Buying Toad - Cherokee Trailhawk

[HiwaysByways]

I'm looking at buying a Cherokee Trailhawk. So far I have figured out I need a 3.2 litre, Active II transmission and a trailer tow package.

I have one dealer telling me he can "add" the trailer hitch and I can still tow 4,500 lbs. I need to tow a flat deck, side by side and an atv when it is not being a toad.

Question. Is there anything else I need to order on this Cherokee other then the above? Wiring harness? I have seen two reports on the wiring harness, some saying no.... and some saying I need it.

then there is the braking..... lots of info on this, but is there something specific that works with the Cherokee better then anything else?

Specific tow bar? More then likely I can just check them all to see who has a bar that will work for this.

[iluvuk]

What year Cherokee?
Have you looked on YouTube at the "death wobble" problem? Just be aware and make sure you solve it. There is an issue I think with the electric power steering or something like that on many jeep Cherokee models, can't recall the exact problem that causes the death wobble right now. There is some extra wiring that needs to be done to tow the cherokee. It can be done and many make it work just fine. You absolutely need the transfer case that has a neutral option and on Jeeps I think you must have the 2 speed transfer case (Hi and low range). I would double check the actual owners manual for the model you are looking to buy. It will have detailed RV towing instructions in the manual like mine does and will list what can and cannot be done with regard to RV towing based upon the transmission model, etc.
Because of the steering problems, I bought the grand Cherokee. Tows like a charm, no extra wiring for steering.

[Bikinjim]

Originally Posted by Torack

I'm looking at buying a Cherokee Trailhawk. So far I have figured out I need a 3.2 litre, Active II transmission and a trailer tow package.

Question. Is there anything else I need to order on this Cherokee other then the above? Wiring harness? I have seen two reports on the wiring harness, some saying no.... and some saying I need it.

FCA says they have fixed the susceptibility to the death wobble in the 2019 models and this model year no longer needs the flat tow harness to be installed. If you do a search on here you will find the FCA bulletin that others have posted that specifies the flat tow harness is no longer needed for 2019 models. However, the 2014 - 2018 models DO need the flat tow harness installed.

[WDW]

Get the winter package. And bigger screen AV set up. But the TH is about 500 pounds more than a Latitude.

[HiwaysByways]

looking at 2018 or 2019...... will have to research the flat tow harness..... no idea what this is.... but will hunt it down.... or go 2019.

[Bikinjim]

Originally Posted by Torack

looking at 2018 or 2019...... will have to research the flat tow harness..... no idea what this is.... but will hunt it down.... or go 2019.

The flat tow harness energizes the Cherokee’s electric power steering to prevent wobbles while towing. The electronic steering system has anti-wobble software to actively respond to impending wobbles but has to be on to work. The as-designed harness requires the user to throw a switch in the car’s console and install an under hood fuse to enable the wobble mitigation mode. After towing, the user then has to remove the under hood fuse and then again throw the console switch to disable wobble mitigation mode. There are modifications to the harness that can be done to make these actions automatic as previously posted by users on this forum that you can find by doing a search.

[georgelesley]

Originally Posted by Torack

looking at 2018 or 2019...... will have to research the flat tow harness..... no idea what this is.... but will hunt it down.... or go 2019.

We just bought a 2019 Cherokee Lattitude Plus last month. After research with several different dealers and much research on the Cherokee forum, all 2019 Trailhawks have the new wiring harness so no mod required for the “death wobble” it is my understanding all also have the Active II transfer case standard.

Double check that it has the tiny neutral button to the right of the mode selector switch to set up for towing. Do not be fooled by the Active I selector switch that has multi mode settings. The Active II has a 4x4 low and the tiny neutral button, the Active I does not. The Active II actually has a transfer case with a neutral position which switches the transmission out of the driveline thus making it towable. The Active I does not. That is why the car weighs more and costs more.

I was concerned about base plate height because our mh has a high hitch and I wanted to get away from using a drop hitch adapter. Demco and Roadmaster both work well, Blue Ox was the lowest. Depending on the height of your receiver any will work and all three have base plates that will work for you.

[SuperGewl]

Originally Posted by Torack

I'm looking at buying a Cherokee Trailhawk. So far I have figured out I need a 3.2 litre, Active II transmission and a trailer tow package.

I have one dealer telling me he can "add" the trailer hitch and I can still tow 4,500 lbs. I need to tow a flat deck, side by side and an atv when it is not being a toad.

Question. Is there anything else I need to order on this Cherokee other then the above? Wiring harness? I have seen two reports on the wiring harness, some saying no.... and some saying I need it.

then there is the braking..... lots of info on this, but is there something specific that works with the Cherokee better then anything else?

Specific tow bar? More then likely I can just check them all to see who has a bar that will work for this.

Tell the dealer you don't want an ADD on Tow hitch, you want the Trailer Tow Package. Usually this will will include things like upgraded brakes, cooling, shocks, electrical and Brake controller wire harness. These are things that you must have to properly tow that type of weight safely.
Aux braking system is totally up to you, things to think about is do you plan on keeping it a long time, are you the only one that will be hooking it up and disconnecting it, do you want a easy to set and forget with minimum hookups or something straight forward and simple. Also what type of MH will you be towing it behind, gas, DP, how often do you upgrade/trade your MH. Do you want a system that you can use in any MH with out having to install allsorts of things first??? Yes I know lots of questions and I have no answers for you.

[boydn1]

Originally Posted by Torack

I'm looking at buying a Cherokee Trailhawk. So far I have figured out I need a 3.2 litre, Active II transmission and a trailer tow package.

I have one dealer telling me he can "add" the trailer hitch and I can still tow 4,500 lbs. I need to tow a flat deck, side by side and an atv when it is not being a toad.

Question. Is there anything else I need to order on this Cherokee other then the above? Wiring harness? I have seen two reports on the wiring harness, some saying no.... and some saying I need it.

then there is the braking..... lots of info on this, but is there something specific that works with the Cherokee better then anything else?

Specific tow bar? More then likely I can just check them all to see who has a bar that will work for this.

Adding a hitch is not the same as the "Tow package". You need the Aux trans cooler and heavy duty engine cooling. With that said you should have 4,500lbs but anything over 3k needs electric brakes according to the manual.

[Radman42]

Also looking at Cherokee trailhawk model primarily because that model has the active drive 2 needed for towing. I take it the 2019 no longer needs the special wiring harness to power the steering. Is that true for non-trailhawk models if I can find one with active drive 2? Any other advice on what we should look for is appreciated. Still new to the RV thing but have decided it is time for a toad.

[FLSteve]

Originally Posted by Radman42

Also looking at Cherokee trailhawk model primarily because that model has the active drive 2 needed for towing. I take it the 2019 no longer needs the special wiring harness to power the steering. Is that true for non-trailhawk models if I can find one with active drive 2? Any other advice on what we should look for is appreciated. Still new to the RV thing but have decided it is time for a toad.

I guess I had the same question … it appears only the Jeep Active Drive II is flat towable and it is only available on the Trailhawk model according to the Jeep website I looked at. On the other Cherokee models (Latitude, Altitude, Limited, Overland, etc.) it does not appear to be available ????

So the question is … to tow a 2019 Cherokee, does it need to be the Trailhawk model ???? I did see some other posts that seem to indicate the Active Drive II does come on other models as well ????

Also just saw this post and it appears the flat tow harness is no longer needed on the 2019's

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/2019-...ml#post4568933

FLSteve


Jeep Active Drive II - from 2019 Jeep Website

The available full-time Jeep® Active Drive II 4x4 System will automatically engage four-wheel-drive mode when driving conditions call for it. Whether rain, mud, snow or unpredictable roads, this sophisticated system actively monitors wheel slippage and automatically applies torque when needed, giving the driver maximum efficiency and control. It also includes a low range and neutral mode for added capability. The 4WD LOW mode is great for extra low-speed traction and neutral mode enables available flat towing (1) behind an RV.

(1) When properly equipped with the Mopar® Flat Tow Wiring Kit. See dealer for details.

[FLSteve]

Originally Posted by Radman42

Also looking at Cherokee trailhawk model primarily because that model has the active drive 2 needed for towing. I take it the 2019 no longer needs the special wiring harness to power the steering. Is that true for non-trailhawk models if I can find one with active drive 2? Any other advice on what we should look for is appreciated. Still new to the RV thing but have decided it is time for a toad.

It looks like this person was able to get it on a "Limited" … "We settled on a 2019 Cherokee Limited with Active Drive II"

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/2019-...ml#post4530470

FLSteve

[DickJr]

Active Drive II is available on other Cherokee trim models. We purchased a 2019 Cherokee Limited. I confirmed that the tow wire kit was not needed with FCA. Received the following email to my query.

Our records indicate this vehicle was equipped with 5I4 Four Wheel
Drive 4WD / 4X4 and DK4 Jeep Active Drive II; therefore, this vehicle can
be flat towed.

According to available information, changes were made to the 2019 Jeep
Cherokee to improve the flat tow towing behavior of the vehicle;
therefore, this vehicle can be flat towed without the Mopar accessory
flat tow kit (68321424AB).

[georgelesley]

Originally Posted by DickJr

Active Drive II is available on other Cherokee trim models. We purchased a 2019 Cherokee Limited. I confirmed that the tow wire kit was not needed with FCA. Received the following email to my query.

Our records indicate this vehicle was equipped with 5I4 Four Wheel
Drive 4WD / 4X4 and DK4 Jeep Active Drive II; therefore, this vehicle can
be flat towed.

According to available information, changes were made to the 2019 Jeep
Cherokee to improve the flat tow towing behavior of the vehicle;
therefore, this vehicle can be flat towed without the Mopar accessory
flat tow kit (68321424AB).

We bought an active drive II equipped Cherokee Lattitude plus as well. They are hard to find. Dealers advertise the active I and active II both as 4 wheel drive. The active drive I is actually an all wheel drive and does not have a transfer case that can be switched into neutral, thus taking the 9 speeed tranny out of the driveline.

The quick way to check is the tiny neutral button the active drive II has to the right of the select button and also shows the 4WD low option. You must also get the V6 or turbo 4 engine.

It can get very tricky as many salespeople don not seem well informed on these subtle differences. The Jeep.com site does not make it easy either as the difference is not well explained except that one costs ~ $1200 more.

Some window stickers show both drives on the car, the Active drive II being added as an option. Some show it only.