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Old 01-21-2007, 11:32 AM   #1
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Towing A T-1950 With a Jeep Liberty Diesel

We are considering the purchase of a T-1950 along with a Jeep Liberty diesel. Seems that we will be about at the limit for this tow rig. The Liberty is rated for 275 ft-lbs of torque, 5000 pounds towing, and 500 pounds hitch load. It has a rather short wheelbase. We would use a weight distributing hitch, and a good brake controller. We would also drive conservatively.

We've had several PS diesels with campers in the past, but would like better fuel economy this time. I'm sort of a diesel nut, hence the Liberty diesel idea.

Any thoughts on this combination?

Thanks!
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Old 01-21-2007, 01:30 PM   #2
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Jeep Tow capacity on the edge

To answer your tow question: If you are looking at a new T1950 it will weight in at about 3770LBs. dry. But the max. weight capacity of the trailer w/cargo is 5,500LBs. or just past the Jeep's rating. This tow vehicle can work if you limit your cargo in the trailer and Jeep make sure you don't exceed the overall GVWR or GAWR. Here is a link to a load calculator on the Jeep website http://www-5.jeep.com/vehsuite/towin...calculator.jsp.

Cargo in a trailer adds up quick. I took our previous trailer loaded up for a 1 week camping trip (food, clothing, water), unhitched it on a truck scale and found our 4,000Lb. Coachmen tipped the scales at 5,100 LBs. and that did not account for passengers or cargo in our truck. Overall I would look for a vehicle with at least 6,500 tow Cap. for some margin.

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Old 01-21-2007, 02:04 PM   #3
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Thanks for the help, Ed.


I forgot to mention a few data points. The Liberty diesel is called the "Cherokee" in Europe. The European rating for the identical vehicle is
3500 kg (7700 pounds) and the hitch load is 350 kg (750 pounds).
However, trailers are restricted to under 60 MPH there, and they use surge-type brakes.

Reese lists a receiver for the USA Liberty rated at 7500 pounds and tongue weight of 750 pounds, if a weight distributing hitch is used.
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Old 01-21-2007, 04:59 PM   #4
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I know the weights might say it's do-able, but I sure wouldn't. The diesel will give you the power, BUT I think your way to short in wheel base. I have towed a 1950 with a 2000 GMC Jimmy, power was not a problem, I just didn't feel confident with the setup even with Reese weight distribution & dual cam sway control. I have seen the Libertys towing out on I-81 and they sure look "small" in front of a trailer. I don't think I'd tow anything over 18' with a Liberty just because of the short wheel base. But, it's your decision and like I said, power is not the problem wheelbase is. It would be a shame to buy a Liberty and find out it's a white knuckle ride while towing.
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Old 01-21-2007, 05:42 PM   #5
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I have to agree with Kitty. Here's a website all about towing. The link will take you directly to the information on length of trailer that you can safely tow, but there is a wealth of other information on the site.

http://www.rvtowingtips.com/how-long.htm
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Old 01-21-2007, 08:23 PM   #6
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Thanks for the helpful replies. Real world experience is hard to beat.

The towing link had an interesting note about Jeeps being excellent at towing because the distance from the hitch to the rear axle is short.

On the other hand, the Liberty's wheelbase would be too short for a 20' trailer per the chart.

It does have "Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which compares the driver’s intended course, via steering angle and braking sensors, to the car’s actual course - by lateral acceleration, yaw and wheel speed sensors on each of the four wheels - and applies brakes on a single wheel or reduces engine power to restore the car to its original course."

It also has a rollover sensing system.

I checked a few German websites and found favorable reports of this vehicle for towing. European trailers tend to be lighter for a given length than North American ones, though.

There is a fallback if the Liberty doesn't work out. If we buy it on the east coast when we buy the trailer, we mightl still be able to recoup most of the purchase price if we sell it here in Portland. They seem to be rare out here, and one dealer is asking full MSRP for a used one.
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Old 03-28-2007, 01:25 PM   #7
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We tow with our Wrangler all the time. But we tow our Pop up! Your wheelbase is a bit longer, but I can tell you, towing something that heavy and long with a short wheelbase: you WILL get a lot of "tail wagging the dog" so to speak.
I have heard whispers of a deisel Grand in Europe.....
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Old 03-28-2007, 06:42 PM   #8
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Unfortunately, I have spent more time (working) in Europe than camping in the US lately. The diesel Grand Cherokee has been in Europe for quite a while.

I still do not want to pay for the fuel over there! Mostly I saw diesel wagons pulling trailers across Europe. To me, everything seemed to max out around 19 feet, and not many trailers had two axles.
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