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Digger29 · 02-28-2016, 07:29 AM

We know that both our vehicles are too heavy to tow behind our coach so we're thinking of trading in my wife's Escalade for a new Jeep Wrangler. I'm not new to towing because I tow my 16' enclosed 4000lb MX bike trailer to the races every other weekend but I've never towed a vehicle so my question is what will I need to tow a new Jeep Wrangler behind our coach? Our coach pulls the trailer effortlessly so I'm not worried about towing a jeep because it probably weighs the same as my trailer. Thanks everyone, Mike

bigben · 02-28-2016, 07:57 AM

Many of us have faced the same question. I used this site to help me understand what I needed to tow our 2013 Ford Explorer - etrailer.com trailer hitches ford chevy gm dodge hitches with balls and more. And this site for specific to a Wrangler. Jeep Parts, Jeep Accessories & Jeep Soft Tops From The Jeep Parts Experts - Quadratec

Safe travels.

**Lt Dan** · 02-28-2016, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digger29

We know that both our vehicles are too heavy to tow behind our coach so we're thinking of trading in my wife's Escalade for a new Jeep Wrangler. I'm not new to towing because I tow my 16' enclosed 4000lb MX bike trailer to the races every other weekend but I've never towed a vehicle so my question is what will I need to tow a new Jeep Wrangler behind our coach? Our coach pulls the trailer effortlessly so I'm not worried about towing a jeep because it probably weighs the same as my trailer. Thanks everyone, Mike

Mike, Jeeps are extremely easy to tow behind a motor home. To set it up, you will need a tow bar, a base plate for the Jeep, a light hookup, and a braking system. Everyone has a differing opinion on what works best, but what has worked extremely well for me is a Blue Ox Alpha tow bar, a Demco base plate, a Mopar wiring harness and the RVI2 brake. I bought all of these new for around $2100 and installed them myself.

If you are thinking at all about adding an aftermarket bumper and winch to the Jeep, then I would suggest skipping the base plate and going with the RockHard or the LoD bumpers. Both brand bumpers have add on tow attachments which connect directly to the frame. Most aftermarket bumpers can not be towed using the D-Ring attachments since they are just welded to the bumper and not tied directly to the frame. I wish I had done this to start with since I added an aftermarket bumper a year after installing the base plate. They work well together, but the unitized bumper and tow attachment would have been nice.

To tow, all you have to do with the Jeep is hook up, put the transfer case in neutral, the transmission in park, plug in the lights, set up the braking system and go. That is for Jeeps '08 and newer. Older Jeeps require the key to be in the ignition and turned to unlock to free the steering wheel. The newer Jeeps don't have a locking steering wheel.

As for weight, the two door Sport models weigh in around 3700-3800 pounds. The four door Unlimited models are heavier at around 4400-4600 pounds.

Digger29 · 02-29-2016, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Mike, Jeeps are extremely easy to tow behind a motor home. To set it up, you will need a tow bar, a base plate for the Jeep, a light hookup, and a braking system. Everyone has a differing opinion on what works best, but what has worked extremely well for me is a Blue Ox Alpha tow bar, a Demco base plate, a Mopar wiring harness and the RVI2 brake. I bought all of these new for around $2100 and installed them myself.

If you are thinking at all about adding an aftermarket bumper and winch to the Jeep, then I would suggest skipping the base plate and going with the RockHard or the LoD bumpers. Both brand bumpers have add on tow attachments which connect directly to the frame. Most aftermarket bumpers can not be towed using the D-Ring attachments since they are just welded to the bumper and not tied directly to the frame. I wish I had done this to start with since I added an aftermarket bumper a year after installing the base plate. They work well together, but the unitized bumper and tow attachment would have been nice.

To tow, all you have to do with the Jeep is hook up, put the transfer case in neutral, the transmission in park, plug in the lights, set up the braking system and go. That is for Jeeps '08 and newer. Older Jeeps require the key to be in the ignition and turned to unlock to free the steering wheel. The newer Jeeps don't have a locking steering wheel.

As for weight, the two door Sport models weigh in around 3700-3800 pounds. The four door Unlimited models are heavier at around 4400-4600 pounds.

Awesome and thanks for the info..

jcgribks · 02-29-2016, 01:51 PM

When we towed our 2012 Wrangler Unlimited we had stock bumpers but instead of a baseplate like blue Ox I used the one made by Currie Enterprises #CE-9033JK tow bar mounting kit. Installed it myself and only needed to remove the plastic pan under the bumper. The Currie also works as a skid plate too. For a tow bar I went with the Ready Brute Elite RB-9050 that has the tow brake integrated into it so you don't have to have a supplemental braking system that you have to take in and out of the jeep. You can find the RB-9050 online for around $1,100 shipped including blue Ox clevis that the Currie uses. I also used the wiring harness from Cooltech LLC JK Tow Harness. They make two different ones with the difference being the Deluxe has added a Umbilical cord and a battery disconnect. I already had the core and didn't use a battery disconnect.
Installed all products myself.
Hope this helps.