Using your Jeep to tow

Ian

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Joined
Apr 13, 2017
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49
Location
North Dakota, United States
In about 3 and a half weeks I'll be towing a decent sized trailer 1000 miles with my jeep. Guessing the weight will be around 1500. Does anyone have any experience with this? How much slower do I need to drive on the freeway? Jeep is running great and I have brand new BF Goodrich Ko2 31's on it. Jeep is an 05 4.0 sport 2 door. I towed the trailer empty when I bought it and it towed just fine even at highway speeds. Trailer is a 12'x77" single axle open trailer.
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I have towed quite a few times with my 05 LJ, I found that keeping the rpms higher than I usually do (around 2500) yielded better performance and less down shifting on hills. One of my trailers is a single axle dump trailer and I grossly overloaded my LJ towing capacity when I was building a stone patio, I put 2500 pounds of sand in it and the trailer weighs around 12-1500 pounds empty...... Luckily I only had to drive on secondary roads and only for about 15 miles or so..... Either way, leave lots of room for braking, drive a little slower and be careful.
 
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I just towed this about 120 miles with no issues a couple of weeks ago. I think it is about the same weight as you are saying. I would give myself more room to stop, and all of the other stuff, but the TJ took it like a champ!

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How's the gas mileage with the 4.0 and a trailer?

BWAAAHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA :risas3::risas3::risas3::meparto::meparto: gallons to the mile would be more accurate, depends on trailer weight, hills, wind, driving style.........
 
Max tow is 2000lbs for the TJ; 200lb on the Hitch. Load 60% weight I n front of axle and 40% behind. Leave room for braking. Should be no problem!
 
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Doesn't have trailer brakes but I'll definitely be taking it slow.
Not a great idea, or legal in N Dakota

North Dakota Trailer Brake Laws

Every trailer operated at a speed in excess of 25 mph must have safety chains or brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and to hold such vehicle. The safety chains or brakes must be designed so that they can be applied by the driver of the towing vehicle from its cab, and must be designed and connected so that in case of an accidental breakaway the brakes are automatically applied.
 
some of these bumpers dont have ratings on them on how much they can tow, might want to see what bumper hitch you got, if you got a bumper hitch, an what its rating is, or if you got to a frame hitch, an if its old, look for cracks in welds, during the whole trip. I got a class a cdl, been seeing em jackknifed on the side of the road for years. speed kills when towing, take your time, check everything more than once. make sure the wheel bearings on the trailer are greased an okay, an no cracks in trailer frame. trailer tires good an filled properly. pin in ramp is secure if its got one, an lights all work. always seeing cops with pick ups an trailers pulled over, with loads that aint secure, or overloaded. etc. make sure what your hauling, you dont all load to the front, so the tongue weight is to much. did that once, had to unload an entire enclosed trailer cause they loaded it all up front, an it took the bumper of the 2500 to the ground - night mare. :) an insome states leaving ball in hitch is illegal, so take it out, plus they are ankle busters.

dont be this
http://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/WEBpic-FRONT-flip-wreck2.jpg

an if you wreck, what ever you do, dont be this guy......
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com...cle_89bebee8-eaa5-11e7-9ad5-ef11305ee1fc.html
 
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I think you are mis-interpreting the law, it says chains OR trailer brakes. Same as here in VA. If the trailer is below a specific weight it is not required to have trailer brakes on it, ie M416 size trailers.
 
i think the "or" should have been an " and". "safety chains and brakes", if this is the actual written law. cause anybody holding onto safety chains in the cab, trying to control an out of control trailer, would be a treat to witness, like trying to control the reigns of a horse while sitting in front of it?:) i called the nd dot, to get an interpretation, see if they call back. a safety chain invention, that attaches to each side of the front of the trailer, an they stay equal an tight, during forward motion but when going into a turn, they slack off, for room to turn. that would saves thousands of wrecks, if done properly. maybe its out there, but to daunting a task to be controlled by a driver.
 
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I think you are mis-interpreting the law, it says chains OR trailer brakes. Same as here in VA. If the trailer is below a specific weight it is not required to have trailer brakes on it, ie M416 size trailers.
It says brakes must be applied in the event of a break away, either by the chains or manually by the driver. The trailer has no brakes at all.
 
that whole paragraph needs to be rewritten, by them, an simplified. to many interpretations that could be drawn from it. sometimes lawyers will draw it up, like that, to add more need for lawyers, an sometimes a good lawyer could have simplified it, if a one didn't write it up in the first place.
 
I think you are mis-interpreting the law, it says chains OR trailer brakes. Same as here in VA. If the trailer is below a specific weight it is not required to have trailer brakes on it, ie M416 size trailers.
I don't see how that could be correct. Safety chains are not optional regardless of brakes or no brakes.