Now Trailering The Jeep

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Water Dog

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Sep 27, 2010
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Location
Sumner, TX
After flat towing our Jeep for several years, I decided to trailer it to avoid the tire scrub on the larger tires, and to have a way to get it home in case of carnage (rather than paying shop labor rates to fix it.....Labor is free at home.. :D

I picked up a used 16' steel bed car trailer that had just had both axles serviced with new bearings, brakes, wheels, and tires for a pretty good price. I added a tool box, and a spare, and loaded the Jeep....perfect, except for one thing; I didn't like the low dim rear lights on the rear dove tail. I figured that since the Jeep was already wired for 4 down towing, I would just add a trailer plug to the back of the the tool box and plug the Jeep in. Works like a charm. I do have plans for changing the existing trailer lights out for some led's and adding learance lights when we get home.
 

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Yeah John, we have now towed it from East TX to Moab, and it has has really been nice. I love the ability to back up as well. Loading up Friday (after getting my full fix of wheeling Moab) and we'll hit Bryce Canyon before heading to CA to see the grand kids (and possibly their parents..  ;D) and doing our annual Rubicon trip.

If anyone is in the area next month and wants to do the Rubicon, feel free to join us. We'll be doing it the weekend of July 15-17..... PM me if interested.
 
Water Dog said:
Yeah John, we have now towed it from East TX to Moab, and it has has really been nice. I love the ability to back up as well. Loading up Friday (after getting my full fix of wheeling Moab) and we'll hit Bryce Canyon before heading to CA to see the grand kids (and possibly their parents..  ;D) and doing our annual Rubicon trip.

If anyone is in the area next month and wants to do the Rubicon, feel free to join us. We'll be doing it the weekend of July 15-17..... PM me if interested.

DITTO
 
I would love to trailer my Jeep in its current configuration, alas I am hamstrung by a 5,000# towing capacity and a 325# tongue weight limit. Maybe one day my dream of a coach with 10k towing will be realized.
 
Please explain scrubbing the tires.  Also is it only a factor with oversized tires?  We've pulled our new Jeep about 3,500 miles and have driven it another 4,000 in the 3 months since we purchased it.  We have stock 17" tires which I believe are the same as the Rubicon.  What do I look for to determine if I'm scrubbing the tires? 
 
What happens when you tow 4-down and make a turn with the towing vehicle, the towed vehicle's front tires will continue to track straight for some period of time causing wear off axis of the tire tread.  It's not such a big deal with smaller and stock tires but once you get into the larger diameters (and wider) tires, the wear is really accelerated.

The other factor with the Jeep 4x4s (that I'm familiar with) is the entire drive train (up to and including the transfer case) is rotating and causing wear on those components when you flat tow.
 
Thanks John.  Trailering has a certain appeal and the only downside for us is our travel style frequently leaves us with smaller sites.  In addition to the ability to back up and less wear and tear on the Jeep, I like the idea of a trailer with brakes that can be activated from the motorhome.  May not stop a motorhome if its brakes failed, but it might slow it enough to safely end an otherwise dangerous decent. 
 

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