1996 Jeep grand cherokee

[ragtagsoldier]

Hi guys I just got a 24 foot pontoon boat and a 500 pound toon trailer. Can I haul this with my 1996 jeep grand Cherokee 4x4 with selectrac 4.0 i6?
I asked the guys on jeepforum and they didn't see a problem but I also want to get the other side of the curtains opinion. I'm mostly concerned about the ramp and pulling the boat up it. Thanks guys ahead of time. Not sure if it matters but it's got a 2" lift on it.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Depending on the details the 96 CG will Tow ~5000# with the 6.

You need to work the numbers.
What does the Toon plus Trailer actually weigh with fuel and gear on board.
Actually weight it!

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

the funny part about your post is that you are completely wrong in your worries!

The ramp will be no issue at all for the 4.0L, that motor is a beast for torque and your jeep will haul that boat out of the water pretty easily.

Where your going to have fun though is driving that boat on the highway at highway speeds, I believe the term is tail wagging the dog. Overall I think this will be fine if you are not planing on the highway thing, if you are going to do the highway I think I would look for a more capable vehicle with a longer wheelbase.

Now as to the towing limits on the GC that's another issue you are going to have to look at but we need to know the weight of the boat(loaded) and the weight of the trailer, I think that when you add all of this up my gut tells me you are going to be very close to the limits of the GC and most likely over a bit.

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Boat title says 2500 lbs with fuel and gear can't an motor probably around 3100 and the trail for 3600 lbs. I have also never hauled ANYTHING before so I might just be being paranoid.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

ok the towing capacity of your jeep is 5000 lbs, your tongue weight is 500 lbs going by your numbers you are towing 3600 lbs and if everything is adjusted properly your tongue should be 10% so 360 lbs, so you should be ok!

Now put your gloves on take a stiff adult beverage and take it for a calm drive on the highway...


Just kidding about the adult beverage, anyway things can get a little sideways on the highway, cross winds other drivers, you name it be careful, it could be a white knuckle drive but until you do it we really don't know, maybe someone else with a similar setup can chime in, you are going to have a big sail behind you so be prepared for it.

Not sure if your Jeep has selectable overdrive but I would suggest that if your tranny is hunting for gears deselect overdrive, I would also look for a tranny cooler if you are doing the highway thing a lot, it will help your tranny last longer.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

I had a 1996 Jeep GC and loved it and towed everything without a worry. The last thing I towed was a 22 Boston Whaler. I don't recall the weight but it was a really heavy boat with a 250 Johnson. I didn't know it was back there. Then again, I live in the flat lands.

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Well I will stick to back roads Until I Get used to it. As it is aprox a 9 mile drive to the ramp and 3 mile of that is 65mph interstate. Thanks guys. Generally a good consensus so I will just take it slow and find out why happens on back roads where I can't hurt anyone.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Boat title says 2500 lbs with fuel and gear can't an motor probably around 3100 and the trail for 3600 lbs. I have also never hauled ANYTHING before so I might just be being paranoid.

Its ok to be paranoid, in fact I would rather you be paranoid then be careless, you have good margins here not nearly as close as I first suspected, towing is not for everyone but after a little bit it becomes old hat, you have a capable vehicle, I obviously love Jeeps and the 4.0 in my opinion is the best motor ever from Jeep, yeah even better then the 258 inline 6. The problem you will have is that your jeep is short wheel based and therefore you are going to need to stay on top of the trailer in other words the trailer is going to want to drive the Jeep, if you pay close attention to it you will be fine, I haul a bigger boat but I have a crew cab 1 ton truck so my truck doesn't take any crap from my boat, you on the other hand have to stay on top of your load, maybe it means taking things a bit slower at times or maybe you are in the fast lane, you just need to relax a little bit and stay focused its not rocket science and after a few trips you will wonder what the big deal was.

Well I will stick to back roads Until I Get used to it. As it is aprox a 9 mile drive to the ramp and 3 mile of that is 65mph interstate. Thanks guys. Generally a good consensus so I will just take it slow and find out why happens on back roads where I can't hurt anyone.

I think that is a great plan! just remember if your tranny is hunting for a gear deselect your overdrive.

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

I have 2004 GC with the I-6 and pull a 20' pontoon with no issues. I don't have trailer brakes on mine but I would recommend them on yours since the 1996 has marginal brakes. I agree with LippCj77....that thing could pull the twin cities together! Adjust your tongue weight to 10% and take it easy on the highway. Use common sense and you should be OK. Avoid jack rabbit starts , be easy on the throttle and you can get by without a transmission cooler. That I-6 is probably the most durable engine ever built, foreign or domestic, they routinely go 300k and more.

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Thanks guys I love my jeep it's my baby lol. If I can post pics when I get home I will but how do I adjust tougne
weight?

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Thanks guys I love my jeep it's my baby lol. If I can post pics when I get home I will but how do I adjust tougne
weight?

By moving the bow stop allowing the boat to be positioned either forward or rearward. Most are adjustable.

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Okay another stupid question lol, how do I know when it is 10%

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

easiest way is to take your boat to a scale a lot of landscaping companies use them as do metal recyclers and truck stops, I'm sure you have seen the certified truck scales signs on the highway, anyway go and tell them you need to get a weight on your trailer and boat alone and most will do it for a small cost, weigh your boat and trailer then back the whole thing up and take the wheels off the scale, weigh just the trailer on the jack and there you go takes five minutes.

Do this first, it will tell you where your trailer is and most likely if the trailer is the original trailer for the boat it will be pretty close.

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Awesome thank you all for yor wonderful advice to a beginner lol starting to feel better about all of this.

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Bathroom scale. You need to know estimated weight of boat/trailer. If this is an outboard your probably a little under 3000# so your tongue weight ( I am guessing) is 250 to 300 #. But before you do all that just hook her up and see how much rear sag you have.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Yeah I never thought of that a bathroom scale should work for your tongue weight too.

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Will do that when I get the boat on the trailer. I have to have a guy come put it in the water and then I have to use the jeep to he it on the trailer and bring it home lol

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Before the boat is on it, the trailer should be level when hitched to the jeep on flat ground correct? Because right now the tougne is down lower to the ground than the tail end, do I need a riser hitch?

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

I have a 2006 GC, 3.7L V6, towing a 3500# bowrider. Not a problem.
The ball drops 1.5 inches with the trailer attached.

The Toon has been towed on that trailer for years.
If there is no reason to believe there is a problem with the balance, don't go looking for one.

The issues with trailers happen as the speeds get higher.
It looks like This.
If it start to wag, just slow down WITHOUT Braking. It will stop.

On your first trip on the freeway only go 55mph, it is only 3 miles.
Next trip try 60, then 65, then 65+.
If there is no problem; there is No Problem.

 

[ragtagsoldier]

Re: 1996 Jeep grand cherokee

Alright thank you sir