ckmccorkle
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We have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee and would like to tow it on a car trailer (Jeep wheelbase 115" - weight is 6000lb). Can anyone give me a good math calculation to pick the right trailer?
Car towing with a Class A
- Thread starter ckmccorkle
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ArdraF
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Welcome to the RV Forum ckmccorkle. Can't you tow the 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee four down? Most of us prefer towing over a trailer which is why I'm asking.
ArdraF
ArdraF
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Any trailer than can carry a payload in excess of 6000 lbs, right? I'd be looking for some extra capacity, so figure a trailer payload of 7000 lbs or more. The trailer payload (Cargo capacity) is the difference between the trailer GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) and the trailer UVW (unladen vehicle weight)
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
Make sure your Class A can handle the total weight of the car and trailer. Many gas Class A's, for instance, are limited to a 5,000 lb max trailer weight, with some as low as 3500 lbs. Diesel Class A's often can handle 10,000 lbs, but make sure first before buying a trailer that you can't safely use.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
ArdraF said:
A good point, Ardra... Per Remco Towing, the 2019 Grand Cherokee rear wheel drive models and the 4WD models with the 6.4L V8 must be trailered. The other 4WD models equipped with Quadra-Trac ll or Quadra-Drive ll can be towed 4-down following the instructions in the owners manual.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
IF your class A is a gasser the Jeep is already over your hitch rating. ON a Diesel I'd tow 4 down
ckmccorkle
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Thank you for all of your responses.
Ok, I am going to give a little more info first this time:
RV - 2019 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
Towing max. = 10,000lb
Cummins ISL 380 HP/1150 lb Torque
If I tow with 4 on the floor I risk modifying my Jeep (2019), and when my wife wants a new car I have to modify that one also.
Now let me start over. I know I need a trailer that is rated at 6000lb or more. What I need to know is if my jeep wheelbase is 115" what is the calculation to figure out the length of a trailer to transport the Jeep. Do I need a 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24ft trailer, that is the question. Do you divide the inches by a number to get the answer? and if so, what is the number?
Ok, I am going to give a little more info first this time:
RV - 2019 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
Towing max. = 10,000lb
Cummins ISL 380 HP/1150 lb Torque
If I tow with 4 on the floor I risk modifying my Jeep (2019), and when my wife wants a new car I have to modify that one also.
Now let me start over. I know I need a trailer that is rated at 6000lb or more. What I need to know is if my jeep wheelbase is 115" what is the calculation to figure out the length of a trailer to transport the Jeep. Do I need a 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24ft trailer, that is the question. Do you divide the inches by a number to get the answer? and if so, what is the number?
I can't answer your question directly but I am making a similar decision now. I know from dolly towing that you will frequently need to disconnect the trailer (CG's won't have room for a 40 foot RV with a 20+foot trailer). Sometimes that will be late at an inconvenient spot. Maybe someone who tows on a trailer can chime in because I would like to trailer tow but no way can I muscle around a trailer the way I had to muscle the dolly around!ckmccorkle said:
Isaac-1
Well-known member
I have an 18 ft metal deck car hauler, and I can tell you that I have hauled a 103 inch wheel base car that is 183 inches long overall on it before with room to spare, the bigger issue is dealing with ramps, break over angle, and the potential of the car (sports car in my case) bottoming out while loading and unloading. Having said that one big downside to pulling a full size car hauler trailer behind a motorhome is the question of what do you do with it when you get to your destination. The space needed to park the motorhome, trailer, and car on the ground end to end is getting close to 90 feet.
p.s. Mine is a TopHat brand like the one in this link https://www.tophattrailers.com/catalog/product/car-hauler/all-steel-car-hauler/ which weighs in at 2,500 pounds emty Something similar might work for you, though you may need something a little heavier, mine has right at 4,500 carrying capacity, and a 2019 Grand Cherokee is going to be very close to that depending on options (my wife's 2017 Cherokee (not Grand) Overland edition weighs in at 4,200 pounds). A quick google search says the 2019 Grand Cherokee weighs in at 4,500 - 5,100 pounds depending on options.
p.s. Mine is a TopHat brand like the one in this link https://www.tophattrailers.com/catalog/product/car-hauler/all-steel-car-hauler/ which weighs in at 2,500 pounds emty Something similar might work for you, though you may need something a little heavier, mine has right at 4,500 carrying capacity, and a 2019 Grand Cherokee is going to be very close to that depending on options (my wife's 2017 Cherokee (not Grand) Overland edition weighs in at 4,200 pounds). A quick google search says the 2019 Grand Cherokee weighs in at 4,500 - 5,100 pounds depending on options.
ckmccorkle
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Thanks for the info., anyone out there have the calculation?
John From Detroit
Well-known member
ckmccorkle said:
Wow. THe number is 12. the bed of the trailer would thus need to be 10 feet long. WHat that translates to in terms of Trailer length (if the tongue is included) I do not know but you need 10 feet of bet to hold 115 inches of JEEP Take a tape measure to the trailer store
Adding a few more feet you can park a golf car on the trailer crosswise (They make some that you can do that) you may wish to consider.
FOlks say they can not understanf the metric system
10 pennies in a dime
10 dimes in a dollar
10 dollars in a 10 spot
10 10 spots in a C-Note (100 dollar bill)
or you can use the US system
12 inches in a foot
3 feet in a yard
220 yards in a furlong
8 furlongs in a mile
Ernie n Tara
Well-known member
Wheel base is pretty much immaterial. Overall length should fit on the trailer with a couple of extra feet overhang. The trailer must be rated for the load. I'd guess that, with a Cherokee, you will want 20 - 24 feet long.
I'll also bet that you'll regret not towing four down if possible.
Ernie
I'll also bet that you'll regret not towing four down if possible.
Ernie
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The wheelbase is not really a factor. Wheelbase is the distance between the Jeep wheels and thus the minimum size trailer bed (floor) that is long enough to get the wheels on it, but you probably want a trailer large enough so that the front & rear of the Jeep do not hang over much, if any. That means you want to use the overall length of the Jeep, not the wheelbase. There is no general formula for converting wheelbase to overall length, so get out your tape measure. Or look up the overall length on the FCA-Jeep website.
A typical vehicle of that type will be about 16 ft long overall.
A typical vehicle of that type will be about 16 ft long overall.
Utclmjmpr
Well-known member
My `16 foot car hauler has been great and most of my neighbors have used it over the years,, one reoccurring problem is getting out of the car after loading.. The doors won't quite clear the trailer fenders when opening.>>>Dan
Isaac-1
Well-known member
According to online sources a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee is just under 16 feet in total length, so a car hauler with a 16 ft deck would work, but may leave little room for balance adjustment (controlling amount of weight on the tongue by moving the load (Jeep) forward or backward), so and 18 foot may be better.
p.s. I second Dan's issue about getting out of the doors once loaded, as the doors tend to line up with the trailer wheel guards.
p.s. I second Dan's issue about getting out of the doors once loaded, as the doors tend to line up with the trailer wheel guards.
maddog348
Well-known member
Trailer Storage ~ When not in use ~ At campsite
HueyPilotVN
Well-known member
Utclmjmpr said:
I used to haul my Mustang on a flatbed trailer and to make it easier to open the door I added 2 X 10s to raise the car to clear the side rails.
It also allowed me to put the racing slicks under the front of the car on the floor under the engine.
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ckmccorkle
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Thanks for all the responses, I have more information now to work with.
As for the question on why we our not running with 4 down (I understand it is much more ease-going). Ref. the following video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmd_by5R2Mk.
Cost of said 4 down - Jeep Grand Cherokee wiring/w install cost required from Jeep for 2019 year = $600, I have looked at different tow bars, from that the following costs are about even - Bar = $1000, Base Plate = $500, Wire/Coiled cord = $200, Patriot2 Brake = $1300, and Labor = $1600. For a total cost to modify a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee one time - $5200. If you watch the video, you can see that they have to dismantle the front of the Jeep.
It's my wife's car so in 3-4 years when she wants a new car - we will have to modify the new one also. Where as the trailer is a one time cost, of course maint. is yearly. And please understand that I live with (44 years) "Happy Wife, Happy life" work just fine.
As for the question on why we our not running with 4 down (I understand it is much more ease-going). Ref. the following video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmd_by5R2Mk.
Cost of said 4 down - Jeep Grand Cherokee wiring/w install cost required from Jeep for 2019 year = $600, I have looked at different tow bars, from that the following costs are about even - Bar = $1000, Base Plate = $500, Wire/Coiled cord = $200, Patriot2 Brake = $1300, and Labor = $1600. For a total cost to modify a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee one time - $5200. If you watch the video, you can see that they have to dismantle the front of the Jeep.
It's my wife's car so in 3-4 years when she wants a new car - we will have to modify the new one also. Where as the trailer is a one time cost, of course maint. is yearly. And please understand that I live with (44 years) "Happy Wife, Happy life" work just fine.
Isaac-1
Well-known member
It is possible to trim a LOT of those prices doing things DIY,
See this thread I posted a while back http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/jeep-cherokee-toad-setup-on-a-budget-440766.html
Note I am still not done with the project, it keeps getting put on the back burner as our next RV trip together will not be until October, and I did not get it done in time for our May trip so we ended up renting a car at our destination.
p.s. if you don't want to pull the front end apart yourself get a quote from an independent body shop, they pull and replace front ends every day, and could probably do the job in 2-3 hours
See this thread I posted a while back http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/jeep-cherokee-toad-setup-on-a-budget-440766.html
Note I am still not done with the project, it keeps getting put on the back burner as our next RV trip together will not be until October, and I did not get it done in time for our May trip so we ended up renting a car at our destination.
p.s. if you don't want to pull the front end apart yourself get a quote from an independent body shop, they pull and replace front ends every day, and could probably do the job in 2-3 hours
