Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

[omgitzdave]

I plan on towing my 17' 1989 Glastron Conroy with a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It has a 195-hp, 4.0-liter I-6. Will this vehicle have any trouble towing my boat? I want to make sure before I purchase the vehicle.

 

[jlinder]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Have any specs? How much does the boat weigh? Is that dry weight as given by the manufacturer, or a real number from a scale? Do you have brakes ont he trailer? <br /><br />Does the Jeep have a trailer package? What rear end, etc.<br /><br />All this will help you get a good answer.

 

[javsam]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

yes it will.<br />javsam

 

[omgitzdave]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

The boat is listed as 950 lbs, and has a 25 gallon gas tank. I am guessing that fully loaded boat + trailer will weigh no more than 1700lbs (is that reasonable?). The boat trailer does not have brakes. <br /><br />The Jeep Cherokee will have a trailer package installed. What are the differences between an OEM and aftermarket trailer package? Should I choose a car with no trailer package (meaning that it did not tow anything and the engine is in better shape) and have an aftermarket trailer package installed?<br /><br />Here are some more specs of the car:<br /><br /> Engine liters 4.0<br /> Cylinder configuration I-6<br /> Engine oil cooler Standard<br /> Axle ratio 3.55<br /> 4 wheel drive Standard<br /> Engine horsepower 195-hp @ 4,600RPM<br /> Engine torque 230 lb.-ft. @ 3,000RPM<br /><br />Thanks for all your help.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Should be fine, I pull a 20' Four Winns that weighs at least 3700 with mine. Put synthetic 75W-140 gear oil in the differentials, make sure it has a trans cooler and make sure the trailer has brakes and they work. Stopping is the main issue with these Jeeps. I also put in Bilstein shocks and one size oversize tires which helps as well. A 17 footer is well within the tow abilies of the Grand Cherokee with a 4.0 six.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

at 1700 lbs, i strongly suggest trailer brakes. don't get pushed into trouble.

 

[jlinder]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Something sounds really wrong with a 950# weight for a 17' boat. I tried to look up the Conroy model but did not find it. Other Glastron 17' boats from 1989 list at 1950#. Could we be missing the leading 1? It sounds like it. The rest of this post will assume that is the case.<br /><br />Remeber that weights are dry weight. As it comes from the factory with nothing in it. Now add fuel (25 gal is about 160#), anchor, PFDs, cooler, and water that gets into everything.<br /><br />Next add the trailer to the total weight. Don't know what you have, but 750# would be a good start for a guess.<br /><br />If the dry weight is 1950#, then you add 160# for the fuel, 250# for gear/anchor/line/pfd/cooler/etc., 750# for the trailer you get to 3100# real fast.<br /><br />And that 3100# figure is probably on the low side. Water in the foam, water in bilge, etc. can really add up. Until you weigh it, I would feel more comfortable with a guess/estimate of 3500#.<br /><br />The jeep is rated for 5000# (www.trailerlife.com) as long as you have the tow package installed. With that in mind you should be fine.<br /><br />Now for the question of brakes. "The boat trailer does not have brakes." Can you tow this boat without brakes?<br /><br />Short answer - no. Long answer - HELL NO <br /><br />Everyone concentrates on pulling the boat. That is not your biggest concern. Your biggest problem is stopping the boat. Without trailer brakes you are in real trouble if you need to stop quickly.<br /><br />Most (all?) states have laws requiring trailer brakes once you go above a certain weight. I don't know your state, but go to http://www.roadmaster-tow-bars.com/laws.html and take a look. With my estimate you are over the no brake limit in 48 of them. And remember, laws usually are for minimums. You are way over the limits if you apply common sense.<br /><br />Also, when we talk about the need for brakes we tend to talk about fairly flat conditions. You do not say where you are from, but if you have hills the need for brakes goes way up.<br /><br />Note: According the the towing information from http://www.trailerlife.com you need brakes on the trailer when towing anything over 1000# with this vehicle.<br /><br />Good news is that after market brakes for trailers in not a big thing. Champion trailers has kits to add surge brakes to your trailer.<br /><br />Good luck, and welcome to the forum

 

[djvan]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

With a 3:55 rear your tow rating is decreased. 3.73's were installed with a tow package (and maybe other things). I've towed my four winns 16', with a 2000 cherokee sport (aftermarket hitch), a 2003 grand(factory class 3 hitch), and this year a 2006 grand(factory installed class 3 hitch even though I have no v-8), I don't forsee anytrouble with the 06 even though the tow rating has been cut down starting in 05. No brakes on trailer, will upgrade someday.<br /><br />DougV>

 

[omgitzdave]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

While I can't find a specification sheet for my 1989 conroy, this one shows a 1986 and it is listed as 950lbs: <br /><br /> http://www.classicglastron.com/1986_Glastron_X17.html <br /><br />I'd like to thank everyone that has added to this topic, you are a real help!

 

[jlinder]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Omgitzdave,<br /><br />I see it. It does say 950#, I just can't believe it. I checked NADA and it says #1050.<br /><br />Then it dawned on me that you didn't say if this is this an I/O or outboard? I suspect it is an outboard.<br /><br />If so, wouldn't you have to add the motor weight to the total? What motor do you have? How much does it weigh? Would 300# - 350# be somewhere in the ballpark? (modern Evinrude 100hp is 369#)<br /><br />Boat dry weight and motor about 1300# (wild guess)? That is 650# less than I guessed, which would put my VERY ROUGH guesses at around 2450#. <br /><br />You can still tow it, but with more breathing room. You still need brakes, but maybe I can unbold hell no.<br /><br />Only real way to know is go to a truck scale, but if you could post more information (model of engine) we could make better guesses, but I doubt that would change the need for brakes.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Even if it is just 2500 lbs, you still need brakes. All it takes is one panic stop to ruin your day. I would also suggest air bags for the rear coil springs to reduce sagging from the tongue weight.

 

[gutshot grouper]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

I tow a 23 foot Seacraft, which fully loaded with the trailer is about 5300 lbs, Jeep Grand Cherokee, 4 liter, no factory tow pkg., but I did install a cooler on transmission, no problem, but I don't snatch it around, if you proceed with caution, that little boat will not cause any problems.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Trailer Brakes... Trailer Brakes...<br /><br />If you are pulling a heavy load with anything, invariably someone will pull out in front of you. It is no fun to have a 2,000 + lb weight pushing you from behind. You have much less control over the steering and braking of the vehicle when that boat starts to push you around. Taking out someone's grandma because you didn't have brakes on your trailer is not a good thing by any stretch. I have a set of brakes coming for my trailer right now. For now, I tow the boat to a ramp 2 blocks from my house behind a fullsize truck; never get over 10MPH. But I'll be pulling this rig to the Keys in a couple of months behind a midsize SUV, and I would not get on the open road without TRAILER BRAKES.

 

[MajBach]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

 

[MajBach]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Originally posted by MajBach:<br />Dave: I know by saying this I am inviting a wrath of critisism by many self-proclaimed experts suffering from cabin fever on this board...but there is no substituting for experience.<br />I own a 17' boat with a 90 O/B; it weights no less than 1950# and last time over the scale it was 2300 with no equipment. I tow it (and have towed for 6 years) with a '96 Honda Accord that weighs 3000#. It is a standard transmission with the more powerful engine (145hp) and 4 wheel disc ABS. Naturally, it struggles a little to get going or going up a hill. Before anyone jumps down my throat that I'm an idiot for making this car work so hard, it just turned 360,000 km (original clutch, rotors, and tranny).<br />I agree with the statement that it's not about getting going but more about stopping. Naturally, I practice safe driving when I haul like this. While I'm not 'braking' any laws with this set-up (maybe I should be), it certainly would be a grand idea for me to get brakes for the trailer, and I always intended to, but you know.<br />On that point, while it is a wise idea, it certainly isn’t as necessary as some here would have you think. I can stop the boat just fine, even on wet pavement.<br />Some certainly will not be convinced. Well, I have already been in two life-threatening situations while towing in which it was necessary to stop fast. I'll describe one.<br />Several years ago, on the way home from a long-weekend excursion, some twit - who obviously never performed and maintenance, lost his tire AND rim on the [tandem-axle] trailer he was towing; he was in my opposing [highway] lane. Our combined speeds for conservatively 160 kph (100mph). As I swerved and braked, it hit us on the driver's side bumper in the middle of my lane and careened over the car into the side-view mirror of the van following me before traveling some 150' through corn-stalks in a field. It was a soft shoulder with about and 8' ditch beside; my passenger tires were well on the shoulder at impact. The boat was stopped in a straight line in less than 5 seconds. The lateral force of my avoidance 'maneuver' was enough that the 'V' on my transom saver was now more like a sideways 'I' and two of the four bolts securing the O/B were sheared. There was $5800 damage to the car including ABS (although it worked during the accident), A/C and rad. <br />Obviously, a scary ordeal. My wife was screaming her head off but I was to busy fuming mad to realize was almost just had happened. I was angry because the guy didn't stop nor did anyone tell he had just lost a tire/rim. No one stopped to see if we were okay either, despite the fact it was bumper-to-bumper traffic. MY disappointment in Canadians that day was immeasurable.<br />Although I still feel brakes for the trailer are a good idea, in that example, had I had them, I would have been dead. You see, when the tire impacted the car dead in front of me, it had bounced and was traveling up - you can deduce the rest. Still, a poor reason NOT to install brakes on the trailer. My point is, I don’t believe it is THAT necessary. Obviously, the Highway Traffic Act concurs.<br />

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[dorelse]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

I tow our 18ft Bowrider with our minivan. It has the factory tow package, is well under the tow rating, even with all of us & our gear in the van, and it pulls and stops fine. <br /><br />You don't need a diesel dually truck to tow 2000 lbs. If you're careful, drive defensively, and use common sense you'll be fine.<br /><br />Would trailer brakes be nice? Sure. But if a car is rated to tow a certain load, its also rated to stop that load.<br /><br />I've had a couple close calls in my towing days, and never have had the boat cause my car to lose control while emergency braking. <br /><br />I have had a grain trailer push me around pretty good on the farm, but that was 5 tons of wet grain, being towed by a F-150 on gravel. I knew it was a possibility.<br /><br />Just keep your wits about you.

 

[Dave Abrahamson]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Originally posted by MajBach:<br />

THAT was $5800 in damage!!! How far over to the left front does you radiator go?!<br />And it broke your A/C and brakes too???!<br />Expennnnnnsive little cars to fix those imports are!!

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

$5,800 in Canadian dollars, I'm sure. Looks about right to me...

 

[atticus3600s]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Your Jeep Grand Cherokee should easily be able to pull that boat, with the traailer package you are rated to tow 5000 pounds with the 6 cylinder engine. The trailer brakes are probably a good idea but you can decide that based on how far you tow and how fast you drive.

 

[solidwaste]

Re: Towing 17 ft w/ a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

I tow my 17 fotter with my 2002 grandcherookee with a 6cyl and no problems..Youll be fine do recomend putting brakes on..Im going to put some aftermarket on mine this year.It will stop just fine with no problems but its very rough on the brakes eats m up..