Jeep Grand Cherokee as Tow Vehicle

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by RHStools

I am sure if you ask the TV Mfr (Jeep in this case) what their thoughts are on the hitch , they might say it all depends. If you talk to the trailer Mfr they might say it all depends. If the you talk to the hitch Mfr about the trailer and the TV, they might also say it all depends.

Sure, and if you ask someone selling the tow vehicle, the will likely say it can tow anything. If you talk to most trailer sales people (not Escape of course), they will say it can be towed by just about anything. If you talk to someone selling hitches, they will likely say that if you spend enough on their hardware you can tow anything with anything. Please don't believe sales people.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Up2speed4

Wow, sorry to hear you had problems. I have been using mine for two years now with no problems. So what kind of problems did you have?

The chain guides were being gouged by the chains primarily. I also suspect my coupler was damaged by the inordinate amount of forward force due to the unique design of the hitch. My yoke would open even with the pin in place forcing me to replace the coupler.

[RHStools]

The Limited gas version is rated at 6200 Lbs because it has the special shocks installed. The other versions do not have that. If you have the Diesel or V8 Hemi you can get up to 7400 I believe. You have to dig for this data on their site. They have a table that rovide this info but it does not pop out right away.

[RHStools]

Here is the Jeep towing chart for 2018

[RHStools]

You're right. I spent 30+ years as a purchasing person, I learned that a long time ago! Thanks

[Nindy]

Wow, after someone mentioned the Anderson WDH, I remembered I didn't get it because it was more expensive. Looked into it and thought, that does look better. I've actually popped off a bar backing up before with the WDH I have.

This morning I read about the problems with Anderson and the owners and will quit looking! What I have is simple to use and works.

[Up2speed4]

Originally Posted by Nindy

Wow, after someone mentioned the Anderson WDH, I remembered I didn't get it because it was more expensive. Looked into it and thought, that does look better. I've actually popped off a bar backing up before with the WDH I have.

This morning I read about the problems with Anderson and the owners and will quit looking! What I have is simple to use and works.

What are you using instead of the Andersen?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Nindy

I've actually popped off a bar backing up before with the WDH I have.

With a WD that has bars which slide in brackets, that usually means that the bracket on the trailer frame is too far rearward, so when you turned sharply away from that side the bar pulled out of the bracket. If you move it too far forward, it will jam if turned too far the other way. With the traditional chain-style WD shown in the earlier photo, I don't know how you get this problem; perhaps the same bracket problem, and the chain pops off of the hook, but that seems like extremely poor alignment of the parts or too little chain length.

The Andersen No-Sway design has its issues, but it doesn't have this problem.

[Up2speed4]

Originally Posted by Rossue

The chain guides were being gouged by the chains primarily. I also suspect my coupler was damaged by the inordinate amount of forward force due to the unique design of the hitch. My yoke would open even with the pin in place forcing me to replace the coupler.

I'm no expert but would there also be a great force upon the coupler from a traditional WDH as well. My old ez lift came with a cheater bar to get the spring bars and chains in place.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by dkirk

6200 for the V6. 7200 for the V8

Originally Posted by RHStools

The Limited gas version is rated at 6200 Lbs because it has the special shocks installed. The other versions do not have that. If you have the Diesel or V8 Hemi you can get up to 7400 I believe. You have to dig for this data on their site. They have a table that provide this info but it does not pop out right away.

There is a comparison chart - Towing - in which the model must be selected.
The base rating for V6 and 5.7L V8 engines is 3,500 pounds, but a towing package can take that to 6,200 pounds for Limited and higher trims, although a towing package may be required. The only way to get the 7,200 pound rating is to buy the extreme SRT (6.4 L V8) or Trackhawk (6.2 L supercharged V8) version.

I checked a variant which (according to the table) requires the towing package to get the 6,200 pound rating instead of 3,500 pounds (a 4X4 Limited with Hemi), and in the Build & Price tool the description of the page says that for US$795 it includes:

• 7-and 4-Pin Wiring Harness
• Class IV Receiver Hitch
• Full Size Spare Tire
• Heavy-Duty Engine Cooling
• Rear Load Leveling Suspension

So yes, the load-leveling shocks are part of it, but higher engine cooling capacity is also required on some variants. The owners manual actually distinguishes the capacity (for a given engine and 4X2 or 4X4 as "Std Cooling" versus "HD Cooling"). You wouldn't actually need the full-size spare to tow, but it could avoid having to leave the trailer somewhere while going off to get a repair if you get a flat. But that "full-size" spare may still be a limited-capability temporary-use tire: the manual says

Do not drive more than 50 mph (80 km/h) when towing while using a full size spare tire.

Diesel

Originally Posted by Nindy

And 7,200 for my 3.0L Diesel.

Although the diesel appears in the Build & Price tool, I don't think that it is currently available; in any case it is not listed in the table. In the past the 3.0 L V6 diesel had a rating comparable to at least some variants of the gasoline V8 (both when properly equipped).

[rbryan4]

To displace the same amount of weight, the Andersen would place no more strain on the coupler than a more traditional WDH. It's all leverage, whether that leverage is created by chain tension or by bars. The direction may be different, but leverage should be similar. As for the wear on the chain guides, that is due to either using the wrong kit for the frame size, or installing the guides so they are not lined up properly. We have had zero issues with our Andersen hitch over 3 1/2 years.

The only issue I saw with the Andersen that affected multiple customers was the braking material protruding from the socket that holds the ball. They apparently redesigned that to correct it, because ours has not had the problem.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Up2speed4

I'm no expert but would there also be a great force upon the coupler from a traditional WDH as well.

A coupler is designed to take high vertical force (tongue weight), continual moderate horizontal force pulling the ball back, and occasional force in the other horizontal directions.
A conventional WD system greatly increases the vertical force on the coupler and ball, but the Andersen applies horizontal force, pushing the coupler against the back of the ball.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

To displace the same amount of weight, the Andersen would place no more strain on the coupler than a more traditional WDH. It's all leverage, whether that leverage is created by chain tension or by bars. The direction may be different, but leverage should be similar.

Because the effect of the WD is due to applying torque (about the lateral axis) to the coupler, the same load transfer effect means the same torque, regardless of WD system design. I agree that the shank is being used as a lever inserted into the receiver, and so to the receiver and tow vehicle it doesn't matter what hardware is used to pry on the lever.

On the other hand, because the lever arm of the Andersen is short (the height from ball centre to chain plate) compared to the lever arm of a traditional WD system (the length of the spring bar), the chain force is much higher... there's a reason that the Andersen No-Sway's chain is so thick! The other issue is that while the conventional WD pulls down on the trailer frame and in reaction pushes up on the coupler, the Andersen pulls forward on the trailer frame and in reaction pushes back on the coupler. That's higher forces, and horizontal instead of vertical.

[rbryan4]

I can see that Brian. But do you think it would cause a coupler to fail? Ours works like it's brand new.

EDIT: I should have said it did work like it was brand new, until I had it cut off and replaced with a Collar-Lok coupler for ease of hooking/unhooking.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

I can see that Brian. But do you think it would cause a coupler to fail?

It depends on the coupler. The only moving part in most couplers is some sort of jaw at the bottom in the back, which is only intended to keep the coupler from pulling up off of the ball. Pushing against it with hundreds of pounds, all of the time, works out for most of them (which is either good design or sheer luck), but some can't take it.

The Bulldog Collar-Lok should be very tolerant of this use (or abuse).

[Nindy]

Originally Posted by Up2speed4

What are you using instead of the Andersen?

The less expensive alternative that Escape was offering in 2014. I believe this is it:
Pro Series - Weight Distributing Kit - Round Bar

Escape set it up for me.

[Rossue]

Yep, that's what we had with the 17B and mistakenly thought that since the Andersen cost more(2X+ Pro Series) it had to be better. Went back to Pro Series- installed easily myself and is far easier to set up and the ball is 2-3" further back which lets us open the tailgate.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

...On edit, sorry I was at Cherokee vs Grand Cherokee website which does have the higher numbers.

Just in case anyone was confused about these models... a Grand Cherokee isn't just a bigger Cherokee - the only things that these two very different models have in common are Jeep badges and "Cherokee" (a traditional Jeep brand) in their names.

[cpaharley2008]

Historically, I think Cherokee was born first, I have a 1991 Cherokee Sport I'm restoring and the original owner.It has a 6 cyl straight six and a 3500# capacity. It was a great marketing ploy in 1992 when Chrysler came out with the Grand Cherokee model, to create a demand for and compete with the Cherokee, both within one company. Previously there was the Jeep Wagoneer which ended I think around 1991.

[gbaglo]

I bought a used Cherokee Chief. Shortly after I got it, the full-time 4x4 crapped out and cost me $1,200 for repair ( a lot of money at the time ). The dealer had had the vehicle painted in order to sell, and tiny bubbles formed all over it.
Oh, and the first gas shortage arrived in North America. The V8 got about 6-8 miles per gallon.