My brother towed a 5,000lb Jeep on a double axle trailer with a V8 grand for years. Towed it all the way to the Rubicon and to Moab at least a dozen times, out to North Dakota and to all the trails around here. You just have to use an electric brake to help stop it. It doesn't get pushed around that bad. It is rated to tow at 7,000lbs and he was at the limit and the only problem is to keep an eye on the temp towing in the summer since they like to run hot anyways. You will have no problem with the frame or power but he did have to replace a tranny when the torque converter came apart. Not sure if that was a defect or was helped out by towing all the time.
Can you tow a (jeep 4000#) with a Grand Cherokee?
- Thread starter jdub
- Start date
Can it do it? Yes, but I don't recommend it. The "rating" is like 6500#'s I believe, but I don't care what the marketing department of Chrysler says, that is just too much weight for a ZJ to pull safely. Once you get a 4000# jeep, loaded up for the trail with spares and tools etc, add a trailer and some passengers in the tow rig and you're asking that little SUV to pull a lot of weight.
I used a v8 grand for about a year to pull my ~4000# buggy on a 1600# trailer. The vehicle had the power to do freeway speeds (60-70) on flat ground, but it didn't have the weight or stability to control the trailer if and when something bad happened. I towed to moab probably 3-4 times with it, and the last time I had to go down Price canyon in a snowstorm. Put it up for sale when I got home and purchased a 99 Dodge diesel. I didn't think I had the money, but I also decided my life wasn't worth the risk. There were a couple of times towing with my Dodge where I had to make an emergency turn or break to avoid something and I know for a fact that I wouldn't have wanted to be towing with that ZJ in those situations. I ended up taking a $2000 loss on the situation in a year since the tranny was slipping when I sold it which made it hard to sell for a reasonable price and I ended up upside down on it.
Also, it sucked in the summer months because there was no way you could run the A/C while towing. I got tired of being stressed about holding up traffic, about any side winds, adverse weather, and sweating my ass off coming across the desert in June with no AC and the engine running at 220# and 3000+ rpms (don't tow with the OD on in these things). What is a 3.5 hour leisurely drive in a normal vehicle or good tow rig was a 4.5 hour stressful drive towing in the ZJ.
The durango would be a better bet if you are set on a 1/4 ton SUV for a tow rig. The leaf springs, frame, and wheel base all suit it better to towing than the ZJ. I would personally move up to a 1/2 ton or 3/4 SUV options (expedition/excursion, suburban) or maybe a 4 door 1/2 v8 truck (dodge 1500, f150, chevy 1500, toy tundra etc).
I used a v8 grand for about a year to pull my ~4000# buggy on a 1600# trailer. The vehicle had the power to do freeway speeds (60-70) on flat ground, but it didn't have the weight or stability to control the trailer if and when something bad happened. I towed to moab probably 3-4 times with it, and the last time I had to go down Price canyon in a snowstorm. Put it up for sale when I got home and purchased a 99 Dodge diesel. I didn't think I had the money, but I also decided my life wasn't worth the risk. There were a couple of times towing with my Dodge where I had to make an emergency turn or break to avoid something and I know for a fact that I wouldn't have wanted to be towing with that ZJ in those situations. I ended up taking a $2000 loss on the situation in a year since the tranny was slipping when I sold it which made it hard to sell for a reasonable price and I ended up upside down on it.
Also, it sucked in the summer months because there was no way you could run the A/C while towing. I got tired of being stressed about holding up traffic, about any side winds, adverse weather, and sweating my ass off coming across the desert in June with no AC and the engine running at 220# and 3000+ rpms (don't tow with the OD on in these things). What is a 3.5 hour leisurely drive in a normal vehicle or good tow rig was a 4.5 hour stressful drive towing in the ZJ.
The durango would be a better bet if you are set on a 1/4 ton SUV for a tow rig. The leaf springs, frame, and wheel base all suit it better to towing than the ZJ. I would personally move up to a 1/2 ton or 3/4 SUV options (expedition/excursion, suburban) or maybe a 4 door 1/2 v8 truck (dodge 1500, f150, chevy 1500, toy tundra etc).
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jdub
Scrambler
- Location
- Provo, Utah.
Very helpful thanks.
I am toying around with the idea of another rig but it has to have 4 doors a v8 and could tow if I needed it to, if it did it would only be 2-3 times a year. I love suburbans but they are big. That would be the only thing that holds up my wife from wanting to drive it.
I am toying around with the idea of another rig but it has to have 4 doors a v8 and could tow if I needed it to, if it did it would only be 2-3 times a year. I love suburbans but they are big. That would be the only thing that holds up my wife from wanting to drive it.
jdub
Scrambler
- Location
- Provo, Utah.
To clarify, it needs:
-4 doors
-v8
-4wd
-lwb
-auto
-heat/ac
Suprisingly you can attain all of this with a Suburban and for under $1500.
Trucks for some reason are more when they have 4 doors.
-4 doors
-v8
-4wd
-lwb
-auto
-heat/ac
Suprisingly you can attain all of this with a Suburban and for under $1500.
Trucks for some reason are more when they have 4 doors.
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
Crap, my Quad cab Cummins doesn't meet all those requirements. They forgot the last two cylinders. 
jdub
Scrambler
- Location
- Provo, Utah.
Crap, my Quad cab Cummins doesn't meet all those requirements. They forgot the last two cylinders.
Oooh, I'd love a cummins. I don't need that much truck.
Crap, my Quad cab Cummins doesn't meet all those requirements. They forgot the last two cylinders.
...and the automatic.
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
kmboren
Recovering XJ owner anonymous
- Location
- Southern Utah
I have a 2000 dodge durango that has the 5.9 and awd and it tows really nicely. Lugs a little on hills but will do what I want it too on the flats. Good luck.