Buying Toad - Cherokee Trailhawk

[DariusB]

Originally Posted by FLSteve

Just towed the Trailhawk for the 1st time (3 straight days and about 1,000 miles) and all went fine. Only thing I learned new was when you have the driver's door open, engine running and put it into gear ... it will automatically turn the emergency brake on ... so I need to add to my checklist to make sure I turn it off. It's a small push/pull lever by the gear shifter that is easy to miss if you have never had one like it before.

FLSteve

Thanks for Sharing Steve. Was it really necessary to install a secondary wiring assembly for the brake/running lights to work on the Cherokee? I would think the factory installed wiring to make this flat towable would connect that circuit as well.

[FLSteve]

Originally Posted by DariusB

Thanks for Sharing Steve. Was it really necessary to install a secondary wiring assembly for the brake/running lights to work on the Cherokee? I would think the factory installed wiring to make this flat towable would connect that circuit as well.

DariusB ... I think the answer is yes. This gets you a plug located on front of the vehicle to plug the cable into from the motor home and wires running to the back connecting into the factory wiring with diodes to keep it from back feeding into the vehicle electronics.

FLSteve

[Isaac-1]

From what I have read the Cherokee is very sensitive to backfeeding wiring and frying the electronics. A guy from Roadmaster tech support told me they get more calls due to people splicing into brake switches, and tail light wiring. on Cherokees and frying stuff than on any other vehicle.

[Peter M]

Originally Posted by FLSteve

Was able to get my installation done last weekend. Did the Blue Ox base plate on Saturday and finished up with the Roadmaster lighting harness on Sunday. I do miss the look of the red tow hooks but can't have it all. (Am thinking about maybe painting the tow hooks red but that's probably a bad idea). I did watch the videos for both items on eTrailer.com several times and between them and the instructions, did not run into any issues … just took longer than I thought it would. I did not use the Blue Ox supplied bracket to install the wiring connector and break-away switch as my Trailhawk has some little round sensors at each side of the grill … I think the ones that let you know when you get too close to a wall. Pictures show how I wound up doing it. Did a short test pull and all seems to be fine.

I use a BrakeBuddy unit as we tow both our vehicles and just change it back and forth … and I did not install a 12V charger as that has never been an issue with any vehicles we towed.

Things look a little scary after you pull off the front end panel. My non-RV friends still can't believe I would do that to a brand new vehicle!

FLSteve

Fl Steve do you have any close up pictures of the fasha tabs ? The tabs by the quarter panel.
What direction did you pull the fashia to seperate the tabs ?


Thanks

[FLSteve]

Originally Posted by Peter M

Fl Steve do you have any close up pictures of the fasha tabs ? The tabs by the quarter panel.
What direction did you pull the fashia to seperate the tabs ?


Thanks

Peter M … this is that only one I have the kind of shows them. If I remember correctly you just pull straight out … but you really have to pull. Just make sure you have all the bolts out. I think there is one up high behind the wheel well liner.
FLSteve

[CEParosa]

We have a 2016 Trailhawk that is setup for flat towing and you are correct on the additional setup. There's a fuse under the hood and toggle switch in the console glove box. It towed without issue from East to West coast last year behind a 2015 class A gasser and barely knew it was there. It towed better than our VW beetle!

[DariusB]

I bailed on my install after I could NOT yank the facia off. I got every bolt off the video showed, I tugged, pulled, cussed, kicked, all to no avail, It would not budge.even a little. I have a mobile install dude coming Wed to do it. I did get the light harness routed and hooked up at the rear light assemblies. Pretty straight forward if you follow the video. Wish it was a bit easier determining which wire is for what in the Jeep harness but I must have got it right as the Jeep lighting all works. We shall see once the hookup to the RV happens!

[rmueller]

Originally Posted by DariusB

I bailed on my install after I could NOT yank the facia off. I got every bolt off the video showed, I tugged, pulled, cussed, kicked, all to no avail, It would not budge.even a little. I have a mobile install dude coming Wed to do it. I did get the light harness routed and hooked up at the rear light assemblies. Pretty straight forward if you follow the video. Wish it was a bit easier determining which wire is for what in the Jeep harness but I must have got it right as the Jeep lighting all works. We shall see once the hookup to the RV happens!

If you are doing a Cherokee...I had the same problem, I posted the question/solution on jeepcherokeeclub.com search for 'fascia removal', the go to post #8 if you want to read all about it( I don't know if cross posting to other forums is OK)...otherwise the issue I had was not pushing my plastic tool in far enough under the clip on the top.

I pushed it in quite a bit, gave the top of the fascia a pull (steady but not a tremendous amount of pressure) and it came right off.

Ron

[DariusB]

i FINALLY got the facia off. There are a few "clips" that are actually on the headlight bucket. I had success when I used a plastic panel remover tool to push in between the facia and the headlight bucket seam. This released one or two of those clips and the rest followed. Lots of noise that sounded like things breaking but that was not the case. It went back real easy. I also mounted the Stay in play control box on the inside of the bumper support cross member. I have a welder so I welded some brackets to the bumper and bolted the unit on there.

Everything works as advertised and I am going to like not having to remove/install components, just set the Jeep up ( really easy with the Active Drive II transmission) , hook up the tow bar and go. Taking off for Wyoming tomorrow from Sacramento so it will get a good breakin trip!

[pete5016]

Originally Posted by georgelesley

I am an active poster on the gear clash issue being discussed on the Jeepcherokeeeclub.com forum. Here is a post from a very experienced poster there and his take on the issue:

Quick update on my flat-tow experiences.

As I indicated in posts https://jeepcherokeeclub.com/2858528-post7.html and https://jeepcherokeeclub.com/2858530-post8.html, there is considerable (and very concerning) gear clash when going from Neutral to Park with the engine as per the procedure in the Owner's Manual. I have chosen to ignore the Cherokee manual and follow my Liberty, RAM, and Wrangler owner's manual procedure - shut off the engine while the transmission is in Neutral (need to hold the Start button a second or two), then put the transmission in Park. Smooth and noiseless (i.e. no clash). Done this several times now with no issues.

I hope this adds light to the issue being discussed. It appears many others have noted this problem as there are several other posters on that forum reporting the same issue.

Yep, after "grinding" the gears a few times, I also came to this same conclusion and process. However, it appears that it should not do this (grinding). Should I take my 2019 Jeep Trailhawk back to Jeep Service?

[triplewide]

Originally Posted by pete5016

Yep, after "grinding" the gears a few times, I also came to this same conclusion and process. However, it appears that it should not do this (grinding). Should I take my 2019 Jeep Trailhawk back to Jeep Service?

Same on my 2017 Cherokee Trailhawk, "Gear clash" if engine is running. Noise may be locking pin attempting to set while trans shaft is slowly turning.

[DariusB]

I will be making the last leg of a 2300 mile inaugural trip with my Cherokee Trailhawk tomorrow (300 miles left). On flat ground/highways you can not tell the thing is even back there. On hills and mountain passes I found using cruise control give you the most consistent performance. The foot throttle simply is not responsive enough to negotiate passing slower vehicles (trucks) on inclines. I can still drop into 3rd gear at 55 mph( appx 3200 RPM) and maintain that speed on VERY gnarly passes, like Parley's out of Salt Lake City...both ways. Not to mention the Sierras and all the other passes from Sacramento to Casper. We went in some back way a family member took us....at the 30 mile mark of a dirt road in back country Wyoming, a rain/hail (marble size) cell dumped on us for 5 minutes and rendered the road to snot just as we arrived at the bottom of a short hill. The two in front of me made it up but trashed the road . I got stopped 1/3 up the hill in the mud/snot. I had to unhook the Jeep and put it in neutral in the mud! TRASHED the Jeep AND the RV. I spent $25 in Casper at a car wash just pressure washing the mud off the Toad. I will tackle the RV at home.
So far, at 1785 miles my MPG average is 11.6
I had NONE of the gear clash others are discussing. I followed the instructions in the manual that came with the Jeep( I posted them somewhere, perhaps this thread a way back)
BTW, I am about 350-400 lbs over max weight also. 65-70 MPH no problem, handling just fine acceleration a bit slow but it was a bit that way before the toad was hooked up so I have no complaint. I am going to weigh again tomorrow with all tanks empty but full fuel. The overweigh was a full fresh water tank, full fuel in toad, full fuel in RV, plus a week's worth of food and clothes.

[Flentz56]

I bought a used 2014 trailhawk to function as my toad. I found one that already had a baseplate installed by the original owner. After making the purchase is when I learned about the steering wobble that can occur with this vehicle. I took it to the Jeep dealer where I bought it, it cost another 450 bucks to get the towing fix installed. Then I took the Jeep to an RV shop to get the brake system installed, they recommended the Airforce one system, I agreed and it cost 2400 for the brakes, wiring the lights and setting up so the RV will keep the toad battery charged when towing, everything worked on the first trip, about a thousand miles, I was really happy.
Now to the thing to watch for, if you are towing a Cherokee 2014 to 2016, the base plate attaches to a lower part of the front bumper assembly, each side has a aluminum arm that connects the lower part to the front frame. You need to look at the back side where the flange of that arm is welded to the bar, the welds will fail. I knew that on mine one of them had been replaced by the dealer but didn’t think too much of it, when I had the brake system installed they looked closer than I had and the arm on the right side was torn half way around the flange, they warned me not to tow until repaired.
I replaced the failed one found and inspected the other, it was sound. If you have a Cherokee with lower support arms that are made of aluminum have them replaced. Attached picture is the one I replaced.
The replacement part is made of steel, I inspected after the 1000 mile trip and no problems.

[Bikinjim]

Originally Posted by Flentz56

I bought a used 2014 trailhawk to function as my toad. I found one that already had a baseplate installed by the original owner. After making the purchase is when I learned about the steering wobble that can occur with this vehicle. I took it to the Jeep dealer where I bought it, it cost another 450 bucks to get the towing fix installed. Then I took the Jeep to an RV shop to get the brake system installed, they recommended the Airforce one system, I agreed and it cost 2400 for the brakes, wiring the lights and setting up so the RV will keep the toad battery charged when towing, everything worked on the first trip, about a thousand miles, I was really happy.
Now to the thing to watch for, if you are towing a Cherokee 2014 to 2016, the base plate attaches to a lower part of the front bumper assembly, each side has a aluminum arm that connects the lower part to the front frame. You need to look at the back side where the flange of that arm is welded to the bar, the welds will fail. I knew that on mine one of them had been replaced by the dealer but didn’t think too much of it, when I had the brake system installed they looked closer than I had and the arm on the right side was torn half way around the flange, they warned me not to tow until repaired.
I replaced the failed one found and inspected the other, it was sound. If you have a Cherokee with lower support arms that are made of aluminum have them replaced. Attached picture is the one I replaced.
The replacement part is made of steel, I inspected after the 1000 mile trip and no problems.

You may have the original Blue Ox baseplate version installed on your Trailhawk that does not include the welded tabs to tie the two baseplates to the car’s steel bumper. Blue Ox revised the baseplate to include those tabs after many hundreds were sold but did not recall the original version to my knowledge. Without the tabs, the constant cycling of the acceleration/deacceleration loads during towing will fatigue the flange welds and result in cracking and complete failure of those aluminum subframe members. I would recommend that you inspect your baseplate to ensure it’s the A version with the tabs and, if not, get the updated version from Blue Ox installed to strengthen your towing connection. I would also recommend that you inspect the steel radiator support cross member to insure that it has not also cracked and failed adjacent to each individual baseplate. Details on my experience with the original baseplate version, where the cracks may be on the radiator support cross member, and how to determine which baseplate version you may have is provided below.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/2015-...te-359284.html