit on/off.

Am I crazy?

 

[Jgeiken]

I've been thinking of getting a camper to tow behind my JLU Rubicon and setting out on a road trip, so this thread has been a godsend, since I'm a total novice to camper trailers.

One topic I haven't seen covered (I think) is charging a camper's 12V battery bank from the Jeep. I was thinking that a DC to DC battery charger like this one could do the trick to keep the fridge and a few essentials powered on, and to top up the batteries between charging stations. I think the approach would be to wire the inputs to the battery or alternator to supply the juice, and input signal port to one of the Aux switches in the cabin to power the unit on/off.

Am I crazy?

Most campers will charge the battery and run 12v accessories off of your 7-pin connection without needing all that extra wiring. Mine does.

 

[Halstem1]

Most campers will charge the battery and run 12v accessories off of your 7-pin connection without needing all that extra wiring. Mine does.

Mine does too. As long as you have a 7 pin connector, it should.

 

[JonHylands]

Here's my setup - 2016 Sahara, bought new with the MaxTow package. We bought the trailer this summer, and it tows like a dream. The trailer is a GeoPro 19FD, dry weight of about 2820 lbs.

We have no clearance issues with the spare tire. The Jeep sits very nice and level when it is hooked up. The Jeep has stock-sized (32") BFG All-Terrain K02's, with no lift. The MaxTow package (which we ordered from the factory) got us 3.77 gears, and it tows nicely at about 90 km/h (~55mph) in fifth gear. It will drop down into fourth for slight inclines, and third for steeper hills, but it has no trouble keeping the speed up, and can in fact accelerate from 90 km/h while pulling uphill in third gear.

The trailer weight is very noticible at slower (in town) speeds, especially on city streets that are not perfectly smooth, but once we're up to highway speed (and driving on smooth roads) its barely noticible from a handling perspective.

 

[_olllllllo_]

here is my setup....

running a 3/4 in spacer all around, 35's redarc brake controller and put air bags in the rear for when i need them.

tows suprising well when i need to pass semis on 2 lane roads..

I have to tell you that is the best color combination out there. Love the Hellayella, painted fenders and black hard top. You are doing exactly what I plan to do, pulling a small trailer and exploring the great outdoors.

 

[hawki8624]

Not sure if I missed anyone pulling this trailer, but has anyone tried out or looked at the Flagstaff 21 FBRS? It really looks like a nice functional design. Seems perfect for pulling with a Jeep Wrangler except the empty weight is almost 4200 pounds. Hitch weight is 410. I’ll bet if they made it without the slide out (which I would love) it would be right in the ballpark.

http://www.forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers/flagstaff-micro-lite/21FBRS/894

I had a 21fbrs with a 15 colorado and it was a wind catcher. I would not have wanted to tow this trailer with any shorter wheelbase.

 

[XanaXand]

Thank you Goheels050917. I have a JLUR 3.6L auto with the Tow/HD electrical package. Been eyeing a NuCamp T@B 400 teardrop - 2690 lbs. I live at about 7000 feet elevation and go even higher up into the mountains to camp often. I'm a bit timid, and don't want to "be that guy" that is going 15 mph up a hill with 20 angry drivers behind me. Your info (and the Brake Controller) give me more confidence this can be done safely.

How did it go with your Jeep? I have a 2019 JLU with the tow package and I'm on the fence between this and a TAB 320S. I see a lot of back and forth on the internet about if a 4 door Jeep can really safely tow the TAB 400. Thanks!

 

[_olllllllo_]

We decided, and my wife would tell you by we I mean me, on the Off Grid Trailers Expedition 2.0. The trailer with almost all accessories and loaded for extended camping weighs a little under 2800 lbs. I moved the trailers spare tire from in front of the front storage box to the roof rack behind the axle centerline to help with reducing tongue weight. I am running 35s and changed to 5.13 gears. It tows fantastic with the 6-speed manual and I can maintain 65 mph in sixth gear. I will use fourth gear going up steeper climbs to keep the engine above 3000 rpm and in the power band.

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