[Edmond]

I am looking into getting a motorhome and had some questions. I am looking into a Class C, but could go Class A if needed. Diesel is out of my price range
1. does anyone tow a jeep on a trailer with a gas motorhome? from what I have seen they don't have enough towing capacity.

2. how difficult is it to flat tow the Jeep behind the motorhome? any concerns? what about brakes and lights? I have been told it is nearly immpossible to back up, have you had any issues with this?

 

[gregert12]

1- There are Motorhomes that are rated for towing a trailer with a jeep. You can find diesel for $40k if you have a CDL. Check craigslist and ebay.


2-If you flat tow any long distance, you should disconnect the drive shaft.

If you cannot see your tail lights, then you must have lights on the vehicle in tow. In Harbor Freight, you can pick up magnetic mount tow lights for $40. There is also wireless but no idea how well they work.

It is impossible to back up in a flat tow situation since your jeep steering wheel will free spool and go to one side locking the jeep into moving that direction.

 

[Mr. D]

My wife and I have a Dodge Sprinter 6cyl diesel motorhome that we have flat towed our 04 wrangler to many places in our home state. We have also towed it across several states with no issues. Climbing mountain passes is very slow but you almost have to go just as slow down the other side that extra mass pushes the motorhome.

I have also learned to keep my speed in the 55 to sometimes 65 range but mostly 55-60 because a cross wind really makes towing fun.

 

[rubicon joe]

No expert, but here goes my experiences with flat towing.
I flat towed my jeep on 2k mile trip two years ago with a 30' class c ford, jeeps are very very heavy, as such very slow going up & down hills as mentioned.

Braking; I did not have a braking system for that trip, it was very difficult to stop in an emergency situation...I had that, "emergency situation", I was lucky nothing happened, but I swear I could hear the civil lawyers screaming for joy!
Upon my return i got a brake buddy(pricy)for the jeep, helps alot to slow that thing down. I would not tow without some type of braking system, not safe....not legal, I know first hand.

As for backing up,you can...for about 3 feet then the wheels get all goofy!, NO BACKING is the rule when flat towing it.

Someone else here posted nightmare photos of his jeep when his jeeps transfer case popped out of N and destroyed the tranny, transfer case etc etc. When I tow I'm anal about checking & rechecking to make sure the transfer case stays in N.
Others have not had good luck but it is "approved" by jeep......

Lighting:I wired up another bulb into the rear tail lights(tight fit) and ran a wire to the front, that way i would not have to cut into the jeep wiring or do the diode thing.
or Harbor Freight has a coupon for the magnetic lights for $9.99

Also on long trips the front tires wear funny like cupping, can't explain why maybe someone else can. I think it has something to do with being dragged as opposed to being pushed.

I would love to trailer my jeep on trips but that would be an additional 3k +lbs to pull, my ford 460 was not happy pulling the jeep, let alone another ton of trailer.

Hope this helped

 

[Edmond]

Thanks foe the info.... a couple of people mentioned "long" trips// what is considered a long trip? The furthest I would normally go is 220 miles one way about 4 hours..

 

[rubicon joe]

my opinion is anything over 400 miles is long, that's about the max. for me in a motorhome in one day

 

[gqjeep]

I flat tow my 06 LJ Rubi and trailer it at times. When on the trailer I am right at my weight limit. The trailer is an alum. 14' featherlite (weights 1200 lb empty and has elec trailer breaks on both axels).

My RV is a 37" Class A with Ford V10 engine that has the Banks power pack, Engine/trans tuner and 4" exhause added to it. It has plenty of power.

When Flat towing I don't know the Jeep is back there and loose about 1.5 miles per gallon. At 37' I always have some sort of cross wind issue and the Jeep does add to it a little but not too bad. I agree that when flat towing you need some type of supplimental braking. Also backing up is a no go when flat towing.

I do feel the added weight of the trailer plus the Jeep but not enough to worry. Gas milage is the same with the trailer as when flat towing. Braking is better with the trailer due to the trailer brakes and being able to fine tune and adjust them. You can back up with a trailer.

I think for longer trips, 300 plus miles I would use the trailer more. Right now the longest trip I flat tow on is 240 one way. Usually my flat towing trips are around 90-110 miles one way. I have my lights wired using the diode method so I plug the Jeep into my trailer plug on the RV for lights.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Phil_H]

Flat tow my Jeep everywhere. Here's my setup:

Jeep: '03 Rubicon, automatic transmission

Motorhome: Class A 2008 33' Tiffin Allegro, Ford chassis, V-10

• Blue Ox Aventa LX 10,000 lb. Tow Bar (very strong and great articulation off the asphalt)
  Blue Ox BX1120 Baseplate
  Blue Ox BX88129 Class III, 5,000 lb., 4" Rise/Drop Receiver
  Even Brake Portable Proportional Braking System
  Blue Ox KarGard Vehicle Protector
  Magnetic Light Kit (although I'm getting ready to swap to a "wireless" type)

I frequently tow my Jeep from San Diego to Oklahoma City, which is 2742 miles round-trip. We've also towed the Jeep on a vacation trip from San Diego through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, back through Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, into California and back home. With side trips, roughly 5,800 miles.

My overall observations:
Pros1) Jeep tows great, (2) Well worth the equipment investment and time to get everything hooked up. (3) Absolutely love having a vehicle that will take us exploring just about anywhere.

Cons: (1) Mileage sucks (usually about 7.5 but as low as 5 mpg. (2) Really gotta think about turning around 'cause there ain't no backing up with tow bars that have adjustable arms.

Bottom line: Have a rig rated to tow your setup, invest in good tow equipment and you'll barely know the Jeep is behind you.