Jeep Wrangler JK

[txav8r]

Anybody have a Jeep Wrangler? Considering changing one of our cars out for something that can be flat towed behind the motorhome. The JK comes recommended. I think equipped like I want, it will be the Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited with Nav, leather, Uconnect, and not sure what else. I would go with the sport but I don't think I can get the nav with the sport without an aftermarket HU. This will be a daily driver, and we might venture off road, but we won't be doing anything radical, so the off road upgrades or rubicon would be overkill for us, at least today. I thought some of you may have some good intel on them.

 

[ToddW850]

Looks like you've already got a great bit of information already. For what you are wanting to use it for, the Sahara or Sport is the way to go. If a daily driver, I'd lean toward the Sahara. You'll be happy either way.

Just remember, like I told my wife when I bought my Jeep, it's a Jeep, not a Cadillac. It drives like a Jeep, not a Cadillac. Although the JK's are an improved ride.

I currently have a Wrangler TJ, but have recently been looking for a JK. My wife is tired of me towing the boat with her nicer vehicle. So I'm in the market for a good deal on a JK, because it meets the towing ratio. Been looking at a great deal of them online.

 

[jlcj7]

i have owned Jeep CJs, (1980 CJ7) YJs (1994 and 1987 wrangler) and JK (2007 Rubican Wrangler)... All of mine were lifted and had thousands in upgrades. I will say after being an old jeep fan, i was very impressed by the "off-the-lot" performance of the Rubican before i did anything to it. I will echo the above statement about not being a cadillac, but for what they are built to do, they are a great vehicle.

 

[smthng]

Have had several Jeeps. JKS are pretty sweet. Flat towed an 09 for two years Behind our Dutch Star. Make sure you pay attention to how to set the transmission and get a battery disconnect system. The odometer is still live when the vehicle is off.

 

[txav8r]

Have had several Jeeps. JKS are pretty sweet. Flat towed an 09 for two years Behind our Dutch Star. Make sure you pay attention to how to set the transmission and get a battery disconnect system. The odometer is still live when the vehicle is off.

Are you sure??? I have the 2015 Guide to Dingy Towing, and it doesn't mention anything about the needing a battery disconnect or a live odometer. It does mention how to set the tranny and refers you to the owners manual as they all do. For the JK automatic transmission, it says in "PARK", and the transfer case in "NEUTRAL". I will of course read the owners manual thoroughly, but after your recommendation here, I may read it before I purchase. I do NOT want TOAD miles to roll the odometer if the engine and tranny are locked out. And I don't want a toad that does turn the equipment or has to have engines ran every 500 miles or so. There are a number of recommended toads, and I have several DOAI members that recommend the JK too. So I gotta get to the bottom of the things you mention. Thanks for pointing them out!

 

[txav8r]

I am downloading the owners manual as I type...

 

[jawsf16]

@txav8r My dad has a Ford Focus Manual that he flat tows behind his RV. He did tons of research before committing to his plan. Shoot me a conversation if you want his email address. Since he sold Salty Dog, he is not on here much anymore.

 

[txav8r]

I will @jawsf16 , thanks. @smthng , I have read the manual and it has specific instructions for the sequence to set up the transmission and transfer case. It does not mention anything about disconnecting the battery or that mileage will register. It does say that the wheels are completely disconnected from the engine and transmission, and states that a test must be run each time to verify that they are indeed disconnected. Since typical speedo pickup is off the transmission, I don't see how it could register mileage when towed. It does not say to leave the key in the on position either, and neither does the 2015 Dingy tow guide, which spells out doing that on numerous other vehicles as well as instructing to disconnect negative battery cable on many...just not on any of the jeep wrangler 4wD models. Now on the Patriot, it states to place the key in the ACC position, which will run down the battery eventually and a reason to disconnect the battery. The reason this has to be done on so many vehicles is that the steering and gear shift is locked and in ACC it is unlocked. Apparently not necessary for those reasons in the wrangler. I will be 100% sure before I make any purchase. But I appreciate the comments and suggestions, because between all of us, we learn and make fewer mistakes!

 

[Murf'n'surf]

So funny you posted this.....on my way home from work I passed a brand new bus RV towing a brand new Jeep Wrangler! The whole thing had to be North of 1.5 million.

 

[txav8r]

So funny you posted this.....on my way home from work I passed a brand new bus RV towing a brand new Jeep Wrangler! The whole thing had to be North of 1.5 million.

OMG! Was it a Prevost? The Wrangler will be new, but the bus is used! After I have added all the options I want on it, it is scaring me though! I may switch gears!

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I'm not sure the brand but I think the name was much longer than Prevost.

 

[smthng]

...@smthng , I have read the manual and it has specific instructions for the sequence to set up the transmission and transfer case. It does not mention anything about disconnecting the battery or that mileage will register...

A quick shout out to a few of my flat-towing friends revealed that some Jeeps need it, some don't. It seems the change started happening in 2009 or 2010 models... if you have a steering lock, you need a battery disconnect. If the steering wheel doesn't lock with the key out of the ignition, you're probably fine without a disconnect. However, I have one friend who swears his '12 JK will rack up miles with no key in it if it's flat towed with the battery connected. He could have an oddball, but it's more likely that he's just a wee bit "special" and is mistaken. We had an '09 and I know it would rack up miles if not disconnected. If you have a newer model and the manual doesn't say to leave the key in it, you're probably golden, but I'd still check it at the first rest area.

 

[txav8r]

Good advice @smthng , but I want to know for certain before I own one! I have a discovery forum friend with a 2012 discovery and a 2012 JK Jeep Wrangler Sport. He says his odometer doesn't register nor does he have to do anything more than make certain the transfer case is in neutral and the gear shift is in park. A manual would have to be in gear. But the wheels are totally disconnected from the tranny and engine, so no miles and the key is off, so no battery drain. I will put it in the contract that this is what the salesman is telling me as well and if it isn't true, they are going to take it back. He says he is certain. I think your right on the date they changed or very close.

 

[eticket]

I had a 2013 JK unlimited Rubicon when I lived in AZ. What a fun ride! It was all modded for rock crawling and night runs, boy do I miss her! Here's a pic from a trip we took to Moab:



Besides the fun of the vehicle, the other thing about having a Jeep is the Jeep community. There are tons of clubs and events for you to participate in. I was in three different clubs and had club rides I could do every weekend if I could get that many passes from the wife.

While out on rides I saw plenty of stock Sport or Sahara model JK's doing incredible things - they are really capable vehicles. Several guys I met flat towed and while I didn't get into the details with them I have to assume there is a way that does not rack up the miles and lose residual value. @txav8r , the sport and Saraha have the same drivetrain so it comes down to creature comforts and exterior styling in your choice.

Anyway, once we knew we were moving to Minneapolis I did my research and found out that I would have to travel quite a distance to get into any type of rock crawling. I had added so much weight to that JK with all the mods that the mileage was terrible, so not good for a daily driver (I worked from home in AZ, so no commute). We also had ideas of getting a boat or camper and JK's have terrible towing capacity. In fact, I had a safari rack and once had it full with camping gear and my JK starting getting hot just going up a mountain without anything in tow. The thing is basically a brick in terms of aerodynamics. So, with a heavy heart I sold it before the move and got my RAM 1500.

Once the winter hit in MN we decided to upgrade our second ride to 4wd and I got the wife 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited. Now we are a Jeep family again and I can even pull my boat with it if I want. However, this Jeep doesn't scratch my itch in quite the same way. It's not like I am going to go add a light bar or roll cage in it and I for sure can't take the doors off and cruise around like with my JK. So, lately I have been mourning my Wrangler and I think I have a solution coming into focus. My 14 year old is soon going to be needing a set of wheels...sounds like the perfect father/son project to find a nice used Wrangler and put a few mods on it.

A bit off the topic but thanks for listening.

 

[txav8r]

I appreciate the sentimental journey @eticket . I have fond memories of rides a boats from years gone by as well. The jeep is a definite draw I can see for many, even for me. I am wondering about the mileage, not that your mention of it deters me, but I can see it is at best around 18mpg average. I can see that it would be easy to carve off more mpg's by modding. By the time a guy puts a metal front/rear bumper, more aggressive tires/wheels (forces at least a 3.5" lift), winch, I am guessing your mileage may be in the toilet. A fun vehicle nonetheless. We may be looking at the cost aspect more seriously. By the time I get the packages and stock options to a useful everyday driver level, it is around $43K. I expect I won't pay more than $40K for it, but that amount is at least $5K more than I can buy another vehicle I was interested in, a Chevy Equinox, fully loaded with every option in the top trim level. We are not completely price sensitive, but we can get sticker shock. For me it is about value and operating costs. I can eat some operating cost capital for enough fun factor. But we don't live in Arizona either, and while we may get an adventure or two out that way, mud and sand is more the game around here. I don't see that becoming a sport for us (me), but maybe occasional play. But there again, to get in the sand and mud much more than as a spectator, your going to change tires/wheels and lift it, and there goes the neighborhood. It appears to me, the JK market is pretty solid and won't yield a nice TOAD in the used arena without a high percentage of original value. That is good for resale, but acquisition cost is less appealing. I am still very interested, and we are actually going to go one step further, and take one home for a couple days to see how it fits with us. We can get around the mpg, at least as a stock JK, but we want to see about daily driver creature comforts and convenience as well. We will either be Jeep owners this time next week or we won't go that route. I just wanted you to know that your perspective is great and I appreciate you taking the time to post it!

 

[eticket]

@txav8r, If I recall correctly I get about 14 mpg on average with city/highway driving after all the mods, so not too bad if you don't put on a ton of miles. The Pentastar engine on the 2012+ has much more gusto than the 2007-2011 engine, so try to get that if you are going used. Agreed on the pricing for used, they really hold their value. Also agreed on sand/mud...so much work to clean up afterwards.

Further to the JK market - if you like wrenching on your rides the JK will give you endless options. The aftermarket for parts is huge and they don't have to involve a welder...plenty of useful goodies such as sunshades, trail doors and the like that enhance the ride even if that ride is just around town to enjoy the good weather.

Good luck with your search and choice!

 

[Tedsellstampa]

Love my JK! 2.5 inch lift, 35's, chipped. Pulls my boat no problem and will pretty much go wherever you could imagine to drive

 

[BryanW]

I have a 2014 Rubi, the fun factor is off the chart. I also have a 73 CJ5, and the Rubi seems every bit as capable, and a hell of a lot more comfortable. I have a couple of buddies that tow their jeeps behind the RV without issue (a 2012 Rubi, and 2014 Oscar Mike) Here's a little tip, if you join tread lightly 30 days later you get supplier pricing on 2 jeeps a year which is 1% under invoice. I have a 2D stick and regularly get 18ish MPG with the factory Rubi mud terrains and a winch. Good luck on the decison, Its not the most comfortable, or efficient but I've never had a bad day while driving the doors and top off!

 

[rkluck]

I have had several jeep wranglers (we got the sport mainly due to the black fender covers) and my wife has the Cherokee limited 4x4. I always used mine as a daily driver as well (when not riding the motorcycle). As mentioned above it is not a fancy car and it is load but I still love them. I like the simple machine that is designed to be. We did some pretty cool mountain exploring going up and down things I didn't think we should even try. The rubi is nice but we never pushed it enough for that. We have done sand, snow, mud and steep rough hills. We had a couple with us that got out when we started going up one hill. It was funny. When we got to the top it was beautiful and we took pictures. They wished they had not got out when we got back! if you like that kind of stuff you will really enjoy the jeep. One other thing I like is that I feel I can always get to where I want to go regardless of the snow or whatever. Feels great!

 

[txav8r]

What is a 2D stick?