Newbie needs advice on towing with 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

[Larcas]

Hello fellow RV'ers! I am planning on buying a 2018 Keystone Bullet 243BHS 1-Slide Bunkhouse travel trailer. It is 28'4" long and I will be towing with my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee specs:
3.6L 6 cylinders engine and is 2RWD.
Towing capability of 7400 lbs.
GAWR Front 3200 lbs
GAWR Rear 3700 lbs
GVWR 6500 lbs.

Here are the specs. on the 243BHS TT:
Hitch Weight 580 lbs
Dry Weight 4880 lbs
Cargo Weight 1620 lbs

It will be 2 adults and 2 teens in the Jeep and my estimate of 200 lbs of cargo . I am estimating 600 lbs of cargo in the 243BHS TT.


Q1. Can my JGC tow this 243BHS within safety parameters?
Q2. If it can tow this 243BHS safely, then what class # hitch do you recommend and what brand?
Q3. Do you recommend a sway bar and load equalizer bars for this configuration? If so, what brand?

This will be my first travel trailer so I know very little and am reaching out for any and all advice I can get. Please feel free to also comment on the Keystone 243BHS whether good or bad. Thanks beforehand.

[Skip426]

Welcome to iRV2.

What can I tow is perhaps the most asked question in the forums .

Right at the moment you have SOME of the numbers you need to determine what you can safely tow. Don't go with estimates your safety is too important!
Here's what you need to do to get the rest of the info .
Load your family and pets? any gear you'd expect to put in the Jeep , fill it with fuel and get the unit weighed at a Cat scale ( truck stop) you'll need both axles and total weight , to determine exactly how much capacity you have left.
If the jeep isn't already equipped with a hitch , you'll have to get a weight for the vehicle hitch, and anti sway unit too.
When you can post those numbers we can give you better input on your Jeeps towing abilities .
Right now , my best guess is you don't have enough vehicle.

For now please read this post.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f45/tow-v...ors-89375.html

[Mike M.]

You say you have the 3.6 in your JGC? The 3.6 gasser is only rated to tow 6200#. The Hemi and diesel can do 7200.

Also, your trailer is way to long for an SUV with only 115" wheelbase. You need to look at at least a 1500 pickup. Maybe a Suburban or long Expedition if you want an SUV.

[SmokeyWren]

Hi, Larcas, and

Originally Posted by Larcas

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee specs:
...
GVWR 6500 lbs.

Here are the specs. on the 243BHS TT:
...Dry Weight 4880 lbs
Cargo Weight 1620 lbs
--------------------------------

TT GVWR 6,500
--------------------------------
wet&loaded Hitch weight @ 13% = 945 pounds including WD hitch
===================================

It will be 2 adults and 2 teens in the Jeep and my estimate of 200 lbs of cargo . I am estimating 600 lbs of cargo in the 243BHS TT.

Estimates are the best way to wind up overloaded. As Skip suggested, you need real weights.

Q1. Can my JGC tow this 243BHS within safety parameters?

Probably not, but it might be close. Weigh the wet and loaded Jeep, subtract the gross weight from the GVWR of the Jeep, and the answer is the max hitch weight you can have without exceeding the payload capacity of the Jeep. If that max hitch weight is more than 945 pounds, then you're probably good to go.

Q2. If it can tow this 243BHS safely, then what class # hitch do you recommend...?

Ignore hitch "class" and go with the max tongue weight (TW) the hitch can support. Because your max hitch weight could be up to 945 pounds, then you want a WD hitch rated for 1,000 or 1,200 pounds TW.

Q3. Do you recommend a sway bar and load equalizer bars for this configuration?

You definitely want a weight-distriuting (WD) hitch with good built-in sway control. Because your hitch weight will be more than 500 pounds, you must have a good WD hitch. But not a cheap hitch that has sway bars for sway control.

If so, what brand?

There are cheap hitches, good but affordable hitches, and OMG expensive hitches. Ignore the cheap hitches and get one of these good but affordable WD hitches:

1] Blue Ox SwayPro
2] Equal-I-Zer
3] Husky Centerline HD 31390
4] Reese Strait-Line Trunnion Bar, complete with shank

Husky and Reese both make numerous cheaper WD hitches. Don't try to get by cheap.

Please feel free to also comment on the Keystone 243BHS whether good or bad.

Excellent choice for a small family. But probably needs more than a Jeep to tow it without being overloaded.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Just wanted to say hello!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[Normal_Dave]

Welcome Larcas,

Great post, and timely on your part. While the news doesn't look good, on the positive you may have avoided a ~ $ 24K error in judgement on the trailer purchase for the existing tow rig.

But, if this trailer is "the one", I'll ditto the rest and nudge you towards a different tow rig. Sounds like one of those, "can" you move it, vs. "should" you situations.

Such a wealth of knowledge and "been there, done that" experience here, it's tough to walk up to the campfire with all the seasoned veterans standing around and announce your intentions, and hear, "Son, you're gonna pull that, with what???".

After the dust settles however, rarely will you experience a more sincere, expert group of folks wishing nothing more than to get you into the hobby safely, on budget, and properly prepared for grand times with your travels. In your case, with teens, I say "get it in gear", mine are grown and gone, last one about to leave High School.

Mike M.'s setup should be a reliable guide, since he is in the same category. If your GC is the choice, get a much smaller trailer, and gear up the Jeep. Trans cooler, right hitch etc.

Last, I'm in the process of setting up my full size Montero, 3.5L 4WD, 4.30 gears to pull my 7x16 Cargo Conversion for kayaks/biking/camping and (it is only 3,000LBS wet), and even with my 5,000 LB tow rating, I'm taking extra steps to ensure it tows properly. I pull it with the V8 old school family van now.

Speaking of Jeeps, camping with two teen boys, maybe one of these setups, (mine is linked below), might be a solution? What activities/gear do you need to support while camping?
Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers • View topic - 4 kids+ 6 bikes+ 4 kayaks+ 1 canoe+ camp stuff=7x16 CTC

Another possible, Camplite 21BHS all aluminum, Dry 3,630, GVWR 5,600.
https://www.livinlite.com/products/c...s/CL21BHS.html

Example: (I'd do this over the Keystone, every day, all day, x2 on Sunday, for equal money and a Jeep GC as the tow rig).
New 2017 Livin Lite CampLite CL 21BHS Travel Trailer at Shady Maple RV | East Earl, PA | #100465

Anyhow, come on back to the fire ring, let us know how it's progressing. Spring is here, at least in my neck of the woods.

Best,

David

[madatme]

Originally Posted by Larcas

Hello fellow RV'ers! I am planning on buying a 2018 Keystone Bullet 243BHS 1-Slide Bunkhouse travel trailer. It is 28'4" long and I will be towing with my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee specs:
3.6L 6 cylinders engine and is 2RWD.
Towing capability of 7400 lbs.
GAWR Front 3200 lbs
GAWR Rear 3700 lbs
GVWR 6500 lbs.

Here are the specs. on the 243BHS TT:
Hitch Weight 580 lbs
Dry Weight 4880 lbs
Cargo Weight 1620 lbs

It will be 2 adults and 2 teens in the Jeep and my estimate of 200 lbs of cargo . I am estimating 600 lbs of cargo in the 243BHS TT.


Q1. Can my JGC tow this 243BHS within safety parameters?
Q2. If it can tow this 243BHS safely, then what class # hitch do you recommend and what brand?
Q3. Do you recommend a sway bar and load equalizer bars for this configuration? If so, what brand?

This will be my first travel trailer so I know very little and am reaching out for any and all advice I can get. Please feel free to also comment on the Keystone 243BHS whether good or bad. Thanks beforehand.

well if this helps i just picked up my 1st trailer wolf pup 3600lbs empty and i towed it home about 50miles with my toyota tacoma trd v-6 4.0L 6 spd trans rated at 6500lbs, 65mph flat highway ok, slight upgrade worse, uphill terrible, shift to 5th gear at 60mph about 3200rpm floored with no gain. morel of the story is the truck aint happy. wish i had a real truck

[tuffr2]

How much and for how far will you be towing? The shorter the distance and the slower the speed the better. If towing on back roads at 45 - 55 mph and with good weight distribution and good sway control you will be fine.

If towing on the highway you need a much smaller trailer. By smaller I mean a 4,000lb maybe a 4,500lb GVWR trailer. Maybe one that Normal_Dave listed or what I think would be perfect would be a large pop-up, a T@B 400, or an 'A' frame trailer like Aliner.

Another option, buy a 4 door 1/2 ton truck that has a capability to tow a 28' trailer.

Story - I had a Honda Ridgeline with 5,000lb tow rating. I tried towing a 4,500lb TT. It was great at slower speeds up to 55mph. Lucky, I was towing local and was ok. The 1st time I took this rig on the highway it was white knuckle driving. Semi's passing was scary, two hands on the steering wheel with a lot of steering correction. A passing semi 1st sucks you toward it, then as it passes pushes you away from it. My Ridgeline had a 3.5litre engine. That engine was working hard to trying to keep up with right lane traffic. The engine is not much different then your 3.6 litre Pentastar. It had 4 valves / cylinder and variable timing and overhead cams.

I also towed a 2,600lb boat with the Ridgeline. That was a good match. The 4,500lb TT was not a good match.

I traded the Ridgeline for a F-150. Now that was a good match for my TT. A TT catches a lot of wind from the front and sides that it is difficult for a little vehicle to control the sway.

Sorry for getting so long but I want to let you know my experience. My Ridgeline with 5,000lb tow rating was really more like 3,500lbs. My F-150 with a 8,500lb tow rating is more like 6,500lbs on the highway.

Points I am trying to make.
1. Max Tow ratings are bogus for highway use.
2. There is a differece, highway or back roads.
3. There is a difference between 35 - 60 miles to a state park or 2,500miles to see far reaches of the USA.

[archer75]

You will need more of a real truck for that. It's going to add too much payload for that little jeep.
Depending on how the trailer is balanced and how it likes to be towed, at 15% tongue weight you could be over 900lbs on the tongue. And you still have to factor in the weight of the propane, batteries and WD hitch on the tongue. Plus the people and cargo in the jeep.
What's the payload rating of your jeep? It will be on the door sticker.

I have a friend who had a wrangler unlimited, 2015, a towed a small cargo trailer that he built a bed in for camping and it was a pain to tow. I was often slowing down and waiting for him to catch up. It would really struggle up the hills and temps became a problem. Same engine as your cherokee.

As far as trailers go i'm not a fan of keystone. Bad experience. And from looking at them at RV shows i'd say quality is subpar. Just my opinion.

[tuffr2]

I want to add that if your mid sized SUV did not come with a trailer hitch it probable did not come with an auxiliary transmission cooler or trailer electrical connections.

Look at the 1/2 ton trucks. They can easily carry 4 people and stuff in the bed. Most 1/2 ton trucks will come with a trailer hitch. Also look for a truck with a factory brake controller which a lot of trucks will have. Also 1/2 ton trucks make ok daily drivers. There is a reason the trucks are the number one seller for Chevy, Ford, and Fiat.
Ford sells 800,000 trucks, Chevy sells 700,000 trucks and Ram sells 550,000 trucks approx. (I think). Toyota sells 350,000 Camrys and Honda sells 300,000 Accords approx.

[Cumminsfan]

This guy seems okay with his JGC.

[Mr_D]

Safely? Maybe, but I think you'l be very unsatisfied with the power and handling except under ideal conditions.

[tuffr2]

Looks like he is always towing uphill. That will kill his mpg.

[aether_one]

I know that trailer and that Jeep ain't gonna get er done.