New guy here: Class A toy hauler

[allen456]

Retired, Florida (lived here already), RVing about 12 years, moved up to Class A 2 years ago. Thor Outlaw, gas powered because we wanted a toy hauler. Joined specifically to glean information on flat towing a Jeep Wrangler. Don't have one yet but doing the research. One big question is "what size tires are good for the Wrangler when being towed"? We go out west to the four corners region every year for 2 months and I want to be able to explore on the back roads (not any serious off-roading).

Hope I can get some input.

Thanks,
Al

[Petro]

Al;


We are glad you joins us. Sorry I can't answer your question but there is a wealth of RV info available to you here just by asking. Browse the forums that interest you and don't be afraid to ask questions because our members like to help when they can. Post often and share your RV adventures with us. Enjoy the forums.

Don

[TonyDi]

[stevemoores]

I think regular tires will be fine (AT's like on the Rubicon maybe), can't really say the size, probably around 33" without any mods.

Go to bigger tires and you need a lift kit. Make the Jeep higher, then you need a riser on your tow-bracket to keep the towbar level. Bigger tires cost more and you're wearing them out while towing.

I towed a TJ with 4" lift and 33" tires, now a JK Sahara stock.

Steve

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by allen456

Retired, Florida (lived here already), RVing about 12 years, moved up to Class A 2 years ago. Thor Outlaw, gas powered because we wanted a toy hauler. Joined specifically to glean information on flat towing a Jeep Wrangler. Don't have one yet but doing the research. One big question is "what size tires are good for the Wrangler when being towed"? We go out west to the four corners region every year for 2 months and I want to be able to explore on the back roads (not any serious off-roading).

Hope I can get some input.

Thanks,
Al

Al,
You're most likely gonna get the phone book of answers here. What you've asked about tire size on Jeep is really, really relative to your needs and intentions. We've owned, towed, modified and had/have great fun with 9 different Jeeps in the last 35 years or so. Each Jeep has progressed in tire size, lift size, bumpers and all that crap. Much of how you modify your Jeep depends on just what kind of terrain you think you'll be wanting to travel around in/on.

And, also, the actual model of Jeep Wrangler you purchase, will also dictate your type of travel, fun and capabilities. You're not indicating which model you're thinking about and, I don't know just how much you know about the Jeep models, as in Wrangler models. But, if you're not too schooled on them, the Wrangler Rubicon is for the most part, the most capable Jeep Wrangler built, RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX as they say.

It has the most features that enhance good, quality off roading one can possibly get. I won't go into all the details but, again, much of your decision making might depend on just what you think you're gonna conquer in your off road excursions. If at all possible, monetarily wise, I'd suggest the Rubicon model in a heartbeat.

Now, the "Rubi's" will come, from the factory with mud terrain tires on them. That's ok if, IF you plan on running around in MUD. But, the mud terrains, ANY MUD TERRAIN tire, is a noisy, odd wearing and, with even moderate age under its belt, has tendency to produce vibration (fine frequency ones) at speed. So, with that being stated, a very large percentage of Rubi purchasers discard (sell on Craigs list) those tires and, quite often, the wheels too in favor of wheels of a preferred style.

And they pick a more universally accepted and used tire, the ALL TERRAIN. There's a zillion makes and models of those out there so, take your pick. Ok, as for size. The '07 - '18 Rubis come stock with 17" wheels and either 255 or 265 tires. Those tires are on the average, about 28" tall. Experienced Jeepers know that they will have issues with undercarriage scraping if they keep those on there. So, they jump to any size larger. The next size that some are happy with is the 305 - 17. That tire is around a 33" tall tire. It's great for lots of general fun off roading with almost no modification to any "JK" model to accommodate that tire size.

The next size, a 315 - 17, is almost identical to a 35" tire. It's what a very, very large percentage of Jeepers, including seasoned vets, run. On a JK model Jeep, you can run a set of 35s or 315s with little to no mods but, on medium to heavy off roading conditions, you will acquire some rubbing here and there but, not damaging. We have a '15 Jeep JKUR and, all I'm running is a "Leveling kit" and, Mopar High Top fenders, along with the 315 75 17 Hancook Dynapro All Terrains on American Racing-Anson Off road, 8" x 17" Alloy wheels. They have a 4.25" back spacing to kick them out, just a tad to keep those 315s from rubbing on anything during tighter turns with wheel articulation at the same time. The High Top Mopar Fenders mount in the same exact spots as the original ones but, are designed to give more clearance for larger tires and yet, give the Jeep an almost stock look.

With the combination that we're running on this present Jeep, we have a ball in all kinds of off road situations and terrains. The "Leveling kit" is about the cheapest version of any style of lift. I think it ran me about $162.00. It's nothing more than a set of pucks that get inserted between the top of the springs and the body, leveling out the Jeep. And, there's also a set of sway bar extensions to accommodate the added lift. Cheap and easy to install, and get's the job done for our desires.

As for towing, yeah, depending on how large of tire you go and, what kind/size of lift you might be thinking of, your Jeep will rise some and, therefore you'll need maybe a rizer in your coaches receiver to get your towbar to a more acceptable angle. I'd also recommend, instead of a funky "base plate", just get a good, nicely styled, off road front bumper with "recovery" tabs on it. You can use those for tow bar attachment points. And, if you think you'll be going this route, DON'T get stuck on any particular brand.

There's a ton of aftermarket quality bumper makers out there. Take a look around. I could go on for a few more pages but, you get the point. The model/level of Wrangler you get, along with a minor lift (Leveling kit) and just a bit larger than stock sized tires, will allow for a great new adventure in a very, very large percentage of off road exploration, without going EXTREME in every aspect of a darn Jeep. Been there, done that.
Scott

[petrel]

We started out with stock wheels and tires and moved up to 33" tires. Our MH hitch is height adjustable, so we just moved it up a peg. No other noticeable differences when it is towed, other than with bigger tires comes splatter all down the sides of the jeep if you hit so much as a mud puddle.

[allen456]

I guess you're right, I should add more info. First off I'll be looking for a second hand Jeep. I've currently narrowed things down to a Wrangler Sport or Sahara TJ, 1997-2006 to try and keep weight at a minimum (I'm shooting for 3500 lbs). I'm not planning on any serious off-roading, mainly I just want to get to trailheads in the Four Corners region (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona). When I had a trailer I did this with my F250 Superduty but I know I can't tow that. I don't need the weight and cost of the Rubicon but I do want to get to White Pocket, AZ and for that you need about 8" of clearance and the wider the better. The road has some deep ruts and the last part is soft desert sand (I'll be dropping some tire pressure for that part). People have been out there is 5WD Suburus and Toyota SUVs but conditions vary and I want to be prepared. I guess what I want to know is-what size/type of tire and how much lift is safe and practical to tow for 7,000 miles out and back and over the mountains behind my Outlaw.

[AKIQPilot]

‘06 LJ Rubicon here. 32.5” tires 3.5” lift. Smittybilt bumpers with recovery tabs. Pulls like a dream behind the moho, fair off road, great on road.

We really like the extra room in the LJ but they are getting kind of expensive these days.



We pull the Jeep with a gas powered 39’ coach. 8.1 Vortec, Allison 6 speed. 30,000 GCWR.

[MSHappyCampers]

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

I'm not a Jeep guy so can't help with that. Just noticed that you are kinda new on IRV2 and wanted to say hello! Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by allen456

I guess you're right, I should add more info. First off I'll be looking for a second hand Jeep. I've currently narrowed things down to a Wrangler Sport or Sahara TJ, 1997-2006 to try and keep weight at a minimum (I'm shooting for 3500 lbs). I'm not planning on any serious off-roading, mainly I just want to get to trailheads in the Four Corners region (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona). When I had a trailer I did this with my F250 Superduty but I know I can't tow that. I don't need the weight and cost of the Rubicon but I do want to get to White Pocket, AZ and for that you need about 8" of clearance and the wider the better. The road has some deep ruts and the last part is soft desert sand (I'll be dropping some tire pressure for that part). People have been out there is 5WD Suburus and Toyota SUVs but conditions vary and I want to be prepared. I guess what I want to know is-what size/type of tire and how much lift is safe and practical to tow for 7,000 miles out and back and over the mountains behind my Outlaw.

Allen,
Well Sir, first off, a stock Rubicon is almost identical in weight to a Sahara. It's the same exact body, same engine, same transmission. Only the diffs and the transfer case are different. And, even those are barely any difference in weight. But, the capability is FAR SUPERIOR to the Sahara or the Sport. Yes, it's a matter of cost. But, as AQpilot, myself and quite a few other seasoned vet Jeepers will testify, the Rubi, at a push of a button, IS TRUE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, not two.

Without getting into long dissertations on how things work, suffice to say that, your basic Jeep Wrangler, while labeled as FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, is NOT FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. It's only TWO WHEEL DRIVE. One in the front and one in the back, is primarily what you find in any kind of less-than-great traction scenarios.

That is, if you get into a predicament where, with a Sahara, Sport, X, anything other than the Rubi, you could get easily stuck, even on somewhat flat ground, due to the fact that your differentials are OPEN diffs, you'll have one wheel on the rear, that has little to no traction spinning, and, the same condition on the front diff, one wheel with little to no traction spinning, while the two wheels WITH traction, are just sitting.

We (and all jeepers who venture off in anything other than forest roads) have seen this type of scenario many, many times. Where as, with a Rubicon, if you get into that kind of scenario, you simply push a button, and you have LOCKED the differentials so that, ALL THE WHEELS HAVE DRIVE, even ones in the air with ZERO traction.

And this is for the most part, a real saving grace in lots of off roading situations. Again, not trying to coerce you into a Rubicon. Just wanting to advise you of potential and, help you make an informed decision. Yes, lowering tire pressure is PHENOMENALLY essential in off roading for all kinds of reasons I won't go into now. Just make sure you have provisions for airing them back up, at the end of the trail.

There have been many, many situations where, and AQpilot will attest to this, where we've been out in mild off roading conditions and, all of a sudden, you turn a corner and, you're faced with a scenario that, if you don't have added traction capability, you could quite possibly be faced with either,
1. getting stuck for quite a while
2. have to turn around and go back which, may be a long way or, maybe even impossible to turn around
3. Needing a tow, just to get you out of a situation you THOUGHT you could breeze through with no issues.

As long as you're aware of potential, you can make an informed decision on Jeep buying. Good luck and again, have fun out there. By the way, we've been to most of those areas you speak of, AZ, UT, CO, CA and more. There's lots and lots of fun stuff to explore in this country. Moab, Ouray and more. You asked about tire size and how much lift is "Safe and practical to tow"? Well, in the Jeeping world, "Safe" has a different meaning to almost everyone. Some folks won't lift their jeeps one inch 'cause they think ANY ALTERATIONS are unsafe. Heck, I got a neighbor who's son-in-law has a nice JK and won't take if one inch off road 'cause that's not what he bought it for.

As for "Practical", well, that too has many variations of meaning. Practical for a seasoned jeeper is 4.5" of lift, 35" tires and, any and all add-ons for their type of fun. Practical for a novice or someone like a beginner is, a bone stock jeep and street tires 'cause they only plan on forest roads. I've built Jeeps that we've towed with 6" lifts and 35" tires, and absolutely ZERO issues. No death wobble, no odd handling, nothing.

Whatever Jeep you get, if you modify it in any way, even a slight lift, and get somewhat larger tires and wheels, after all the alterations are done, get it aligned and make sure the tires are well balanced and you'll have no issues.
Scott

Originally Posted by AKIQPilot

‘06 LJ Rubicon here. 32.5” tires 3.5” lift. Smittybilt bumpers with recovery tabs. Pulls like a dream behind the moho, fair off road, great on road.

We really like the extra room in the LJ but they are getting kind of expensive these days.
Attachment 235015
Attachment 235016

We pull the Jeep with a gas powered 39’ coach. 8.1 Vortec, Allison 6 speed. 30,000 GCWR.

Attachment 235018
Attachment 235017

Hey Tom,
I think I recognize that top picture. Is that's "Scott's Well" out here in Havasu when you were with us?
Scott

[AKIQPilot]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Hey Tom,

I think I recognize that top picture. Is that's "Scott's Well" out here in Havasu when you were with us?

Scott

Yep. That is the trip you took us on in October. Fun little excursion. We had a blast. Cant wait to do it again.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by allen456

...RVing about 12 years, moved up to Class A 2 years ago. Thor Outlaw, gas powered because we wanted a toy hauler....

Thanks,
Al

About the Jeep...I submit that if you can drive it safely on the freeway with the tires you pick, it can be towed safely.
Road manners while driving is where I would make the tire decision. Too big will require suspension modifications and would impact comfort of ride, mileage, and acceleration. Also, a tread that is too aggressive will "ROAR" as you drive. Speaking from experience, really loud tires get to be really negative, really fast.
I have read that tires at about 35's are the biggest you can go before needing major mods.

About the Outlaw - Congrats! Come join other Outlaw Owners at the links in my signature and maybe add your ID here:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f121/list...rs-280110.html

Best luck