Towing Jeep TJ with RV

David Jackman

David Jackman

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Apr 9, 2016
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I am looking for a thread about towing my '04 Wrangler behind my RV (motorhome). I thought I had seen one a few months back, but I can't seem to locate it again. We FINALLY pulled the trigger on our new to us Jeep. She is a 2004 Wrangler, one owner, 65k miles, hard top, 5 speed manual. We are enjoying pulling the motorcycle less and less, and we think the Jeep will make longer trips and stays more comfortable.

Specifically, I need info on what gears to put the transmission in when it's being towed. The owners manual I downloaded speaks more to the automatic transmission than the manual transmission. There was no "owners manual" in the Jeep when we got it. I'm loooking at some on Ebay at about $50 a copy. If y'all have any better ideas about obtaining a manual, I will be glad to hear them.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Chief
 
Key needs to be turned just slightly to unlock the steering column so the wheels can be on. Shouldn't need to be on any sort of mode that uses the battery, though. Just that small click forward of the key to unlock the wheel.
 
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My '04 has a 5 speed. If you tow in 6th and tows in 1st, it would seem that it doesn't make any difference which gear the transmission is in, so long as the transfer case is in neutral.

I'm interested in hearing more responses. I come from a position of complete ignorance on this subject. I hope this learning curve is not too long.

Thanks, guys, for all the help. I appreciate it.

Chief
 
David Jackman said:
My '04 has a 5 speed. If you tow in 6th and tows in 1st, it would seem that it doesn't make any difference which gear the transmission is in, so long as the transfer case is in neutral.

I'm interested in hearing more responses. I come from a position of complete ignorance on this subject. I hope this learning curve is not too long.

Thanks, guys, for all the help. I appreciate it.

Chief
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You're correct. It doesn't matter which gear it's in. Mopar states 1st gear, so that's all I've ever done, but it doesn't actually matter which, as long as the transmission is in a gear.
 
I shamelessly stole this from another post in this forum. It's a lot more detailed than the owners manual I downloaded to my computer.

6. Jeep Wrangler Flat Towing: The Jeep Wrangler is one of the few vehicles built specifically to be flat towed and it does terrific in that role. Flat towing a TJ Jeep Wrangler is fairly simple, but it’s critical that you have everything set up properly before you roll. Note that the transfer case must be shifted into Neutral (N) and that the transmission MUST be placed in gear (I like to place mine in second gear) so that the transmission can be lubricated while the Jeep is being towed (your transmission will burn up if you don’t). According to the owner’s manual, here are the steps for flat towing a TJ Jeep Wrangler with a manual transmission:

  1. Depress the brake pedal
  2. Depress the clutch pedal
  3. Shift the transfer case into N (Neutral)
  4. Start engine
  5. Place manual transmission into gear (second or third gear are the most popular. Don’t make the mistake of putting it into Neutral as this will prevent the transmission from being lubricated and it will burn up while being towed.)
  6. Release brake pedal to ensure no movement
  7. Shut engine off and place the ignition key into the unlocked OFF position (this allows the steering wheel to turn while being towed).
  8. Apply parking brake
  9. Attach Jeep to tow vehicle
  10. Release parking brake
Note: Tow bars have no speed limitations. They can be used at any speed (but are subject to local highway speed towing laws, of course).
 
Simple! Put the TC in neutral. Put the transmission in its highest gear. Drive away! If one of those automatics, put the thing in park and follow the rest. All the rest is bs. 75k miles flat towing my jerp(s) following the factory guidelines.
 
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David Jackman said:
My '04 has a 5 speed. If you tow in 6th and tows in 1st, it would seem that it doesn't make any difference which gear the transmission is in, so long as the transfer case is in neutral.

I'm interested in hearing more responses. I come from a position of complete ignorance on this subject. I hope this learning curve is not too long.

Thanks, guys, for all the help. I appreciate it.

Chief
Click to expand...
A lot of these answers are in the manual. Which is available on line at jeep.com
 
next revelation.... Not running... shift into 4LO, 1st gear and turn the key without pushing in the clutch....
And make sure nothing is in front of you.
 
Regarding the steering wheel lock; I just found this in the owners manual I downloaded to my computer. I went outside and tried on my '04 Wrangler, which I had already decided did not have steering lock. Imagine my surprise! I DO HAVE STEERING WHEEL LOCK.


STEERING WHEEL LOCK — IF EQUIPPED
Your vehicle may be equipped with a passive steering
wheel lock (manual transmission only). This lock prevents
steering the vehicle without the ignition key. If the
steering wheel is moved a half turn in either direction
and the key is not in the ignition, the steering wheel will
lock.
To Manually Lock the Steering Wheel
With the engine running, rotate the steering wheel 1/2
revolution from straight ahead position, turn off the
engine and remove the key. Rotate the steering wheel
slightly in both directions until the lock engages.
To Release the Steering Wheel Lock
Insert the key in the ignition and turn the wheel slightly
to the right or left to disengage the lock.
NOTE: If you turned the wheel to the right to engage
the lock, you must turn the wheel slightly to the right to
disengage it. If you turned the wheel to the left to engage
the lock, turn the wheel slightly to the left to disengage it.
 
billiebob said:
next revelation.... Not running... shift into 4LO, 1st gear and turn the key without pushing in the clutch....
And make sure nothing is in front of you.
Click to expand...
billiebob, my '04 Wrangler will try to start in ANY gear without depressing the clutch. I'm going to have to investigate that a little more. I thought it would not start at all without depressing the clutch.
 
All righty, then. I got the Jeep back with all the towing equipment installed or waiting its turn in RV. Naturally, I have a couple more questions. (1) when towing the Jeep with the key in the "unlocked OFF" position, do I need to take one of the battery cables off? If the answer is yes, does it matter which one? (2) When we are tooling down the highway pulling the Jeep, does rolling along register miles on the odometer?
 
David Jackman said:
All righty, then. I got the Jeep back with all the towing equipment installed or waiting its turn in RV. Naturally, I have a couple more questions. (1) when towing the Jeep with the key in the "unlocked OFF" position, do I need to take one of the battery cables off? If the answer is yes, does it matter which one? (2) When we are tooling down the highway pulling the Jeep, does rolling along register miles on the odometer?
Click to expand...
No on both questions. You will probably need to install a brake system to be legal in most states. Those will require power. Good luck!
 
We have a Patriot braking system. They put an additional 12v recept in the dash for the Patriot. He said the power for that recept comes from the RV wiring/power. He said to remove a battery cable while under tow. The reason I am asking the forum is because I have learned to not take everything salesmen say as gospel. If the key is off and the power for the Patriot braking system is coming from the RV, I can't see what drain would be on the Jeep battery. Thanks for the reply. Being a noobie is painful.
 
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