16 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Feels like I'm not able to tow this..

Hello everyone. Wife went and put a deposit down on a :

2017 Forest River
Vibe 224RLS
Dry weight: 5246 lbs
Hitch Weight: 634

What we have is a:

2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
V6
Tow package
Tow Rating: 6,200 pounds

So question is are we able to tow this trailer and if so is it really advisable? My gut says no.

The experts should be along soon but I'm pretty your gut feeling is right.  On the driver's side door post you should have a yellow sticker that gives you the towing capacity.  By the time you add in all the stuff you will carry in the trailer and the people,etc in the jeer,I think you will be over the limit.

Can you get your deposit back or do you want to buy a truck?

listen to your gut. its no problem to put an extra 1000lbs in and on that trailer,water is 10lbs a gallon, food, clothing, misc supplies etc. any suv is not really a proper tow vech. they will get the job done in a pinch but they really aren't designed for it. remember just because u can drive in a straight line down the road does not mean that will be the case in a hard panic stop on wet asphalt, and it only takes one of those to ruin your day. just saying.

Thanks for the replies. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a battle to get the deposit back. I have a feeling that my SRT challenger was just designated for trade in.  Not cool.

Good advise above.

To provide a little more specific answer...

The Tow Rating is for advertising ONLY.  It is rarely accurate for YOUR vehicle.

The two critical numbers are GVWR and GCWR.  GVWR is how much the fully loaded vehicle weighs, including all passengers, cargo, trailer hitch and tongue weight.  This is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.  The weight of the fully loaded vehicle AND camper is Gross Combined Weight Rating.

How much your car can carry is simply GVWR minus the weight of your car with a full tank of fuel.  Much easier, look at the driver door B pillar for a yellow label.  This CCC is the weight your car was designed to carry, based on its' weight as it left the factory.

Find the CCC for your Jeep.  Now add together the weight of all passengers and cargo.  Add 80# for a WD hitch and add 10% of the trailer GVWR (NOT dry weight.  Nobody goes camping in an empty camper!).  This must be less than the vehicle GVWR.

Add together the Jeep GVWR and the camper GVWR.  Subtract the tongue wt.  It is included in both.  Unless one or the other vehicle is significantly below the GVWR, this is a very accurate estimate  of GCWR.

The Jeep GVWR is on a different label on the driver door.  GCWR is in the owners manual in the towing section.

When looking for a new tow vehicle (TV), take the number you calculated above for the weight of all passengers.....  Look at the yellow label on the proposed vehicle.  If the CCC is less than your number, close the door and keep looking.  DO NOT let a salesman convince you otherwise.  You are better informed than the salesman, and his safety is not on the line if he is wrong!

Your trailer will likely gross at near 7000 lbs.  It's also 28 feet long.  Not only will the Jeep struggle pulling it, the trailer will walk the Jeep all over the highway.  Can you get the load moving?  Of course. Can you control it?  No.  Period.

You need, at a minimum, a modern half ton pickup configured to tow it correctly.  I'd recommend a new F150 Ecoboost, or Chevy or Ram 1500 with a V8 and maximum towing package. 

Sorry....probably not what you wanted to hear.

Frizlefrak said:

Your trailer will likely gross at near 7000 lbs.  It's also 28 feet long.  Not only will the Jeep struggle pulling it, the trailer will walk the Jeep all over the highway.  Can you get the load moving?  Of course. Can you control it?  No.  Period.

You need, at a minimum, a modern half ton pickup configured to tow it correctly.  I'd recommend a new F150 Ecoboost, or Chevy or Ram 1500 with a V8 and maximum towing package. 

Sorry....probably not what you wanted to hear.

Click to expand...

First thanks for the reply. While it isn't what I wanted to hear of course. I just am stuck between the numbers and what I am being told. I've gone everywhere and asked too. I called jeep corporate. They said I'd be fine. Spoke with a few guys we go camping with and they shared some of your concerns and points , but said since the jeep was 4X4 and had a tow package with transmission cooler ultimately the jeep would perform. I spoke with forest river corporate as well and they stuck with the 1k pounds speal th dealers do. Which is as long as I'm under 6200 I'm fine. Also found out the actual dry weight of the trailer is 4875. Not the 5200 previously mentioned. So yeah. Pretty sure I'm screwed.

Pugapooh said:

The experts should be along soon but I'm pretty your gut feeling is right.  On the driver's side door post you should have a yellow sticker that gives you the towing capacity.  By the time you add in all the stuff you will carry in the trailer and the people,etc in the jeer,I think you will be over the limit.

Can you get your deposit back or do you want to buy a truck?

Click to expand...

I don't want to buy a truck.

I see different weight specs for the Vibe 224RLS than what you posted, but it is still well above your Cherokee's tow capacity. I see 4886 (empty) + 1833 (CCC) = 6719 lbs, so you will almost surely be above the GC's max limit. And with family and gear in the GC, it will handle poorly even with the trailer only lightly loaded. Bottom line: Don't do it.

http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=216&ShowParent=1

Gary RV Roamer said:

I see different weight specs for the Vibe 224RLS than what you posted, but it is still well above your Cherokee's tow capacity. I see 4886 (empty) + 1833 (CCC) = 6719 lbs, so you will almost surely be above the GC's max limit. And with family and gear in the GC, it will handle poorly even with the trailer only lightly loaded. Bottom line: Don't do it.

http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=216&ShowParent=1

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I appreciate the reply.  So what dry weight should I actually be looking for then?

The dry weight that you're looking for on your TT is on a yellow sticker usually on the front left side of the TT.  This will be the empty weight of the TT as it left the factory.

Frizlefrak said:

You need, at a minimum, a modern half ton pickup configured to tow it correctly.  I'd recommend a new F150 Ecoboost, or Chevy or Ram 1500 with a V8 and maximum towing package. 

Click to expand...

hey Friz..I thought you were big on the oil burners ?

what about the new 1500 diesel Ram ? 

TonyDtorch said:

hey Friz..I thought you were big on the oil burners ?

what about the new 1500 diesel Ram ?

Click to expand...

I am!  The Ecodiesel Ram would do the job, of course...but plan on paying a premium for it.  If I were in the OP's shoes, I'd buy a 2500 diesel....because too much is just right. 

I appreciate the reply.  So what dry weight should I actually be looking for then?

Click to expand...

You should not be looking at dry weight at all. Look at the trailer GVWR (max loaded weight), which is likely what you will actually tow.

You're definitely in late model 1/2 ton territory.  Sorry.

I'm pulling a similar weight TT with a V8 Grand Cherokee with no problem but the tow rating is 7200# with the bigger engine.

  Catskinner,,,do you get your water from a leaded hole??where do you get "heavy" water?? :.>>>Dan

utahclaimjumper said:

  Catskinner,,,do you get your water from a leaded hole??where do you get "heavy" water?? :.>>>Dan

Click to expand...

Black water, perhaps.

The engine may be the only difference between the 6 and the 8.  Someone may be able to verify.