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Help with setting up tow for jeep jk

thezooinperu
Explorer
Explorer
New to RV world. I have a 2008 diesel coachmen and I want to tow my 2016 jeep wrangler 4 wheels down. What type of tow bar do I need? Brake system for the jeep? Lights? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to this new life ๐Ÿ™‚
23 REPLIES 23

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
Tom/Barb wrote:


If you will be hooking up all by your self, get a telescoping bar, you will never get the correct spot to hitch a ridged one.

(BTTT) been there tried that.


my first tow bar was a telescoping Rangefinder model, Blue Ox I think, that stayed on the front of the toad.
bumpy

mowermech
Explorer
Explorer
Actually one CAN hook up a fixed-arm (rigid) towbar without help. Many of us have done it many times. BTDT (Been There, Done That!)
Some of us use the GOAL method (Get Out And Look), just as we do when hooking to a large ball-mount trailer.
CM1, USN (RET)
2017 Jayco TT
Daily Driver: '14 Subaru Outback
1998 Dodge QC LWB, Cummins, 5 speed, 4X2
2 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 ATVs.
Pride Raptor 3 wheeled off-road capable mobility scooter
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"

Tom_Barb
Explorer
Explorer
thezooinperu wrote:
New to RV world. I have a 2008 diesel coachmen and I want to tow my 2016 jeep wrangler 4 wheels down. What type of tow bar do I need? Brake system for the jeep? Lights? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to this new life ๐Ÿ™‚


If you will be hooking up all by your self, get a telescoping bar, you will never get the correct spot to hitch a ridged one.

(BTTT) been there tried that.
2000 Newmar mountain aire 4081 DP, ISC/350 Allison 6 speed, Wrangler JL toad.

Tom_Barb
Explorer
Explorer
discovery4us wrote:
I certainly don't want to fall in the weight police category but I guess here I go. Make sure you get enough tow bar. I used a fixed arm adjustable bar with 5000 lbs. capacity and never had a problem. That being said as I set up my 3/4 ton Chevy as a toad it got me thinking about the weight of my wrangler. Was shocked to see the wrangler weighs darn near as much as a 3/4 ton pickup. A stock JK is probable in the 4000 lbs. range all by it self.


My 07 JK weight is #4329. we tow it with a Falcon II rated at 6k
2000 Newmar mountain aire 4081 DP, ISC/350 Allison 6 speed, Wrangler JL toad.

dubdub07
Explorer
Explorer
Blue Ox, Blue Ox, Blue Ox.

Nuff said.

WW
2013 Fleetwood Discovery 40G
TOADS: 12 Jeep JKUR Wrangler, 16 Cherokee Trailhawk, 15 Grand Cherokee, 13 RAM 1500 Longhorn (not a toad) American STEEL = American profits
RET USAF MSGT (26yrs) and still DoD ATC.
DW,DS,DD in the MH w/Westley the killer PUG!

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
IIRC my aventa II was rated for 10,000 lbs.
bumpy

discovery4us
Explorer
Explorer
I certainly don't want to fall in the weight police category but I guess here I go. Make sure you get enough tow bar. I used a fixed arm adjustable bar with 5000 lbs. capacity and never had a problem. That being said as I set up my 3/4 ton Chevy as a toad it got me thinking about the weight of my wrangler. Was shocked to see the wrangler weighs darn near as much as a 3/4 ton pickup. A stock JK is probable in the 4000 lbs. range all by it self.

Tom_Barb
Explorer
Explorer
Every thing you need to know about tow bars.

E-Trailer
2000 Newmar mountain aire 4081 DP, ISC/350 Allison 6 speed, Wrangler JL toad.

mowermech
Explorer
Explorer
Off Pavement wrote:
Tom/Barb wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
get a tow bar that mounts on the rear of the motorhome, not on the toad.
bumpy


WHY?

when the jeep has a off road winch type bumper, the tow bar needs to be nothing more than a "A" type that can stay with the jeep.


You can get a ticket for having a tow bar that when folded up, impairs your forward vision.


A general statement like that simply is not always true. It depends on the state. AFAIK, in CA it is true. In NV I don't know. In Montana, it is not true. I had a Reese fixed arm towbar on the front of my '06 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon day in and day out for several years. It was not in my "line of sight", and I never got stopped for it.
I used that fixed-arm adjustable width towbar on several different Jeeps over the years. It was inexpensive, 5000 lbs. capacity, and it simply worked well.
I needed more capacity to tow the Dodge Ram 1500 that I had, so I bought a used Roadmaster Stowmaster 6000 lb. telescoping towbar that folded up on the front of the truck. I can't say that I was favorably impressed with the telescoping feature, but the folding bit was rather nice.
On a side note, the price of the USED Roadmaster ($250) was considerably more than the new price of the current Reese model ($165 at Walmart, the last time I looked).

By the way, in many states GVWR is not a legal limit. The legal limit is whatever YOU specified when you registered your truck. For instance, my old 1994 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD was legal to 14K GVW. My current 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 is legal to 10K GVW.
GCWR is also not a legal limit in many states.
CM1, USN (RET)
2017 Jayco TT
Daily Driver: '14 Subaru Outback
1998 Dodge QC LWB, Cummins, 5 speed, 4X2
2 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 ATVs.
Pride Raptor 3 wheeled off-road capable mobility scooter
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
Tom/Barb wrote:

Thousands of Jeeps set up that way, way too many for it to be illegal.


that is the totally faulty logic often seen in these posts. "I saw a double tow ..." , I saw a hupmobile being towed 4 down so...." etc.
seeing it done does NOT make it legal.
depends on what the LEO feels like crusading against that day. exceed your GVWR etc. and you are fine until you happen to meet a specific cop in Emporia, VA, who is having a bad day. :S

bumpy

Off_Pavement
Explorer
Explorer
Tom/Barb wrote:
Off Pavement wrote:
Tom/Barb wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
get a tow bar that mounts on the rear of the motorhome, not on the toad.
bumpy


WHY?

when the jeep has a off road winch type bumper, the tow bar needs to be nothing more than a "A" type that can stay with the jeep.


You can get a ticket for having a tow bar that when folded up, impairs your forward vision.

On all the jeeps we have seen at meets, I've never seen one that would impair the drivers vision.
Thousands of Jeeps set up that way, way too many for it to be illegal.


Not that it makes any difference really, but I WAS stopped for my tow bar being in my line of vision. Just my 2cents...
The Road To Paradise Is NOT Paved!
Please Support Multiple Use of our Public Lands!

Brian Hoag
www.rv-camping.org
'10 Sunseeker Class C - Gozer II
'13 Jeep JKU (Wrangler) - Billie

Tom_Barb
Explorer
Explorer
Off Pavement wrote:
Tom/Barb wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
get a tow bar that mounts on the rear of the motorhome, not on the toad.
bumpy


WHY?

when the jeep has a off road winch type bumper, the tow bar needs to be nothing more than a "A" type that can stay with the jeep.


You can get a ticket for having a tow bar that when folded up, impairs your forward vision.

On all the jeeps we have seen at meets, I've never seen one that would impair the drivers vision.
Thousands of Jeeps set up that way, way too many for it to be illegal.
2000 Newmar mountain aire 4081 DP, ISC/350 Allison 6 speed, Wrangler JL toad.

Thunder_Mountai
Explorer
Explorer
I second the Cool Tech harness. Easy to install. Check eBay and Craigs List for used tow bars and braking systems. I bought a twice used RVI brake system at a garage sales for $250. Once bought a use Blue OX tow bar on eBay for $125. It is still in use by the guy I sold it to after a couple of overhauls and probably 75K miles.
2016 Winnebago Journey 40R
2018 Rubicon
1982 FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser
2020 Keystone Outback 327CG
2020 Dodge Ram 2500
Polaris RZR XP 1000
4 Cats
3 Dogs
1 Bottle of Jack Daniels
Two old hippies still trying to find ourselves!

Off_Pavement
Explorer
Explorer
Tom/Barb wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
get a tow bar that mounts on the rear of the motorhome, not on the toad.
bumpy


WHY?

when the jeep has a off road winch type bumper, the tow bar needs to be nothing more than a "A" type that can stay with the jeep.


You can get a ticket for having a tow bar that when folded up, impairs your forward vision.
The Road To Paradise Is NOT Paved!
Please Support Multiple Use of our Public Lands!

Brian Hoag
www.rv-camping.org
'10 Sunseeker Class C - Gozer II
'13 Jeep JKU (Wrangler) - Billie