2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Towing Question

[757guy]

I have a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 3.6L V6 4WD with the trailer towing package and transmission cooler as well as the factory installed class IV receiver hitch. It is rated to tow up to 6500 lbs. with a max tongue weight of 600 lbs. The vehicle also has load adjusting shocks, and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with a Jeep Grand Cherokee towing a 25' boat weighing around 3,800 lbs. (add the trailer and it brings the weight up to around 4,800 lbs.). I'm wondering how the load leveling shocks will work considering the heavy tongue weight for a boat that size. The boat trailer is a 2008 EZ Loader tandem axle with surge brakes. I won't be trailering too far - just 15-20 miles with an occasional trip of 150 miles to a family lake cabin. I know it doesn't have the capability like a pickup truck would have, but any info on your experiences in towing with the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Lyman]

You should be okay on the short trips. Don't know if I would attempt 150 miles with that setup. I would be worried about getting mirrors wide enough. Need pictures of boat to make a good assessment.

 

[OVERKILL]

I towed our '95 Four Winns with my SRT no problem, and it is significantly heavier. I do not have load levelling suspension and it did not squat. With trailer brakes, I think you'll find it will tow quite well.

 

[Skippy722]

The load leveling shocks are great. If it does squat, they'll pump themselves back up over a mile or 2.

 

[Oro_O]

For that much weight, I'd want a weight distribution hitch more than I'd want leveling shocks.

 

[Nick1994]

You should be ok, but the Pentastar makes all its power up top, not down low, so it'll rev a lot. Freeway driving will have quite a bit of RPM's. I have a small utility trailer and pull it with my grandfather's 14' Grand Cherokee and it revs a lot on the highway. 6th gear tops. I pulled my Camry with it a short distance and it really squatted. In this post is a pic of it towing. https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5195062/camry-broke-down#Post5195062

 

[meep]

nice thing about pulling boats is they have better aero than a box trailer or camper. I think you'll be fine around town. My guess is you won't really want to go much over 55-60 mph over the distance trips though. The Jeep is a short wheelbase and is softly sprung. I believe that year comes stock with the ability to handle a weight distributing hitch (you'd want to verify), and you can add a steering stabilizer, which will be a huge improvement on the highway.

 

[DriveHard]

Been pulling boats most of my life. If you have it loaded properly, there isn't a much more tow-friendly trailer you could be pulling. I have never needed a weight distributing hitch, nor sway control when pulling a boat. I will say that I think you are seriously under-estimating the weight of your boat. I have a 25' Glastron GX255 which is a very modest fiberglass bowrider, and the DRY WEIGHT is ~4600 lbs. Now add a full fuel tank, and all your boating accessories/supplies/etc, and the weight of the boat quickly goes well over 5000 lbs. Now add in another 1500 for a trailer. Often manufacturers will quote their weight without an engine or out drive...might want to double check. I'm not saying your jeep won't do the job, but I am guessing you are closer to the limit than you might think.

 

[757guy]

Originally Posted by DriveHard

Been pulling boats most of my life. If you have it loaded properly, there isn't a much more tow-friendly trailer you could be pulling. I have never needed a weight distributing hitch, nor sway control when pulling a boat. I will say that I think you are seriously under-estimating the weight of your boat. I have a 25' Glastron GX255 which is a very modest fiberglass bowrider, and the DRY WEIGHT is ~4600 lbs. Now add a full fuel tank, and all your boating accessories/supplies/etc, and the weight of the boat quickly goes well over 5000 lbs. Now add in another 1500 for a trailer. Often manufacturers will quote their weight without an engine or out drive...might want to double check. I'm not saying your jeep won't do the job, but I am guessing you are closer to the limit than you might think.

I just double checked the factory manual and it says the boat weights 3805 lbs. with the standard engine. The water tank is empty and it currently has 1/4 tank of fuel (14 gallons) so the boat is around 3900 lbs. This is a purchase for me, so there isn't any gear or other extra items weighing the boat down. I spoke to the dealership and they assured me that the Jeep is up to the task, but make sure to switch off the "Eco mode" so that the transmission doesn't continuously shift up and down while at highway speeds. The trailer weighs 1,760 lbs. for a total weight of 5,660 lbs. Max towing is 6,500 lbs. with a max tongue weight of 650 lbs. so it's close, but within the factory specs. The dealer also indicated that the load leveling shocks should their job and adjust to the tongue weight within a mile or two and provide a balanced ride.

 

[Nick1994]

I know it isn't much of a difference, but I think the Grand Cherokees are rated for 6,200 pounds. The hitch itself is a different calculation. Once you pack up the vehicle, the trailer capacity drops quickly. I don't know that calculation, but I'm sure others on here do.

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by 757guy

Originally Posted by DriveHard

Been pulling boats most of my life. If you have it loaded properly, there isn't a much more tow-friendly trailer you could be pulling. I have never needed a weight distributing hitch, nor sway control when pulling a boat. I will say that I think you are seriously under-estimating the weight of your boat. I have a 25' Glastron GX255 which is a very modest fiberglass bowrider, and the DRY WEIGHT is ~4600 lbs. Now add a full fuel tank, and all your boating accessories/supplies/etc, and the weight of the boat quickly goes well over 5000 lbs. Now add in another 1500 for a trailer. Often manufacturers will quote their weight without an engine or out drive...might want to double check. I'm not saying your jeep won't do the job, but I am guessing you are closer to the limit than you might think.

I just double checked the factory manual and it says the boat weights 3805 lbs. with the standard engine. The water tank is empty and it currently has 1/4 tank of fuel (14 gallons) so the boat is around 3900 lbs. This is a purchase for me, so there isn't any gear or other extra items weighing the boat down. I spoke to the dealership and they assured me that the Jeep is up to the task, but make sure to switch off the "Eco mode" so that the transmission doesn't continuously shift up and down while at highway speeds. The trailer weighs 1,760 lbs. for a total weight of 5,660 lbs. Max towing is 6,500 lbs. with a max tongue weight of 650 lbs. so it's close, but within the factory specs. The dealer also indicated that the load leveling shocks should their job and adjust to the tongue weight within a mile or two and provide a balanced ride.

It sounds like you did your research, and should be well prepared. Even with my Silverado rated to tow 10K+, I put it in trailer mode and lock out 6th gear when pulling to the lake. Tranny temps stay below 180 even in the hottest conditions. If you have a manual mode, put it in a gear that is not continuously jumping around in and you should be good. POST pics! Love to see your new toy!

 

[meep]

Originally Posted by 757guy

Originally Posted by DriveHard

Been pulling boats most of my life. If you have it loaded properly, there isn't a much more tow-friendly trailer you could be pulling. I have never needed a weight distributing hitch, nor sway control when pulling a boat. I will say that I think you are seriously under-estimating the weight of your boat. I have a 25' Glastron GX255 which is a very modest fiberglass bowrider, and the DRY WEIGHT is ~4600 lbs. Now add a full fuel tank, and all your boating accessories/supplies/etc, and the weight of the boat quickly goes well over 5000 lbs. Now add in another 1500 for a trailer. Often manufacturers will quote their weight without an engine or out drive...might want to double check. I'm not saying your jeep won't do the job, but I am guessing you are closer to the limit than you might think.

I just double checked the factory manual and it says the boat weights 3805 lbs. with the standard engine. The water tank is empty and it currently has 1/4 tank of fuel (14 gallons) so the boat is around 3900 lbs. This is a purchase for me, so there isn't any gear or other extra items weighing the boat down. I spoke to the dealership and they assured me that the Jeep is up to the task, but make sure to switch off the "Eco mode" so that the transmission doesn't continuously shift up and down while at highway speeds. The trailer weighs 1,760 lbs. for a total weight of 5,660 lbs. Max towing is 6,500 lbs. with a max tongue weight of 650 lbs. so it's close, but within the factory specs. The dealer also indicated that the load leveling shocks should their job and adjust to the tongue weight within a mile or two and provide a balanced ride.

So.... towing is a different kind of driving, and you will get a feel for it. All the advice above seems really spot-on to me, and once you're behind the wheel it will begin to make sense. cliff notes of my personal experience and thoughts: 1. 3500lb rated FWD minivan well out-towed 5,500lb rated pathfinder 4x4 due to (A) wheelbase (B) leaf sprung rear solid axle suspension 2. always lock out OD. There's lots of posts on this, and it's not just to reduce shifting 3. I used to get excited about being able to use all that extra power on tap for hill climbs. It brings out an aggressiveness in me. Reduce the urge. Tuck in to the right and keep your 4,500lb car with 5,500lb load calm and smooth. 4. do not expect to drive like a car and hold 70mph. In fact, don;t expect to hold a steady speed. a normal vehicle has the power to set cruise and maintain speed regardless of road and wind. A driver with a 3 ton pendulum behind it must account for more variables. 5. note the speed rating of the trailer tires 6. don't be surprised if the engine needs to rev to make power up a hill. Be safe, and enjoy! -m

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Nick1994

I know it isn't much of a difference, but I think the Grand Cherokees are rated for 6,200 pounds. The hitch itself is a different calculation. Once you pack up the vehicle, the trailer capacity drops quickly. I don't know that calculation, but I'm sure others on here do.

Depends on how it is trimmed. Laredo/Upland is 3,500lbs Laredo E/Altitude is 6,200lbs Limited/Trailhawk/SRT/Trackhawk..etc is 7,200lbs

 

[757guy]

UPDATE: I drove the 135 miles home with the boat yesterday and the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee performed much better than expected. The boat trailered extremely well and the Jeep had no issues with power or braking, thanks to the 4 wheel disc brakes on the trailer. A large portion of this trip home was freeway driving with an average speed of 60-65 mph. On flat terrain, the engine RPM's were around the 2000-2400 range, with an occasional downshift on hills to 3,000 RPM and one steep hill caused a shift to 4,000 temporarily before settling back to 3,000 RPM until cresting the hill. According to the trip computer, average fuel consumption was 16.7 MPG with cruise control used for most of the trip. Because I was traveling slower than the 70 MPH limit, cruise control worked very well as I never passed anyone - they all went around me. To summarize, I was very pleased at how well the Jeep performed with a 5500 lb. payload (Jeep is rated for 6,500 lbs). Engine temps stayed in the normal range, and gas mileage was good considering the load (and 20 mph headwinds). Boat was about as aerodynamic as you could get it with the bow cover and cockpit cover making for minimal airflow disruptions.The load leveling shocks worked as advertised and trailer hitch ball height ended up at the same height as before the trailer was mounted. I am very pleased with both the boat trailer and Jeep working together for a great ride.