myfirstjeep

I have a two door JK. Can someone point me in the direction of some good towing 101. I want to tow a trailer as I am moving this weekend but have never done it before.

Also have a tow hook right now, shopping for a hitch. What else do I need to tow a trailer?

All help appreciated.

whatroads

Do a web search on key words "towing guide". I've been towing a 31 ft RV for years, (with a truck). Many of the RV sites have towing guides. Ford does too. Key factors include trailer weight, length and vehicle tow rating.
The JK tow rating is limited due to the flexability afforded by the rear coil springs.

rlabbott

You can start by looking at the Jeep site for a little basic info about towing....
http://www.jeep.com/vehsuite/TowingGuide.jsp

Be sure to understand the weight limits for your rig. Three basic things I told my son when learning to tow.... 1)Easy does it--- start and stop gently, and watch temp guage, 2) Take turns wide - the trailer follows the corner inside your track, 3) When backing up, if you get too far from straight... just go forward 10 ft and straighten out, and start your move over again. (We have standard shift, if you have auto - turn off O/D).

You'll need to get a hitch, and a wiring harness. UHaul places usually install tow receiver bars and can do the wiring. Although you can usually get more choice of equipment and better prices at a truck/trailer shop, or many muffler shops also do receiver hitches. (If you had more time, there are lots of online choices.)

Once you have a receiver hitch, you can get nifty things like receiver racks to haul equipment, fuel, any big stuff that will not fit in cabin. Also, there are some very nice bike racks that fit a receiver.

For great fun, have your friends get some lawnchairs and beverages and watch you learn to back up the trailer in an empty parking lot. But, don't take the teasing too hard, everyone has to learn to tow sometime

Good Luck.

myfirstjeep

Also, has anyone rented trailers from U-Haul? I read on their website that they do not rent to SUV's without a hard top. I have a soft top. Are they really firm on this? I may not be able to rent the trailer at all.

Also, I am trying to get a trailer hitch from some board member who is looking to see and am hoping to get it by friday. Do dealers carry the harness or should i just buy it online and hope it comes?

britjk

U haul will not rent a trailer or a tow dolly to a convertible. I tow a Haulmark 8 ft. enclosed trailer daily loaded with carpentry tools. My 4 door Sahara came with the towing pkg and 4:10 gears. It tows great. I would look into the anti sway device available for the 2009's. go to the For Sale section on here - there is a factory tow hitch for sale.

myfirstjeep

any suggestions on where else I can rent a trailer? I am in central NJ

hig4s

The 2 door is only recommended to tow up to 1000 lbs.. unless you have a Rubicon with 4:10 gears then still only up to 2000 lbs..

I have a 4 door X with tow package and 3:73 gearing it is rated to 3500 lbs.

the 2 door rating is mostly because of the short wheel base, just keep it fairly light, and take it easy, don't cut any corners and remember you are now over twice as long when changing lanes.

Wranglers actually tow quite well, if you keep it down to that 1000 lbs you will hardly notice the trailer is there.

Not sure where else to check for renting.

TINMAN080

If you don't need a massive trailer a 4X6, 5X8, etc, are available for sale starting at about $400.00 and up. Of course these are not enclosed. Sometimes these can be purchased thru thru your local trading post for $250 or so, I don't know what trailer rentals are going for these days....

RobertB

Our local Home Depot rents trailers of all shapes and sizes. Might try them.

britjk

My trailer weighs 800 lbs empty - it scales full of my tools at 1600. Tows fine at highway speeds.