Community Forums

Old Dude 66 · 06-23-2012, 06:03 PM

Our 04 Wrangler Sport has a curb weight of 3050 lbs. Towing with a blue ox tow bar and a unified tow brake.

jauguston · 06-23-2012, 06:34 PM

Max,

You had better reweight your Tracker. My Samurai weights 2200# and the Tracker/ Side Kick are a newer version and are about 700# heavier than a Samurai.

Jim

ssimmons23 · 07-06-2012, 10:09 PM

Someone told me that towing a vehicle would wear out the tires faster so I am wondering if anyone had any good... or bad experiences... with tow vehicles regarding the cost of replacement tire.

I replaced all of the RV tires when we purchased it a year ago as they were the original tires.

ssimmons23 · 07-06-2012, 10:15 PM

I am really not sure. I don't have any paperwork on the Reese Hitch but there one piece of paper that says MAX TRLR WR. is 3500 lbs. and max tongue is 300.

You are not the first person to question me on this and I have found a couple of threads that states that I probably have a 5000 lb rating... but I just want to make sure.

Matchayan · 07-06-2012, 10:44 PM

We tow a chevy colorado 4x4 mainly because it is light and very easy to put in tow mode [ push 2 buttons together and turn of key and put in park] not like some vehicles that have a protracted procedure which if not done correctly results in burning your tires of. We use the box on the pickup for extra storage if needed. The standard cab is sub 3500 and the can be found very cheap on the used market. But you must realize that all Us states and Canada require by law supplemental braking systems and breakaway components on the toad, otherwise your insurance is not going to cover you in case of an accident involving the towed.

ssimmons23 · 07-07-2012, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan H

You might also consider '99-'06 jeep wranglers. Actual weight will depend on model and options, but you can get them sub-3,500 lb.

Re: the towing setup, I just purchased the ReadyBrute with integrated brake, Currie base plate, and cool tech wiring kit.

We are currently looking at some of the older Jeeps.
Would like a 2 door with a hardtop.

ssimmons23 · 07-07-2012, 10:00 AM

Bryan,
I have read some posts on other sites that mentioned that some people had experiences where the hitch is actually rated at 5000 but because of the way it was installed, the tow restrictions were downgraded to 3500.

Anyone hear of something like that before? I might look into the possibility of making the hitch more secure.

Also... has anyone every traded their hitch out to give you more of a weight allowance?

Our Time · 07-07-2012, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssimmons23

Someone told me that towing a vehicle would wear out the tires faster so I am wondering if anyone had any good... or bad experiences... with tow vehicles regarding the cost of replacement tire.

I replaced all of the RV tires when we purchased it a year ago as they were the original tires.

I have towed three different vehicles over the last 10 years and have noticed no increase in tire wear other than normal wear.

I have also heard that towing a Jeep 4 down with off road tires will increase the wear. Can't say from experience though.

ssimmons23 · 07-07-2012, 10:50 AM

Thanks, Chuck and Mary!

akcampr · 07-07-2012, 12:48 PM

We set up our Subaru Impreza AWD for towing this year. It is very easy to hook up and tow. Must have a manual tranny to tow a subaru 4 down. We also used the ReadyBrute Elite with surge brake, blue ox base plate. It is my wife's daily driver, gets good fuel mileage, and has the highest safety ratings.

amanda_h · 07-07-2012, 04:57 PM

If you're going strictly by curb weight, be sure you don't put too much cargo inside the toad when towing. Not to dispute what others have said but curb weight does include fuel and other operating fluids as we understand it. It's the total operational weight of the vehicle not taking into consideration any passengers or cargo.

It sounds as if you've already decided on a Jeep but we agree with akcampr that Subarus make excellent toads and daily drivers alike. We currently tow an '06 Outback but just about all Subarus should have a curb weight below 3,500 lbs. and now all models sold in the U.S. have AWD.

One thing we've been told is to make sure that regular alignments are done on the toad as sometimes tire wear is accentuated when towing as opposed to regular driving for some strange reason. We found that out the hard way in that we replaced a right rear tire twice because of uneven wear before realizing that the alignment specs were off. It wasn't showing the wear when being driven but when being towed, it really intensified the wear on that particular tire. When getting a four-wheel alignment, it solved the problem and we've been getting one once a year since with no problems with unusual tire wear.

Eric_H_E · 07-07-2012, 06:33 PM

Off road tires will wear bad on the road towed or driven.

HabitatGuy · 07-07-2012, 06:34 PM

If you are looking at older Jeep Wranglers try to stay with the '98 to '06 TJ models. They have coil springs and a little wider wheel base. Much more stable driving and towing. We have a 2000 model since'03 and have pulled it behind 3different motor homes . I don't think you can go wrong with one. Good luck with your research and buying.

sandpiper · 07-07-2012, 09:16 PM

Don't go by curb weight or anything a dealer tells you about weight - especially if you are thinking your towed vehicle will be close to your limits. The only sure way to know is to weigh the vehicle as it will be loaded in tow mode. Don't forget the weight of the towbar and base plate.