pulling trailer with Jeep Grand Cherokee

We're interested in buying a Rockwood mini lite travel trailer, model 2109S, dry weight approximately 3700 lbs.  Would it be a problem to pull this with a Jeep Grand Cherokee 6 cylinder?  Also,  would we be able to pull it through the mountains?

If you had the V8 with the tow package, you would be OK.  The 6 cylinder would be marginal (I'm assuming you have a NEW Grand Cherokee).  You aren't going to like how it tows in the mountains.  You will be near the vehicle's limits, and will be wringing it out for all it's worth pulling any grade with it.


http://www.jeep.com/en/2013/grand_cherokee/capability/towing/


IMHO, bigger truck or smaller trailer.

It is a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee

According to the Trailer Life Towing Guide, a 2012 Grand Cherokee with the V6 has a 5000 lb tow rating. A trailer with a dry weight of 3700 lbs is probably pushing 4500 lbs when loaded, so that's about the largest I would consider for that Jeep.

You need to use the trailer GVWR, not the dry weight, to figure towing loads.

Will it be ideal?  Probably not.  But will it be adequate I believe so.  I have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK), and I got a Shadow Cruiser 280-QBS.  It weighs 5400lbs unloaded according to the certificate of origin.  My Jeep is a V8 with a tow rating of 6500lbs, so that leaves me about 1100lbs for cargo, passengers, water tanks, etc.  It's cutting it kind of close, but we travel light.

Thank you all for the input.  I'm thinking the tow vehicle won't be ideal for pulling something that weighs that much.  We may have to reconsider.

I've pulled some moderate loads with the V8.  Plenty of power, but it's simply not enough vehicle to control a load of that size. 

I pulled a small trailer with my 6 cyl Jeep Cherokee.  It is a small utility trailer, that with less than 2,500 lbs GVW, it struggled getting up the hills.  So after a couple of trips with it I decided to remove the hitch from the Jeep.  It came with the towing package, towing mirrors, everything, but horrible performance towing, dealers do/say strange things to sell a vehicle.  It's a great vehicle in 4WD, but it's not a towing vehicle.  Maybe I've been spoiled towing with my PU, but with the PU, one barely notices the trailer is back there. 

rspeechteach said:

Would it be a problem to pull this with a Jeep Grand Cherokee 6 cylinder?  Also,  would we be able to pull it through the mountains?

Click to expand...

    When I first moved from a motorhome to a TT around '97, I had a Chevy blazer - and wound up buying a TT. I don't recall the length, weight, or tow ratings as it was a long time ago. But it was similar to what you describe. I thought I was a clever buyer in that I made the purchase dependant upon my being able to pull the TT with my Blazer as far up the 80 freeway toward Reno as necessary to satisfy my mind that the combo was OK. I drove it past Auburn, CA to an elevation of probably about 2000' before returning to Sacramento. It lugged a bit on the steeper grades but was able to maintain a steady speed of around 45mph in 2nd gear.

After the purchase I then did my first longer trip which was to go all the way to Reno over Donner summit, which is over 7,000'. It seemed to pull OK, but the temps were for sure too hot.

While in Reno I had another issue with the Blazer - if I recall had something to do with a head light. When I picked it up at the repair guys garage in Verdi, CA (West of Reno), I asked him about the heating thing coming over the summit. This guy was tall and lanky, about 86 and a pilot that flew weekends and owned several RV's. A real Verdi sage.

Anyway, he kinda smiled - then placed his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye and said, "Bob, you need a bigger truck". He went on to explain that if I continued to pull with the blazer I would for sure continue to have problems - and recommended at least a 1/2 Ton truck. And to always have more than just getting by when pulling "anything".

FWIW . . . 

I've been towing my 2013 Rockwood 1809S (dry weight 3400lb) with a 2009 Grand Cherokee 5.7 liter V8 Hemi (7200 lbs towing capacity). It tows it very well, but unfortunately I would not recommend doing it with a 6 cylinder. You would struggle in mountains or even average hills. The other thing to keep in mind with the Jeep is the short wheelbase. When I hit dips in the road that are common in intersections at a decent speed, my 18 ft. trailer takes the Jeep for a bit of a ride. I would be nervous with a trailer much longer, 21 ft should still be okay, but I wouldn't go any longer, regardless of the tow capacity.