I’m thinking about buying a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee overland V8 with a tow package so the the weight capacity is 7200lbs. Does anyone have any experience using this vehicle to tow a trailer?
I’ve seen them used, haven’t used one myself. Most people advise against it due to the short wheelbase. How much hauling do you plan to do, in what type of conditions?
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Not much, in the summer, very local. I am concerned about the wheel base and my horse shifting ang how the truck would respond.
Several years ago we towed our two horse trailer and medium sized pony with a Jeep Cherokee and were not that comfortable with it.
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I own one and yes I towed a lighter weight 2H BP horse trailer with it. Never an issue. Please note you must use a WDH (Weight Distributing Hitch) for tongue weights over 350 lbs. Would I have chosen this for constant hauling? No. But there’s a good number of folks in this area who regularly tow with JGC or similar vehicles to local shows, the horse park, etc. I do not recommend you exceed about 5200 lbs with a live load…it’s a best practice to always have a good margin in capacities. Leaving a whole ton to spare was my comfort factor.
We did decades ago, with a Jeep Wagoneer, that had a longer wheelbase.
We hauled a light two horse steel trailer with race horses to this and that track for a short meet and back.
We didn’t have any trouble, even over NM mountains, but it was not a Cherokee and in lighter traffic than we have today.
All I’ve ever heard about heard about jeeps and towing is their unibody construction makes it not a terribly good idea
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Sure they can. The real question is can they stop a trailer.
I have a friend who tried this. After the first time the trailer pushed the Jeep through a stop sign at an intersection, she went out and bought a truck.
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Is that trailer slanting uphill towards the hitch, or is it just my eyesight?
TD, do you have any particular reason for wanting a JGC instead of a pickup?
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I tow a Brenderup one-horse with my Overland (5.7L HEMI engine) and it’s perfect, even over the Rockies. I love this setup. However, the B’up was designed to be towed by a car, and mine’s only ~2700 lb WITH HORSE. I wouldn’t feel comfortable towing either a 2-horse trailer or a one-horse non-B’up over that kind of terrain with my Overland. (Your terrain, your trailer, and YMMV.)
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I have an aluminum skin over steel frame 2H bp w/dressing room that I pull with my F-250. Usually I just carry one horse. I can’t imagine pulling it with less vehicle than what I currently use.
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I second the Weight Distribution Hitch. That is absolutely mandatory.
We pulled our 2H dressing room bumper pull trailer with a Jeep Cherokee for years. Never ventured further than 2 hours from home, just in case. It’s doable, but not ideal. I’m super cautious when it comes to hauling. I give myself plenty of room to brake, but the maniacs on the road have no clue how much distance a SUV and trailer need to brake without putting people or horses at risk. You’re much safer with a proper pick up.
Depends on the trailer.
I have a 2007 and a 2014 and both tow my Bockmann just fine. I don’t have a dressing room, until this year Bockmann didn’t sell one here. Now they do, but it is spendy.
For what a 2018 JGC Overland v8 would cost you, you can get a very nicely equipped F150 to easily tow 10k+ pounds. Or you can get the jeep and spend a little more money for a trailer meant for that type of vehicle.
I had a 2H Merhow and towed it occasionally with both Jeeps. They pull it fine and yes, even stop it, but in crosswinds and on the highway I didn’t find it stable.
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I drive ALOT for work, and pick ups don’t have a lot of interior room. My husband has a Sierra 1500 so if I needed to tow a long distance I would use that. I need a new vehicle and suv’s work best for me. Thank you everyone for your advice. Very hard decision.
It is only a very hard decision if the reasons you stated above are more important than the safety of you, your horse and others on the road.
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Yes, you can safely tow with a Jeep Grand Cherokee as long as 1. the weight is within the vehicle’s capacity; 2. you use a weight distribution hitch; and 3. the trailer has brakes (which is pretty much a given nowadays but I mention it for the sake of completeness).
See, for example, this article, in which the example vehicle is a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Yes, they can. My JGC’s weight is very close to the same weight as a Ford F150…it weighed more than the trailer loaded with two horses and has heavy duty brakes specifically as part of the factory towing arrangement. So if the brake controller failed, I don’t doubt that stopping would have been assured. That said, and as I indicated in my previous post, I wouldn’t choose this for heavy towing, but the reality is that many folks with local needs do this all the time.
Yes…20K miles a year driving for work at the time I needed to occasionally tow a horse trailer. And I hate driving pickup trucks, particularly for the turning radius and increased difficulty in parking situations. If I was towing a horse trailer frequently…I’d use a truck. But that wasn’t the case. Everyone is different and has different needs. The JGC with factory tow and the V8 or EcoDiesel will competently handle…and stop…a trailer/hose combination that’s sized appropriately for the usage. That means a lighter weight trailer without a DR if it’s a “north American” design or a Euro trailer like the Böckmann, etc.
On your question about the photo, the setup on flat is for a 1/2" to 1" pitch at the ball, but where I was parked in the grass at that point makes it look like the trailer is nose high as it was on a slightly crowned area.
Is your name Td?
No, I didn’t think so. I was addressing the OP.
BTW, Td, I wouldn’t haul long distances in a 1500. 2500 minimum.
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There are many SUV/trailer combos that are perfectly safe. I think people who lament “but what about the stopping” just parrot it out without thinking about it. Same with those that make snide comments about anyone who isn’t towing their bumper pull with a one ton diesel dually.
Horse trailers have their own brakes, if I tune my brakes up high enough my trailer will stop my truck. I recently had a friend who’s truck brake line blew and she used the trailer to stop the rig. EVERYONE out there, no matter how big your truck, will probably experience being pushed by their trailer at one point and learns a great deal bout it. What matters most is having a rig that is well matched (paring shorter trailers with shorter vehicles and having the longest wheel base you can) in case of an emergency. I would frankly worry more about if the vehicle can pull the trailer since entering the highway and pulling up steep hills can make or break a motor.
Some 2 horse with dressing room trailers are very tall and long and would not be suitable for the OP’s needs. A smaller, light weight aluminum trailer with only one horse would be a better match for the OP’s needs at this time.
I have also NEVER heard that long distances aren’t made for 1500s and the OP has already given her reasons for wanting an SUV.
