Jeep Question

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AndyinLexington

AndyinLexington

Well-known member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Posts
574
Location
Lexington, KY
Hi all,

I've noticed that there are a lot of people towing jeeps.  I saw a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for sale today and stopped to take a quick look.  It's a 2005, two door, hard top, six speed manual, straight 6 engine, with about 46,000 miles on it.  It has oversized tires and wheels on it, and appears to be in immaculate condition. 

questions:

1.  What is something like this worth?

2.  What is the attraction with towing jeeps?  Is it just the off-road capability?

3.  What should I expect to pay for a set of standard sized wheels?  The oversized wheels/tires don't really appeal to me, and my off-roading will be in the east, primarily in Michigan trout fishing so I don't see much point in the bigger tires.  Probably 99% of the use of the vehicle will be on-road.

Thanks!
 
1.  Check the Kelly Blue Book here
2.  I like our Jeep for the off road capability (enjoy getting off road) and they tow great without the extra hardware that a lot of vehicles require to tow. They also have a short turn radius and can be parked almost anywhere.
3.  When I put new tires and wheels on my Jeep, I sold my stock rims with almost new tires mounted on them for $500. A lot of folks replace their wheels and tires and the stock ones are usually easy to find on Craigslist.....If the wheels and tires on it are nice, you might be able to find a swap.
 
1.  Roughly $12-14k with regular wheels.  No idea what the oversized tires might do to the pricing.  As Water Dog said, "Check the Kelly Blue Book".

2.  Most Jeeps are ready made for towing if 4WD.  Plus they are pretty easy to add a base plate and lights wiring.  Not to mention, you are ready for "whatever" when you are out on the road.

3.  I wouldn't pay for standard wheels and tires unless I was wanting to hang on to the oversized ones.  I'd bet a Craigslist posting to trade for standard wheels and tires would bring you more business than you can handle.

Side note...a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with standard wheels and rag top (don't know how much a hardtop weighs) weight in empty at about 3750 lbs.  Be sure your MH towing capacity is adequate.
 
Molaker said:
Side note...a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with standard wheels and rag top (don't know how much a hardtop weighs) weight in empty at about 3750 lbs.  Be sure your MH towing capacity is adequate.
Click to expand...

Hardtop weighs in at about 130 to 150.......from lifting it, but I believe (but not 100% on my memory) my 1999 Jeep Wrangler Sport with the hard top on only weighed in at about 3575 when I put it on the scales about a year ago. I went to a soft top because our last mh had a hitch rated at 3500 pounds. The mh we have now has 5000# hitch and tow capacity.
 
Water Dog said:
Hardtop weighs in at about 130 to 150.......from lifting it, but I believe (but not 100% on my memory) my 1999 Jeep Wrangler Sport with the hard top on only weighed in at about 3575 when I put it on the scales about a year ago. I went to a soft top because our last mh had a hitch rated at 3500 pounds. The mh we have now has 5000# hitch and tow capacity.
Click to expand...
The Unlimited is longer than the standard Wrangler and adds about 200-250 lbs.  My MH had a 3500 lb hitch so I had to upgrade to tow the Jeep.
 
Thank you for the replies.  We have a 5K tow capacity on the m/h so should be ok from that perspective.  Called the guy who has it and he is asking 15K for it, so may have some negotiation if I decide to buy.  Jeep would sure be nice for chasing trout . . .
 
AndyinLexington said:
Jeep would sure be nice for chasing trout . . .
Click to expand...

Yes it would....I use my Jeep daily and love it. The only drawback is you have to lift your leg pretty good to get in, but then that's really the most exercise I get anymore... ::)
 
I had no idea how much fun jeeps are!  They're so versatile and can be tricked out with all sorts of cool stuff. 

Don't want the doors on?  Take 'em off!

Want a hardtop?  Just put one on.

Want a convertible?  Take the hard top panels off or fold the soft top back.

Don't need the rear seat?  Take it out.

Want to put a rack on the roof?  Just screw one on.

Then there's all the stuff you can do & add to make it climb rock cliffs if that's what you want.

One thing that my hubby added was a screen behind the grill (in front of the radiator) to protect the radiator from road debris that might be thrown up behind the moho. He was afraid the large openings might let a big enough rock through to cause damage.

We were hooked last year at Moab when we saw all those way cool jeep trails and met a Rubicon with all the mods.  DH used the age of our 1st jeep and not feeling comfortable getting too far off the road with it to rationalize the new-to-us jeep.  I admit the '10 is MUCH more comfortable and it's larger tires (still stock) make for a smoother ride.

I think you'd like one and would probably catch more trout.  If not, you'd at least have fun getting there!
 
If you just want some basic 4x4 capability in a toad, a Jeep Liberty 4x4 will get you there without giving up the comforts of a car-like vehicle, a lockable interior, etc. Or any of several other 4x4 SUVs.

Jeep Wranglers are excellent off-road vehicles, but perhaps more "off" than many of us want or need to be.
 
Hi,
We've had an '06 Automatic Sport for two years now and just purchased a new Rubicon (Other than being taller, it drives like a new car; Chevy, not Cadillac). As Gary notes, the Jeep is not a luxury car, but ours isn't too bad and my wife drives it more than I do.
I'd think $14-15K for an unlimited would be in the ball park or low. Jeeps, at least the Wrangler, don't depreciate nearly as much as more conventional vehicles; in fact, I'd suggest this is a reason to buy a Wrangler for a Toad all by itself.
Don't underestimate the likelihood of getting more into off road than you think you will. It's really fun, and the view while having lunch at 14,000 feet in the Rockies should be on everyone's bucket list.
JM2C,
Ernie
 
One thing I have noticed about Wranglers is that they really hold their $ value. I use mine for an all time vehicle and we tow it behind the motorhome. I have a automatic transmission (4 door Wrangler Sahara Unlimited).  We love the 4 door as it has comfortable room for passengers or for the dog in the back seat , as well as space behind the rear seats for stuff.The wife commandeers it on occasion when we have the deep snow in Michigan(but not this year). I do off roading at the Silver Lake Dunes and in the State forrests in Michigan. I am not sure that I would get rid of the oversize wheels as they do give much better ground clearance if you do decide to off road it.
 
Some of the others make good points.  Once you have 4WD ability you find places to go that you couldn't normally.  Four wheelers get to see wonderful places other people don't get to see!  Also, Bill makes a really good point about the tires.  Too little ground clearance is one of the problems that holds us back the most.  When you don't have much clearance you really have to be careful not to get stuck and, perhaps most important, not to damage something like an oil pan.  Of course I think most Jeeps have skid plates to protect the oil pan and that's another hugely important feature.  A four-door is easier to get in and out of than a two-door.  A relative of ours got a two-door and they traded it in a few months later because getting the children into their car seats, etc. was really difficult.  And, as someone else mentioned, passengers can have difficulty getting in and out also.  Even without 4WD our regular cars now always are four-door because the two-doors just have too many disadvantages.  All that said, I think you'd love a Jeep!

ArdraF
 
Happy Easter all!


I too have been thinking of a Jeep as a toad.  Last year we got a class A and enjoy it a lot.  But we need wheels when we get where we go!
For spring break we rented a Liberty while in northern VA to see family (flew - no time to drive). Really liked it and am considering selling the wife's '06 Subaru and looking for a '08ish Liberty.  The motorhome is an '03 Fleetwood Flair 33R with V10.  I'll have to go check hitch rating and tow capacity.  Wife and I still work so the Jeep will be commuter car during school year.


I'm open to any input on how best to do this, whether it's a good plan, etc.  Also, any input as to how a Wrangler would compare (like the idea of top off!).  Anyone have a Liberty with the soft top sunroof (forgot what they call it)?  Thanks in advance.
 
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