Anyone towing a pop with an auto and after market gears of any size? I have read and done the research, I have looked at the charts and calculated RPMs with OD off, blah blah blah

Anyone actually regear for a camper and what are your thoughts.

I have 305/70/16 and I am going from 3.73 to 4.88s to help with towing, any "real world" experience out there?

 

I have a Rubicon with the stock 4.10s in it rolling on 35s. I pull a 2700 lbs. Rockwood Roo with it. It weighs about the same as a larger popup, but has more frontal area than one. It will pull it.... but just barely. The 3.8 is a weakling to start with. Even without a towed load its a slug. But, as long as you are comfortable with terrible gas mileage and preplan your driving strategy a couple miles in advance, you'll be ok. I noticed you have added a tranny cooler. Good, it needs one. Regearing will help get it rolling, but don't count on being able to stay in overdrive (or even top gear in overdrive off mode) while towing. You might want to attempt using your stock gearing to tow with first. If it doesn't have enough HP to stay in overdrive after the regear, its going to downshift and be spinning the motor pretty high. With stock gears, it wont be quite as high. As for the rest of the vehicle for towing.... I use a Reese load leveling hitch with sway-away control and a Prodigy brake controller. I've towed my Roo from Houston to Key West and back and never had any white knuckle episodes. My average MPG was 8.4 mpg.

 

Yeah, I have done about 600 miles towing the popup with the jeep last spring/summer. It does ok on level ground, and I'm always surprised at how stable the rig is, a load leveling hitch doesn't seem necessary for me.

I always tow with OD off, as stated in the manual,and it looks like my rpms will be around 3400 with OD off and 4.88. It's high but not screaming.

If I had to do it over again I would have gotten a Rubi, if only for the gearing. Of coarse now, the Pentastar would make even more difference.

 

I have been trying to do the research on towing as well. We just bought a 2011 jayco x18d. weighs in at 3200lbs dry weight so I am know i am going to be pushing the limits of my 2012 wrangler Rubi. I will run w/ a weight distributing hitch, anti sway, and brake controller. I think it will do ok from what i have read about people's real world experiences. I think that 3500lb tow rating is maybe a little conservative, idk, the euro wrangler are specced out for higher tow numbers, but same suspension, etc. . . This is our first camper. One concern I had, is the frontal area. That is mentioned in the manual as being limited to 32 sq ft. that's the only thing i will be exceeding for sure, as this trailer is I think 8 ft high by at least 8 ft wide. Anybody know how that comes into play?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

You have the Pentastar, combined with your rubi 4.10, I'm thinking you'll do better than me. Don't kid yourself though, less is better when it comes to weight and towing with these things. My pop comes in at around 2700, but you have to take into consideration all your gear and supplies. It adds up fast, a large cooler filled with drinks, food and ice can be close to 100lbs. Not to mention my tires and bumpers, I know I'm overloaded. However, I am always impressed at how stable it is and the jayco pulls great.

As for your frontal area, it will be an issue, how much, who knows? For me, and my rig, I sure it wouldn't work.
There is a post around here where a guy talks about towing limits and all that goes into it in great detail, including frontal area.

I laugh when guys around here try to claim the jeep can tow more, often citing the euro 7000lbs limit.

 

I'm gonna be a guinea pig for sure. but we will be doing majority of our camping at a local place and keeping it in the same spot for most of the summer. Pick it up Friday it's about a 50 mile drive home so we will see how it goes.

 

Good luck, I want to know how the Pentastar handles it.

 

Can anyone tell me how my 2dr w/ 3.73's will do towing a 1800 pop up. Also I plan on going to 4.56 gears, is this better or worse?

 

If I was doing gears nothing lower than4:88 still good for highway speeds and handles my 35s nicely. Anything higher than what you have is going to be better. I would say with your gears and that trailer it's going to be pretty doggie as these 3.8s already are. Not a good tow vehicle.

 

It can be done... but it's an exercise in at least frustration if not futility. My travel trailer is similar to what you have... actually a little lighter but same frontal area. The frontal area plays a big part in the equation at highway speeds. The Jeep actuall pulls decent until about 50 mph which is when the wind starts acting on it. The 3.6 SHOULD be better than my 3.8 but as said... you're a little heavier. Do you have a standard or auto? From what I see from other's comments, the manual pulls better. The auto constantly hunts for the right gear. You'll want to use an auxillary tranny cooler if you have an auto. If you're ok taking your time and being a rolling road block, you wont have any troubles. I pulled mine to Key West from Houston and back last summer. Get ready to pawn your first born for fuel though.