Is a weight distribution hitch needed

[blar]

I want to tow a 8.5 x 20' V-nose cargo trailer with my Grand Cherokee, The Jeep came with a factory class IV hitch and the V8 is rated to tow 6500 lbs and a max tongue weight of 720 lbs. The trailer has tandem 3500 axles (7000 GVWR) with a dry weight of 2900 lbs and a hitch weight of 300. Total combined GCWR is 11450 lbs. The question I have is am I going to require a weight distribution hitch to prevent swaying problems? I am putting on an electric brake controller as well. Any quality advise would be appreciated.

 

[maxwell]

i cant really speak for a 20' but we tried pulling out 30' empty behind a 1500 truck. a slight breeeze and the trailer became in control. i can imagine a smaller jeep and smaller trailer the same effects would apply. i dont pull it with anything less than a 2500 and it stays straight even through the wind without the sway control. that being said im going to be looking into one next season for the weight distrubution aspect.

 

[summ-it-up]

i would get every possible beneficial option available if i was going to haul a trailer like that with a grand cherokee. don't get me wrong, i'm sure its capable of hauling the weight and all that good stuff, but as maxwell said, its a sheer matter of which unit (jeep or trailer) is in controll. when the roads turn to crap and the wind picks up that would be not be a fun ride.

the last grand cherokee i saw pulling something that size ended up as a garage sale in the ditch on hwy 43 at the bottom of the big hill between whitecourt and fox creek.

not trying to be a d!ck or anything, just my experience.

 

[goodngrubby]

I have to agree. I think the Cherokee is going to end up being the trailer's bitch without an equilizer hitch...maybe even with it. I pulled my 8.5'x16' enclosed with a Dakota once...only once...had a 6x6 Ranger and a couple kid's quads in it, no equilizer hitch...it was a bit of a rodeo in a slight cross-wind.

 

[Puba]

For the safety factor as everyone has alluded to an equalizer would be highly recommended and beneficial to what you are looking to do and asking advice on.

 

[blar]

The thing is the jeep's weight is the same as a new 2012 F-150 and silverado. 05 Jeep 4613 lbs, 12 F-150 4685 lbs, 12 silverado 4463 lbs. The wheel base is shorter though.

 

[higher n you]

I highly recommend you NOT attempt this setup. The tail will wag the dog! But if you insist you need a weight dist WITH sway controll. Eq bars are only for weight dist. The short wheel base is the problem.

 

[drew562]

The thing is the jeep's weight is the same as a new 2012 F-150 and silverado. 05 Jeep 4613 lbs, 12 F-150 4685 lbs, 12 silverado 4463 lbs. The wheel base is shorter though.

The weight ratings are a max load in perfect conditoNs. A jeep. Is not what I want to meet me in Rogers pass on a snow covered road pulling a big trailer

 

[OVERKILL 19]

"D" all the above! Sway bar is its own item. Weight fist bars don't do sqwaut for sway. The father in law used to pull his 18 foot with his v8 explorer. It was a nightmare! The trailer tracks in normal wheel humps in road then the explorer would jump from one track to to other. All u end up doing is fighting the road on a normal day. Add x wind into the mix. Your not going to enjoy your trip! Cause once u get to where your camping all your going to be thinking about is the he!! Trip home. That was my experience with that gong show! PS he had bad and sway bars the whole set up. People don't ever think about the power of wind on that huge white sail your pulling. My 26 foot artic fox has made my one ton mega cab wag on occasion driveing through lethbridge!

 

[shawnmcgr]

I pulled a 24ft travel trailer (about 5500lbs loaded) with a Tahoe and anything over 90kph and sway would start when a transport passed, with or without wind. Add wind and snow and ice and it just gets worse. This was with weight distribution bars (no sway control), which as other have stated do nothing to control sway, they just distribute some of the hitch weight to the front axle and help level the tow rig.

To do it safely you'd have to slow down and invest in good sway control like a Hensley hitch - they are not cheap and you get what you pay for.

I'd also consider putting on firmer tires (especially on the rear) and do what you can to firm up the rear suspension (air bags). I'm not familiar with the Grand Cherokee but I'd suspect the suspension is tuned more towards unloaded ride comfort (soft), as my Tahoe was. You'll be about 1000lbs lighter than I was so I think it's doable but it may be a bit of a white knuckle drive at times. The easy answer is to slow down.

 

[DRD]

I use a Reese Dual Cam and it's very good for the price. Great sway control and weight distribution.

I think you need more cowbell though, when someone says "towing" a Jeep isn't the first thing that comes to me.

 

[Iron Horse Racing]

My now lovely wife used to tow a horse trailer with one horse in it when I met her....... Van towing capacity is 5,000 lbs.....trailer and horse weighed in around 4,700 lbs had a equalizer hitch and sway bar... I used to argue with her that she needed a truck.....She had been lucky as she never had it out in any real wind....she called me one day, parked on the side of the road as she looked in her mirrors and saw her trailer on the two right side wheels heading for the ditch....the only reason it didnt go over was the hitch set up held it down, she was going really slow and she didnt panic but just took her foot off the gas and steered through it..........I showed up with a full sized 1/2 ton and made her drive it home even in the wind.....

The shorter wheel base tow vehicles are made for tent trailers.....be very careful.....

 

[glassman]

If you are only rated for approx 1000 lbs cargo weight, are you also taking into account the weight of your passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle? You will still be over the max axel weight and a leveling hitch doesnt fix that. I wouldnt even consider it, but it is your rig. Just hope the cops arent sitting at the scales.

 

[smokinD]

I seriously would not attempt this unless you like tempting fate i tried this with my own jeep and buddys 20fter and basically the trailer controls the jeep pretty well would steer you all over creation in a slight wind and eats up brakes in a hurry in any case good luck

 

[Beels]

Back in our drag racing days, no one had crew cabs yet and we decided to pull our 24.5' enclosed with a mid 90's Tahoe so we'd have more passenger room. Did that one time and only once. No one wanted to ride in it anymore and the guy driving probably shaved a few months off his life... Not good.

 

[Vets07]

Gota agree with everyone else on this one the trailer gona drive you not the other way around. I wouldn't be going though any pass with that combo. But each to there own. If you do insist on that combo here is a link to thee best airbags out there they will help displace some of the hitch weight to the front.

 

[Pistonbroke]

Sway control is desperately needed, plus the weight distribution. First thing is to think of the combination not in cruise mode, but in emergency braking and steering mode!

The sway is not a function of the jeep's short wheel base or the weight of the combination - it is because the trailer is a tall enclosed with large frontal area and a square hind end. What happens is that small vortices will be generated on one side of the trailer, then shed off, giving a small sway....then the other side builds and sheds a little bit bigger vortex....and so on until you have an out of control situation on your hands.


Just my 0.02 from the DPFN aerodynamics lab.

 

[northern bear]

As long as one doesn't overload the trailer and pay attention to your weights one should be fine. Tongue weight is important. Not enough weight, lose control. To much, lose control. Make sure the load is balanced on the trailer axles and let it carry the weight. Also get a good quality brake controller and know how to set it up and use it. And make sure the trailer brakes themselves are set up and working properly.

 

[bj_lucky]

Just about every long weekend I go to bc during the summer months I come across a couple hundred feet rubber "s" marks followed by a smaller suv and trailer upside down on the highway. And that is on dry roads. I wouldn't recommend ruining yours or someone else's trip by attempting towing it with or without bars of some sort. Of course just my .02 cents....

 

[blar]

Took everyone's advice and traded the Jeep in on a 2011 Ram 2500 SLT.