Towing Question

[Fishysmell]

My boat and trailer fully loaded weighs in about 3300 pounds. I have a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with a tow capacity of 2000 lbs. I believe this is more of a wheel base issue than a weight issue as the Wrangler Unlimited which is the same vehicle only a longer wheel base is rated for 3500 lbs. I will not be towing long distance, maybe three miles most and off course with a 90 inch WB I will be going slow. I would prefer to go with an itegrated bumper set up in order to retain the ground clearance. The Jeep is a Sport with the larger tire set up with a 4.0 6cyl and a 5 Speed Trans. The trailer does have brakes

Any thoughts would be appreciated

[Annie2]

I towed my 77 Mako 20 with a Wrangler for a summer a few years a go. I gad a very HD Reese hitch set up and really heavy shocks, springs and lift kit.

I would use your Wrangler sparingly to tow the 19' and ONLY with a HD Hitch set-up. Not a bumper style, intergrated hitch, you'll pull the bumper right off.

The other consideration is the Jeep clutch, when launching and landing use low gear otherwise you will burn out the clutch !

bc

[Empress III]

I think that for the short low speed (35-40 mph max)runs that you specified, your jeep will do O.K. If your jeep is only rated to tow 2000lbs it is probably due to the type of hitch that it has installed on it. A load distribution type hitch would up your cap. to 3,500. the fact that your trailer has brakes on it is a big plus. Start off real slow and make sure you do not have too much tongue weight.

[Fishysmell]

Bob

Thanks for the input, I guess when I go offroading I'll just have to grab the air tools and remove the hitch.

I looked of some info. Do you think a Reese MAX-E-LOADER RECEIVER HITCH would work 3500lb capacity with 300 lb Tongue

[Annie2]

I think that would be great. If you're doing lots of towing, I'd consider either some HD Helper straps. They will bolt on to your existing springs and stiffen the suspension. With that short wheel base you don't want the front end to be light. Or change to some HD Air Shocks....that could be used to help both off road and trailering.

[Fishysmell]

Thanks again, I just ordered it up from Hitch Finder

[classic73mako]

I don't think that the Jeep will have any problems pulling the boat but you need to carefully look at that 2000# hitch and ball. I would strongly recommend a class 3 (2x2 with a 2 inch SS ball that has a 1 inch bolt/ nut) receiver type hitch. They are rated for at least 3500#'s (or more depending which you buy) and will give you a feeling of safety when going down the road. Last thing you need is to have that 2000# ball break off and the trailer go one way and the truck going the other.

Mike

[RudeAttitude]

I look back and laugh at some of the vehicles we used to pull the boat with when I was in High School. My Dad was gracious enough (as long as my grades were good) to let us take his Welcraft V20 anytime we wanted weather permitting. Between my friends and I we used everything but a Voltwagon beetle to tow that thing to the dock, and that's just because it didn't have a hitch ! Now, I would never use some of the vehicles I used back then these days, but I did learn a handy trick. Instead of burning up your clutch and risk the Jeep (light) sliding down the ramp on a wet day, have someone get in the boat. Keep the motor in gear and secure the boat to the trailer. Once the boat is on the trailer and locked down, get in the jeep, let out on the clutch a bit, honk the horn, pop the emergency brake. When you honk the horn, let the person in the boat rev the outboard up to about 2000 RPMs. That'll be enough to get you rolling. Once you get rolling, back off on the throttle. Once the motor is almost out of the water, shut the engine off. Works great for a not so perfect setup.

I have sat in amazement watching some people burn up tires and clutches trying to pull boats out at the ramp with all that HP just sitting on the boat as dead weight. I won $20 one time bidding my Dad's F150 against a Dodge1500 that was throwing tire smoke for 20 minutes. Hooked the trailer to the F150, put my friend in the boat, and got it out no problem. Easy money back in the days when $20 was cutting 2 lawns. [] Good luck.

[warthog5]

What Artie described, is poetry in motion when done right and everyone know's what's going on.

Don't try this with your wife in the mix.[]

[Mr. P-Reaux]

That reminds me of when I used to pull my boat (and once my Dad's) with my Chevy Caprice Classic (1992). I had put a class 3 receiver and hitch on it. That damn thing was so low-slung that with the weight of the boat, the tongue wheel would hit the ground on dips in the road.[:x)]

Of Course, the Caprice was as heavy and powerful as many light trucks (~5600lbs with a 5.0L V8). Shoot...that's not much less than my Tahoe!

As for towing with a vehicle not designed for it...another pointer is to make sure you NEVER put it in the highest gear no matter what your speed. If you have a 5-speed, use #4 at top speed, if you have a 4-speed, use #3, and so on.

-Pat

[ob1jeeper]

quote:

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Originally posted by Annie2


The other consideration is the Jeep clutch, when launching and landing use low gear otherwise you will burn out the clutch !

bc

---

I think what was meant was to shift into low range in the t-case... that gives you BOTH the added advantage of 4 wheels pulling (the front two of which, will likely be on dry pavement) AND a gearing reduction that will allow you to pull it out of the water without slipping the clutch very much at all... Just go easy, with the low range engaged, there is NO need to "horse" it.

[DestinBound]

Definitely use low range on the transfer case. You can back down the ramp without slipping the clutch or touching the brake. Same with driving off the ramp, use 1st or 2nd gear depending on how steep.

Keep the tongue light and drive slow. A 300# tongue is too heavy for the Jeep. You'll have the nose up in air.

If you never tow your boat anywhere else, just re-adjust it on the trailer to keep the tongue light, maybe 100# or so and you won't have to change any suspension parts.

[Fishysmell]

I'm going with a 3500lb set up, as far as the tongue weight I'm going to play around with it. I do agree that 300 is a bit much and shifting it back will reduce the load, however if I reduce the tongue weight by shifting the center of gravity back I can reduce stability considering the Jeeps 90 inch wheel base. I do not need a whiplashing trailer.

thanks for the input

[ob1jeeper]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fishysmell


I'm going with a 3500lb set up, as far as the tongue weight I'm going to play around with it. I do agree that 300 is a bit much and shifting it back will reduce the load, however if I reduce the tongue weight by shifting the center of gravity back I can reduce stability considering the Jeeps 90 inch wheel base. I do not need a whiplashing trailer.

thanks for the input

---

If tongue load re-balancing is what you're after, my $.02 would be to move the axle, rather than shifting the boat around on the bunks.

Here's a simple formula for calculating how much you need to move the axle. (NOTE: This method works for ALL types of trailers, not JUST boat trailers.)

(TAW1xTL1)/TAW2 = TL2

WHERE;

TAW1 = original trailer axle weight measured at the AXLE, with the trailer in the "as towed" attitude/level.

TAW2 = will be the new trailer axle weight, PLUS (or minus) the amount of weight you wish to take off (or add) to the tongue weight.

(Note; there are only two items which are capable of supporting the weight of the trailer and it's load. They are; A- axle and B- tongue/coupler. Thus any weight which is moved from one, will be added/substracted to/from the other.)

TL1 = the original tongue length. As measured from the center of the axle(s), to the center of the coupler ball socket.

(NOTE: this measurement needs to be taken at the centerline of the trailer, NOT diagonally from an axle/wheel end to the coupler. If you have multiple axles, use the center of the axle pack for your calculations.)

TL2 = new tongue length

ALSO... This tow combo is NOT what I would recommend to tow with for more than launch duties.[]

AND, for ANY tow situation where I was concerned with sway[B)], (especially for "short wheelbase" tow units), I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND installing an anti-sway control device.[8)] The friction type are cheap (~$50 from almost any RV dealer), and simple to install with a drill & hand tools[].

Good Luck...

[JLPjr]

Be careful when towing with your Wrangler. That short wheel base will get away from you before you know it. Several years back a couple was killed about 3 miles from my house on I-20 pulling a ski boat behind their Wrangler. Yes, they were probably going too fast but it was a single vehicle accident and the Jeep got away from them and they hit a bridge. I also had a friend whose father died in a similar accident with a Bronco II.

I use my wrangler to pull my father's 19' Sunbird but I go very slow, plan my stops, avoid traffic areas, and am very careful.

Jay