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View Full Version : Looking at buying a toy hauler



Holaday07 4.7
04-10-2012, 01:40 PM
Just wanted your alls imput on what you can tow with the Commander. Being that it is lifted, and the small V8 I do not want something that I cant pull. I was looking at a popup with a Deck for the TJ.

Does anyone have experience pulling larger trailers with the Commander? I figured with some aftermarket airbags and a weight distribution hitch I could pull it off.

Any advice would be awesome

BonesWK
04-10-2012, 01:48 PM
I think others who tow bigger items with their rigs get Brake Controllers too, if you are in a hilly area.

hoaxci5
04-10-2012, 02:02 PM
https://theultimatejeep.com/notfound.png

21 ft Forest River Sand Piper.. It's at the limit of the HEMI.. I've got 32" tires, OME HD and MML (f150's). I had to pull off once on my trip from Los Angeles to Phoenix to let the trans cool (partially my fault, but now that I have the flashpaq working properly I can monitor better)

I have a Tekonsha P-3 Trailer Brake Controller, weight distributing hitch and a friction sway controller.

What else do you want to know?

Holaday07 4.7
04-10-2012, 02:32 PM
I would use one of the remote brake controllers so I would not have to tap into the wireing. Would you still be able to haul it with another 4k-5k lbs of Jeep in the back end?

hoaxci5
04-10-2012, 02:49 PM
The trailer above weights about 5000lbs empty, there is no way I could put a Jeep in mix even if it did fit in the box. You have to figure a flatbed trailer alone is going to weigh 1000lbs if not more, and then through the Jeep on it and you are close to your max with the 4.7l.

Anything over 2000lbs (I think) is required to have brakes. Some trailers will have surge brakes, no extra stuff required. Most trailers that big will have electric brakes which require wiring in a brake controller. If you have the factory tow package the wiring is already run to the hitch, but you still need to run power/ground to the brake controller, along with tapping into the brake pedal trigger, and connecting up the feed wire that runs back to the hitch plug. Easy check would be see if you have the 7 pin round plug..

hoaxci5
04-10-2012, 02:55 PM
Also anything over 4500lbs (again I think) is supposed to have a weight distributing hitch. Not a big deal, but if the trailer doesn't come with it it's an extra couple hundred bucks.

Holaday07 4.7
04-10-2012, 05:30 PM
Also anything over 4500lbs (again I think) is supposed to have a weight distributing hitch. Not a big deal, but if the trailer doesn't come with it it's an extra couple hundred bucks.

I can pull my rents 27 foot Camper with the remote trailer brakes (awesome nvention btw) and a weight distribution hitch (I can make it ride nose down thing is incredible). My only other option is a little Hoosier. Thinking of buying a 25 foot deck over, bolting a truck camper to it, and pullng the Jeep up behind.

Really do not want a 4th vehicle with only 2 drivers in the family

hoaxci5
04-10-2012, 05:41 PM
Toy haulers weigh more than standard campers do (length being equal), and it obviously depends on what you are pulling through..

The truck camper over flatbed trailer has been pretty common at the offroad/camping spots I've been to, seems like a pretty good setup to me.

brendon
04-12-2012, 06:22 PM
I pull a 20x8.5 enclosed trailer. Empty is around 3300 lbs. With a car in it I get close to the limit. I have pulled my neighbor's JK in it a couple times which is definitely at the limit but still pulls well. The Hemi is rated up to 7200lbs and I think the regular V8 is rated up to 7000lbs with the tow prep package. Your owners manual can verify this info.

There is a factory wiring harness you can add on for wiring the brake controller. It's nice because it's plug and play. I was a little disappointed that this harness was not included in the tow prep package.

The Tekonsha Prodigy P2 is the controller I use - it can be mounted at any angle and even works in reverse!

consolidation
06-10-2012, 05:15 PM
I have a stock 09 Commander with Hemi and tow package. I pull a 25' TT which weighs around 4000 empty. GVW is 6000, although we are light loaders so I doubt it gets that heavy. I also have the P3 controller, weight distribution hitch, and anti-sway bar. Last month, I made my first journey over the Rockies pulling this trailer. I was really impressed with how well the Jeep did. The trailer we have seems like a good match for the Jeep as it has plenty of power and isn't screaming as it pulls up the grades.