Report: Towing Near Max Rating.

[Skye]

Have either of you hit a scale to actually get good numbers? I have a trailer that says it has a hitch weight of 648 pounds. It is weird, but almost like the trailer advertised tongue weight doesn’t include my two batteries, two propane tanks, tools etc. With that stuff added the tongue increased to about 1000 pounds. I have 1700 pounds of advertised capacity on my truck and once I add people a full tank of gas I am bouncing up to it. Please know that manufacturers will remove things like bumpers, seats, spare tires etc, when the test their weights. I think they most be trying to make the coolest commercial. This is why the numbers never match what is published. I am pretty no one is taking off their bumpers to tow.

I get that I sound like a broken record, but ya’ll are playing with fire. Go drive through a CAT scale, pay the $10 and be surprised at what you weigh. There’s an app for that. Use it.

Guess it's just two different view points. For me, the jeep tows it great and I'm confident the drivetrain can handle it. I have an awesome brake controller. I know how to drive when towing. I'm sure its bumping the max but I'm good with it.
Even if I weighed and was a little over (worst case scenario I'm only a little over) I wont be replacing the trailer or the jeep. I love both.

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[Kidder212]

Skye what engine do you have?

 

[Skye]

Skye what engine do you have?

3.6L

 

[lightsout]

The RV Manufacture sold have actual scale weight of that individual trailer when it was built, some states even require the actual weight when titling and registering. Regardless you should scale any new RV so you know actual weight.

 

[lightsout]

Insurance companies won’t deny you for that, no more than they will if you were going 5 miles per hour over the speed limit, and got into an accident. They might very well dump you after the claim, but most of that crap you hear is BS. 99.9%of these accidents are because people are stupid and not because they were overloaded.

You could not be more wrong, I have seen it happen three times from my years in the Boat business where customers towed with an underrated vehicle and had an accident related to lack of control due to the at weight, Insurance claims were denied due to negligence. That was 15+ yeas ago I would assume these days it is even more common.Not only that you caused an accident with injury;s to another party with the internet these days and how easy it is for a victim to get info and learn if you were negligent in towing with an undersized vehicle the liabilities could be huge including criminal...

 

[Geos7812]

You could not be more wrong, I have seen it happen three times from my years in the Boat business where customers towed with an underrated vehicle and had an accident related to lack of control due to the at weight, Insurance claims were denied due to negligence. That was 15+ yeas ago I would assume these days it is even more common.Not only that you caused an accident with injury;s to another party with the internet these days and how easy it is for a victim to get info and learn if you were negligent in towing with an undersized vehicle the liabilities could be huge including criminal...

I just sent a buddy who is in the insurance business a note about this exact topic. The Moab accident and talking about towing has me spooked. Worked too hard for a few shackles to have them taken away because of something dumb.

 

[OnlyOne]

You could not be more wrong, I have seen it happen three times from my years in the Boat business where customers towed with an underrated vehicle and had an accident related to lack of control due to the at weight, Insurance claims were denied due to negligence. That was 15+ yeas ago I would assume these days it is even more common.Not only that you caused an accident with injury;s to another party with the internet these days and how easy it is for a victim to get info and learn if you were negligent in towing with an undersized vehicle the liabilities could be huge including criminal...

You could not be more wrong...
Ive been in the heavy transport business for the last 30 years and have never once seen or heard personally or professionally an insurance company deny anyone for a towing incident. Ever. They have been dropped after an accident but not for being overweight. We deal with all kinds of transports from pickup hotshots to 100,000 lb plus permitted loads and we work with insurance companies as well as state and local authorities. So please spare me your boat business experience. None of this means you should go out and tow a 10k trailer with your JL. But if you want to, go ahead. It’s none of my business. Kind of like speeding. It also doesn’t mean you won’t get in trouble with the authorities but like most internet cops, people make a bigger deal out of it than it is.

There are a hell of a lot more issues out on the road than a dude that added a few coolers and heavy crap in his trailer.

Have some common sense. Don’t be an idiot, like internet cops.

 

[Geos7812]

You could not be more wrong...
Ive been in the heavy transport business for the last 30 years and have never once seen or heard personally or professionally an insurance company deny anyone for a towing incident. Ever. They have been dropped after an accident but not for being overweight. We deal with all kinds of transports from pickup hotshots to 100,000 lb plus permitted loads and we work with insurance companies as well as state and local authorities. So please spare me your boat business experience. None of this means you should go out and tow a 10k trailer with your JL. But if you want to, go ahead. It’s none of my business. Kind of like speeding. It also doesn’t mean you won’t get in trouble with the authorities but like most internet cops, people make a bigger deal out of it than it is.

There are a hell of a lot more issues out on the road than a dude that added a few coolers and heavy crap in his trailer.

Have some common sense. Don’t be an idiot, like internet cops.

Yep. I think this sounds like we should settle this with a good ‘ol fashion shoot out. Someone say draw!

This ain’t your grandpas world anymore, my brother. We are a sue happy society and attorneys look for any reason to place liability and worse Negligent liability. If you should have known, boy howdy you are negligent. Negligence means you are going to get slapped hard.

Well sense we can’t just fire away in the street anymore, I guess you do you and I will do me, but good luck. I prefer to not risk it. Aim’t worth it.

 

[lightsout]

You could not be more wrong...
Ive been in the heavy transport business for the last 30 years and have never once seen or heard personally or professionally an insurance company deny anyone for a towing incident. Ever. They have been dropped after an accident but not for being overweight. We deal with all kinds of transports from pickup hotshots to 100,000 lb plus permitted loads and we work with insurance companies as well as state and local authorities. So please spare me your boat business experience. None of this means you should go out and tow a 10k trailer with your JL. But if you want to, go ahead. It’s none of my business. Kind of like speeding. It also doesn’t mean you won’t get in trouble with the authorities but like most internet cops, people make a bigger deal out of it than it is.

There are a hell of a lot more issues out on the road than a dude that added a few coolers and heavy crap in his trailer.

Have some common sense. Don’t be an idiot, like internet cops.

I am not discussing the Heavy transport business I am referring to the recreational vehicle industry, Having owner 3 boat dealerships for more than 12 years (which I sold nearly 20 years ago) and 4 years consulting for the largest trailerable boat dealer in North America it happens, Do not think for one minute that opposing insurance company attorneys even then were not looking for failures, negligence, fault of the other as they are now.

You cause and accident with me and if I discovered you were towing beyond the stated OEM limits I am going after your not only for damages but negligence and potential criminal implications, Now if I caused the accident and you were overloaded and not driving legally I could argue you technically do not belong on the road therefore should not have even been there.

It is a legally dangerous world, and you will be held account when violating the law and towing beyond your limits is against the law.

Why is it throughout our country commercial trucks have to go through scales??? SAFETY and COMPLIANCE

 

[n1vek]

Going to be moving from metro Detroit to Denver in 2 months. Initially I was planning on renting a uhaul and hauling my 4 door 3.6L Rubicon behind it. This is not a cost-effective option.

I checked out the empty weight of the uhaul 6x12 trailer and it's "only" 1900lbs which would give me 1600 lbs of weight to load. (https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/6x12-Cargo-Trailer-Rental/RV/)

I'm having a tough time approximating what 1600lbs of home goods would look like.

I don't really own anything excessively heavy other than a bed/dresser. I guess dishes/tools might add up.

In the Jeep I wouldn't have too much heavy stuff, maybe some mountain bikes and a cooler. It will be just myself (205lbs) so I don't think I'd be bumping up against payload issues.

I'll be stopping just short of the foothills, so there really wouldn't be any passes to worry about. Just the long general climb from ~500 feet to ~5500 feet.

Interested on everyone's thoughts about attempting the trip.

 

[Geos7812]

Welcome to Denver man. Happy to have you.

 

[Lil Punk'n]

This had gotten the our drive by traffic slowing down. Lol

 

[Sippican]

 

[bobzdar]

Just chiming in here guys. When I ordered my Jeep I was hesitant due to towing (boat) and talked to an Engineer at FCA. I wanted to know if the towing capacity of the Diesel was going to be significantly more than the 3.6L. He told me the towing limitations on the Wrangler have nothing to do with power-train or suspension, it's all about wheel base.

This exact same engine, transmission and suspension with the wheel base of a standard pickup truck has max trailer weight rating of 6410-7440.
GCWR: 11900

He told me it's all about safety. Brakes play a small part in that, but the biggest issue was max highway speed control and stability.

I personally towed a JK & CJ linked together (wish I would have stopped to take pictures) out of an ORV park. My Jeep performed like a champ even through the rough terrain to get them out so a tow truck could pick them up.

Then you should have asked him why the grand Cherokee has a higher tow rating despite having a shorter wheelbase. Can't be the wheelbase based on that.

 

[digitalbliss]

Then you should have asked him why the grand Cherokee has a higher tow rating despite having a shorter wheelbase. Can't be the wheelbase based on that.

There is a good article on jalopnik about the Gladiator, towing and cooling. That's part of the puzzle and seemed to me to be a fairly large piece at that.

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