Towing a Travel Trailer w/ 2011 JKU w/ towing package
05-22-2012 | 10:51 AM
#32
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 11
From: Olympia, WA
All this is well and good, but the real tow capacity is 3500 Kg or 7000 lbs. So I'm not really worried about my trailer capacity since I'm not ever going to get close to that wt. I got a new bumper with a 9k lbs hitch capacity and added some air bags to the rear springs to keep me level. Check out the 2008 Germany specs: 3500 kg tow capacity. The same vehicle specs, same tranny, same 3.8 engine and 3.73 rear. They do get a better tranny cooler, but now we can get the same one from MOPAR. I down loaded the info from Germany when I purchased my 2008 Rubicon. USA specs are to keep warranty claims at a min.
Hensly Hitches are well worth the money, so are a good set of trailer brakes with a digital controller. Tow at rational speeds and don't expect to pull at 70 mph, which is unsafe with any trailer setup. Speed equals more stopping distance, reaction distance, etc. Cheers
Hensly Hitches are well worth the money, so are a good set of trailer brakes with a digital controller. Tow at rational speeds and don't expect to pull at 70 mph, which is unsafe with any trailer setup. Speed equals more stopping distance, reaction distance, etc. Cheers
Most of us who have been reading here know about the specs in other countries. I think the point of this discussion is about staying within the US specs for purposes of warranty and liability. In this litigation-happy society it makes good sense to prevent the ambulance chasers from having any out-of-spec ammunition to use in court.
05-22-2012 | 10:58 AM
#33
JK Newbie
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Quite right about the hitch, the brakes, and the driving style.
Most of us who have been reading here know about the specs in other countries. I think the point of this discussion is about staying within the US specs for purposes of warranty and liability. In this litigation-happy society it makes good sense to prevent the ambulance chasers from having any out-of-spec ammunition to use in court.
Most of us who have been reading here know about the specs in other countries. I think the point of this discussion is about staying within the US specs for purposes of warranty and liability. In this litigation-happy society it makes good sense to prevent the ambulance chasers from having any out-of-spec ammunition to use in court.
05-22-2012 | 05:00 PM
#34
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 337
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
I refuse to give in to a litigation happy society. If the blood sucking trial lawyers want to try to squeeze blood from this turnip after all the reasonable efforts I've made to tow safely within the vehicle capabilities then so be it. The manufc. recommended tow wts are only binding for warranty purposes. State laws regulate vehicle towing. In Texas, if you don't exceed certain really high wts (max wt rating per axle) and lengths (up to 65 ft I believe) you're good to go.
Staying within the manufc. recommended ratings aint going to keep the blood sucking Trial Bar at bay. If there's an accident they'll be there to sue, as long as there's insurance and a deep pocket to go after.
JMHO
Staying within the manufc. recommended ratings aint going to keep the blood sucking Trial Bar at bay. If there's an accident they'll be there to sue, as long as there's insurance and a deep pocket to go after.
JMHO
05-22-2012 | 05:07 PM
#35
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 337
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
PS. Euro spec JKs are sold in small numbers; compared to US market. In Germany, (which is the size of say Wisconsin-- the entire Euro Area is roughly 2/3 of lower US), and in other EU countries, they insisted on the MOPAR Transmission Cooler as standard equipment. We get the privilege of paying an extra $250 plus installation of something that should have come with our tow package. See all the posts in re Transmission boil over as the cause of many fires.
Deductive thinking.
Deductive thinking.
05-23-2012 | 02:43 AM
#36
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 438
Likes: 1
From: south, florida
Originally Posted by RobtTxRubi
All this is well and good, but the real tow capacity is 3500 Kg or 7000 lbs. So I'm not really worried about my trailer capacity since I'm not ever going to get close to that wt. I got a new bumper with a 9k lbs hitch capacity and added some air bags to the rear springs to keep me level. Check out the 2008 Germany specs: 3500 kg tow capacity. The same vehicle specs, same tranny, same 3.8 engine and 3.73 rear. They do get a better tranny cooler, but now we can get the same one from MOPAR. I down loaded the info from Germany when I purchased my 2008 Rubicon. USA specs are to keep warranty claims at a min.
Hensly Hitches are well worth the money, so are a good set of trailer brakes with a digital controller. Tow at rational speeds and don't expect to pull at 70 mph, which is unsafe with any trailer setup. Speed equals more stopping distance, reaction distance, etc. Cheers
Hensly Hitches are well worth the money, so are a good set of trailer brakes with a digital controller. Tow at rational speeds and don't expect to pull at 70 mph, which is unsafe with any trailer setup. Speed equals more stopping distance, reaction distance, etc. Cheers
I would really have to strongly disagree with this idea of a 7000 lb rating and your rational behind it. Many heavy trucks with big v8s and leaf springs can't tow 7000 lbs. The class 2 hitch that mopar installs factory is also only rated for a 350lb tongue rating. I think it is much more likely a typo then a legal respec. A simple mistake when translating unit measure to metric.
05-23-2012 | 04:50 AM
#37
JK Junkie
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,499
Likes: 160
From: brick, nj
Originally Posted by dognights
I would really have to strongly disagree with this idea of a 7000 lb rating and your rational behind it. Many heavy trucks with big v8s and leaf springs can't tow 7000 lbs. The class 2 hitch that mopar installs factory is also only rated for a 350lb tongue rating. I think it is much more likely a typo then a legal respec. A simple mistake when translating unit measure to metric.
05-23-2012 | 01:33 PM
#38
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Sumter, SC
I had the Mopar tranny cooler installed this weekend. The GVWR for the trailer itself is 3500 lbs, so I'm not going to exceed that. Now the only thing I'm really concerned about is the tongue weight, which, for towing a travel trailer, should be kept at 11%-15% of the trailer's weight. Thing is, depending on the weight distribution, this can vary. The unloaded tongue weight of the Spree Escape 196S is 340 lbs. I'll need to do a balancing act to make sure I get the right tongue weight.
05-23-2012 | 06:54 PM
#39
JK Newbie
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 48
Likes: 1
From: SE MI
I had the Mopar tranny cooler installed this weekend. The GVWR for the trailer itself is 3500 lbs, so I'm not going to exceed that. Now the only thing I'm really concerned about is the tongue weight, which, for towing a travel trailer, should be kept at 11%-15% of the trailer's weight. Thing is, depending on the weight distribution, this can vary. The unloaded tongue weight of the Spree Escape 196S is 340 lbs. I'll need to do a balancing act to make sure I get the right tongue weight.
With the equalizer hitch you said you were going with, you will want to run on the high limit to put enough tension on the dist bars to create enough friction to control sway.
07-15-2012 | 07:42 PM
#40
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 400
Likes: 1
From: Metro Detroit, Michgan
Did you pick up your camper? I bought the same trailer last thursday. I like it a lot. The only problem so far is the ac. It did not seem to keep up. We got the wall unit, 8000 btus. should have found one with the 13500 rooftop.
