Towing With jeep Cherokee ( not grand )

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cheekywelshie

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Sorry - another towing question!! My dad has a 2.8 diesel auto Cherokee - it is not a grand Cherokee I might add! Can you tow with these? (how do you find out what the towing capacity is?)
 
It's 2003 limited edition 2.8 auto- it days 3500 for braked towing weight but what does that mean...also completely lost at kerbweight information...
 
Yep you can - I went and bought one of these last year specifically for towing the trailer - Jeep Cherokee Sport 2.8 diesel - I have an automatic on a 54 plate - its brilliant - I tow an Ifor Williams 510 with usually at least 1 Dutch Warmblood on board who stands at 17.1hh. It has a towing capacity of 3500kgs - not that I would suggest taking the weight being towed that high.

I researched all sorts of cars before buying the Jeep - I think what sold it to my OH who was going to be paying for it was that the BHS use one on the cover of their towing booklet for Safe towing.

Mine came with a towbar already fitted, mind you I did have it checked out by my trailer mechanic to make sure it was okay.
 
cheekywelshie said:
It's 2003 limited edition 2.8 auto- it days 3500 for braked towing weight but what does that mean...also completely lost at kerbweight information...
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If you look at the trailer you wil be towing and find out what the unladedn weight is, add on the weight of the horse/s you will be carrying, add on any ancillary stuff - water, hay etc and as a general rule I make sure that the weight is at least 85% of the towing capacity

I worked out that the Ifor comes in at just under 1000kg, my horse comes in at roughtly 600kg, I can carry my friends horse who comes in at approx 650kg, I allow at leasy 40k for ancillary stuff which gives me approx 2290kg weight to be towed. The Jeep is more than capable of towing this.

I also asked around at a couple of the local trailer sales places, quite a few of their customers also towed with the Jeep we are talking about. Not one advised me against it. I also checked with the garage that serviced my lorry and the trailer - he said it would be fine.


Hey just realised that I'm not far from you - Dunstable
 
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The only other thing to bear in mind is stablility. eg I have had a Jeep and a 110 LWB Land rover at the same time. Both had a 3.5T towing capacity. But I can tell you when towing heavier loads I would have chosen the Landie every time, simply because the weight and stability of that vehicle made towing a much less stressful and stable option (plus the diff lock to get you out of that really really muddy field :-))).

The Jeep should be fine towing the trailer tho, no probs there, just wouldnt recommend pushing up to the max tow weight of 3.5T on a vehicle that isnt a hulk like a Landy/Shogun type.
 
cheekywelshie said:
Ta, I looked it up on the Ifor Williams site and they only mention the grand Cherokee and jeep wrangler??
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I must admit I haven't looked there - I went with personal recommendation, the independent trailer sales shops - GT Towing at Hatfield and Blaines in Hemel Hempstead. I was also very interested in what the garage had to say.

Mea culpa - it's not the BHS booklet it's the Highways Agency "HITCHED fit to tow" booklet - I just bought it at the BHS stand at the Herts County show
 
IS THIS YOUR CAR ?
KERB 2031 so unladen probably about 2100
GVW 2520
Towing capacity 3500

If you have a B+E licence or are a B+E supervised provisional driver then you can tow a full 3500 with this vehicle
If the trailer is plated at 3500 and weighs 1000 unladen then you can load 2500 into it

If you towing on a B licence then you can forget towing a horse in a horse trailer because you only have a 980 plated trailer MAM as a max
the lightest horse trailer I can find is 655 unladen and at 980 MAM that would only leave a load weight of 325 !!
 
Just another thought - if you will be doing the driving as to which license you hold - because if you didn't pass your test before 1997 you will need to take the trailer test - I think??

- there is a really good towing thread on the Competition Riders section of the forum. There are many very experienced towers on their who are a mine of information.
 
ROG said:
IS THIS YOUR CAR ?
KERB 2031 so unladen probably about 2100
GVW 2520
Towing capacity 3500

If you have a B+E licence or are a B+E supervised provisional driver then you can tow a full 3500 with this vehicle
If the trailer is plated at 3500 and weighs 1000 unladen then you can load 2500 into it

If you towing on a B licence then you can forget towing a horse in a horse trailer because you only have a 980 plated trailer MAM as a max
the lightest horse trailer I can find is 655 unladen and at 980 MAM that would only leave a load weight of 325 !!
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Thanks for this ROG I have just pointed the OP in the towing thread on Competition Riders so hopefully you will be able to point her in the right direction
 
Clannad48 said:
Just another thought - if you will be doing the driving as to which license you hold - because if you didn't pass your test before 1997 you will need to take the trailer test - I think??

- there is a really good towing thread on the Competition Riders section of the forum. There are many very experienced towers on their who are a mine of information.
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Beat you to it - just :D
 
Yep I passed in 2007 just after they changed the law :( :( so would have to do test! Can you do test in an auto ? ( tho I know this means you can only tow in auto then)
 
cheekywelshie said:
Yep I passed in 2007 just after they changed the law :( :( so would have to do test! Can you do test in an auto ? ( tho I know this means you can only tow in auto then)
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I dont think there are two tests like the car test , you
are upgrading to tow not like actualy learning to drive ....so you will be fine, not sure why anyone would have a manual tow car if they had the choice !!!!???
 
cheekywelshie said:
Ps I just read about an ifor williams single horse trailer that you wouldn't have to tale test to pull??
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Where did you read that???

A Single Ifor Williams 403 unladen weight is 767kg so as ROG said a MAM of 980 would leave you with 213kg - so I think you would only be able to carry a falabella!!!

To be honest although I took my driving test a long time before 1997 I have had a lot of experience towing all sorts of trailers etc with a lot of different vehicles, and if this was not the case I would definitely be having towing lessons, even if I didn't legally need them.

Yes I know it can be expensive but if you consider that you will be carrying one of your most prized possessions in the back of the trailer (not necessarily £££) then I would seriously consider doing the test
 
perfect11s said:
I dont think there are two tests like the car test , you
are upgrading to tow not like actualy learning to drive ....so you will be fine, not sure why anyone would have a manual tow car if they had the choice !!!!???
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If you pass your driving test in an automatic then you can only drive an automatic unless you take another test in a manual car

If you pass your driving test in a manual car then you are permitted to drive both a manual car or an automatic car.

Whichever car you are licensed to drive you can take your trailer test in.

Perfect11s, I agree with you - I have recently had to change to an automatic car due to left knee problems - now I wish I had done it years ago - the towing is so much smoother, I know the horse prefers it!!!
 
Sorry I meant 1997 not 2007 (slaps head)

Yes I would definitely have lessons even if there was no test. I need to get used to even reversing a 4x4 first! Based on today's performance that may take some time lol :)
 
cheekywelshie said:
Ps this is where I read about the single trailer where it says about not needing b and e test ??? http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/trailer/1000
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FOR B LICENCE TOWING ONLY:-
Max gross weight 1600 kg
Unlaiden weight 767.00 kg
Weight capacity 833 kg

No towing vehicle that I am aware of would meet the weights required for towing that trailer UNLESS the trailer was downplated to 1500 kg leaving a weight capacity of 733 kg

To meet the B towing requirements for that trailer as it stands the towing vehicle would need to be at least 1600 unladen, no more than 1900 GVW with a towing capacity of at least 1600

There are towing vehicles out there with these sort of specs -
1500 unladen
2000 GVW
1500+ towing capacity
So downplating the trailer in that link would then be legal for the sort of specs I listed for the towing vehicle
This is because the trailer MAM of 1500 is not more than the 1500 unladen weight of the towing vehicle and the towing vehicle GVW 2000 plus the trailer MAM 1500 is not more than 3500
HERE ENDETH THE LESSON ON B LICENCE TOWING :D;)
===================================================
Clannad48 said:
If you pass your driving test in an automatic then you can only drive an automatic unless you take another test in a manual car

If you pass your driving test in a manual car then you are permitted to drive both a manual car or an automatic car.

Whichever car you are licensed to drive you can take your trailer test in.
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Re taking B+E test in a manual or auto ....
Driver has B manual and passes B+E auto then they have B+E auto
Driver has B auto and passes B+E manual then they have B and B+E manual
A higher test passed in a manual upgrades lower auto categories

This is for those in the DVLA area - those in the DVLNI area have different rules - in NI a driver who has B manual and passes B+E auto then has both as manual
 
I owned a Jeep Cherokee 3.7 V6 automatic and it was FAB at towing our Bateson / Ifor trailers. Like my towing vehicles to be automatic as there is less to think about when coming to a junction, only braking nicely rather than gears and braking LOL!!! well I am a woman! hee hee Although it drank fuel...only did about 15 miles to the gallon!!

Have a lorry now, find it cheaper to run 7.5ton lorry and my little Renault Cleo than the Jeep and a trailer due to the petrol prices at mo!!
 
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