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Old 02-20-2017, 11:05 AM   #1
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Flat Towing

I had a question about flat towing a vehicle to get me more knowledgeable. We have a 2016 Jayco Redhawk Class C motorhome (29 XK) and are considering towing a vehicle. We need to buy a vehicle that can be flat-towed. I know that a Jeep Wrangler 4WD can be flat-towed but I have no idea how much weight I can pull. I know that the 2016 Wrangler (not yet sure if that's a two-door or four-door) weighs 3760 lbs. However, how do I figure the maximum weight I can tow? Can I tow 3760 lbs with this motorhome? If anyone can get me started on researching this, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.
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Old 02-20-2017, 11:45 AM   #2
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You should have plenty of towing capacity to tow a Jeep Wrangler. Jayco specifications state that your rig has a GCWR of 22,000 lbs. and a GVWR of 14,500 lbs. Therefore, your general towing capacity is 7,500 lbs (22,000 - 14,500 = 7,500).

A Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4-door has about a 5,400 lb. GVWR so even if you loaded the Wrangler to its GVWR and your motorhome is loaded to its GVWR, you still are under your towing capacity.

I've attached the Jayco condensed feature-page for your unit that includes those specs to this post.
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File Type: pdf 2016 Redhawk 29XK _ Jayco, Inc.pdf (900.5 KB, 94 views)
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Old 02-20-2017, 06:40 PM   #3
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I'd check with Jayco to confirm your Hitch capacity. I would think you should be rated at 5,000 lbs. but make sure.
Hitch may have a label on it.
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Old 02-20-2017, 06:46 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by britcon View Post
I'd check with Jayco to confirm your Hitch capacity. I would think you should be rated at 5,000 lbs. but make sure.
Hitch may have a label on it.
Yep!
Just taking the GCVWR and deducting the GVWR is not the correct way to do it. Most times the hitch is rated for 5,000#'s.
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Old 02-20-2017, 06:54 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mjschocken View Post
We need to buy a vehicle that can be flat-towed.

If anyone can get me started on researching this, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.
A good first stop would be checking out the Motorhome Magazine Dingy Guides Downloadable Dinghy Guides | MotorHome Magazine They have them starting from 2000 to the 2016. The Guide contains general towing information, tow bars, auxiliary brakes plus all the cars that can be flat towed. The past guides are good if you are looking at a pre-owned vehicle and want the information from that year. Once you figure what you can tow (weight) then look at all the vehicles you can tow - you might already own one.
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Old 02-20-2017, 07:24 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by britcon View Post
I'd check with Jayco to confirm your Hitch capacity. I would think you should be rated at 5,000 lbs. but make sure.
Hitch may have a label on it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_D View Post
Yep!
Just taking the GCVWR and deducting the GVWR is not the correct way to do it. Most times the hitch is rated for 5,000#'s.


mjschocken, I wouldn't have posted what I posted if I hadn't already checked the hitch capacity. If you look on your documentation, you'll see that the 2016 Redhawks with the Ford chassis --which you have-- will have a 7,500 lb. hitch capacity.

I've attached the brochure from Jayco that will state that in the "Standard Driving Equipment" section in the second to the last page titled "Standards and Options" it will state:

"Ford Chassis – 7,500-pound hitch with 7-pin plug"

You will find the same information in your documents. The models with the Chevrolet chassis will have a 5,000 lb. hitch.

I always attempt to do enough research before I post. Sometimes I make a mistake but this time, I believe I'm correct.
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File Type: pdf Jayco-Redhawk-2016 brochure.pdf (1.39 MB, 28 views)
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Old 02-20-2017, 08:14 PM   #7
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Thanks for the very informative responses. I'm now more oriented to find out more. I do remember the manual saying the hitch was rated at 7,500 pounds but wasn't sure that meant I could tow up to the weight and still have enough power for uphill grades, for example. The last poster was right. I probably should have reviewed it more before I posted but sometimes I find it best to just get the question out there and then go from there on my own. Thanks, again.
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Old 02-20-2017, 09:13 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by mjschocken View Post
Thanks for the very informative responses. I'm now more oriented to find out more. I do remember the manual saying the hitch was rated at 7,500 pounds but wasn't sure that meant I could tow up to the weight and still have enough power for uphill grades, for example. The last poster was right. I probably should have reviewed it more before I posted but sometimes I find it best to just get the question out there and then go from there on my own. Thanks, again.
No, I agree with you. You should ask questions no matter. And I didn't mean to imply that you should have looked all that up yourself.

What I was criticized for, and not you, was that GCWR minus GVWR equals towing capacity being a "general" statement. It's what theoretically you "should" be able to tow. Sure, I believe it goes without saying that the hitch rating has to match or exceed that towing capacity given by the motorhome manufacturer. Actually, in my opinion, it would be negligent on the part of the motorhome manufacturer to give a GCWR and a GVWR and not warn you that the hitch they provide doesn't have a rating to match but I realize it does happen.

As to your question whether the motorhome will have adequate power for uphill grades should you choose to pull a 7,000+ toad is another story altogether. That, I'm not sure what to tell you and I will defer to others. I'm pretty sure that you'll "feel" a heavy toad. A 7,500 lb. toad would be like towing a one-ton (heavy duty) pickup with maybe a even a little bit of cargo included and it would probably hinder your hill-climbing ability especially if you have the motorhome loaded close to its GVWR.

However, a Jeep Wrangler, as you pointed out, will probably have a curb weight somewhere around 3,760 lbs. I used GVWR when I mentioned that a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4-door weighed about 5,400 lbs ...or what it would weigh if loaded to its maximum capacity (or its GVWR). So I don't think a Jeep Wrangler would bog you down too much going up a grade compared to one weighing close to 7,500 lbs. But as you know, the lighter the toad, the better so you can make a choice from there. A Wrangler isn't too heavy but there are, of course, lighter toads you could use. It's up to you. If you like a Wrangler, it's not an excessively heavy toad and many use it as one so go for it. It's a reasonable choice for your rig.
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