Any Jeep owners here?

[coppertales]

I am looking to buy a Wrangler 4 door jeep for the wife. I have a boat, about 1200 lbs, can I tow it ok with the 3.21 rear end drive ratio? I would like a 3.73 rear but they are hard to find here in the city. Thanks.

[skorpion]

You should be okay towing your boat, but it will be a little sluggish in the hills. If you get one with an automatic transmission you may want to consider installing a transmission cooler.

http://www.4wd.com/eSearch.aspx?Ntk=...mission+cooler

[skorpion]

For some reassurance, FCA doesn't list ring and pinion ratio but according to the Jeep website, the 4X4 Wrangler Unlimited with 3.6L can tow a max of 3,500 pounds.

http://www.jeep.com/en/jeep-capabili...Unlimited3Tab*

Although it's not as capable off-road or as customize-able as a Wrangler, the Grand Cherokee has a much better tow rating and makes for a good wifey-mobile to boot. It can tow up to 7,200 pounds with the V8 and 4X4. Even the V6 is rated at 6,200 pounds. With that said, as a Wrangler fan, I'd still go with the Wrangler. You can always re-gear to 4:10.1 for about a grand plus labor.

http://www.jeep.com/en/jeep-capabili...dCherokee3Tab*

[rci2950]

My father is a jeep fanatic and he said the towing weights are in the book that comes in your glove box. He couldn't remember off hand. He has a 1991 and 1998 Cherokee and a 2009 grand Cherokee. He tows a trailer with atv and hunting gear that adds up to at least 1200 pounds. He also said the automatic transmission models pull more weight then the standard. His two Cherokee are 4 liter auto and the grand Cherokee is 3.6 liter auto I think.

[rktman]

Copper,
I've been thinking about the same thing (4 door jeep for wife). What has your research led to as the best choice for daily driving with occasional towing?

[coppertales]

Copper,
I've been thinking about the same thing (4 door jeep for wife). What has your research led to as the best choice for daily driving with occasional towing?

The only reason I want a hitch on the Wrangler 4 door is to tow my boat between two lakes that my summer home is between. No long distance towing with the boat. I also have a small utility trailer which I load the motorcycle on or the lawn mower. The motorcycles are going away due to parkinson's disease I contacted a couple years ago. It affects your balance. My F150 had 3.55 rear gears and I noticed that towing my rv trailer, the trans seems to be searching when the road is not flat. The super tow pack that Ford has, which I did not know about when I bought the truck, would have cured that. I was just applying this experience to the Jeep, which has an optional 3.73 rear. The Rubicon model has 4.10 gears which I think are a bit low for general driving. I will not be doing any off roading. I am going to look at a Wrangler Sehara model, which is pretty much top of the line in that car. It is two years old and still has 1 1/2 year left on the warranty. It has 21000 miles. Car Fax shows no problems and it is a Texas jeep. Look at the NADA price guide to give you an idea of pricing. There are alot of Wrangler 4 doors around here, DFW but not many with a tow hitch. Lots of info on line.

[coppertales]

Bought a new Wrangler Willys today. It has the 3.37 rear gears. Bright red with black hard top. Wife held a gun to my head to sign for it. Got a good deal. I will post a pic when we get it home.

[Ruskiegunlover]

I am right there with you.....Love the unlimited's. Wife and I's next new vehicle is hopefully a 16. Have to finish paying off my student loans and truck first. Thinking the same color scheme....Cannot think of a better way to show the world to my son then removing the hardtop and 4 wheeling in Moab and Colorado.....

Can't wait for the pics man. Congrats.

[coppertales]

Forgot to mention I got the unlimited 4 door model....chris