Anyone towing with a Jeep Wrangler?

[Compatico]

May have to get this to feel safe towing the FSH210

Not enough...you need a Challenger tank to make sure you're safe. Don't want the boat to roll over you during a stop.
LOL

 

[Ronnie]

I advocate using the the right tool for the job at hand and have always considered if I had or need to get a different tow vehicle every time I upgraded my boat. If I don’t have or can’t buy the appropriate tow vehicle with the boat, I don’t buy the boat. Keep in mind the right tool does not have to be new or expensive. There are a lot of used trucks, suvs and even vans available with 7K + lbs tow ratings and oem trailering systems (I.e., hitches, dedicated / larger transmission coolers, towing modes (over drive off/lower gear) etc.) for $5k or less. For context, all new and most used “modern” jet boats cost over $20k.

When selecting a tow vehicle that my family’s, other people on the road with me and my safety is dependent on, vehicles that don’t even meet the minimum recommended specifications is not an option for me. If I am more risk averse as an attorney it’s because I’ve read enough cases and their outcomes to know the law will not be on my side if someone is injured or dies as a result of my engaging in a risky activity (driving is an inherently risky activity, towing even more so IMHO) with “sub-standard” tow vehicle.

“It” (here an accident caused by or contributed to by towing with the “wrong vehicle”) only never happens until “It” happens once and that one time can be life changing and/or life ending for more than just the driver of that vehicle. This is why I don’t tow my boat with a Jeep Wrangler or any vehicle not rated to do so.

 

[Gunner]

I wouldn't worry too much about law enforcement citing you for overweight at least in the Northeast because you really would have to run into a commercial enforcement team which would be quite rare in these parts. I would worry (alot) if you were involved in a serious or fatal accident and sued. You wouldn't need Sherlock Holmes to prove you were overweight, just a little bit of internet research and you would be screwed.

 

[Liveto99]

Here you go Only $5500 you can tow any boat and you can use the crane to put the boat in the water.

 

[Shark Bait]

F-450, never a doubt then.

 

[Betik]

@Shark Bait indeed, but my back and garage cannot handle F-450.

 

[n8id]

Back to the wrangler question! I have 2015 4 door. I tow a Scarab 215 tandem axle trailer with brakes. Weight is around 3200 lbs
This is about all Jeep engine wants!! I threw on a cold air intake, muffler, and a pulse chip!
It pulls great. Maybe not mountains but the handling is exceptional! Brakes on the trailer is the key!!
Dropping a Hemi in should fix the power problem!!!!!!

 

[johhnyboat]

I would use my 4 door Jeep Wrangler to tow around the marina, but that is it. Unless it has the correct gearing you are going to tear up that transmission.

 

[mwalker4]

Back to the wrangler question! I have 2015 4 door. I tow a Scarab 215 tandem axle trailer with brakes. Weight is around 3200 lbs
This is about all Jeep engine wants!! I threw on a cold air intake, muffler, and a pulse chip!
It pulls great. Maybe not mountains but the handling is exceptional! Brakes on the trailer is the key!!
Dropping a Hemi in should fix the power problem!!!!!!

I was extremely surprised that your configuration was only 3200 lbs, considering my 19, single engine, single axel configuration was almost 3200lbs, so I looked it up. The Scarab website said that the dry weight of the boat is 3100lbs. If that's the same boat you are towing 4000lbs dry, no equipment. I was hoping your numbers were correct.

 

[ScarabMike]

Never had an issue at all. Towed like a champ. Now a 23-24ft, nope.

 

[212s]

Never had an issue at all. Towed like a champ. Now a 23-24ft, nope.

That's a 195 which weighs about 3200 lbs with trailer, so about 800 lbs less than towing a 215 and within your towing capacity of 3500 lbs.

I tow a 212s with an SUV with 5k capacity...tows and pulls great, and is just within capacity limits. I wouldn't tow it through the mountains as the engine doesn't have enough grunt at highway speeds, but an hour here and there is no issue at all.

 

[212s]

Back to the wrangler question! I have 2015 4 door. I tow a Scarab 215 tandem axle trailer with brakes. Weight is around 3200 lbs

As @mwalker4 said, that weight is the boat only. With tandem axle trailer that's about 4200 lbs plus fuel so total of about 4500 lbs. That's 1000 lbs over capacity. Short towing distances would be fine, but it's not a road legal towing situation.

 

[ScarabMike]

APPROX. DRY WEIGHT 2600 LB
TRAILER WEIGHT 834 LB
3434lbs.

But you are correct. Within the range without fuel in the boat, people in the Jeep, and the random stuff you throw in the boat.

That's a 195 which weighs about 3200 lbs with trailer, so about 800 lbs less than towing a 215 and within your towing capacity of 3500 lbs.

I tow a 212s with an SUV with 5k capacity...tows and pulls great, and is just within capacity limits. I wouldn't tow it through the mountains as the engine doesn't have enough grunt at highway speeds, but an hour here and there is no issue at all.

 

[blacksapphirez]

only a 19... its slow as all hell too

 

[Ribs77]

Kind of an old thread, but wondering about towing a 212x with a hybrid Highlander. It has the same engine as the gas Highlander (which is rated for 5,000 pounds) but I assume because the hybrid batteries add weight and the transmission is different, it's only rated for 3,500 pounds.

The catch is that I'm talking about towing only a few miles, like literally anywhere from 1-3 miles to and from the boat launch at about 25 mph. Getting a different vehicle for this relatively minor towing usage feels like a PITA. Legality aside, do you think I'm likely to cause any damage to the vehicle with this type of towing? The 212x trailer is double axle and has surge brakes. I think the dry weight would be around 4200 lbs.

 

[BlkGS]

Kind of an old thread, but wondering about towing a 212x with a hybrid Highlander. It has the same engine as the gas Highlander (which is rated for 5,000 pounds) but I assume because the hybrid batteries add weight and the transmission is different, it's only rated for 3,500 pounds.

The catch is that I'm talking about towing only a few miles, like literally anywhere from 1-3 miles to and from the boat launch at about 25 mph. Getting a different vehicle for this relatively minor towing usage feels like a PITA. Legality aside, do you think I'm likely to cause any damage to the vehicle with this type of towing? The 212x trailer is double axle and has surge brakes. I think the dry weight would be around 4200 lbs.

Gut feel says you might put extra wear into the transmission, and possibly overheat it. Depending on what that 1-3 miles looks like, it could be a major issue. If it's stop and go traffic with lots of elevation, you've probably got a pretty good chance of cooking the transmission, since you won't have airflow through a trans cooler or anything like that. It's also wroth noting you're not talking about being slightly over tow capacity, you're talking about being like 70% over by the time fluids and people and beer and such are factored in. Gut feel says if Toyota thought the vehicle could do it at all, they'd have rated it for it. Could you do it once or twice? Probably. But that 3rd time might turn the vehicle into a lawn decoration.

Does the Highlander hybrid use a CVT trans? If so,.I'd just throw the idea of towing with it out completely.

I'd just rent a truck for the day if you just need to tow it to and from the marina or something once or twice a year.

You'd probably get better input via a new thread btw.

 

[Ribs77]

Gut feel says you might put extra wear into the transmission, and possibly overheat it. Depending on what that 1-3 miles looks like, it could be a major issue. If it's stop and go traffic with lots of elevation, you've probably got a pretty good chance of cooking the transmission, since you won't have airflow through a trans cooler or anything like that. It's also wroth noting you're not talking about being slightly over tow capacity, you're talking about being like 70% over by the time fluids and people and beer and such are factored in. Gut feel says if Toyota thought the vehicle could do it at all, they'd have rated it for it. Could you do it once or twice? Probably. But that 3rd time might turn the vehicle into a lawn decoration.

Does the Highlander hybrid use a CVT trans? If so,.I'd just throw the idea of towing with it out completely.

I'd just rent a truck for the day if you just need to tow it to and from the marina or something once or twice a year.

You'd probably get better input via a new thread btw.

It sounds like the Toyotas have an e-CVT that's different than most. And the hybrids have a transmission cooler as standard equipment.

I definitely wouldn't tow the thing with a bunch of people and beer - I'll make them come in a separate vehicle to meet me there! Renting a truck is fine for occasional longer trips, but I would have to store the boat on a trailer and launch it every time I use it - marina access has a multiple years-long waitlist and/or is out of my price range.

From another forum

"The “CVT” in eCVT is achieved with a planetary gear set in combination with a small electric motor (not the one that powers the wheels) that controls the outer ring gear providing the variable in CVT. There are no slush box torque converters, no clutches as in dual clutch automatics and no belts as in conventional CVTs. This should be more reliable than those other types of transmissions."

https://www.rav4world.com/threads/towing-kills-cvts.325882/post-3000319

 

[vwallat99]

Shoot I tow with my 2dr Jeep Wrangler after reading this makes me feel a little more sketchy now. Least my boat and trailer is around 2500 lbs I believe.

 

[Be O Be]

I bought a 255xd and thought I was goi g to be able to tow with my grand Cherokee. I did make it to the lake several times cause I had no other options… however you can feel the jeep struggling. The worse was when it came to an incline in the road the transmission could not switch gears. I had to let off the gas and then get back on it. Terrible. So I sold it and got a f150. Now I can even feel it back there.