looking to tow a jeep wrangler 4 down

[jimbooth25]

My partner and I are probly going to be purchasing a 2011 jeep wrangler, 6 speed manual trans, manual transfer case, we were told by the dealer we can tow it 4 down just put the transfer case in nutral witch i have done befor towing a pickup on a dolly only issue i have is cant decied what tow bar to get and breaking system, and would i be able to hook up the jeeps light to the motorhome? and i am guessing you need to keep the stering wheel unlocked whial towing,. if anyone can chime in that would be great, the coach is a 2011 coachman mirada 32 bh witch is capable of pulling 5000lbs the jeep weigh in at around 3500, and also is the towbar something i can do or would it be better to have some one install it. thx

[FlyingDiver]

Make sure you're getting a 4x4 model. The two wheel drive models don't have a transfer case. Other than that, the dealer is correct. Transfer case in neutral, transmission in 6th gear. Yes, 6th. Do NOT leave the transmission in neutral. 2011 models do not have a steering wheel lock, so you don't need to worry about it. You can take the key out and lock it up. No battery disconnect or fuse pulling either.

You'll need to get baseplate installed. I'm partial to Blue Ox myself, but Roadmaster seem to be popular as well. And then get a matching towbar. Here's a good option for wiring up the lights with a minimum amount of hassle: Cool Tech LLC. JK Tow Harness Kit

joe

[jimbooth25]

yes its a 4x4 and what about breaks on the jeep should i get a break buddie or do you think it will be fine with out them?

[Five2o]

I( tow my wrangler with tranny in 1st as per the manual...no idea why

[FlyingDiver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbooth25 yes its a 4x4 and what about breaks on the jeep should i get a break buddie or do you think it will be fine with out them?

I would never tow a vehicle without a brake system. We use an SMI Air Force One, but it's designed for a diesel pusher with air brakes. I don't have any recommendations for your situation, but there are a ton of threads on IRV2 about braking systems.

joe

[FlyingDiver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Five2o I( tow my wrangler with tranny in 1st as per the manual...no idea why

I just looked (again) at the manual for our 2010 Wrangler, and it just says "in gear" for manual transmissions, but doesn't specify a gear. Somewhere else I had read that you want it in the highest gear.

The reason you want it in gear is that you DON'T want the transmission to be free-rotating when you're towing. There's no lubrication pump, so there's no oil going to the transmission. If it was rotating, it would be doing it without oil. So you need to lock it to the engine, which isn't rotating.

Edit: The reason the highest gear is preferred is in the off chance the transfer case pops back into gear. If you're in first, you're going to ruin the engine or transmission a lot faster than if you're in top gear. Very rare, but it costs nothing to pick the gear that will minimize the damage.

joe