Jeeps as a toad ?

[TonyDtorch]

fulltiming in an R/V park I get to see a lot of rigs come and go,....  it appears that a good 50% of the toads are Jeeps.

Do Jeeps make a better vehicle for towing ?

 

[Oscar Mike]

They're easy to set up and tow, I have an automatic 2005 Wrangler that takes all of a couple of minutes hook-up and get ready to go.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

Plus they are ok to drive and fun to play in (Moab comes to mind).

Ernie

 

[TonyDtorch]

that's what I was wondering, there is a natural connection in Jeeps and camping, but many of these are beautiful Jeep Cherokees,
those are not exactly rock climbers

 

[zmotorsports]

that's what I was wondering, there is a natural connection in Jeeps and camping, but many of these are beautiful Jeep Cherokees,
those are not exactly rock climbers

Maybe not rock climbers but they still do very well on fire roads and for off-road exploration.  Our first two Jeeps were an XJ (Cherokee) and a ZJ (Grand Cherokee) in which we towed for well over 100k miles over the past approx. 20 years.  They did very well when exploring the back country and towed very easily.

Life begins where the pavement ends.

Mike.

 

[vmax1]

If your spending the winter in Arizona, the jeep is the perfect vehicle.

 

[ArdraF]

You would be surprised at some of the rock climbing a standard Jeep Grand Cherokee can do.  We had one and went on most of the moderate trails at Moab.  Here are two photos of one our 4WD excursions to Secret Spire.  Note the Jeeps which are all stock without any special modifications.

Best of all is being able to tow four down, although not all models these days can be towed.  Most of the older models were towable four down but the newer transmissions don't necessarily have that ability so you have to be careful buying one if you want to tow it.

ArdraF

 

[Bob Buchanan]

    My '96 Cherokee Sport is ideal for me. I don't do heavy off roading, but do use 4 wheel on many occasion such as when around Quartzsite, AZ.

I especially like that I can shift the transfer case into neutral and totally disconnect the transmission - so don't have to worry about moving oil and such. Plus, no miles turn up while towing.

 

[harmony]

What you should know about towing flat...
https://www.google.com/#q=flat+tow+vehicles+2013+by+motor+homes

 

[readytorv]

We just bought a 94 Wrangler to tow.  We are a Jeep family though.  We've owned an 82 Cherokee Laredo but it's way too heavy to tow!

 

[Jim Godward]

You would be surprised at some of the rock climbing a standard Jeep Grand Cherokee can do.  We had one and went on most of the moderate trails at Moab.  Here are two photos of one our 4WD excursions to Secret Spire.  Note the Jeeps which are all stock without any special modifications.

The new jeep has ride height control and can be varied depending on the mode the transmission is in, snow, sand, mud or rock.  The biggest problem we have so far is remembering to hit the park so it lowers and we don't feel like we are jumping to the ground. 

 

[Maddie]

While we are talking about Jeeps, I've had a question for a while.  We have a '10 Wrangler we tow four down. We were told to pull a fuse in the engine, not told why but we always have. In our last trip we drove 5 hours and when we got home realized we forgot to pull the fuse. Nothing seemed amiss so I'm wondering if it's even necessary?

 

[Larry N.]

I don't pull a fuse in my '03 Wrangler, but I doubt Wranglers need that -- perhaps they've changed?

 

[vmax1]

I never pull the fuse, I just hook up a battery charger to the jeep when I get to my destination

 

[zmotorsports]

While we are talking about Jeeps, I've had a question for a while.  We have a '10 Wrangler we tow four down. We were told to pull a fuse in the engine, not told why but we always have. In our last trip we drove 5 hours and when we got home realized we forgot to pull the fuse. Nothing seemed amiss so I'm wondering if it's even necessary?

On the 2007-2008 model year JK/JKU there is a MAX fuse in the fuse panel under the hood (60 amp I believe) that needs to be pulled to eliminate the voltage drain on the system.  This is due to the fact that the ignition key does not have an "unlock" position like in previous model year Jeeps.  In 2009 they did away with the steering wheel lock so there is no need to even have a key in the ignition and no reason to pull the fuse.  This is the main reason when we started looking I wanted a 2009-later model year Wrangler. 

I have heard, but not seen, that some 2009 model year Wranglers still have the lockable steering wheel.  To ensure what style you are working with if you have a 2009 model year Jeep I suggest that you raise the front end off of the ground, make certain you do not have the key in the ignition and try turning the front wheels/tires lock to lock (side to side).  If the steering does not lock up on you then your Jeep does not have the steering wheel lock.

On pre-2007 Wranglers they have an "unlock" detent in the ignition keyswitch so you merely turn the key to unlock and tow the Jeep normally.  I like the new style as there is no need to even have the key in the ignition when towing.

Mike.

 

[ArdraF]

The final authority for towing is always the manual for your specific car.  Be sure to check that because, as Mike pointed out, they change features in a model in the middle of a year and what someone does with an earlier or later model of the same year might be different from yours.

ArdraF

 

[taoshum]

Regardless of the toad type...it's probably wise to check that the type bar, toe pins/clips & tow chains are connected, all cables are connected, brake system is OK, the wheels turn, the steering wheel turns in a corner, the brake/tail lights work and that the parking brake is OFF before you take off.  You'd be surprised how many times the simple stuff gets overlooked.  Just talk to the techs at a tire shop sometime.

It's certainly true that the 07 & 08 JKs have a steering column ignition lock so the ignition key has to be in the ON position to release the steering lock... Hence the need to pull the fuse to keep the battery from discharging.  By the way, you can use a non-chipped key for this so that the engine cannot run.

 

[mvpmich]

One other item to consider is that the base plates for most jeeps can easily be installed and don't require extensive removal of the front grille, cowl and other items like crossovers do. The installation is also as easy as installing a trailer hitch. All of this equates to less $'s down the black hole!

 

[bobguigley]

Our toad is a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee comfortable for routine driving around yet it is "trail rated".

However, at the moment it seems to have a gremlin in the electrically operated transfer case switch.  I wish it had a lever like our 2001 Grand Cherokee had.

 

[javandyke]

My 2006 Wrangler has to have the key turned to the "accessory" position to unlock the steering. If there is nothing turned on, there is no load except my Brake Buddy so I've never pulled a fuse and have towed for days at a time without the battery being overly discharged.

After checking, it is one click towards start to unlock. The accessory position is one click back from the key out position and it does not unlock the steering as far as I know.