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Towing popup or travel trailer?

atsgator1

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Hi all,

Anyone have thoughts/experience on towing a popup or travel trailer with the JLs? I'm waiting on a Sport S 4 door JL as I prefer the new features over my '15 rubicon and I know towing capacity is 3500lbs but I haven't been able to find any info on frontage restriction. I'd prefer a small hardside trailer like a Starcraft Satellite 16ks (3000lbs) or something but can settle on a popup like the Rockwood Freedom 1950 (2000lbs.)

I live in SC and will mainly be driving in the state so pretty much flat.This would be my 5th Jeep and I prefer the wrangler over say a pickup or SUV but just want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for disappointment or worse.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!
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bilcol81

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The new Wrangler brochure lists frontal area max as 30 sq ft. See page 55 for capacities.
 

drogers

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Hi all,

Anyone have thoughts/experience on towing a popup or travel trailer with the JLs? I'm waiting on a Sport S 4 door JL as I prefer the new features over my '15 rubicon and I know towing capacity is 3500lbs but I haven't been able to find any info on frontage restriction. I'd prefer a small hardside trailer like a Starcraft Satellite 16ks (3000lbs) or something but can settle on a popup like the Rockwood Freedom 1950 (2000lbs.)

I live in SC and will mainly be driving in the state so pretty much flat.This would be my 5th Jeep and I prefer the wrangler over say a pickup or SUV but just want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for disappointment or worse.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!
That starcraft looks nice, but I think you'd be pushing it a bit. not sure on the frontal area of that, might be ok but if I were going to pull a 3000lb trailer that long, with a wheelbase as short as a JLU, I'd want it to be a tandem. A nice tandem will tow soooo much cleaner and with less drama (especially with crosswinds).
 

GinjaNinja

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That starcraft looks nice, but I think you'd be pushing it a bit. not sure on the frontal area of that, might be ok but if I were going to pull a 3000lb trailer that long, with a wheelbase as short as a JLU, I'd want it to be a tandem. A nice tandem will tow soooo much cleaner and with less drama (especially with crosswinds).
I also think the trailer may be a bit much...keep in mind these travel trailers end up weighing quite a bit more than the dry weight. In addition, as mentioned above the max frontal area recommended by Jeep is 30sqft and the trailer you are looking at is roughly 72sqft...not inconsequential. Sweet trailer though!

Cheers,
Aaron
 

Dubeau9005

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Can someone explain what is meant by frontal area?
 

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Can someone explain what is meant by frontal area?
Just take the dimensions of height and width of any trailer and multiply them together. Usually it's trying to overcome the added wind resistance (aerodynamics / Co Efficient of Drag) of what your towing. I'm so impressed with the 3.6 and the new 8 speed I would think it could overcome some strong wind BUT it's the tongue weight that will have you squatting pretty bad since the rear springs are fairly soft.
 

Dubeau9005

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Wow. I’ve never heard of this really being an issue. I am coming from a pickup though. Didn’t realize it would matter that much for how much the Jeep could tow. So basically you are limited to a pop up trailer only with the wrangler due to this frontal area limitation? We have a single axle camper that is under the weight limit so was just assuming the Jeep would be fine to tow it. Now I am wondering if I should have kept my truck. 30 sq ft is absolutely nothing.
 

drogers

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I also think the trailer may be a bit much...keep in mind these travel trailers end up weighing quite a bit more than the dry weight. In addition, as mentioned above the max frontal area recommended by Jeep is 30sqft and the trailer you are looking at is roughly 72sqft...not inconsequential. Sweet trailer though!

Cheers,
Aaron
72sq probably isn't accurate - you only get that if you the height from the ground to the top of the AC unit - the AC unit isn't full widt, and neight is the area under the trailer. Honestly, unless you've got a measuring tape or the MFR lists the frontal area, it's pretty hard to get an exact number.
 

jloyva

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72sq probably isn't accurate - you only get that if you the height from the ground to the top of the AC unit - the AC unit isn't full widt, and neight is the area under the trailer. Honestly, unless you've got a measuring tape or the MFR lists the frontal area, it's pretty hard to get an exact number.
Plus the front being much more radiused than the typical travel trailer would reduce the effective frontal area.
 

GinjaNinja

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Plus the front being much more radiused than the typical travel trailer would reduce the effective frontal area.
Ah fair point this is true. Would be curious to know what the effective frontal area is...maybe the OP can contact the trailer manufacturer?
 

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drogers

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Plus the front being much more radiused than the typical travel trailer would reduce the effective frontal area.
Yup - for example Ford’s documentation on towing with their trucks points out that aerodynamics matter. Of course they say that it will significantly affect performance to tow a trailer bigger than X, not that you can’t do it. Odd that Jeep has a seemingly more strict limit rather than a guideline.
 

jloyva

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Yup - for example Ford’s documentation on towing with their trucks points out that aerodynamics matter. Of course they say that it will significantly affect performance to tow a trailer bigger than X, not that you can’t do it. Odd that Jeep has a seemingly more strict limit rather than a guideline.
I'm sure it has a lot to do with liability. A couple years ago I was camping, and a guy in the campsite across the road was towing a large travel trailer with a newer Cherokee. I don't remember the exact trailer but I do remember looking up the specs at the time and the GVWR was around 6300 lbs. I'm not condoning this behavior, just saying if you're only maxing out the towing capacity you should be fine.

Considering the radiused front, I would be completely comfortable towing the Starcraft Satellite 16ks with a four door JL as long as it's not overloaded.
 

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That Starcraft would be just fine with your JLU. Equalizer hitch and move on down the road.
 

drogers

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I'm sure it has a lot to do with liability. A couple years ago I was camping, and a guy in the campsite across the road was towing a large travel trailer with a newer Cherokee. I don't remember the exact trailer but I do remember looking up the specs at the time and the GVWR was around 6300 lbs. I'm not condoning this behavior, just saying if you're only maxing out the towing capacity you should be fine.

Considering the radiused front, I would be completely comfortable towing the Starcraft Satellite 16ks with a four door JL as long as it's not overloaded.

To each his own - I’m not gonna pull a 20’ long trailer on only 2 wheels especially not several hundred miles for many days in a row like we’d normally do when RVing. I’d find a tandem in that size and be much happier when the crosswinds came.
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