What’s the cheapest way to tow my Jeep 230 miles?

DropTopDon

TJ Enthusiast
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Looking to tow my TJ to a jeep shop and trying to figure out how to get it there. I have another car with a hitch but it is rated for 4,400 pounds, which is how much a stock TJ weighs. I would say mine probably weighs around 4600 pounds or so. Would this be okay to tow? Keep in mind this is without the trailer. I would have to rent a trailer from u-haul or some other third party. Would it be easier to just get it towed by a towing company or some other service like that?
 
I would not try and tow. Hitch capability with is only one part of the equation. Once you add trailer weight you will likely be over your vehicles towing capability. Also you would want some kind of trailer brake system as well.

Call around to towing companies and see what they charge. My brother had a M923 5-ton shipped from North Carolina to Maryland for 800 bucks. If it were me, I’d Borrow a truck and Rent a U-Haul trailer. Or rent a U-Haul pickup and trailer.
 
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A friend with a full size P/U and rent a tow dolly, unless it needs to be four up, then a trailer.
Buy lunch when you get there, buy dinner and fuel when you get back.
 
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U-Haul won't even let you rent a dolly with only a 4500lb tow rating.

I'd second the option of hiring a hauler or renting a pickup/trailer from U-haul etc
 
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If you do a U-Haul with a flat trailer(no jeep wheels on the ground) be prepared to nearly flatten your tires if you have 31+. So just bring a valve stem tool.

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The least hassle and maybe the least expensive would be to drive your Jeep to the shop and have a family member or friend drive you home. You don't say if the Jeep is functional so that may not be possible.

Flat towing would be possible but the brakes on the towing vehicle likely would not be up to the job of stopping the trailered combination. Tongue weight is a non-issue on a flat towed vehicle but there are quite a few other concerns. For example, tail lights and brake lights. I got a magnetic set that works just fine but that's more money and something to store when you're done.

I would test the flat tow option on a short course that reflected the drive if I had the appropriate equipment. Going up hills would be a slow affair, going downhills would be interesting because of the weight parity if the towed vehicle didn't have supplemental braking. It just seems like a lot of work and cost for something that likely isn't going to work.
 
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U-Haul won't even let you rent a dolly with only a 4500lb tow rating.

They definitely will...

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The weight of the Jeep plus the 2,000 or so pounds of the u-haul car hauler will definitely exceed what is safe. I would rent the small box truck and their trailer if you were in an absolute pinch.
 
They definitely will...

View attachment 283478


The weight of the Jeep plus the 2,000 or so pounds of the u-haul car hauler will definitely exceed what is safe. I would rent the small box truck and their trailer if you were in an absolute pinch.
maybe where you are it is different, I've been denied a tow dolly to put behind an SUV before more than once.
 
Looking to tow my TJ to a jeep shop and trying to figure out how to get it there. I have another car with a hitch but it is rated for 4,400 pounds, which is how much a stock TJ weighs. I would say mine probably weighs around 4600 pounds or so. Would this be okay to tow? Keep in mind this is without the trailer. I would have to rent a trailer from u-haul or some other third party. Would it be easier to just get it towed by a towing company or some other service like that?
the prices to have a carrier move it are more expensive per mile for shorter runs which sucks but sometimes i just bite the bullet and pay that freight.its a matter of justifying financially what your intent is.however:if the tow vehicle is in reasonable condition,id just go slow on the back roads