The Finer Points of Jeep Trailer Weights and Towing
The JK may be one of the most utilitarian vehicles on sale today. They have unsurpassed factory off-road ability, a host of aftermarket parts to carry and haul most any item your heart desires, and you can even tow with them. But just because you can tow with your Jeep, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. The art of towing is a complicated one, and the maximum weight of what you can tow depends greatly on a huge number of factors. What type of hitch you have installed, what you are towing, and even how big your tires are can affect what you can safely tow. To try and make sense of it all, forum member A.R.X-D has worked up a handy dandy guide to help you figure out just how much you can tow.
The guide A.R.X-D has written is crammed full of smart details, little secrets, and a fair bit of math, so for the full run down I suggest reading the thread, but I wanted to touch on some key points for the front page. Lots of people tow with their Jeeps, and I just want to inform them that they may not be doing it safely.
The first main point is weight, and how that weight is calculated. Just because your owner’s manual says you can tow a “maximum of 3500 pounds” doesn’t mean you can slap a 3500 pound trailer to the back and go about your business. Your Jeep’s maximum tow rating is specified on the fact that there is no extra cargo or passengers in the vehicle, and that the driver only weighs 150 pounds. Right off the bat, my Jeep has to take a small hit to its tow ratings, because I way a fair bit more than 150 pounds. The type of trailer you are towing will affect its maximum safe towing weight, and the weight of all your passengers and gear will affect your maximum safe towing weight. What those numbers are, and how to calculate them is covered in great detail in the OP. Just remember that your “maximum rating” is not a 100% solid number.
After the long process of figuring out just what your maximum tow rating really is, A.R.X-D has a nice segment about how to improve handling while towing. He talks about weight distribution to prevent both dive and trailer sway, the benefits of rear suspension air bags for towing rigs, and he touts the virtues of trailer brakes for heavy trailers.
Again, I implore you to read the full thread, it is a far better and smarter explanation than I could ever hope to muster up, and the info inside could very well save you, your cargo, and your Jeep from some very serious damage.
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
